Improvements in and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Wire-glass.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Wire-glass.
I, FRANK SHUMAN, of 3400, Disston Street (Tacony), City and County of Phila-
delphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to the manufacture of "wire-glass
"and is especially
applicable to the production of thin sheets containing light wire with rapidity
and without any material disturbance of the molten glass, or distortion of the heated
wire.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2
a plan of an apparatus constructed according to this invention. Figure 3 is
a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of Figure drawn to a larger scale.
A is a plate-glass rolling-table, which may be of any ordinary or suitable con-
struction, the said table having, in the example shewn, rails a a, upon which run
the rollers B, C, extending across the table and having end flanges to prevent
lateral displacement, and mounted so as to be free to turn in bearings in a
carriage D, which may be operated by means of an electric motor mounted on the
carriage, as represented by dotted lines in Figure 1, the said motor being geared
to the rear roll C. The carriage and rolls may however be driven in any desired
manner, the manner of driving being no part of my present invention.
The weight of the carriage may be varied and regulated at will, by the use of
suitable weights, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawing.
The front roll B is provided with ribs d, while the rear roll C is plain.
The plain rear roll C is adjusted in respect to the ribbed front roll B so that its
surface will be slightly nearer the bed than the base of the groove between the
ribs of the ribbed roll, so that the plain roll C will roll down the ribs formed in
the glass and thus close the openings formed by the ribs of the ribbed roll B.
Carried by brackets e projecting from the front of the carriage D, is a chute E
for the wire, or wire-gauze, which it is desired to embed in the glass. The said
chute may be pivoted, to the brackets at e¹, so that it can be swung to the position
shewn by dotted lines, while the molten glass is being poured upon the table, and
that being done, may be swung into operative position, shewn by full lines.
Adapted to slide on the table A, in front of the ribbed roll B is a plough F,
having its sides ff tied together, by rods, or bars, f¹, f2, the latter of which, in
the operation of the machine, acts as a continuation of the chute E so as to extend
the guide for the wire, or wire-gauze, to a point as near as possible to the ribbed
roller B, and thereby more effectually support, and keep straight, while descend-
ng, the sheet of wire, which, when projected into contact with the molten glass,
becomes highly heated and very flexible.
The sheet of wire-gauze having been placed upon the chute E a proper quantity
of molten glass is poured on the table A directly in front of the ribbed roll B,
and between the walls of the plough F, and the lower end of the wire-gauze sheet is

page_text: allowed to drop upon the molten glass immediately in front of roll B, so that the
latter may operate to roll the wire into the glass.
The introduction of the wire into the glass may be regulated at will, so that if
the first part of a plate being rolled, should be what is termed "chilled" glass, the
wire is not embedded in the said chilled portion, which is usually cut from the
plate after annealing.
The ribbed roll B, serves not only to positively force the wire into the glass
until it reaches the position in which it is to remain therein, but at the same time
and place, it rolls the glass into a sheet of uniform thickness, having in its upper
face grooves, or depressions, formed by the ribs d, and by the wire forced into the
glass, the smooth roll C, effecting the complete covering of the wire, and the
production of smooth faces on both sides of the sheet of glass, by rolling down
the surface of the said glass sheet through which the wire has been forced.
By this means I am enabled to produce, with great rapidity, thin sheets of glass
containing light wire, without any material disturbance of the molten glass, or
distortion of the heated wire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The manufacture of what is known as "wire-glass," by simultaneously, and
coincidently, forcing the wire into the glass until it reaches the position in which
it is to remain therein, and rolling the glass into a shect, and then covering the
embedded wire by rolling down that surface of the glass through which the wire.
was forced.
2. In a "wire-glass" making machine, the combination of a table, a roller having
spaced ribs on its periphery, and mounted to travel at such a fixed distance above
the same, that the wire to be forced into the glass will be forced into the place
where it is to remain therein, and means for feeding the said wire down in front
of the roller to be forced thereby into a mass of glass placed on the table in front
of the roller, whereby the wire will be pressed into the glass until it reaches the
position in which it is to remain therein, and the glass will, at the same time and
place, be rolled into a sheet of uniform thickness; substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3
3. In a wire-glass" making machine, the combination of a table, a roller with
spaced ribs on its periphery, and mounted to travel at such a fixed distance above
the same that the wire to be forced into the glass will be forced to the place
where it is to remain therein, and means for feeding the wire down in front of the
said roller, to be forced thereby into a mass of glass placed on the table in front
of the roller, and a roller following the ribbed roll, and having its periphery closer
to the table than the bases of the ribs on said ribbed roll, whereby the wire is
pressed into the glass until it reaches the position in which it is to remain therein,
the glass is at the same time and place rolled into a sheet of uniform thickness,
and the projecting ribs in the upper surface of the glass are finally rolled down,
so as to cover and enclose the embedded. wire, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dotod this 14th der of Luna 1808
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.