IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR ANNEALING GLASS
Year: 1875

page_text: - LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Cannington, of the Vauxhall Glass Works,
•
Liverpool, and John Shaw, of the Ravenhead Bottle Works,
St. Helens, both in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Cannington
and John Shaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th November 1875.
We, EDWIN CANNINGTON, of the Vauxhall Glass Works, Liverpool,
and JOHN SHAW, of the Ravenhead Bottle Works, St. Helens, both in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR ANNEALING GLASS,” to be as
follows:-
--

page_text: of the ordinary kiln or "lear" used for flint glass, we construct a tower
or upright kiln of sufficient height and capacity to contain the glass
manufactured during one, two, or more days, according as the metal
may be of a harder or softer nature and require a longer or shorter time
to anneal. Within the tower are racks or trays; these are attached to
endless chains which are actuated by suitable mechanical means, so as
to carry the racks up one side of the tower and down the other. The
two sides of the tower are separated by a partition wall which forms the
tower into an upcast and downcast shaft. At the bottom of the upcast
side is a fire where either gaseous or other fuel may be burnt. At the
bottom of the downcast side there is a communication with a chimney
-regulated by a damper by means of which a sufficient draught is
obtained.
The tower or kiln is conveniently placed for the reception of the
finished articles which are carried in the usual manner and placed upon
the racks.
When one set of racks is filled it is carried upwards for a sufficient
distance, and another set of racks is brought from below, after being
heated by passing near to the fire, and so the process is repeated until
the articles to be annealed have passed to the top of the tower or kiln
and descended on the opposite side. The articles having thus been
exposed to a sufficient but gradually diminishing temperature are
perfectly annealed, and are then taken from the racks, or the racks
themselves may be removed and others attached; thus the process of
annealing is rendered continuous.
ว
The advantages of this method are economy in fuel, in labour, and
in space, and considerably increased facility in working, the last of these
advantages being especially incident to the manufacture of glass bottles
¿ by the continuous gas furnace.

page_text: of the Ravenhead Bottle Works, St. Helens, both in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Edwin Cannington and John
Shaw, Her special license that we, the said Edwin Cannington and
John Shaw, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Edwin Cannington and John Shaw, our 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
KILNS FOR ANNEALING GLASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Edwin Cannington and John Shaw, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should par-
ticularly 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 montis
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Cannington, on behalf of
myself and the said John Shaw, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in kilns for annealing
glass.
"
Instead of the ordinary annealing kiln, one or more of which is heated
up each day and closed when the day or journey's work is finished, or
of the ordinary kiln or lear" used for flint glass, we construct a tower
or upright kiln of sufficient height and capacity to contain the glass
manufactured during one, two, or more days, according as the metal
may be of a harder or softer nature and require a longer or shorter time
to anneal. Within the tower are racks or trays; these are attached to
:

page_text: E, E, endless chains into which the bars D, D, are fastened; F, F, pulleys
with flanges on the outer side over which the chains E, E, are carried;
G, G, shaft which is worked by H, H, winch, to which is attached I, I,
the catch; K, K, pedestals; L, L, regulating screw for tightening the
chains E, E; M, M, top pedestals; N, N, stone base for pedestals;
O, O, outer walls of the kiln; P, P, fire-brick lining; Q, Q, grooves for
the chains E, E; R, R, arches on which is built S, S, the partition
wall; T, T, fire-places; U, escape flue regulated by a damper; V, V, are
brackets; X, X, angle iron; and Y, Y, tie rods to brace the kiln;
Z, doorway; A', outlet for the boxes.
The articles to be annealed are brought in the usual manner to the
packing holes A, A, and placed in the boxes B, B, which when full are
raised by means of the endless chains E, E, so as to bring another set of
boxes opposite to the packing holes. The boxes. having passed through
the upcast and the downcast shaft of the kiln or tower arrive at the
outlet A', the annealing is then complete and the articles are with-
drawn, the empty boxes travel below, and so return to the packing
holes.
If the articles to be annealed require a temperature higher than the
iron boxes will bear fire-clay receptacles are substituted, due povision
being made for the protection of such ironwork as is necessary for
working them.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise details specified, but we
claim the construction and use for annealing glass of an upright kiln or
tower, arranged substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Cannington, have hereunto
set my hand and [seal, this Third day of May, in the year of