IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRATES OF FURNACES USED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS ‘PATENT to Richard Mountford Deeley, of Audnam Bank,
in the County of Stafford, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRATES OF FURNACES USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF GLASS."
Sealed the 27th April 1853, and dated the 20th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Mount-
ford Deeley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 20th January 1853.
1, RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of Audnam Bank, in the County
of Stafford, Glass Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRATES OF FURNACES USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS" to be as follows, viz. :—
My Invention consists in forming the grates of furnaces to be used
in the manufacture of glass in different ways, so that a greater amount
of draft may be obtained and slack may be used instead of coal, by
which means a great saving of expense is effected. Formerly the
grates of furnaces in use for smelting glass were formed of horizontal
bars placed generally in the middle of the furnace, extending through
the whole length of the furnace, or only part thereof, as the case might
be, but in which case, the draft having no other inlet into the furnace,
combustion was slowly performed; the bars too were soon choked up,

page_text: and none but large coals could be beneficially used therein. Now the
great object of my Invention is to have the grate so constructed that
a current of air may be admitted to the fire not only from the under
part of the grate but from its sides and ends, which may be effected by
having the grate to hang lower than the seige, and forming the ends
and sides of the grate (which are so below the siege) of bars of iron or
other sufficient metal, or perforated plates of iron or other sufficient
metal, or in lieu of such bafs or perforated plates, or in addition thereto,
perforated brick work may be used, or the siege or bed of furnace may
be perforated, as shewn in Figures one, two, three, and four of the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed. I do not confine myself to the
shape of the grate, as various designs of gr tes may be used, so that
the advantage of lateral draft be retained; as, for instance, what I term
a step grate may be used, such as shewn in Figures one and two, and
which may be formed of bars or perforated plates; and the Invention
is applicable to various shapes of furnaces, such as round, oval, square,
and other shaped furnaces, but the grates used in.round, oval, octagonal,
or other such like furnaces would be better placed in the centre of such
furnaces, and such grates may be of the like description with that
shewn at Figure five, and here the bars, as shewn in Figure six, may
be either inclined or vertical. A furnace grate formed, as shewn at
Figure seven, in a semi-oval or semi-circular shape, may be used.
The perforation of the siege or brick work herein-before mentioned at
the sides of the grate may be used in conjunction and combination
with such hanging or side bars, or it may be used also where the fire
grate is made of a circular, oval, or other similar form.
SPECIFICATION in, pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Mountford Deeley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th July 1853..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of Andnam Bank, in the County of
Stafford, Glass Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Mountford Deeley, Her special
license that I, the said Richard Mountford Deeley, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Mountford
Deeley, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRATES OF FURNACES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF GLASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Mountford Deeley, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 T, the said Richard Mountford Deeley," do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement (that is to say):
My said Invention consists in improving the construction of glass
furnace grates by the erection of grates formed and disposed in such
manner as that, while the advantage of burning small fuel or slack is
retained, the advantage is gained of having a greater draught and greater
heat. Formerly the grates of furnaces for smelting glass were formed
of horizontal bars placed generally in the middle of the furnace, ex-
tending through the whole length of the furnace, or only part thereof,
as the case might be, but in which case, the draught having no other
inlet into the furnace, combustion was slowly performed; the bars too
were soon choked up, and none but large coal could be beneficially
used therein. Now I design to construct the grates so that a current
of air may be admitted to the fire not only from the under part of the
grate but from its ends or sides, or both, which may be effected by

page_text: having the grate to hang lower than the seige, and forming the
ends and sides of the grate (which are so below the seige) of bars of
iron or other sufficient metal, or perforated plate of iron or other sufli-
cient metal, or in lieu of such bars or perforated plates, or in addition
thereto, perforated brick work may be used, or the seige or bed of fur-
nace may be perforated, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed. I do not confine myself to the
shape of the grate, as various designs of grates may be used, so that
the advantage of lateral draught be retained; as, for instance, what I
term a step furnace may be used, as shewn in Figures 1, and 2, and
which may be formed of bars or perforated plates; and the Invention
is applicable to various shapes of furnaces, such as round, oval, square,
and other shaped furnaces, but the grates used in round, oval, octagonal,
or other such like furnaces would be better placed in the centre of such
furnaces, and such grates may be of the like description with that shewn
at Figure 5, and here the bars, as shewn in Figure 6, may be either
inclined or vertical, as herein-after mentioned. A furnace grate formed,
as shewn at Figure 7, in a semi-oval or semi-circular shape, may be
used. The perforation of the seige or brick work herein before men-
tioned at the sides of the grate may be used in conjunction and combina-
tion with such hanging or side bars, or it may be used also where the
fire grate is made of a circular, oval, or other similar form. But in
order the better to explain in what my Invention really consists I will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, is a sectional view of a four pot bottle (square) furnace,
shewing the step grate with the side bars and perforated brick work.
a, a, a, a, a, are the bars forming the bottom portion of the grate,
which bars rest upon or are supported by sleepers or cross bars b, b, b,
b, b, b, b, b, b, b, which may be built in or supported in the brick work
of the cave. That portion of these bars which is marked c, c, c, c, and
is shewn in the Drawing as placed in a vertical position, and which
forms the step of the grate, may be either formed of the same pieces
of iron as the bars a, a, a, a, a, by having such bars bent into a
rectangular position; or, if preferred, the portions of the bars marked
c, c, c, c, may be inclined to such degree of inclination as inay suit the

page_text: manufacturer; or these several sets of bars may be inclined, and various
relative inclined or horizontal bars may be used; or this portion of the
grate forming the step instead of being formed out of the same pieces
of iron as the bars marked a, a, a, a, a, may be formed of separate
pieces of iron; but this is attended with far greater expense, as they
would have to be suspended from cross bars or otherwise kept in their
proper positions. We do not confine ourselves to the length which
these bars bear in relation to the bars a, a, a, a, a, as they may be longer
or shorter to suit the whim of the manufacturer, and if shorter it may
throw the bars a, a, a, a, a, to an incline which is advantageous; or if
the bars a, a, a, a, a, are required to be inclined, and one end of them
lifted up to meet the end of the next set of bars, the bars c, c; c, c, may
be dispensed with, in which case a small space, say, of from one to three
or four inches, would be left between the sets of bars respectively
marked a, a, a, a, a. c, c', c', are the side bars of the grate, which
side bars may be placed in a perfectly upright position, or may be in-
clined so as to form either a slight acute or obtuse angle with the lower
bars a, a, a, a, a. The hars c, c, c, may be supported in any of the
known modes of supporting bars similarly placed. d¹‚ d', d', d¹, d¹, d',
shew the perforations or holes in the siege or brick work forming the
bed or under portion of the furnace. These perforations or holes are
carried through the brick work, so that an outlet for draught may be
obtained; but we prefer simply to carry these holes or perforations
through the brick work into the cave, although it is obvious that it is
immaterial where the outlet is carried so that a draught be obtained.
This mode of perforating the seige or brick work below the floor of the
furnace is altogether new, and gives the great advantage of producing
additional draught; and it may be used in combination with the other
descriptions of furnaces herein-after mentioned, and also in combination
with the old grates formed of horizontal bars, or, in fact, with every
description of grates used in glass furnaces, and, if properly so combined,
great advantage will be derived from the use of such perforations, as it
will greatly increase the draught, which is highly desirable; and it is
obvious that a greater or less number of such perforations may be made
in the brick work of each side of the furnace, as they may be found

page_text: needful for creating draught; and such perforations or holes may be
made larger or smaller as may be required, but they should be so con-
structed that the workman may be able easily to clean them out and
clear them from all obstructions, and dampers may be fixed on the
openings of the holes in the cave, or wherever else the outlet for draught
may be fixed, for the purpose of regulating the amount of draught may
be admitted through these perforations to the furnace. The mode of
applying such dampers, and the nature of or description of the
dampers, is so well known as not to need description, as anything which
may act as a stop to the draught, removable at pleasure, will be suffi-
cient for the purposes; and, if preferred, these openings, perforations,
or holes may be formed of iron or other sufficient metal work, or other-
wise, and made square, oblong, or of any other forms, or may be formed.
of tubes, it being immaterial how or in what manner they are formed,
so that the holes, perforations, or openings are made in the seige or
brick work, as above mentioned, for the purpose of increasing the
draught. c, c, is the cave of the furnace; ff, the seige or bed of the
furnace 9, 9, are the teeze holes through which the fuel is passed to
the fire; h, h, are the pots in which the metal is placed; i, i, are the
working holes through which the metal is worked from the pots;
j,j, are the walls of the furnace; k, is the crown of the furnace; 7,
tunnel hole from the furnace; m, the tunnel; n, n, the floor of the
glasshouse. As to what we have herein-before described we only claim
as new and part of our Invention the grate formed of bars as herein-
before described, and also the perforated brick work, as herein-before
described.
Figure 2, is a plan of the same furnace, with the step grate and per-
orated brick work combined.
Figure 3, is a sectional view of a similar furnace to the one above
described, shewing another portion of our Invention for obtaining better
draught, which consists of a grate having its lower bars horizontal, with
the side and end bars placed either vertically or slightly inclined either
way, so as to form either an obtuse or acute angle respectively with the
lower or horizontal bars. If preferred, the lower or horizontal bars may
be placed so as to form a slight double incline; but the object of this

page_text: .
description of grate is, by having the side and end bars placed as
described to get the action of the air upon the sides and ends of the
fire at once, so as to obtain a greater degree of combustion, thereby
obtaining a greater degree of heat, and it also enables the manufacturer
to burn an inferior description. of fuel. In this Figure the perforated
brick work is also. shewn.
•
Figure 4, is a sectional end view of the furnace lastly herein-before
mentioned, shewing the end bars of the grate lastly described, and also
showing the perforations in the brick work.
Figure 5, is a plan of a round grate more particularly adapted for use
in flint glass furnaces, which are in general round. I prefer to have
the lower bars of this grate placed horizontally, and the upper
bars forming the round I prefer to have placed in an inclined position,
as shewn in Drawing, although they may be placed vertically, my object
being, as before mentioned, to improve the combustion by admitting
the air to act all round the grate. It is obvious that by altering the
form of the supporting bars or other supports by which such grate is
sustained or upheld a different form of grate inay be obtained, as
instead of a round gratė an oval or sexagonal or other similar shaped
grate may be formed, but the exact shape is immaterial so long as
the desired objects be effected. The upper bars may be supported in
their places by having a circular bar of iron or sleeper passing around
on the outside, as shewn in Figure 6, the upper portion of such bars
being bent so as to rest upon such sleeper, as shewn in Figure 6, where
a, is the upper portion of the bar bent as above mentioned, and resting
upon the sleepers or bars b, b.
c, c, c, are the sleepers which support
the lower bars of the grate.
Figure 7, shews a variation in form of the grate, having the lower
bars to form a semicircle or nearly so, instead of having inclined bars
or upright bars in combination with the lower bars. It is obvious that
grates of various formis or shapes may be used so that the air may be
admitted to act all around the sides and ends of the fire, or all around.
as the case may be, for the purposes aforesaid.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it distinctly under-

page_text: stood that I do not claim the parts of the furnace separately; but what
I do claim as my improvements in the grates of furnaces used in the
manufacture of glass is, the erection of grates as herein-before described
for glasshouse furnaces, whereby the air, having a greater space to act
upon the fire, increases the combustion and produces a greater heat;
and also the erection of glasshouse furnace grates with perforated brick
work, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Mountford Deeley, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
(L.B.)
Taken and acknowledged by the above-named Richard Mountford
Deeley before me, this Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight hun-
dred and fifty-three.
EDW" ROGERS,
A Master Extraordinary in the High
Court of Chancery.