AN IMPROVED FURNACE OR OVEN FOR THE COOLING
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Désiré Biévez, of Haine St. Pierre, in the
Province of Hainaut, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Glass Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FURNACE OR OVEN FOR THE COOLING OF
Scaled the 19th October 1866, and dated the 25th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Désiré Biévez at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1866.
I, DÉSIRÉ BIEVEZ, of Haine St. Pierre, in the Province of Hainaut, in
the Kingdom of Belgium, Glass Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FURNACE OR OVEN FOR THE COOLING OF
WINDOW GLASS, AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This furnace or oven is constructed of a rectangular form and of the usual
materials, and is placed by the side of the "spreading furnace" with which it
communicates and from which the glass to be cooled is introduced on a
moveable table into the oven. At the side of the oven and behind the
spreading furnace is a small furnace, the heat from which circulates under the
bed of the oven and keeps it at the required temperature. At equal distances
in the side walls of the oven are placed a number of cast-iron upright slides
or grooves, in which are placed, so as to work freely therein, a corresponding

page_text: .
number of iron frames, the bottom transverse portions of which rise and fall
in grooves made in the bed of the oven for their reception, whilst their top
parts project beyond the crown or arch of the oven, where they are all con-
nected by a horizontal bar. Each frame is furnished with a counterbalance
weight to facilitate its upward and downward motion, which motion is given
by a lever placed at the end of the connecting bar. On the upper surface of
the transverse bottom pieces of these iron frames chairs are placed at equal
distances, each containing a grooved roller, and on each of which rollers a flat
iron bar is placed longitudinally. These bars are connected by a cross piece
at that end of the oven at which the glass is withdrawn when sufficiently
cooled, and extends towards the mouth of the oven to the point where the
moveable table carrying the glass to be cooled enters it at right angles from
the spreading furnace. The said bars when not in use are received in lon-
gitudinal grooves prepared in the bed of the oven, leaving the surface of the
bed perfectly flat and even.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-A sheet of spread glass being
conveyed on the moveable table from the spreading furnace to the oven, it is
placed by the workman on the end of the bed of the cooling oven, where it
remains until the spreader has another sheet ready, when by the action of the
said lever placed at the end of the horizontal bar connecting the frames, the
latter are raised up from the grooves in the bed of the oven, bringing up with
them the longitudinal bars lying on the grooved rollers fixed to the bottom
cross pieces of the frames, and consequently the sheet of spread glass lying on
the bed of the oven, the said bars affording the glass a perfect support. By
means of the cross piece connecting the longitudinal bars at one end they can
be moved horizontally all together, and they are then drawn out to something
more than the width of the sheet of glass, bringing it with them the same
distance towards the door, from which it will issue when sufficiently cooled.
The action of the lever is then reversed, the cross pieces of the frames and
the longitudinal bars fall again into their respective grooves, and the displaced
sheet of glass lies again perfectly flat on the bed of the oven. The longitu
dinal bars are then pushed in again over the grooved rollers, and the oven is
ready to receive the second spread sheet, the place occupied by the first being
now vacant. A third sheet being ready the same operation is repeated, and
so on until the first sheet put in arrives at the end of the oven gradually and
equally cooled in every part, and perfectly straight, the workman having only
to place it upright on the ground.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Désiré Biévez in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
25th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DÉSIRÉ
BIÉVEZ, of Haine Saint Pierre, in the Province of Hainaut, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Glass Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Désiré Biévez, Her special licence that I, the said Désiré Biévez,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Désiré Biévez, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 IMPROVED
FURNACE OR OVEN FOR THE COOLING OF WINDOW GLASS, AND APPARATUS TO BE USED
THERE WITH, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Désiré
Biévez, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Désiré Biévez, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
-
The furnace or oven which is the subject of my said Invention is constructed
of a rectangular form and of the usual materials, and is placed by the side of
the "spreading furnace" with which it communicates, and from which the
glass to be cooled is introduced on a moveable table into the oven. At the
side of the oven and behind the spreading furnace is a small furnace, the heat
from which circulates under the bed of the oven and keeps it at the required.
temperature. At equal distances in the side walls of the oven are provided a
number of cast-iron upright slides or grooves, in which are placed, so as to

page_text: work freely therein, a corresponding number of iron frames, the bottom
transverse portions of which rise and fall in grooves made in the bed of the
oven for their reception, whilst their top parts project beyond the crown or
arch of the oven, where they are all connected by a horizontal bar. Each
frame is furnished with a counterbalance weight to facilitate its upward and
downward motion, which motion is given by a lever placed at the end of the
connecting bar. On the upper surface of the transverse bottom pieces of the
said iron frames chairs are placed at equal distances, each containing a
grooved roller, and on each of which rollers a flat iron bar is placed longitudi-
nally. These bars are connected by a cross piece at that end of the oven at
which the glass is withdrawn when sufficiently cooled, and extend towards the
mouth of the oven to the point where the moveable table carrying the glass
to be cooled enters it at right angles from the spreading furnace. The said
bars when not in use are received in longitudinal grooves prepared in the bed
of the oven, leaving the surface of the bed perfectly flat and even.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-A sheet of spread glass having
been conveyed on the moveable table from the spreading furnace to the oven,
it is placed by the workman on the end of the bed of the cooling oven, where
it remains until the spreader has another sheet ready, when by the action of
the said lever placed at the end of the horizontal bar connecting the frames
the latter are raised up from the grooves in the bed of the oven bringing up
with them the longitudinal bars lying on the grooved rollers fixed to the
bottom cross pieces of the frames, and consequently the sheet of spread glass
lying on the bed of the oven, the said bars affording the glass a perfect
support. By means of the cross piece connecting the longitudinal bars at one
end they can be moved horizontally all together, and they are then drawn out
to something more than the width of the sheet of glass, bringing it with them
the same distance towards the door, from which it will issue when sufficiently
cooled; the action of the lever is then reversed, the cross pieces of the
frames and the longitudinal bars fall again into their respective grooves, and
the displaced sheet of glass lies again perfectly flat on the bed of the oven;
the longitudinal bars are then pushed in again over the grooved rollers, and
the oven is ready to receive the second spread sheet, the place occupied by the
first being now vacant. A third sheet being ready, the same operation is
repeated, and so on until the first sheet put in arrives at the end of the oven
gradually and equally cooled in every part, and perfectly straight, the workman
having only to place it upright on the ground.
The nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of one of the before-mentioned
frames. A is the bed of the oven; B, B, are the upright portions of the
frame working in the slides or grooves in the wall of the oven; C is one of
the transverse bars, c, c, c, c, c, c, c, being the chairs with the grooved rollers
before mentioned.
Figure 2 is the before-mentioned horizontal connecting bar to which the
lever is attached.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a frame. A is the bed of the oven,
a being the crown or arch of the same; B is the lever by which the upward
and downward motion of the frame is effected; C, horizontal connecting bar;
D, counterbalance weights; E, longitudinal bar in bed of oven.
Figure 4 is a horizontal view of the bed of the oven with the transverse and
longitudinal bars.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not limit or restrict myself to the precise details herein-before
mentioned and set forth, as variations may be made therefrom without de-
parting from the principles or main features of my said Invention; and that
what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
combination and arrangement of parts and mechanism for effecting the
purposes aforesaid as substantially herein-before set forth and described, or
any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Désiré Biévez, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
A. CROOY.
DESIRE BIEVEZ. (L.S.)