Improvements in the Construction of Tank Furnaces for the Manufacture of Glass.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tank Furnaces for the
Manufacture of Glass.
I, THOMAS COOPER JOHN THOMAS, of 5 Carlton Road, Finsbury Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 12076 of 1886 I have
described improvements in the manufacture of glass according to which in order to
eliminate impurities and produce glass of improved quality, the frit or material of
which glass is to be made is subjected whilst in a molten state to the action of a
blast of oxygen whether of pure oxygen or of oxygen mixed with other gases (as
for example if atmospheric air be used).
For
Now my present invention has reference to improvements in the construction of
tank furnaces whereby the manufacture of glass according to the process above
referred to may be carried out in a simple effective and economical manner.
this purpose I form the wall of the tank furnace with one or more downward
inclined gas passages having their outlet ends terminating below the level of the
frit, and to the inlet ends I connect the oxygen supply pipe. In one arrangement
the tank furnace of rectangular form in plan, is provided on each of three of its sides
with two or more inclined gas passages formed in refractory material that projects
inwardly from the wall of the furnace and to the outlet ends of the passages, which
extend through the sides of the furnace are connected branches from a supply pipe
that passes
around the three sides of the furnace and is connected to a common
supply pipe provided with a regulating valve. This construction may advan-
tageously be applied to tank furnaces provided with one or more transverse bridges
and adapted for continuous working as well understood.
D1
141
N
1001
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tank Furnaces for the
Manufacture of Glass.
I, THOMAS COOPER JOHN THOMAS, of 5 Carlton Road, Finsbury Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 12076 of 1886 I have
described improvements in the manufacture of glass according to which in order to
eliminate impurities and produce glass of improved quality, the frit or material of
which glass is to be made is subjected whilst in a molten state to the action of a
blast of oxygen, whether of pure oxygen, or of oxygen mixed with other gases (as
for example if atmospheric air be used).
Now my present invention has reference to improvements in the construction of
tank furnaces whereby the manufacture of glass according to the process above
referred to may be carried out in a simple effective and economical manner. For
this purpose I form the wall of the tank furnace with one or more downwardly
inclined gas passages having their outlet ends terminating below the level of the
Dine of 1

page_text: frit, and to their inlet ends I connect the oxygen supply pipe the arrangement
being such that oxygen can be discharged directly into the mass of frit at one or
more points so as to act upon the frit in an effective manner.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and
In the
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan, of a tank furnace constructed according to this invention.
As will be seen the furnace is of the type in which the bed is divided into com-
partments by transverse bridges or divisions 1 for continuous working, the first
of these compartments viz. 2 serving to receive the frit 3, which is melted in such
compartment, and the others 4 serving to receive the molten glass which is rendered
more liquid and clear therein and finally flows into a suitable receptacle 5.
example shown, the compartment 2, which I will call for distinction. the frit
compartment, is provided on each of three of its sides with inwardly and down-
wardly inclined gas passages 6 each formed in a mass 7 of refractory material that
projects inwardly from the side walls 8 of the frit compartment.
These passages
extend through the side walls 8 and in the outer end of each is fitted a pipe 9
formed with a flange 10 by which it can be connected to a supply pipe 11 that
passes around the three sides of the frit compartiment and is connected to a common
supply pipe 12 provided with a suitable regulating valve. By this construction
it will be seen that oxygen forced through the passages 6 will be delivered well
into the central portion of the frit chamber so that it will permeate the whole mass
of frit therein and will not ascend upwards along the sides of the frit chamber
without producing the desired effect on the frit.
6
In order to prevent the lower ends of the gas passages 6 being burnt or worn
away by the action of the oxygen or the molten frit, or both, these ends may
advantageously be lined with platinum tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
--
1. A tank furnace constructed with one or more gas passages the inlet end or
ends of which is or are arranged to deliver oxygen directly into and below the level
of the mass of frit in such furnace, and the outlet end or ends of which are in
communication with a gas supply pipe substantially as herein described for the
purpose specified.
2. A tank furnace constructed with gas supply passages and pipes arranged sub-
stantially as described and shown for the manufacture of glass by the process
herein referred to.
D
11
101 1
1000
T. C. J. THOMAS.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.