AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF ORNAMENTING PRESSED GLASS AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John George Sowerby, of Gateshead-on-Tyne,
in the County of Durham, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OF ORNAMENTING PRESSED GLASS AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH.
Sealed the 21st November 1871, and dated the 15th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John George Sowerby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th September 1871.
I, JOHN GEORGE SOWERBY, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of
Durham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS OF ORNAMENTING PRESSED GLASS AND IMPROVED APPARATUS
IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to ornament the outer surfaces of
articles made of pressed glass with designs in glass of a different colour
to that of the body of the article. For example, to incorporate with
a vase or other article made of white glass an exterior wreath or other
ornament of ruby coloured glass, of any pattern or to incorporate a
wreath of white glass with a vase of a ruby colour, and so on.

page_text: My process consists in first pressing the ornament, and while still hot
introducing it into the mould in which the article to be ornamented is
made in such a manner that in the process of pressing the article the
ornament shall become incorporated with its outer surface.
I propose to operate in the following manner :-I obtain the ornament
by pressure in a mould, made in sections having an ordinary shifting
bottom, but the plunger bevelled, so that in the act of pressing the
ornament it may cut off all surplus metal, leaving the design intact, a
corresponding bevel being made on the inner surface of the mould; or
the surplus metal may be removed by any suitable device. The orna-
ment thus pressed, I immediately remove the section of the mould
containing it to the mould in which the vase or other article to be
ornamented is to be pressed, this latter mould being made to receive the
section of mould holding the ornament at a point regulated by the
position which the ornament is to occupy upon the vase, or whatever
article is to be made. I now have a mould in which to manufacture
the vase or other article differing from an ordinary mould only inas-
much that the metallic moulding surface is divided by a surface of
heated glass. I then introduce the " metal in fusion into this mould,
press with an ordinary plunger, and upon opening the mould I have a
vase or other article with the previously pressed ornament adhering to or
incorporated with its outer surface.
"
I need scarcely observe that the mould in which the vase or other
article is pressed and ornamented may be made to receive several
sections from one or several moulds for pressing ornaments, the several
sections fitting by ordinary mechanical devices.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said John George Sowerby in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEORGE SOWERBY, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham,
send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the,
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the,

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
'cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John George Sowerby, Her
special licence that I, the said John George Sowerby, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John George
Sowerby, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF ORNAMENTING PRESSED GLASS AND IMPROVED
'APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John George Sowerby, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John George Sowerby, 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 :-
The object of my Invention is to ornament the outer surfaces of
articles made of pressed glass with designs in glass of a different colour
to that of the body of the article. For example, to incorporate with
a vase or other article made of white glass an exterior wreath or other
ornament of ruby coloured glass of any pattern, or to incorporate a
wreath of white glass with a vase of a ruby colour, and so on.
My process consists in first pressing the ornament, and while still hot
introducing it into the mould in which the article to be ornamented is
made in such a manner that in the process of pressing the article the
ornament shall become incorporated with its outer surface.
I operate in the following manner:-I obtain the ornament by
pressure in a mould made in sections having an ordinary shifting
bottom, but the plunger bevelled, so that in the act of pressing the
ornament it may cut off all surplus metal, leaving the design intact, a
corresponding bevel being made on the inner surface of the mould; or
the surplus metal may be removed by any suitable device. The orna-

page_text: ment thus pressed, I immediately remove the section of the mould
containing it to the mould in which the vase or other article to be
ornamented is to be pressed, this latter mould being made to receive
the section of mould holding the ornament at a point regulated by the
position which the ornament is to occupy upon the vase, or whatever
article is to be made. I now have a mould in which to manufacture
the vase or other article differing from an ordinary mould only inasmuch
that the metallic moulding surface is divided by a surface of heated
glass. I then introduce "metal" in fusion into this mould, press with
an ordinary plunger, and upon opening the mould I have a vase or other
article with the previously pressed ornament adhering to or incorporated
with its outer surface.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Fig. I. is a transverse section
through the line A, B, (Fig. 2), showing the general arrangement of
the parts of a mould for pressing an ornament. A is the plunger
having a bevelled edge a by means of which and of the corresponding
bevel given to the part of the mould all surplus metal is cut off from
the casting; B, the mould for leaf or other suitable design fitted with
hinged joints for the removal of the casting; C; the false bottom with
counterbalance attached in the usual manner.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the above showing handles D, D, for transferring
the section B of the mould to second mould in which the vase or other
article is to be pressed.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the second or plain metal mould
with the section B fitted into its place ready for the reception of the
vase upon which it is to be pressed.
Fig. 4, plunger for pressing ornament detached; a, bevel edge.
I need scarcely observe that the mould in which the vase or other
article is pressed and ornamented may be made to receive several
sections from one or several moulds for pressing ornaments, the several
sections fitting by ordinary mechanical devices.
I would further observe, that excepting as regards the bevel edge a
of the plunger for pressing ornament and the corresponding bevel of
the piece b my Invention does not comprise any particular construction
of either the mould for pressing the ornament or that for pressing the
ornament upon the article, and that I use any construction of mould
which I may find most suitable, the moulds shown on the Drawing
being merely illustrative of my process.

page_text: The dimensions of the moulds will necessarily vary with the nature
of the ornament and the size and shape of the article upon which it is
to be pressed.
I
I
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly. The process of ornamenting pressed glass by first pressing
the ornament and then incorporating it with the exterior surface of
the article to be ornamented in the operation of pressing this latter,
substantially as herein-before set forth.
Secondly. The bevelling of the plunger A and piece 6 for the purpose
of cutting off all surplus metal in pressing the ornament.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Sowerby, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
JOHN GEORGE SOWERBY. (L.S.)