Improvements in Rounding and Grinding Glass Balls, and Machinery for this purpose.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rounding and Grinding Glass Balls, and Machinery
for this purpose.
We, JOSEPH BENJAMIN ADAMS of 143 Gray's Inn Road, London, Engineer,
and JOHN FREDERIC TERRY of 49 Oxford Gardens, Notting Hill, London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel method or process of rounding spherical glass
bodies or glass balls (such as used for internally stoppered bottles) by grinding and
to machinery or apparatus for this purpose of a novel and effective character.
It is well known that in moulding these glass balls there is always a stem or
uneven surface at the point where the molten glass is run into the mould through
the opening provided for this purpose (as well as other mould marks in some cases)
and such uneven surfaces have been smoothed in various ways for instance by
separately presenting same by hand to a suitable grinding surface.
Now our present invention is designed to remove such excrescences etc. and to
polish and finish glass balls not singly but in very large quantities (at a time) and
by machinery in a very simple and expeditious manner.
For this purpose we proceed as follows according to our present invention:-
We advantageously first place a very large quantity of the moulded glass balls
(just as same come from the moulds) in an "agitator" or revolving vessel something
like a milk churn or like a barrel mounted on trunnions and caused to revolve
endwise so as thereby to cause great commotion amongst the balls and thereby
cause a kind of preliminary and rough grinding or knocking off the rougher or
larger particles.
The glass balls (whether subjected to this preliminary "agitation" or not) to be
made perfectly and truly round and also polished if desired are placed-in large
quantities at a time-in between two horizontally disposed discs or face plates
mounted and arranged to act as follows:-
One or both face plates or discs may be made to revolve by any suitable means
which will at same time permit (when required) one or both said plates being
moved apart so as to allow the insertion and withdrawal of the balls-advantageously
the top disc may be made to be raised and lowered vertically by means of a suitable
lifting appliance arranged and mounted over same and one such disc overlaps the
other around the circumference (or the discs may work within an enclosing wall)
to prevent the balls escaping around the edge of said discs.
These discs are faced or formed in any suitable manner and same advantageously
have lead or equivalent or other suitable material upon their adjacent faces and
the balls are placed between these faces of lead etc. (or the said liuing may be on only
one disc) with emery sand or other suitable material and the two faces are pressed
together so as to bear against the balls and the one face revolved past the other (or the
discs may be revolved in opposite directions) and thereby in a very short time the
large quantity of glass balls forming each batch are rounded smoothed polished and
finished in a very thorough and perfect manner.
Dated thie 15th day of January 1894

page_text: Improvements in Rounding and Grinding Glass Balls, and Machinery
for this purpose.
We, JOSEPH BENJAMIN ADAMS of 143 Gray's Inn Road, London, Engineer,
and JOHN FREDERIC TERRY of 49 Oxford Gardens, Notting Hill, London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel method or process of rounding spherical glass
bodies or glass balls (such as used for internally stoppered bottles) by grinding and
to machinery or apparatus for this purpose of a novel and effective character.
It is well known that in moulding these glass balls there is always a stem or
uneven surface at the point where the molten glass is run into the mould through
the opening provided for this purpose (as well as other mould marks in some cases)
and such uneven surfaces have been smoothed in various ways for instance by
separately presenting same by hand to a suitable grinding surface.
Now our present invention is designed to remove such excrescences etc. and to
polish and finish glass balls not singly but in very large quantities (at a time) and
by machinery in a very simple and expeditious manner.
For this purpose we proceed as follows according to our present invention :-
We advantageously first place a very large quantity of the moulded glass balls
(just as same come from the moulds) in an "agitator" or revolving vessel something
like a milk churn or like a barrel revolving on trunnions so as thereby to cause
great commotion amongst the balls and thereby cause a kind of preliminary and
rough grinding or knocking off of the rougher or larger projections.
The glass balls (after being subjected to this preliminary "agitation "-unless
such balls can be moulded in a sufficiently smooth and round state as to dispense
with the necessity of such preliminary agitation) to be made perfectly and truly
round and also polished if desired are placed-in large quantities at a time-in
between two parallel discs (advantageously horizontally disposed) or face plates in
the form of flat rings mounted and arranged to act as follows :-
One or both of these face plates rings or discs may be made to revolve by any
suitable means which will at same time permit (when required) one or both said
plates being moved apart so as to allow the insertion thereinbetween and with-
drawal of the balls-advantageously the top disc may be made to be raised and
lowered vertically by means of a suitable lifting appliance arranged and mounted.
over same and one such disc may overlap the other around the circumference (or
the discs or flat rings may work within enclosing walls) to prevent the balls
escaping around the edge of said discs and this also serves to retain the grinding
material etc. therein.
.
These discs are faced or formed in any suitable manner and same have lead or
equivalent wood or other suitable material upon their adjacent grinding faces and
the balls are placed between these faces of lead etc. with emery sand or other
suitable material and the two faces are pressed together so as to bear against the
balls and the one face revolved past the other (or the discs may be revolved in
opposite directions) and thereby in a very short time the large quantity of glass
balls forming each batch are rounded smoothed polished and finished in a very
thorough and perfect manner.

page_text: into practice we will proceed to further describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed :-
Fig. 1 is an exterior view in elevation of the machine for finishing and polishing
the balls.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 1-1 Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows suitable form of agitator or revolving vessel for the preliminary
treatment of the glass balls as same come from the moulds.
Fig. 4 shows another suitable form of agitator which may be used instead of
that shown in Fig. 3.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 :-
a is the vessel having fixed thereon the trunnions & which revolve in suitable
bearings in the standard or support c and revolved by a driving belt on the fast
and loose pulleys d as will be readily understood.
The lide is hinged to the vessel a and secured by suitable catch ƒ so as to afford
ready access to the interior of said vessel.
By placing a large number of glass balls in the vessel a and (after securing the
lid) revolving same thereby these balls will be rolled backwards and forwards in a
body from one end of the vessel towards the other alternately and the rubbing
action thus caused will serve to remove the projections on the balls and thus
facilitate the subsequent operation of smoothing rounding and polishing in the
machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 :-
A is the standard or frame.
B is a vertical shaft the foot of which B' is supported in a suitable bearing to
receive same in said frame A.
C is a bearing fixed to said frame A through which said shaft B passes and is
free to revolve.
D is enclosing wall fixed (by screws D') to the lower disc or flat ring E which
latter is firmly secured to the frame A-this disc or flat ring Ę in the case illustrated
being non-rotative.
Fis the top disc or flat ring free to be revolved by being connected to or formed
integrally with the sleeve G which latter is adapted to be revolved by the shaft B
but at the same time is free to slide longitudinally upon said shaft by being mounted
thereon with a "feather" (not shown) in the slot B' as will be readily understood.
The disc F can thus be raised and moved apart from the disc E by any suitable
counterbalance or lifting device connected to same or to the sleeve G.
H is the lead lining to the lower disc E--advantageously grooved as shown-and
secured therein by any suitable means such as undercut openings in which the lead
is run in and locks itself as at H¹.
I is the lead lining to the top disc F to which it is similarly keyed as shown at I¹
or otherwise suitably held in position.
J is an inner wall or lining (parallel to the outer wall D and secured by screws J¹
to the inside edge of the ring E) between which and the outer wall Ď the said
disc or ring F fits closely but is free to revolve and also is capable of vertical
movement as aforesaid.
Or the enclosing walls D and J may be arranged in any other suitable manner
and otherwise than vertical if desired.
K is the door or opening in the case D to afford access for placing and removing
the balls between the faces H and I. This door is secured by a catch such as Ki
or any other suitable catch.
L is a driving pulley keyed to the shaft B and revolved by a belt thereon driven
from any suitable source of power or if desired the shaft B may be revolved by a
pulley or any other suitable means at the upper part thereof above the grinding
surfaces.
The operation is as follows:-
After the glass balls have been subjected in an agitator (such as shown in Fig. 3

page_text: come from the moulds) so as to sufficiently smooth same for treatment between the
grinding faces shown in Fig. 2 they are then placed in between said grinding
faces Hand I for which purpose these faces are moved apart and after introduction
of the balls thereinbetween the upper face is lowered so as to rest upon the balls
but not with its full weight (for which purpose same is counterbalanced) sand emery
or other suitable material as desired being thrown in with the balls and alɛo water
may be supplied for instance either by jets or the space formed between the
casing J and D may be filled or partly filled with water (or other suitable liquid)
so as to keep the balls immersed or partly immersed in same during polishing.
The grinding operation in this machine is continued until the balls are perfectly
round smooth and sufficiently polished (for instance for stoppering bottles) where-
upon they are removed from the machine and a fresh batch put in as before.
To highly polish the balls for any purpose desired (for instance for decorative
work) same may be put into another similar machine or machines with wood.
(instead of lead) lining and very fine powder such as pumice or rouge and thereby
a most brilliant polish and finish can be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved process of rounding smoothing polishing and finishing glass
balls by first treating a large number of said balls as they come from the mould in
an agitator to remove the stems etc. by frictional contact between said balls and
subsequently treating same by grinding them between two discs or contact faces
lined with a soft material such as lead to polish and finish the balls substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an apparatus for the purposes described-the combination with two grinding
discs or rings one or both of which is or are adapted to revolve of a lead lining
thereto to form the contact surface to bear against the glass balls thereinbetween
during the operation of grinding.
3. An apparatus for the purposes stated-consisting of the combination with a
suitable stand or support of two grinding discs or rings one or both of which is
adapted to revolve adjacent to the other and means to revolve same, a lead lining
on each said disc or ring and means to move said two discs towards and away from
one another substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth.
4. The improved apparatus for grinding glass balls arranged constructed combined
and acting substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated thin 15th 1-
1004
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.