AN IMPROVEMENT IN FLATTENING CYLINDERS OF SHEET GLASS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Greene Jones, of Smethwick, Staffordshire,
Artist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN FLATTENING CYLINDERS
OF SHEET GLASS."
Sealed the 15th February 1856, and dated the 3rd September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Greene Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd September 1855.
I, EDWARD GREENE JONES, of Smethwick, Staffordshire, Artist, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN FLATTENING
CYLINDERS OF SHEET GLASS" to be as follows:-
Heretofore cylinders of sheet glass have been flattened horizontally in kilns
constructed for that purpose, either on stones or lagers, by which means the
surface of the glass has always been more or less deteriorated. Now, my
improvement consists in flattening these said cylinders in a vertical position
simply by the action of the fire, without its resting on any substance which
might affect its surface, and thereby maintaining the brilliant polish which the
glass in the form of cylinders naturally has. The means by which I obtain
these results is as follows:-
The cylinder is introduced into a kiln, where it is gradually heated, and
then taken by the means of suitable pinchers, and carried across the kiln to a
carriage on a tramway, where it is allowed to partially develope itself by the
heat of the kiln, and thence pushed in front of a flashing furnace along the
rails; when by the heat of the said flashing furnace the glass becomes per-
fectly flat, it is afterwards detached from the holding instrument, and piled up
in a kiln or a moveable apparatus to be annealed in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Greene Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GREENE JONES, of Smethwick, Staffordshire, Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Greene Jones, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Greene Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
.I, the said Edward Greene Jones, 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN FLATTENING CYLINDERS OF SHEET GLASS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Greene Jones, 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 Edward Greene Jones, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore cylinders of sheet glass have been flattened horizontally in kilns
constructed for that purpose, either on stones or lagers, by which means the
surface of the glass has always been more or less deteriorated. Now, my
improvement consists in flattening these said cylinders in a vertical position
simply by the action of the fire, without its resting on any substance which
might affect its surface, and thereby maintaining the brilliant polish which the
glass in the form of cylinders naturally has. The means by which I obtain
these results is as follows:-
The cylinder is introduced into a kiln, where it is gradually heated, and
then taken by the means of suitable pinchers and carried across the kiln to a
carriage on a tramway, where it is allowed to partially develope itself by the

page_text: heat of the kiln, and thence pushed in front of a flashing furnace along the
rails, when by the heat of the said flashing furnace the glass becomes perfectly
flat; it is afterwards detached from the holding instrument, and piled up in a
kiln or a moveable apparatus to be annealed in the usual way.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan, in section, of so much of a furnace for flattening
glass as will enable me to describe the manner of performing my Invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are two transverse sections. The cylinder is introduced
properly cut or divided into a kiln B, where it is gradually heated, and then
taken by the means of pinchers, specially made for that purpose, as shown at
Figure 4, and carried across the kiln to a carriage on a tramway, where it is
allowed to partially develope itself by the heat of the kiln, and thence pushed
in front of a flashing furnace along the rails D, D, where (by the intense heat of
the said flashing furnace) it becomes perfectly plane. It is afterwards detached
from the instrument which held it, and piled up in a fixed kiln or moveable
box F, to be annealed in the usual way.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
furnaces B, E, F, separately, they being old and well understood, neither do
I confine myself to the precise construction shown; but what I claim is, the
arranging or combining furnaces and apparatus in such manner that cylinders
of glass may be flattened in an upright position, as herein explained, in place
of the flattening being performed on a bed or stone, at heretofore practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Greene Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
A. MATSELIN, of Smethwick.
EDWARD GREENE JONES. (L.S.)