CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Blinkhorn, of Sutton, near Saint Helens,
in the County of Lancaster, Manager of the London and Manchester
Glass Company, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blinkhorn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
November 1857.
1, WILLIAM BLINKHORN, of Sutton, near Saint Helens, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager of the London and Manchester Glass Company, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING, SMOOTHING, AND FOR POLISHING
GLABB," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an apparatus to be employed for grinding or
smoothing glass which is thus constructed. The glass to be ground is placed
upon a table or bed as usual, to which a reciprocating horizontal sliding or
alternate backward and forward motion is imparted in the direction of its
length; this motion is obtained either by means of mangle gearing or other
alternating motion. At one side of the table is situated a vertical shaft con-
nected to a crank which is attached to, and employed to actuate the runner
upon the surface of the glass, and above this runner is fixed a horizontal

page_text: slotted bar or parallel slide, extending across the width of the table, and
supported by bearings at each side of the table, at a point or line at or nearly
above the centre of the crank. Upon the back or upper surface of the
"runner" is a stud or block, which works or slides in the parallel slot of the
fixed horizontal bar, so as to confine the action of the runner to a direct line
across the table simultaneously with it, allowing the "runner" to partako of
the peculiar action obtained by the combination of the horizontal and rotatory
motion. Thus, as the glass is carried alternately to-and-fro by the sliding or
traversing table, it becomes submitted to the grinding or smoothing action of
the "runner"in a transverse direction, so that every portion of the surface is
perfectly ground.
A second part of my Invention is more particularly applicable to the
subsequent process of polishing glass, and consists in the employment and uso
of rubbers secured upon vertical shafts and driven by suitable gearing, so as to
give to each rubber a horizontal rotatory motion round its own centre, or if
preferred, to cause them to work eccentrically by attaching them to the
vertical shaft at any other point than the centre of the said rubber; the table
for supporting the glass is made capable of being moved so as to bring the
action of the rubber upon any desired part of the plate of glass.
This apparatus, although principally adapted for polishing small plates of
glass, is also applicable to grinding or smoothing small plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Willian Blinkhorn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM'
BLINKHORN, of Sutton, near Saint Helens, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager of the London and Manchester Glass Company, send greeting.
WHEREAS Jer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Lettors
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Blinkhorn, Her especial license that I, the said William
Blinkhorn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Blinkhorn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should 'at
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,
any

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND SMOOTHING, AND FOR
POLISHING GLASS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said
William Blinkhorn, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 William Blinkhorn, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-.
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing, that is to say:—
My Invention relates first to an apparatus to be employed for grinding or
smoothing glass, which is thus constructed:-The glass to be ground is placed
upon a table or bed as usual, to which a reciprocating horizontal sliding or
alternate backward and forward motion is imparted in the direction of its
length; this motion is obtained either by means of mangle gearing or other
alternating motion. At one side of the table is situated a vertical shaft con-
nected to a crank which is attached to, and employed to actuate the "runner"
upon the surface of the glass, and above this runner is fixed a horizontal
slotted bar or parallel slide extending across the width of the table, and
supported by bearings at each side of the table at a point or line at or nearly.
above the centre of the crank. Upon the back or upper surface of the
"runner" is a stud or block, which works or slides in the parallel slot of the
fixed horizontal bar, so as to confine the action of the "runner" to a direct
line across the table simultaneously with its allowing the "runner" to partake
of the peculiar action obtained by the combination of the horizontal and
rotatory motion. Thus, as the glass is carried alternately to-and-fro by the
sliding or traversing table, it becomes submitted to the grinding or smoothing
action of the "runner" in a transverse direction, so that every portion of the
surface is perfectly ground.
A second part of my Invention is more particularly applicable to the
subsequent process of polishing glass, and consists in the employment and use
of rubbers, secured upon vertical shafts and driven by suitable gearing, so as to
give the rubber a horizontal rotatory motion round its own centre, or when a
number of rubbers are employed round the driving centre, or if preferred, to
cause them to work eccentrically by attaching them to the vertical shaft at
any other point than the centre of the said rubber. The table for supporting

page_text: the glass is made capable of being moved, so as to bring the action of the
rubber upon any desired part of the plate of glass. This apparatus, although
principally adapted for polishing small plate of glass, is also applicable to
grinding or smoothing small plates.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached two Sheets of Drawing, made upon a scale of
about one inch and a half to a foot, and having similar letters of referenco
marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a plan view of the apparatus, shewing the fixed slotted
guide bar, and the position of the top plate or rubber, and bar to which it is
secured when the crank is at about half stroke.
Fig. 2, Sheet. 2, is an end view of the same, shewing more clearly the
gearing for driving the crank and moving the table and plate under the action
of the rubber.
In Figs. 1, 2, a, a, is the bed or table, which carries or supports the plato
of glass a¹ to be smoothed, and is mounted upon wheels and rails, and has the
rack secured upon it, by which means the table is traversed to-and-fro
through the train of gearing c, c, c, c, by which the speed of the traverse may
be varied as required. The crank d is driven from tho horizontal driving
shaft e through the train of gearing f, ff, and imparts motion to the plate of
glass g, by means of the crank arm or connecting bar h, which is connected to
the "runner" i, i, at the point k, k, the said "runner" being kept upon the
plate of glass g by means of the weights 1, 1, 1, 1. Upon the crank arm is
secured the stud or block m, which slides in the horizontal transverse slotted
guide bar n, which is supported above the "runner "and crank arm by suitable
bearings. Supposing the machine to be in motion, it will be seen that as the
table traverses to-and-fro with the plate of glass, the action of the crank will
cause the block m to slide along the slot in the guide bar, and thus confine
the centre of the "rubber" to a direct line across the plate a', but as the crank
rotates the centres or points h, k, and the extremities of the "runner" swing
or vibrate, having the block as a centre, by which combination a grinding or
.smoothing action is obtained across the plate. I would here remark that a
similar effect may be produced by employing an arrangement of curved slots,
either placed transversely to the guide bar n, or in the same direction, instead
of the straight slot as shown.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with the
best method with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical
effect;
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I claim as my Invention the
arrangement and construction of apparatus for the grinding or smoothing of

page_text: glass, in which a stationary slotted bar n for guiding or confining the action
of the "runner," having either a straight or curved slot, acts in combination
with the block or stud m on the crauk arm, as herein-before described, set
forth, and fully exhibited in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Blinkhorn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM BLINKHORN. (L.S.)