IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alexander King & John Little, of
Charlotte Quay, Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS."
Sealed the 29th February 1876, and dated the 8th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alexander
King and John Little at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 8th September 1875.
We, JAMES ALEXANDER KING & JOHN LITTLE, of Charlotte Quay,
Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
GLASS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in
the construction and arrangement of furnaces or tanks to be used in the
manufacture of glass.
The furnaces generally used in the manufacture of glass are con-

page_text: are built in a square form of either stone or bricks, also having a furnace
with fire-bars at each end of the square tank and connected thereto, |
whereby the fire passing over the ends into the tank for fusing the glass
soon causes the destruction of the ends, the result being a great loss
notwithstanding such ends having been constructed of a hollow form
in such a way that a current of refrigerating or cooling air was made to
circulate, and prevent any excessive heating of the sides which retain
or enclose the material in fusing. It has been proved by experiment
that with this plan there is a loss of time of one day as well as the
expense of taking down the fire-bar ends of the furnaces and repairing
them, and a greater loss still results in that the "metal" or glass in
the tank gets chilled to such an extent that extra coals or fuel have to
be used and the manufacture is greatly impeded.
The object then of the present Invention is to completely do away
with the loss and damage above named, and the Invention consists in
constructing the tank in a round or angular form at each end, so
arranged that any repairs required can be done without the works
having to be stopped or the melted glass getting chilled in the tank, and
without any hindrance to the manufacture.
Each of the fire-bar furnaces is connected at a central point to each
round or angular end of the tank, and on each side of such central point
or place a vacant space is left, and it is owing to the provision of these
spaces which will be covered on the tops and close at the bottoms that
the current of refrigerating or cooling air would be entirely dispensed
with, the fire passing over the tops of the spaces and so on over the
round or angular ends of the tank without causing the constant
destruction of such_ends_as_hitherto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Alexander King and John Little in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March 1876.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
5cessors, give and grant unto us, the said James Alexander King
and John Little, Her special licence that we, the said James Alexander
King and John Little, our executors, 'administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Alexander King and John Little,
our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR TANKS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS,"
› upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Alexander
King and John Little, our executors or administrators, by an instru̟-
ment in writing under our, 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 we, the said James Alexander King and
John Little, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the
construction and arrangement of furnaces or tanks to be used in the
melting, fusing, or manufacture of glass.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
in Figures 1 to 3, of which Figure 1 represents à longitudinal section;
Figure 2, a transverse section; and Figure 3, a sectional plan view.
We would premise a more detailed description of our Invention by.
remarking, that it has heretofore been the practice of constructing the
tanks for containing the fusing glass of a square or rectangular shape

page_text: or form (of stone or bricks) with the furnaces abutting directly against
two opposite of such ends or sides or against a solid fire-clay or stone
block; and that according to such arrangement the fire in passing over
such ends or blocks to effect the fusing of the metal in the tank,
speedily causes their destruction and entails considerable loss; and that
in another method of construction the furnace ends of the tank have
been made hollow, to allow of the circulation of a current of cooling air
to prevent excessive or destructive heating thereof, but this improve-
ment has not remedied the defect to any material degree; and that with
these methods of construction when requiring to repair the furnace ends
of such tanks, there is a great loss of time, the incurring of much
unnecessary trouble and expense in taking down and repairing and
re-erecting parts of the fire-bar furnaces, and a considerable loss also
arises from the glass metal in the tank getting chilled to such an extent
that extra fuel has to be used; and thus the manufacture is enhanced
in cost, and is very greatly impeded when the necessity of this repairing

page_text: degree of heat and effect a saving of fuel by causing the glass metal to
be more quickly melted. By this method of construction and the pro-
vision of the said side spaces, the necessity for the above referred to
circulating current of cooling air is obviated, and the fire passes over the
top plate 5 to the tank 2 without causing so speedy a destruction of the
ends as hitherto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of our said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be carried into practical effect, we would remark
in conclusion, that we claim as our Invention the constructing the
furnace sides or ends of the tanks used in the melting, fusing, or
manufacture of glass of a rounded or angular form or shape, and the
arranging and connecting the furnaces with such tanks about centrally
of such shaped ends, and the provision on either side of such central
points of connection of spaces which may be either open or enlosed,
but covered with a top plate and otherwise arranged as herein specified,
substantially as described and for the purposes and to attain the objects
herein specified, and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Alexander King and
John Little, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth
day of March, in the year of our Lord. One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.