IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Obed Blake, of Blackwall, in the County of Middle-
sex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS."
:
Sealed the 12th August 1859, and dated the 21st February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Obed Blake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st February 1859.
?
I, OBED BLAKE, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby}
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to manufacture glass in a more economical,
manner than has hitherto been practised, and principally applies to that,
description of glass called plate, but may be applied to blown glass. Plate,
glass is made by melting or fusing certain materials, casting the mass on a
table, placing the plates thus cast in annealing ovens, from whence they are.
retired when sufficiently annealed. This product is termed rough plate; to,
perfect which, so that the plates may be used for glazing glass or glasses to
be silvered for mirrors, &c., the rough plate undergoes the process of grinding,
by one set of tables and machinery, smoothing by another set, and polishing
by a third apparatus. I am aware it has been attempted to perform these
operations by one set of machinery and adjuncts, but hitherto without

page_text: adequate success. I build a circular (by preference) bed or stage, having a
cavity underneath, of sufficient dimensions to hold and permit the working of
the various wheel work, &c., by which motion is communicated to my apparatus.
On the surface of the stage bed or table I fix (by any of the known modes)
the rough plates of glass on which I intend to operate. Rising from the
wheelwork under the stage is a shaft, which either passes up to the ceiling
or roof of the building, or is otherwise retained in a vertical position; near
the base of that part of the shaft which rises through and above the table
project a radii of arms made so as to permit their outer ends being raised and
lowered by means of chains passing through a rim in the upper part
of the shaft or being otherwise supported. These arms are raised simul-
taneously or otherwise when the plates to be ground are placed on the table.
These arms descend on slabs of iron or stone, or framings in which stone or
glass slabs are set, which latter are then fixed thereto. Having the glass
bedded and the arms lowered, and the slabs or framings secured, motion is
imparted to the shaft, which rotates, by means of the wheelwork below the
stage acted upon by steam or other power, and causes the rotation of all the
arms and their slabs, which latter will have a secondary rotating motion
peculiar to themselves. When the glass is sufficiently ground, I smooth it by
introducing emery instead of sand (or if I have used any coarse emery in
grinding, I use finer and finer for smoothing), and by means of an apparatus
acting on the wheelwork below, different rates of motion are given to the
shaft. When the smoothing is completed, the arms are raised, the slabs taken
away, and in their place rubbers or blocks are introduced, armed with some
soft substance to be next the glass. These blocks will be usually so arranged as
to have each an independant as well as the regular rotatory motion imparted
from the shaft. I then lower the arms, put the apparatus in motion, and
finish the whole by polishing with crocus or any suitable material. I would
observe that the slabs and blocks are so arranged on the arms that one rotation
of the shaft will leave no part of the embedded glass unoperated upon. When
one side or surface of the glass has been thus ground, smoothed, and polished,
the arms are raised, the slabs slid off, the glasses turned, re-secured, and the
same process is repeated, thus producing without removal from one table
or stage, and by means of one set of machinery, plate glass or blown glass
polished on both surfaces, and ready for use, ensuring a great economy in the
manufacture.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Obed Blake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ОBED
BLAKE, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Obed Blake, Her special licence that I, the said Obed Blake, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Obed Blake, my executors,
administrators, 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF GLASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Obed Blake,
my executors or adininistrators, 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, tho said Obed Blake, 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 follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed
and forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters of reference
marked thereon, such letters denoting similar parts where such parts appear
or can be seen at each of the Figures respectively.
The object of my Invention is to manufacture glass in a more economical
manner than has hitherto been practised, and my improved machinery or
apparatus is principally used in the manufacture of that description.of glass
called plate glass, but may be used in the grinding, smoothing,. and polishing:
of other descriptions of glass formed or made in sheets. Plate glass is made
by mixing certain materials which are thrown into pots, such pots being placed
in a furnace, wherein the mass is melted and fused, the melted metal is then
cast upon a table and rolled from thence, the sheet of glass is passed into the.

page_text: annealing oven, from whence it is retired when sufficiently annealed. This
product is termed rough plate, which,. to render it fit for use for glazing or
silvering undergoes the processes of grinding, smoothing, and polishing, which
are three separate and distinct processes carried on by three different sets of
machinery (unless where the smoothing process is still performed by hand),
each tended by workmen or women to superintend or carry out each pro-
cess. I perform the whole of the manufacture of glass from its rough state
to its finish, that is, the polishing of the plates on both sides, by one set of
machinery or apparatus and on one bed or table. I am aware it has heretofore
been attempted to perform these operations by one set of machinery and
adjuncts, but hitherto without adequate success from various defects. both
. in principle and construction of the apparatus. For the purpose of receiving
the plates of glass which are to be operated upon, I construct a circular
and partially hollow platform, stage, or bed of solid materials, say with brick
walling and levelled stone bed surface, capable of sustaining both heavy weights
and resisting the shocks of the grinding machinery while in rotary motion,
without altering the level and plane surface of the bed. The area of the sur-
face of this bed or table is to be determined by the work, say according to the
size of the plates of glass to be ground, smoothed, and polished thereon. On
the surface of this table or bed I securely fix (by any of the known methods)
as many plates of glass as are to be ground, in such manner that the surface
of each plate so fixed or embedded shall be level with all the rest which are
placed thereon, as aforesaid; this platform, bed, or table is constructed
partially hollow underneath, to admit of an arrangement of wheel and shaft
machinery, by means of which motion is imparted to a vertical shaft, and
thence to the whole apparatus, and enabling the operator to give a regulated
tlower motion to the apparatus at the commencement of the grinding and
during the smoothing processes. Rising from the wheelwork and through
the centre of the circular platform or table is a vertical shaft, which passes up
either to the roof of the building, or is otherwise retained in a vertical position
near the base (as seen from the table or platform) of this shaft, and firmly
secured thereon by a collar (or in any other practicable manner), project a
radii of arms, each of which extends in length to nearly the edge of the plat-
form. These arms, which are separately hinged on to the collar, may be of
any number that may be found requisite or convenient, and are to be made of
wood, metal, or a combination of both, or as shewn in the Drawing. Their
use is to hold and retain the slabs and rubbers used in grinding, smoothing,
and polishing in position, and either long slots, as shewn in the Drawing, or if
solid holes are made therein to allow the slabs (which are to have an indepen-

page_text: .
As it is
dent motion) to be bolted or fastened to any part of the said arms.
necessary to lift the ends of these arms to permit the slabs in the grinding
process or the blocks or rubbers in the polishing. process to be fixed or removed,
and the plates of glass to be embedded or turned, I construct a collar or
rim on the upper part of the shaft, passing the chains or ropes from hooks on
the extremities of the arms, through pullies in the said collar, and bringing
the ends of the ropes or chains down, so that they may be handy to the work-
man; by these means the arms may be. raised and lowered for the purposes
aforesaid. The plates of glass to be operated upon, being embedded on the
table slabs made of metal, stone or glass, or framings in which metal, stone,
or glass are set, are placed upon the embedded glass, in such positions that
as the arm aforesaid descends, the slab or rubber may be secured thereto;
having the glass bedded, the arms lowered, and the slabs affixed thereto,
motion is imparted by means of the gearing below the table to the vertical
shaft, which rotates, carrying with it the arms and slabs. The extremities of
the arms may be (as shewn) connected by moveable. tie rods to ensure
greater rigidity when in motion. For motive power, steam, horse, or other
motor may be used. As the arms rotate, the slabs not only rotate there-
with, but acquire an independent rotation from their working with or in
sockets. When the glass has been sufficiently ground, instead of removing it
to another bed or table, I merely change the material thrown on to the plates;
that is, I substitute emery for sand, or if I have used any coarse emery in the
grinding process, I use finer and finer for smoothing. When the process of
smoothing is completed, the slabs are loosened from the arms, the arms raised,
the slabs removed, and in their places polishing blocks or rubbers are intro-
duced into the slots in the arms, when the arms are again lowered (either
separately or simultaneously), the rubbers fastened thereto (but permitting them,
as in the case of the slabs, independent rotation) the machinery again set in
motion, and the polishing is effected, crocus or any other suitable material being
used. The slabs used in grinding and smoothing, and the blocks or rubbers
used in the polishing process, are so arranged upon the arms that at each
rotation of the shaft every portion of the glass embedded on the table shall be
covered, and consequently operated upon by the slabs or blocks; at this stage
the preparation of the glass is half completed, one surface thereof having been
ground, smoothed, and polished; it is now requisite to loose the rubbers and
remove them, and to raise the arms so high as to leave room under them for
the removal or turning of the plates of glass which are now re-embedded on
the table, their rough surfaces uppermost. The slabs for grinding and
sinoothing are placed thereon as before, the arms descent, and the operations,

page_text: as before. described, are repeated, thus producing without removal from one
stage or table, and by means of one set of machinery, plate glass or blown
glass polished on both surfaces. In commencing the grinding process, it is
desirable to start with a slower motion than is required for the main portion
of the work, and this is obtained by altering the position of the gearing
wheels, as before explained, and if two or more altered motions are found
desirable, then additions should be made to the gearing apparatus. I have
only shewn the apparatus necessary for one change of motion, but any
mechanical engineer can construct and adjust the necessary apparatus for a
double or treble change. The slower motion is not only preferable in com-
mencing the grinding process, but is also required for the operation of
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the table or bed for receiving the glass to be
ground, smoothed, and polished, and of the radii of arms with the slabs
affixed thereto. Figure 2, side elevation, with arrangement of top of shaft
with wheel attached and chainwork or lifting apparatus. Figure 3, side view
of an arm detached, charged with grinding slab; Figure 4, side view of an
arm detached charged with three polishing blocks or rubbers.
At Figures 1 and 2, a, a, is the table or bed upon which the glass to he
operated upon is to be embedded, over and upon which travel slabs b, b, carried
by arms c, c, to which motion is given by the vertical shaft d, d, which shaft is
driven by and from the horizontal shaft e, e, through the bevelled wheels f, f,
the speed being regulated or graduated by various sized toothed wheels h, h,
being wound into or out of gear with other wheels by a screw i and winch
handle j. The arms c, c, are connected together by rods k, k, and are
supported by chains 1, 1, attached to the end of the arms and to the cap m,
Figure 1, resting on the top of the shaft or fixed at such height as to permit
the extremities of the arms when elevated to a vertical position to go under
the cap; the slabs b, b, are secured to the arms c, c, at any part thereof by
bolts and nuts, and revolve on pins in their centres, so that at every revolution
of the shaft d the entire surface of the glass on the bed a will be passed over
by the slabs. At Figure 2 is another arrangement of chainwork, the chains 7, 7,
extending upwards to a wheel n on the shaft d, which shaft enters the ceiling of
the factory; the chains 1, 1, pass over pulleys, and are carried down in any con-
venient manner for the purpose of lifting the arms c, c; a slab b attached to
an arm c is shewn at Figure 3, and three blocks o, o, which serve for polishing
the glass on the removal of the slabs used in grinding and smoothing, are
shewn attached to an arm c at Figure 4.

page_text: Having now complied with the proviso contained in the herein in part
recited Letters Patent granted to me as aforesaid, for my Invention of "Im-
proved Machinery or Apparatus used in the Manufacture of Glass," and fully
described and shewn the means whereby or wherewith I carry my improve-
ments into practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood that the
object of my said Invention being to grind, smooth, and polish plate or other
glass by the use of one bed or platform, and one set of machinery or apparatus
only, I have shewn and described the means I prefer to use in effecting my
purpose; but it is evident that many departures may be made from the details
set forth without improving on the principle of my Invention (inter alia),
instead of motion being imparted to the shaft by the wheel and shafting
gearing herein-before described and shown in the Drawing, it may be given
by putting a collar on or near the top of the vertical shaft, and passing thereto
a strap or band from the motor. In this case the gearing of wheels and
shafts below the bed are dispensed with, and the whole bed or table may be
made solid, the vertical shaft working in socket on the centre thereof, and the
motion might be varied by using bands and pullies of different sizes; I there-
fore do not confine myself to the details herein-before given or shewn; nor do
I claim as of my Invention any of the parts of machinery or apparatus
described or mentioned, taken separately as parts and not used in combination
or for the purposes of my Invention, which I declare to be, and I claim, the
exclusive use of the combinations of machinery or apparatus berein-before
described, and in part illustrated by the annexed Drawing, whereby, as an
improvement or improvements in the manufacture of glass, I perform the
several operations of grinding, smoothing, and polishing by one table and one
set or combination of apparatus or machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said Obed Blake, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington St. Strand.
OBED BLAKE. (L.B.)