OR IMPROVED FROSTED GLASS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck of 139 Cannon Street in the City of
A NEW
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent for an Invention of
OR IMPROVED FROSTED GLASS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
A communication to him from abroad by Gustave Bay of Paris in the
Republic of France
"
;
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "A NEW OR IMPROVED FROSTED GLASS, AND METHOD
OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME [A communication to him from abroad by
Gustave Bay of Paris in the Republic of France.]
The frosted glass which forms the subject of the present invention is intended
for the manufacture of window glass and other articles in glass or crystal, the
ornamentation of all objects capable of being decorated with frosted glass, and may
be applied to and combined with white or coloured glasses. This glass may also be
applied to the decoration of rooms, theatres café's, and such like.
The new frosted glass consists of a plate or sheet of glass, one face of which is
smooth or polished like the faces of ordinary window or plate glass and the other
face frosted or crackled in a variety of ways, so as to present the most various and
curious designs.
This frosting is obtained from a sheet of white or coloured glass, by passing it
over a fierce fire either in a muffle or in an open furnace-Upon the sheet of
glass is previously extended a thick layer of liquid or pasty flux, mixed with a few
large grains of flux. Immediately the flux is fused the sheet of glass is drawn out
of the furnace in a red hot state, and is suddenly cooled, this effects the splitting
or cracking of the flux which then separates from the glass, forming at the expense
of the latter an infinity of irregular cavities, scales and crystallizations which are
entangled one in the other and produce a frosted appearance of the most marvellous
effect in the light.

page_text: The sudden cooling can be obtained by a current of air, a jet of cold water, or
in any other way.
The same effects can also be obtained by a slow cooling in the muffle or furnace.
By putting flux upon certain limited parts of the sheet of glass and leaving the
other parts smooth, a crackled or frosted design is obtained which appears in
contrast with the parts which have not been frosted.
The parts left smooth can also be covered with a deeper colour in order to
produce designs, letters and so forth, either upon white or coloured glass, or even
upon doubled glass.
A crackle having nearly the same appearance can also be obtained by spreading
flux in large grains upon a cylinder of window glass, while it is still red, then
passing the cylinder into the working hole of the furnace in order to melt the flux,
and afterwards cooling the sheet quickly by moving it about rapidly, or by blowing
water over its surface. The cylinder is cleared of the layer of cracked flux, and
the crackled or frosted designs appear. It then only remains to open out the
cylinder in the usual way.
The first mentioned method has however been found preferable so far, as by
passing to the flattening furnace the cracks forming the frosting lose their
sharpness in consequence of the softening to which the glass is subjected in order
to effect its flattening.
An immitation of this frosting may be obtained by engraving designs on a plate
of red copper, spreading thereon the sheet of glass, to be transformed, and placing.
the whole in a furnace.
This frosting which the inventor calls "Craquelé Indien," produced by scaling
and splitting of the glass at its surface, has never before been obtained so far as
the inventor is aware, for all efforts and attempts to do so have always tended
towards an opposite result.
The flux by this process ought to peel off, whereas heretofore when fluxes have
been used the reverse effect has been required that is to say that the flux should
hold firmly to the glass.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1883.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "A NEW OR IMPROVED FROSTED GLASS AND METHOD
OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME." [A communication to him from abroad by Gustave
Bay of Paris in the Republic of France.]
The frosted glass which forms the subject of the present invention is intended
for the manufacture of window glass and other articles in glass or crystal, the
ornamentation of all objects capable of being decorated with frosted glass and may
be applied to and combined with white or coloured glasses. This glass may also
be applied to the decoration of rooms, theatres, cafés and such like.
The new frosted glass consists of plate or sheet glass one face of which is
smooth or polished like the faces of ordinary window or plate glass and the other
face frosted or crackled in a variety of ways so as to present the most various and
curious designs.
This frosting is obtained from a sheet of white or coloured glass by passing it
over a fierce fire, either in a muffle or in an open furnace. Upon the sheet of glass
is previously extended a thick layer of liquid or pasty flux mixed with a few
large grains of flux. Immediately the flux is fused the sheet of glass is drawn out
of the furnace in a red hot state, and is suddenly cooled; this effects the splitting
or cracking of the flux which then separates from the glass forming at the expense
of the latter an infinity of irregular cavities, scales, and crystallizations, which are
entangled one in the other and produce a frosted appearance of the most marvellous
effect in the light.
The sudden cooling can be obtained by a current of air, a jet of cold water, or in
any other way.
The same effects can also be obtained by a slow cooling in the muffle or furnace.
By putting flux upon certain limited parts of the sheet of glass, and leaving the
other parts smooth, a crackled or frosted design is obtained which appears in
contrast with the parts which have not been frosted.
The parts left smooth can also be covered with a deeper colour in order to
produce designs, letters, and so forth, either upon white or coloured glass, or even
upon doubled or lined glass.
A crackle having nearly the same appearance can also be obtained by spreading
flux in large grains upon a cylinder of window glass, while it is still red, then
passing the cylinder into the working hole of the furnace in order to melt the
flux, and afterwards cooling the sheet quickly by moving it about rapidly or by
blowing water over its surface. The cylinder is cleared of the layer of cracked
flux and the crackled or frosted designs then appear. It then only remains to
open out the cylinder in the usual way.
The first mentioned method has however been found preferable so far, as by
passing to the flattening furnace the cracks forming the frosting lose their sharpness
in consequence of the softening to which the glass is subjected in order to effect
its flattening.
An imitation of this frosting may be obtained by engraving designs on a plate of
red copper, spreading thereon the sheet of glass to be transformed, and placing the
whole in a furnace.
This frosting which the inventor calls “Craquelé Indien" produced by scaling
and splitting of the glass at its surface has never before been obtained so far.as

page_text: the inventor is aware, for all efforts and attempts to do so have always tended
towards an opposite result.
The flux by this process peels off, whereas heretofore when fluxes have been
used, the reverse effect has been required, that is to say, that the flux should hold
firmly to the glass.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be performed I would have it understood that what I claim
as the invention to be secured by the within in part recited Letters Patent is :-
The new or improved frosted or crackled glass manufactured substantially as
herein before described.
In Witness whereof, I the said William Henry Beck have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
W. H. BECA (L.S.)