IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING GLASS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crossley, of St. Helen's, in the County of
Lancaster, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING GLASS."
Sealed the 23rd November 1858, and dated the 21st June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crossley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
June 1858.
I, JOHN CROSSLEY, of St. Helen's, in the County of Lancaster, Glass
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY POR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING GLASS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for grinding,
smoothing, and polishing glass. For these purposes a vertical crank shaft or axis
is made to communicate rotatory motion by means of two connecting bars or
rods to two other upright cranked axes, and such two cranked axes are con-
nected by means of a third connecting bar or rod, which it is preferred should
be longer than the other two connecting bars. Each of these connecting rods
or bars has a bearing or bearings for the upright axis of one or more runners;
it is, however, preferred, that the two shorter connecting bars should each give
motion to a single runner, and that the longer connecting bar or rod should
give motion to two runners. The glass
The glass to be ground, smoothed, or polished
is fixed on a horizontal table, in such manner that the rubbers will each be
caused to be moved on its surface by the connecting bars or rods, the axis of
each rubber describing a like circle to the three cranks before mentioned, the
rubbers being each also capable of rotating with its own axis; and the rubbers

page_text: are so arranged that in their action they overlap each others extent of action,
and they also overlap the edges of the glass on the table. More than three
cranks and three connecting bars or rods may be similarly combined, and I
in some cases only use two cranked axes or shafts, and give simultaneous
motion thereto. They, by means of two connecting rods, give motion by the
outer ends of such rods to two runners, in a similar manner to that in which
five cranked axes now give motion to two runners.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Crossley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CROSSLEY, of St. Helen's, in the County of Lancaster, Glass Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Crossley, Her special licence that I, the said John Crossley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Crossley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND POLISHING GLASS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Crossley, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Crossley, do hereby declare the
nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for grinding.
smoothing, and polishing glass. For these purposes a vertical crank shaft or

page_text: axis is made to communicate rotatory motion by means of two connecting bars
or rods to two other upright cranked axes, and such two cranked axes are
connected by means of a third connecting bar or rod, which it is preferred
should be longer than the other two connecting bars. Each of these con-
necting rods or bars has a bearing or bearings for the upright axis of one or
more runners; it is, however, preferred, that the two shorter connecting bars
should each give motion to a single runner, and that the longer connecting
bar or rod should give motion to two runners. The glass to be ground,
smoothed, or polished is fixed on a horizontal table in such manner that the
rubbers will each be caused to be moved on its surface by the connecting bars
or rods, the axis of each rubber describing a like circle to the three cranks
before mentioned, the rubbers being each also capable of rotating with its own
axis; and the rubbers are so arranged that in their action they overlap each
others extent of action, and they also overlap the edges of the glass on the
table. More than three cranks and three connecting bars or rods may be
similarly combined, and I in some cases only use two cranked axes or
shafts, and give simultaneous motion thereto. They, by means of two con-
necting rods, give motion by the outer ends of such rods to two runners, in
a similar manner to that in which five cranked axes now give motion to two
runners.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan of the machine showing one arrangement which has been
found to answer well. A is the table upon which the glass is laid; B, B, B, B,
are four runners, two larger ones and two smaller ones; C', C², C², are three
cranks, of which C¹ is the driving crank; D, D, D, are three connecting rods: ;
E, E, E, and E', E', E', are struts to stay the connecting rods, which are thus
united and made into one strong and rigid frame, and it is preferred to make
this part of the machine of timber. The runners are connected to the frame
by centre pins, round in section at their lower extremity, which fits loosely
into a hole in the centre of the runner; the pins are made triangular in
section at their upper end, and fit into corresponding holes in brackets
attached to the frame. These holes are shown in the brackets marked
I, I, I, I, in the Drawing; H, H, H, H, show the heads of the centre pins
carrying the runners B, B, B, B. Additional brackets are provided, so that
the position of the different sized runners can be reversed. Brackets might
also be placed on any other part of the frame, so as to be able to bring the

page_text: grinding action of the runners on any desired part of the table. The grinding
machine described in Figure I is also easily adapted to smooth small plates of
glass. For this purpose, instead of covering the whole of the surface of the
table with glass, four frames covered with small plates of glass, or "lick up
slates" as they are termed, are placed at each corner of the table, and a
runner made to move over each, taking care to allow sufficient space between
each frame, so that each runner works over only one. If, instead of the
runners described, a number of small blocks covered with felt or other suitable
material be employed the machine may be used to polish glass.
Another part of my Invention consists in improvements capable of being
adapted to the grinding machinery which has been hitherto most generally
in use.
These improvements will be better understood by a reference to the
accompanying Drawing, Figure 2. A, A, are two stone tables upon which
the glass to be ground is laid; B, B, are two runners; C, C, are two cranks,
both being made to revolve by gearing below; D, D, are two rods, each
forged in one piece, with holes to receive the centre pins E, E, fixed upon the
runners. The rods are capable of being raised in the usual manner to allow
the position of the runners to be varied, and the ends which form a joint upon
which they turn when they are raised are provided with bushes to allow for wear.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details described; for
example, the arrangements described in Figure 1 might be considerably
varied. Any one or more than one of the cranks might be connected with
the primary driving power, either below or above the cranks. The number
and position of the cranks might be varied, so as to operate upon larger or
duplicate machines, and the table might be any other shape than square, and
made to move instead of being fixed., The arrangements described are
intended to show the nature of the Invention.
of our
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crossley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of November, in the year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
JOHN CROSSLEY. (L.S.)