IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS OR THE MELTING OF VITREOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS EMPLOYED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS OR THE MELTING OF VITREOUS SUBSTANCES."
A communication.
Sealed the 28th January 1859, and dated the 27th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS EMPLOYED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS OR THE MELTING OF VITREOUS SUBSTANCES," to be
as follows:-
According to the ordinary method of manufacturing glass or fusing various
vitreous substances, ovens, pots, crucibles or seggars are employed to contain
the ingredients of which the vitreous mass is composed. The pots, seggars, or
other vessels are heated to a high temperature, and when the matters are
properly incorporated and brought to a state of fusion, they are taken from the
melting pots, for which purpose the ingredients are either ladled out or poured
out by tilting the melting pot or vessel, as in the manufacture of plate glass.

page_text: These methods are, however, found to be very inconvenient and costly, both as
regards the apparatus employed and the working of the same.
Now, this Invention has for its object to effect the operation of drawing off
or removing the molten mass in a very simple and economical manner, and
consists in running off the fused materials through an orifice provided for that
purpose at the lower part of the oven, pot, or vessel containing them. The
Inventor has discovered a means of perfectly closing these orifices by the
employment of stoppers made of earthy materials, which are easy of adjust-
ment and removal; or instead of a stopper made of earthy materials a hollow
metallic stopper, having a handle which is also hollow, may be employed.
In order to prevent the stopper from being injured by coming into contact
with the fused materials a stream of water is caused to flow continuously
through the handle, and run off through a small pipe, which also communicates
with the interior of the stopper.
When the stopper is placed in the orifice of the apparatus containing the
fused materials their flow will be immediately stopped, and when they are
required again to flow it will only be necessary to remove it by means of
the handle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, 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 William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS OR
THE MELTING OF VITREOUS SUBSTANCES," being a communication from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Edward Newton, 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 statement (that is to say):-
According to the ordinary method of manufacturing glass or fusing various
vitreous substances, ovens, pots, crucibles or seggars are employed to contain
the ingredients of which the vitreous mass is composed. The pots, seggars, or
other vessels are heated to a high temperature, and when the matters are
properly incorporated and brought to a state of fusion they are taken from the
melting pots, for which purpose the ingredients are either ladled out or poured
out by tilting the melting pot or vessel, as in the manufacture of plate glass.
These methods are, however, found to be very inconvenient and costly, both as
regards the apparatus employed and the working of the same.
Now, the Invention of improvements applicable to vessels employed in the
manufacture of glass or the melting of vitreous substances, which has been
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, has for its object to effect
the operation of drawing off or removing the molten mass from the fusing or
melting pot in a very simple and economical manner, and consists in running off
the fused materials through an orifice provided for that purpose at the lower part
of the oven, pot, or vessel containing the fused or liquid mass. The Inventor
has discovered a means of perfectly closing these orifices by the employment of
stoppers made of earthy materials, which are easy of adjustment and removal;
or instead of a stopper made of earthy materials, as above mentioned, it will
be found preferable to employ a metallic stopper; this metallic stopper is
made hollow, and is provided with a handle, which is also hollow. In order
to prevent the stopper from being injured by coming into contact with the
fused materials a stream of water is caused to flow continuously through the
handle, and run off through a small pipe, which also communicates with the
interior of the stopper.
When the stopper is placed in the orifice of the apparatus containing the

page_text: fused materials their flow will be immediately stopped, and when they are
required again to flow it will only be necessary to remove it by means of
the handle.
Having now described the Invention of improvements applicable to
vessels employed in the manufacture of glass or the melting of vitreous
substances, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would observe that
although I have described a contrivance which will be found convenient for
opening and closing the orifice at the bottom of the vessel for holding the
molten or fused ingredients, I do not mean or intend to confine myself to that
or any particular method of closing such orifice, as other and different con-
trivances may be employed without departing from the nature and object of
the Invention.
In conclusion, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, making an orifice or opening at the lower part of the vessel con-
taining the fused glass or vitreous substances, for the purpose of allowing the
molten materials to be run out when required.
I also claim the use of a hollow metallic stopper for closing the orifice, as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)