Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Sheet Glass having Wire or Wire Netting Embedded within it.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
Sheet Glass having Wire or Wire Netting Embedded within it.
I, FRANK SHUMAN, of 3518, Washington Street, Tacony, in the City of
Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America.
Chemist, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to make what is termed "wire glass," that is,
glass baring imbedded within it wire or wire netting. My invention relates to the
method of making the glass, the machine for carrying out the said method, and one
of the products of the machine.
In the accompanying drawings-
Fig. 1, is a side view, illustrating the improved machine for manufacturing wire
glass.
Fig. 2, is a plan view.
Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional view on the line 1-2, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, and illustrating
the ribbed roll and bed of the machine.
Fig. 5, is a sectional view through one of the rolls.
Fig. 6, is a sectional view illustrating the preferred form of chute when plain
wire is used.
Fig. 7, illustrates a sheet of glass with the wire gauze imbedded within it, not
corrugated.
Fig. 8, is a sectional view of a sheet of glass showing the wire gauze corrugated,
in accordance with my invention.
Sheet glass having wire or wire gauze imbedded in it is especially applicable
for use in skylights, conservatories, vaults and floor lights, in fact, in places where
strength is required, or where the sash is in such position that if the glass should
break it would be liable to injure persons passing for instance, if the glass is used
in skylights of railway depots, or train sheds, the wire imbedded in the glass would
prevent particles of glass from falling if it should crack, and at the same time the
glass protects the wire netting from the action of gases which corrode the wire...
Attempts have been made to manufacture wire glass, but while experimental
pieces have been made, these pieces have been so small as to be of little use for
the purpose intended, and the expense of manufacture, if carried on, would be
great, but by my improved process and machine the wire glass can be made at or
about the cost of ordinary skylight glass.
I will first describe the machine, reference being had to the drawings.
A, is the furnace, A¹ is the combustion chamber of the ordinary construction,
and a, are the fire doors.
As shown, the furnace is arranged in a pit so that the bed for the glass is about
on a level with the floor of the compartment.
I have shown in the drawings two fire doors, one on each side of the furnace,
indicating a double furnace, but it will be understood that a single furnace may be
used without departing from my invention, and in some instances oil or gas may
be used instead of wood or coal.
Mounted upon the furnace is a table B, upon which the glass is rolled; this
table is heated by the furnace, and is preferably made of heavy cast metal, and on
each side of the table are ribs b, b, of sufficient height to allow for the proper
rolling of the glass, and on the outer edges of the table are rails c, c, upon which

page_text: the rollers travel, the space between the rails and the ribs may receive any
superfluous glass forced out by the action of the roller..
In some instances, I place in the bottom of the space between the ribs b, b, a
thin sheet of steel, upon which the glass is rolled, and by which the glass is
removed from the table; this plate may, in some instances, be omitted, without
departing from my invention.
Extending from each end of the table are rails D, D', supporting the carriage
before and after it has passed over the table.
These rails are mounted in any suitable manner, and are in line with the rails c, c,
of the table.
E, is the carriage having a front roller F, and a rear roller G, this carriage is
moved across the table in any suitable manner either by power or by hand. 1 have
shown, in the drawings, a wire rope e, passing around sheaves e', at each end of
the machine, and connected to any suitable hand or power device for moving the
table.
It will be understood that other means may be employed for moving the carriage
without departing from my invention.
The roller F, is the front roller, and acts to smooth out the molten glass after it
is poured out upon the table, preparing it for the reception of the wire gauze.
H, is an inclined chute arranged at the proper angle, and is preferably provided
with a trigger or other stop h, at its lower end, to detain the gauze placed thereon
until the proper time to discharge it upon the glass. The wire gauze is preferably
heated to the proper degree, so that it will not chill the glass when it is placed
thereon."
Directly back of the chute H, is a roller I, independently mounted upon the
carriage and having, preferably, a series of annular ribs i, so arranged in respect
to the table as to press the wire gauze into the molten glass.
In some instances the ribs are arranged to force a portion of the wire gauze into
the glass to a greater depth than other portions, thus corrugating the wire within
the glass, as shown clearly in Fig. 8, but if these ribs are not designed for this
purpose, the wire gauze will simply be imbedded in the glass, as shown in
Fig. 7.
The rear roller G, passes over the glass and closes up the openings made by the
ribbed roller and wire, completing the rolling of the glass. The finished plate is
then removed and placed in an annealing furnace.
After the glass has been annealed, I preferably cut off any glass projecting over
the edge of the wire gauze; the glass is then ready for the market.
I would state here that I preferably cut the wire gauze to the size required,
prior to imbedding it within the glass, as it is almost impossible to shape the
glass with the wire gauze in it.
The carriage is supported by the rollers F, and G, and the roller I, is so
mounted in the carriage that it is free to rise or lower independently of the
carriage, thus, by raising this roll, when the carriage is returned, it will be clear of
the glass.
In order to properly roll the glass, I make each of the rolls F, G, and I, hollow,
and provide them with removable heads, and mount within each roller a core S,
which can be highly heated in order to prevent the rolls from chilling the glass.
This arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 5.
While I prefer to roll into the glass sheets of wire gauze, or, in other words wire
which has been woven, 1 may roll into the glass lengths of wire or thin metal
strips, and when wire is used, I make the chute in sections, as shown in Fig. 6,
partitions dividing the chute into channels, so that the wire will be arranged at
proper distances apart for the purpose specified.
In some instances, also, the wire gauze, instead of being flat and corrugated in
the glass, may be corrugated first and then simply pressed into the glass, or, when
it is not wished to have the wire corrugated I may simply press it into the glass
and cover it without corrugating.

page_text: My invention is especially useful for making glass for skylights of buildings,
such as railway depots, etc., or it may be used as set forth above for vault-lights,
pavements etc., the thickness of the glass depending upon the use to which it
is put.
'
By having the trigger h, upon the chute for the wire gauze I am enabled to place
the wire on the glass at any point on the table, so that if the glass is not perfect
at the forward edge, I need not necessarily imbed the wire in this imperfect portion,
but can allow the rolls to pass over the glass until a perfect point is reached, when
the trigger can be operated and the wire gauze released.
In carrying out my process, and working the above described machine, I first
pour sufficient molten glass upon the table at the point a, (Fig. 1,) the carriage
then is moved in the direction of its arrow, and the roller F, smooths out the
molten glass to the proper thickness, after which the wire or wire gauze is placed
upon the molten glass, and pressed into it by the roller I, the roller G, following
the roller I, and closing the openings made by the wire and the roller B.
The rollers, instead of being mounted on a single carriage, as shown, may be
mounted separately, and the glass may travel under stationary rollers, or other
means of pressing the glass may be used, without departing from my method.
In making the glass with the corrugated wire gauze, as shown in Fig. 8, I tie
all portions of the glass together and prevent the detaching of even thin flakes or
splinters of glass from either face of the sheet, the gauze becoming interwoven
practically with the glass.
The wire gauze within the glass, not only strengthens the glass and prevents
particles from becoming detached and falling, but the glass acts as a protector for
the wire against the action of the atmosphere, or the gases from locomotives when
used in train sheds, as the wire exposed to these gases soon corrodes and becomes
useless.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1. The process herein described of making wire glass, said process consisting in
first preparing a sheet of molten glass, second mounting thereon wire or wire gauze,
third pressing the said wire or wire gauze into the glass, and finally closing the
openings made by the wire, substantially as described.
2. The process herein described of making wire glass, said process consisting in
first rolling the glass into a sheet, second, placing upon the glass the wire or wire
gauze, impressing portions of the wire gauze deeply into the glass thus corrugating
the same, and finally rolling the glass and imbedding the wire therein, substan-
tially as described.
3. The combination in a machine for manufacturing wire glass, of the table upon
which the molten glass is poured, a roller for smoothing out said molten glass, a
carrier for the wire or wire gauze situated back of the smoothing roller, and a
finishing roller for closing the openings in the glass made by the wire or wire
gauze, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the bed for the glass, the carriage, the first smoothing
roller, a ribbed roller, and a finishing roller for smoothing the glass after the ribbed
roller has passed over it, with a chute or guide for the wire situated between the
first roller and the ribbed roller, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of the furnace, the table mounted above the furnace, a
carriage, three rollers mounted thereon, the first roller being the first smoothing
roller, the second roller having ribs for depressing the wire into the glass, and the
third roller being the final smoothing roller for closing the openings formed by the
ribbed roller, with mechanism by which the carriage is drawn over the table, sub-
stantially as described.
6. The combination of the table, heating device therefor, rails on the table, rails
at each end of the table in line with the said rails on the table, the carriage, two

page_text: smoothing rollers thereon, and a central depressing roller for the wire, and a chute
upon which the wire is mounted, said chute being situated between the forward
smoothing roll and the depressing roll, substantially as described.
7. The combination of the table longitudinal ribs, thereon for confining the
glass, with a plate resting between the ribs upon which the glass is rolled, with
rollers for smoothing the glass and for forcing the wire into the glass, substantially
as described.
8. The combination of the table, device for heating the same, longitudinal ribs
on the table, longitudinal rails on the outer edge of the table, rails at each end
of the table aligning with the rails on the table, a carriage, mechanism for drawing
the carriage over the table, said carriage having a primary smoothing roll and
a finishing smoothing roll and a central ribbed roll, a chute carried by the
carriage, with heating appliances for the rolls so that they will not chill the glass
during the process of rolling, substantially as specified.
9. The combination of the table, the rails, the carriage, the forward smoothing
roll and the rear smoothing roll, a central ribbed roll, an inclined chute for the
wire, with a trigger holding the wire in the chute, substantially as specified.
10. The combination of the furnace, the table mounted thereou, rails on the
table, ribs to prevent the glass from spreading, rolls adapted to the rails, the
forward roll and rear roll being smoothing rolls, ribs on the central roll each of
said rolls being hollow, and having removable heads, with cores in said rolls adapted
to be heated, with a chute for the wire, said chute being situated between the
forward roll and the ribbed roll, substantially as specified.
11. The combination of the table, the carriage, supporting rolls therefor, with a
ribbed roll mounted loosely in bearings on the carriage, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
12. A sheet of glass having within it corrugated wire which approaches closely
to the opposite surface of the glass, substantially as specified.
up
13. A sheet of glass, having within it a corrugated sheet of wire gauze, which
approaches closely to the opposite surface of the glass, substantially as described.
14. A sheet of glass having embedded within it a sheet of wire gauze, made
of transverse and longitudinal bars, the longitudinal bars only being corrugated
and said corrugations approaching closely to the opposite surface of the glass,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of September 1892.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.