IMPROVE- MENTS IN GLASS AND OTHER FURNACES OR KILNS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Warren, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Glass Bottle Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GLASS AND OTHER FURNACES OR KILNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Warren at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1868.
I, THOMAS WARREN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Glass Bottle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS AND OTHER FURNACES OR KILNS," to be as follows,
that is to say-
This Invention relates to glass furnaces of the kind in which the fuel, or a
portion of it, is primarily converted into gases in a preparatory chamber or
furnace, which gases are subsequently consumed with the aid of the proper
supply of air in the melting chamber or furnace wherein the heat is applied.
The improved arrangements are also applicable to other furnaces or kilns, as,
for example, furnaces for heating iron plates, puddling furnaces, pottery kilns,
and others, wherein a great heat is required to act upon materials in a
chamber.
In carrying out the Invention according to one modification in the case of a
glass furnace, the fuel gases, by preference, in their heated state, as formed,
are discharged in the centre of the chamber from a funnel, the mouth of

page_text: which is directed upwards. It is desirablo to heat the air which has to be
introduced into the chamber for the combustion of the fuel gases, and partly
for this purpose the air entering by passages below is made to rise into the
chamber through two narrow gratings disposed in line, one on each side of the
gas funnel, and running centrally between the sieges for the melting pots.
On these narrow gratings a little fuel is burnt, and more air than is necessary
for its own combustion passes through this fuel and becomes heated thereby
and in a suitable condition for mingling with the gases discharged from the
funnel. The passages or cavities over which the narrow gratings are placed
serve as receptacles for any waste glass which finds its way through the
gratings, and the burning of a little fuel on the gratings prevents any cold air
from entering from below. Instead of the sieges being parallel to each other,
as commonly arranged, the furnace may be so shaped that the middle parts
may be wider apart and not too near to the gas funnel, where the chamber is
apt to be slightly cooler than at other parts. The used gases pass off from
the furnace by flues at the four corners, and what available heat they still
retain is utilised by causing them to pass through the ash arches, wherein the
glass materials receive their preliminary calcining or roasting treatment.
The details will necessarily be modified according to the requirements of
Thus the fuel gases may be introduced by two or more funnels,
and one or more air gratings may be employed, and according to the manner
in which it may be wished to distribute the heat. The air for combining with
the fuel gases, or a portion of it may be heated by any convenient means, and
it may be introduced into the funnel or into the passage leading thereto so as
to be mixed with the fuel gases before they issue from the funnel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Warren in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WARREN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Glass Bottle
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelvth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, ITer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Warren, ler special licence that I, the said Thomas

page_text: Warren, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Warren, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GLASS AND OTHER FURNACES OR KILNS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Warren, my executor or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and scals, 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, the said Thomas Warren, 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 following
statement in writing; reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to glass furnaces of the kind in which the fuel, or
a portion of it, is primarily converted into gases in a preparatory chamber
or furnace, which gases are subsequently consumed with the aid of the
proper supply of air in the melting chamber or furnace wherein the heat is
applied.
My improved arrangements are also applicable to other furnaces or kilns,
as, for example, furnaces for heating iron plates, puddling furnaces, pottery
kilos, and others, wherein a great heat is required to act upon materials in a
chamber.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and showing the applica-
tion of my improvements to a furnace for melting glass.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section and Figure 2 is a vertical section showing.
one modification of arrangements for carrying out my Invention. The
horizontal section in Figure 1 being taken as on the line A, B, C, D, in
Figure 2, whilst the vertical section in Figure 2 is taken as on the line E, F,
in Figure 1. Figure 8 is a front elevation. The fuel gases, by preference,
in their heated state, as formed, are discharged in the centre of the melting
chamber 1, from a funnel 2, the mouth of which is directed upwards. It is
desirable to heat the air which has to be introduced into the chamber 1, for

page_text: the combustion of the fuel gases, and partly for this purpose the air, entering
by passages below, is made to rise into the chamber 1, through two gratings
3, disposed in line, one on each side of the gas funnel 2, and running cen-
trally between the sieges 4, on which the melting pots 5 stand. On these
gratings 3 a little fuel is burnt, and more air than is necessary for its own
combustion passes through this fuel and becomes heated thereby and rendered
suitable for mingling with the gases discharged from the funnel 2. The
passages or cavities 6, over which the gratings 3 are placed, serve as recep-
tacles for any waste glass which finds its way through the gratings 3, whilst
the burning of a little fuel on the gratings 3 prevents any air entering in a
cold state from below through these openings, which are required for con-
venience if not by necessity. To prevent waste glass from getting into the
gas funnel 2, the mouth of this funnel is made to rise a little above the level
of the siegos 4. The gas producers used for carrying out my Invention may
be variously arranged or constructed, but I have shown in the Figures what I
at present consider to be the most simple, efficient, and economical arrange-
ment. The gas producers comprise two gas chambers 7, lined with fire-brick ;
and each is in connection with two furnaces 8. Each furnace 8 is a vertical
chamber having at the top an inclined passage 9 for the introduction of the
fuel, and at the bottom, on the inner side, communicating with the gas
chamber 8, whilst a grating 10 is fitted to the outer side to admit air. Outside
of the gratings 10 there are doors 11, lined with fire-brick, but not reaching
quite to the top of the grating space. When it is requisite to diminish or
stop the production of the fuel gases, sand is filled in between the doors 11
and the grating 10. The two furnaces 8, of each chamber 7, are supplied
with fuel alternately to keep the action as uniform as possible. The fuel
gases pass from the chambers 7 by a flue or passage 12, which conducts them
to the funnel 2 in the melting chamber 1. I prefer to introduce into the
flue 12, at any convenient point, a grated opening 13, to admit a little air,
this grating being on the under side of the flue, and a little fuel being burnt
on it, but this addition may, in some cases, be dispensed with. Instead of the
sieges 4, in the melting chamber 1, being parallel to each other, as shown, and
as commonly arranged, the furnace or melting chamber 1 may be so shaped
that the middle parts may be wider apart and not too near the gas funnel 2,
where the chamber is apt to be slightly cooler than at other parts. The used
gases pass off from the furnace or melting chamber 1 by flues 14 at the four
corners, and what available heat they still retain is utilised by causing them to
pass through the ash arches or chambers 15, wherein the glass materials
receive their preliminary calcining or roasting treatment.

page_text: The details of my improved arrangements will necessarily be modified
according to the requirements of each case. Thus, the fuel gases may be
introduced by two or more funnels 2, and one or more gratings 3 may be
employed, and, according to the manner in which it may be wished to dis-
tribute the heat. The air for combining with the fuel gases, or a portion of it,
may be heated by any convenient means, and it may be introduced into the
funnel 2, or into the passage 12 leading thereto, so as to be mixed with the
fuel gases before they issue from the funnel.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the so constructing and
working furnaces or kilns in which separately prepared fuel gases aro burnt,
that the air, or a portion of the air, supplied for combustion passes through
gratings having a small quantity of burning fuel thereon, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Warren, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
THOMAS WARREN. (L.s.)