Improvements in Furnaces for Glass Melting and for similar purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12 h Mar., 1892-1ccepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces for Glass Melting and for similar
purposes.
I DAN RYLANDS of Shepcote, Stairfoot, near Barnsley, in the County of York,
Glass Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The first part of my invention has for its object the securing of a more easy
manner of conducting the first stage of glass melting where the process of preparation
and melting is carried on in two stages. The second part of my invention relates
to the securing of more uniform melting of the material charged into glass furnaces
and has also for its object the avoiding of the necessity for using a bridge in the
furnace.
According to the first part of my present invention I construct a furnace having two
separate compartments, the one compartment only communicating with the other
at the end, and there being a provision that the walls of quarries or firebricks
which separate the compartments one from the other shall be so arranged that
along the wall on one side of such compartments cold air shall be allowed to
circulate. The one compartment is so arranged that it can be kept at a heat
of 600 degrees or at any other suitable heat. In this compartment I fit up a
number of pots or of wide tubes which are arranged on framework which can
when required be revolved or be worked horizontally. At the bottom of these
tubes arrange a suitable steam sprayer which can when required be swung
aside or removed therefrom. The top of these tubes is made airtight, only
having a central hole on which a tube is fitted for conveying any gas which
may generate from the action of the steam upon the contents of the tubes or
pots. I arrange the circular or horizontal framework and the pushers which
will be used in connection therewith so that after the mixture has been
thoroughly treated in the first stage, the tube or pot containing it can be passed
or pushed clear of the top lid and clear also of the bottom which carries the
steam sprayer and so that this tube or pot can be pushed or brought right.
over the melting furnace so that the contents can drop therein, and the top
will be pulled back over the steam sprayer in the bottom. At the same time
the top being made so that it can be swung on one side the mouth of the tube
or pot is left open for receiving a further charge of the material which has to
be treated therein. After this material has been charged on or in the pot or
tube the mouth or top is swung into position over the tube or pot, and the
process of preparing this material is again repeated.
"
According to the second part of my invention I provide inside the melting
furnace a number of large fire-clay tubes or rings, each tube or ring being of
the requisite size for containing a charge of batch or semi-prepared material, or
"frit." These tubes or rings are pulled into such a position that this "frit
or batch can be charged or dropped into them, and after this has been charged
in they are pushed into the furnace in such a position that the heat of the
furnace can the more quickly act upon the contents. In each furnace I place a
sufficient number of these pots to contain enough of the glass mixture to keep
up a supply of glass necessary for what is required to be worked out.
where the glass is required to be of special purity or brilliancy I use pots
having covered tops and only having a small hole left, into which the batch may be
charged.
Dated this 10th
T
1001
In cases

page_text: Improvements in Furnaces for Glass Melting and for similar
purposes.
1, DAN RYLANDS of Shepcote, Stairfoot near Barnsley in the County of York,
Glass Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
The first part of my invention has for its object the securing of a more easy
manner of conducting the first stage of glass melting where the process of melting
is carried on in two stages.
The second part of my invention relates to the securing of more uniform melting
of the material charged into glass furnaces and has also for its object the avoiding
of the necessity for using a bridge.
According to the first part of my present invention I construct a furnace having
two separate compartments, the one compartment only communicating with the
other at the end, and there being a provision that the walls of quarries or firebricks
which separate the compartments one from the other shall be so arranged that
along the wall on one side of such compartments cold air shall be allowed to circulate.
The one compartment is so arranged that it can be kept at a heat of 600 degrees or
at any other suitable heat. In this compartment I fit up a number of pots or of
wide tubes which are arranged on framework which can when required be revolved
or be worked horizontally. At the bottom of these tubes I arrange a suitable
steam sprayer which can when required be swung aside or removed therefrom.
The top of these tubes is made airtight only having a central hole on which a tube
is fitted for conveying any gas which may generate from the action of the steam
upon the contents of the tubes or pots. I arrange the circular or horizontal frame-
work and the pushers which will be used in connection therewith so that after the
mixture has been thoroughly treated in the first stage the tube or pot containing it
can be passed or pushed clear of the top lid and clear also of the bottom which
carries the steam sprayer and so that this tube or pot can be pushed or brought
right over the melting furnace so that the contents can drop therein and the top
will be pulled back over the steam sprayer in the bottom. At the same time the
top being made so that it can be swung on one side the mouth of the tube or pot is
left open for receiving a further charge of the material which has to be treated
therein. After this material has been charged on, the mouth or top is swung into
position over the tube or pot and the process of preparing this material is again
repeated.
According to the second part of my invention I provide inside the melting
furnace a number of large fire-clay tubes or rings, each tube or ring being of the
requisite size for containing a charge of batch or semi-prepared material or
"frit." These tubes or rings are pulled into such a position that this "frit" or
batch can be charged or dropped into them and after this has been charged in they
are pushed into the furnace in such a position that the heat of the furnace can the
more quickly act upon the contents. In each furnace I place a sufficient number
of these pots to contain enough of the glass mixture to keep up a supply of glass
necessary for what is required to be worked out. In cases where the glass is
required to be of special purity or brilliancy I use pots having covering tops and
only having a small hole left, into which the batch may be charged.
The accompanying drawing is a sectional elevation showing the construction of
the first stage preparatory and the second stage melting furnace required in the
carrying out of my invention.
4 is a circular dome-topped furnace built on a turn-table foundation and armoured
on its outer circumference with iron plating; bare antifriction flanged wheels;
c an annular horizontal roadway; d.di retorts of fireclay or other suitable refractory

page_text: material furnished with mouth pieces e e of the usual construction and provided at
their lower ends with spouts ff; g g sliding doors provided for the purpose of
emptying the retorts; an inlet flue by which the waste heat from the air and gas
regenerative chambers is conveyed into the interior of the preparatory furnace ;
i an exit flue communicating with the chimney stack. Both inlet and outlet flues.
are provided with regulating dampers enabling the most suitable heat to be
maintained in the interior of the furnace; j, a tubular coil enclosed within a
protecting chamber of firebrick for the purpose of superheating the incoming steam
supply in its passage from the steam pipe k to the interior of the perforated sprayer l
with which each rotort is furnished; m. m. gas outlet pipes connecting the interior
of the retorts with the annular gas-collecting pipe n; o a vertical pipe terminating
at its upper extremity with a V bend p; q a stationary outlet gas pipe formed in
one with the cupped trap r; sa water cistern.
For the sake of clearness the illustration shows two retorts only, but it will be
well understood that a considerable number may be ranged annularly inside the
wall of the circular furnace'; t is a regenerative melting furnace in which are
placed any convenient number of firebrick rings or containers u. u.
The method of working the above-described two-stage furnaces and of collecting
the muriatic gas given off during the time of conversion of the batch into frit is as
follows:-
The retorts being filled with batch are subjected for the necessary time to the
heat of the products of combustion escaping from the regenerative chambers of a
Siemen's gas furnace. From time to time steam superheated by means of the
tubular coil is admitted into the interior of the retorts by pipes displacing the
muriatic acid gas given off by the contents of the retorts during the period of
conversion.
P,
The gas on being displaced is led away to the condenser by the collecting
pipes annular main nascension pipes o terminating in the trap bend from
whence it passes into the stationary pipe leading to the gas condenser. The
muriatic acid gas having now been given off and the contents of the retorts been
heated to a suitable temperature the process of conversion, is completed. The frit
contained in the retort is now by means of sliding door g and fixed shoot w
emptied into the interior of the furnace, falling into the ring or container u placed
in position for its reception. The rim on being filled is removed and placed in a
suitable position to receive the heat of the furnace.
The revolving furnace being now rotated by pinion a, spur rim y will cause the
retrocession of the emptied retort away from the fixed spout towards the charging
position, where it is refilled with batch. The succeeding retort will now have
arrived opposite the discharging shoot, and in like manner each retort successively
arrives at the position for discharging and after being emptied moves another step
to the filling position. The revolving furnace carrying these retorts has an
intermittent rotary movement allowing sufficient time for emptying and filling each
retort as it arrives at the respective emptying and filling stages. The revolving
furnace is also so arranged that the contents of each retort are sufficiently subjected
to the heat of the furnace during the movement of the retort from the filling to the
emptying position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination in the manner shown on the drawing hereto of two furnaces,
the one being so arranged that the first stage of treatment of the raw material can
be carried on in it whilst the melting is completed in the second furnace.
2. The application and arrangement of revolving retorts or tubes as and for the
purposes herein set forth and described.
3. The combination with these retorts of the steam sprayer for sending steam up
through the mass which has been filled into the retort.

page_text: 4. The combination with the revolving or similar retorts or tubes of a gas trap
for making an airtight connection so as to allow of the gas evolved during the
process of manufacture to be properly conveyed away to the gas condenser.
5. The arrangement in glass melting furnaces of large fireclay tubes, rings, or
containers for receiving the batch or frit which it is desired to melt into glass.
6. The general combination and arrangement of parts as described and shown as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 11th day of March 1902.