IMPROVEMENTS IN TANK FURNACES FOR SMELTING GLASS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Tom Kilner, of Thornhill Lees, near Dewsbury,
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TANK FURNACES FOR SMELTING GLASS."
Sealed the 9th March 1875, and dated the 12th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Tom Kilner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1874.
I, TOM KILNER, of Thornhill Lees, near Dewsbury, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TANK FURNACES FOR SMELTING GLASS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new or improved method or mode of
arranging and constructing tank furnaces for smelting glass, the Inven-
tion being more adaptable to the regenerative gas furnaces employed
in glass manufacture.
in
It is well known that hitherto only one tank has been built or used
each workshon, and consequently only one color of glass could be

page_text: These improvements however consist mainly in having two or more
tanks which will be worked out of one set of gas producers and one set
of regenerative chambers.
The gas flue is situated at the bottom, and above it is the regenerative
chamber, a suitable course or order of bricks being interposed, and
then again above that the improved tank furnaces are arranged or con-
structed.
These furnaces are constructed by arranging in convenient order any
suitable number of iron pillar at suitable distances apart, and by
supporting thereupon a ridge or interposition of angle iron, from which
the arch or crown of the tank springs, the interstices between the said
pillars being filled in with a suitable fire-resisting material.
Between the adjacent tanks a space is left so as to allow ordinary
atmospheric or cold air to impinge upon their outer sides and prevent
them becoming too heated.
In the ends of the furnace ordinary port holes are arranged for the
introduction thereinto of the gas and ait, by which the reduction of the
"metal" is effected, and in the sides of the furnace the ordinary working
holes are made, through which the molten "metal" is withdrawn prior
to being blown.
A special advantages derived from the application and use of this
Invention, is that when the tanks require to be repaired, only two sets.
of hands will be thrown out of work instead of four sets as hitherto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Tom Kilner in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 10th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Toм
KILNER, of Thornhill Lees, near Dewsbury, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-

page_text: eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Tom Kilner, Her special license that
I, the said Tom Kilner, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Tom Kilner, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 TANK FUR-
NACES FOR SMELTING Glass,” upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Tom Kilner, 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 Tom Kilner, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new or improved method of constructing
and arranging tank furnaces for smelting glass, the Invention being
more especially adaptable to the regenerative gas furnaces employed in
the manufacture of glass.
Hitherto only one tank has been built or used in each workshop, and
consequently (except by the use of pots or crucibles) only one colour of
glass could be made in a workshop at a time.
My Invention consists in constructing, combining, arranging, and
using two or more tanks in one workshop, and in working the series out
of or by one set of gas producers and one set of regenerators, and in
dividing the tanks each into two (or more) compartments, and using
with one set of gas producers two (or more) sets of regenerators the
latter placed parallel to each other, so that two, three, four, or more
colours of glass can be made in one workshop at the same time.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings

page_text: in Figure 1, which represents a transverse section, and in Figure 2,
which represents a side elevation.
1 represents the gas flue which conveys the gas from the gas pro-
ducers to the regenerators 2, which are all of the ordinary construction.
I construct the improved tank furnaces by arranging at suitable
distances apart a number of iron pillars 3 carrying a ridge or interposition
of angle iron 4, from which the arch or crown 5 of the furnace springs,
the interstices between the pillars 3 being filled in with any fire-resisting
material 6.
It should be observed that in tank furnaces of the usual cosntruction
the arch springs direct from the sides of the tank, and consequently
when the tank is worn out the arch has to be taken down; but by my
improvements the tanks 7 can be withdrawn or taken out when worn
out without necessitating the removal of the arch 5 from the walls (3, 6)
of the furnace.
I arrange the adjacent furnaces thus constructed so as to leave a space
8 between them to allow of atmospheric air circulating around their
outer sides, and prevent them becoming too heated.
9, 10, represents the ordinary port-holes made in the ends of the
furnaces, and through which the gas and air are introduced thereto to
effect the reduction of the "metal;" and 11 represents the ordinary
working holes made in the sides of the arch 5 of the furnaces, and
through which the molten "metal" is withdrawn prior to being blown.
A special advantage derived from the application and use of this
Invention is that when the tanks require to be repaired, only two sets
of hands will be thrown out of work instead of four sets as hitherto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the con-
structing, combining, arranging, and using two or more tanks in one
workshop, and the working the series of tanks by one set of gas pro-
ducers and one set of regenerators; also the dividing the tanks into
compartments, and the working thereof by one set of gas producers,
and two (or more) sets of regenerators for the purpose of smelting or

page_text: making two, three, four, or more colours of glass in the one workshop
at the same time, substantially as herein-above specified, and as illus-
trated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
In witness whereof, I, the said Tom Kilner, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.