Im- PROVEMENTS IN LEARS FOR ANNEALING GLASS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Neville, of the Neville Glass Works,
Gateshead, in the County of Durham, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN LEARS FOR ANNEALING GLASS."
Sealed the 27th August 1872, and dated the 18th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Neville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th March 1872.
I, SAMUEL NEVILLE, of the Neville Glass Works, Gateshead, in the
County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEARS FOR ANNEALING GLASS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore lears for annealing glass have been made and used in such
manner that the smoke and products of combustion from the heating
furnace come in contact with the articles annealed, and these have con-
sequently to undergo a cleaning process after annealing. Lears have also
been arranged as long chambers along which the annealed articles are
made to travel, and which have to be charged and discharged at times

page_text: -
end facing the glass house are opened for charging the chamber with
the articles to be annealed, and the doors at the other end facing the
warehouse are opened for the removal of the annealed goods. The
chamber is heated by flues external to it, through which the products of
combustion from a furnace are made to pass, so that the articles annealed
are not subjected to contact with these products.
be
The operation of annealing is conducted as follows:-The chamber
having been heated is charged with the articles to be annealed and the
-doors-are-closed. The-chamber-is-then-kept at the required temperature_
by the action of the furnace and flues for such time as may necessary.
The furnace fire is then withdrawn or extinguished, or the products of
combustion are diverted to another lear by means of suitable valves or
dampers fitted in the flues, and the chamber and its contents are allowed
to cool.
The cooling may be accelerated by allowing a current of cold
air to pass through the flues. When the contents of the lear are suffi-
ciently cooled they are removed through the doors opposite to those by
which they were charged into the lear. After discharging the lear these
doors are closed and the operation may be repeated.
Several lears, such as are described above, may be arranged in con-
Figure 1 shows a iront elevation of my before-described improveu
annealing lear; Figure 2 shows a back elevation; Figure 3 shows a
longitudinal section; and Figure 4 shows a plan of the under side.
The lear A is shown constructed entirely of iron, which I prefer. It
may, however, be provided with a lining of fire-brick, or be constructed
partially or entirely of that material. It is heated by means of flues or
spaces B, B, B, B, extending round its sides, top and bottom, into which
either the hot gases from a furnace are made to pass, or by preference, I
effect the heating by means of gas flames, for which purpose gas pipes C,C,
with jets are arranged in the bottom flue, as shown. D is a flue pipe for
carrying off the gases after they have passed round the lear.
front end, facing the glass house, the lear is closed by sliding doors or
plates E, E, fitting between guides F, F, and at the back end, facing the
At the

page_text: warehouse or sorting room, it is closed by a door or plate G, which is
closed in an air-tight manner while the lear is in operation. The lear is
supported upon piers H, H, the space between which is enclosed and is
accessible through doors I; and doors J, opening downwards, are provided
in the bottom flue or space B, as shown in Figure 4, which are opened for
the purpose of igniting the gas jets, and also for admitting cold air into
flues when it is desired to cool the lear. The lear having been heated
to the required degree, and the door G being closed, the goods are
charged in hot from the glass house, through the sliding doors E, E,
which as the lear becomes filled up with goods are slid in from the top,
one after the other. The goods are kept in the lear until they have
gradually cooled down, when the door G is opened, and the goods are
removed to the warehouse. The door G is then.closed again, and after
sufficient time has elapsed to allow the lear to become heated to the
requisite degree, the front plates E, E, are removed and a fresh charge
of goods is introduced into the lear.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, what I claim is, the use of annealing
lears heated by flues constructed and operating substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Neville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of
SAMUEL NEVILLE. (L.S.)