IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS FURNACES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Connal Stevenson, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Glass Bottle Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS FURNACES."
Scaled the 5th June 1877, and dated the 9th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Connal Stevenson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1877.
ARCHIBALD CONNAL STEVENSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Glass Bottle Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS FURNACES."
This Invention has reference to certain improvements in the general construction
or arrangement of the parts of glass making or melting furnaces, being mainly
improvements upon the furnace constructed in accordance with the Patented
Invention of Antoine Pocheron, for "Improvements in the Manufacture of Glass,"
dated 7 May, 1866, No. 1297, now in very general use, which improvements
give room and facilities for a greater number of men to work at each furnace, with
a better utilization of the heat and saving or economy in coal for heating the same
as compared with the best glass furnaces heretofore in use.
And the nature of the Invention consists in having an ordinary cupola or enclosed
fuel burning furnace or fire-grate constructed at the middle of one side only of the
improved glass heating reverberating furnace (instead of at the two opposite sides
as usual), with its melting chamber forming the whole bottom or "seige" below
the low arched roof, and with the usual close, narrow air-beating space between
the cupola and melting chamber and circulating flues for conducting the hot air
to the cupola above the coal or fuel to ignite or burn the gases rising therefrom
before the flame and hot gaseous products of combustion enter the glass-heating
chamber; the furnace so far described being substantially of the ordinary con-
struction, except that by this improved arrangement the front side (which has now
no cupola) is constructed with two working holes and drawing-off waste gas flue
between them, the same as and in addition to the two at the opposite ends, as usual,
but having fire-brick dampers fitted on these outlet flues controlled in front or
between the working holes to regulate the drawing of the flame and beat towards
Price GJI

page_text: these on any side, more or less, as desired. A flat arch is formed from the upper
part of the cupola bridge, curving downwards and outwards over the glass-melting
furnace to deflect the flames and heat across the whole surface of the glass in the
inelting chamber.
A further improvement consists in forming two new holes in the back wall of
the glass furnace (one on each side of the cupola), and fitted with stoppers for
charging the "noils," which are carried round and thrown in as produced during
the time of "working out" to save the waste of glass and heat.
may
When a smaller sized furnace is desired, as where there is not room for a width
of furnace having two working holes in the ends, as usual, the furnace be made
with only one working hole in each end and two in the front with three drawing-
off flues, two new ones being placed near the right and left front end or corners
to draw the flames and heat well over to the front corners and end working holes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Archibald Connal Stevenson in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
8th September 1877.
ARCHIBALD CONNAL STEVENSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Glass Bottle Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS FURNACES."
My said Invention has reference to certain improvements in the general con-
struction or arrangement of the parts of glass making or melting furnaces, being
mainly improvements upon the furnace constructed in accordance with the Patented
Invention of Antoino Pocheron, for " Improvements in the Manufacture of Glass,"
dated 7th May, 1866, No. 1297, now in very general use, which said improvements
of my Invention give room and facilities for a greater number of men to work at
cach furnace, with a better utilization of the heat and saving or economy in coal
for heating the same as compared with the best glass furnaces heretofore in use.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the same with reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for the
purpose of showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting
the Invention into effect or practice, the saine letters and numerals indicating the
same parts in both Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a sectional elevation and a sectional plan of a
glass furnace formed and worked with the improvements of and under the before-
inentioned Patent of Antoine Pocheron, No. 1297, dated 7th May, 1866, but also
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of one modification and application
of my said present Invention or improvements as applied thereto, the sections being
taken near the lines 1---1 and 2-2, each on the other Figure through the
cupola and glass-melting chamber below the main chimney shaft, shown as broken
off at Z in Figure 1.
Referring to these Figures 1 and 2, the ordinary cupola or enclosed fuel burning
furnace 1 and fire-grate 11 are constructed at the middle of one side of this
improved glass-heating reverberating furnace (instead of at the two opposite sides,
as usual), with its melting chamber 2 forming the whole bottom or "seige" below
the low arched roof 21, all fitted with the usual close, narrow air-heating space 3 in
the division wall 211 between the cupola 1 and melting chamber 2, for cooling and
preventing it from burning away, and also the air-heating and circulating flues 4
for conducting the hot air to the cupola above the coal or fuel to ignite or burn the
gases rising therefrom before the flame and the gaseous products of combustion
enter the glass-heating chamber.
The details of the furnace as so far described are substantially of the ordinary
construction, except that by my said improvements or arrangement of the front

page_text: side A (which has now no cupola) this is constructed with two new working holes a,
and drawing-off waste gas flues B at the sides and between them, the same as and
in addition to the two ordinary working holes a, a, at the opposite ends A¹. Fire-
brick or other dampers, as B¹, are fitted on these outlet flues B, set or controlled
above, or it might be by levers or chains in front or between the working holes a¹
to regulate the drawing of the flame and heat towards the entrance 6¹ to these
flues B on any side of the working holes a, more or less, as desired. A flat arch is
led from the upper part of the arch 111 over the cupola bridge 211, curving down-
wards and outwards over the glass-melting furnace at 1111 to deflect the flames and
heat across the whole surface of the glass in the melting chamber 2 towards the
new working holes a and up-take flues b, B, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.
A further improvement consists in forming two new holes in the back wall of
the glass furnace (one on each side of the cupola), shown dotted in at C, C, Figure 2,
and fitted with stoppers for charging the "moils," which are carried round and
thrown in as produced during the time of "working out" to save the waste of glass
and heat.
When a smaller sized furnace is desired, as where there is not room for a width
of furnace having two working holes a¹ in the end opposite each other, the furnace
may be made with only one working hole in each end, and two in the front A with
three drawing-off flues B, two extra ones being placed near the right and left front
end or corners, as shown at B* in Figures 1 and 2, to draw the flames and heat
well over to the front corners and end working holes; or when the glass-melting
furnace 2 is made longer in the transverse direction than across from the cupola
three working holes a might be formed in the side A. opposite it with up-take
flues B between them, the furnace being otherwise substantially as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
heroin described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
"
First. The general construction of glass furnaces, with the fuel-heating cupola 1
on one side and new working holes a and up-tako flues B of the glass-melting
chamber 2 on the opposite side, and moil" inserting holes at the back end on
cach side of the cupola, all substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and use of an extra or third set of working holos and
up-take or drawing-off flues in the wall opposite the cupola 1 (instead of the usual
second cupola) of glass furnaces, either with or without "moil" charging holes at
the sides of the cupola, substantially as herein-before described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Connal Stevenson, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
A. C. STEVENSON. (L.S.)