IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE GAS FURNACES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Siemens, of No. 3, Great
George Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for thé
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE GAS FURNACES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF GLASS."A communication from abroad by Frederick
Siemens, of Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony.
Sealed the 10th September 1872, and dated the 18th July 1872.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Willian
Siemens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th July 1872.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM SIEMENS, of No. 3, Great George Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGENERATIVE GAS FURNACES
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS," to be as follows:-
:―
In the arrangement of furnace for melting glass in a continuous
manner, described in the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me,
bearing date the 25th May 1870, No. 1513, the melting tank was pro-

page_text: vided with fixed or stationary partitions having channels through which
the molten glass was made to flow, in order to separate the fully molten
or refined portion from the crude or melting materials; difficulty has
however been experienced in making these partitions stand for a con-
siderable length of time. This difficulty is overcome by my present
Invention, according to which the stationary partitions in the tanks
are replaced by a number of moveable rings made of fire-clay or other
suitable refractory material which are introduced, by preference, at the
working out end of the tank, and which floating on the molten glass
metal cover the whole of its surface, or nearly so, up to the point where
the solid material is introduced. As these rings are gradually dis-
solved or worn away they are replaced by fresh rings, which may be
introduced as frequently as necessary.
The floor and sides of the tank are provided with cooling flues for
protecting them against the heat and the decomposing power of the
glass. These flues communicate with the chimney of the furnace or other
chimney or shaft, so that a current of cold air is maintained through
them. Thus the tank is rendered more durable, and the glass is pre-
vented from leaking through its joints into the regenerators below.
As the specific gravity of molten glass metal increases the more
completely it is fused it sinks to the bottom of the tank, according
to the progress of its fusion, and thereby displaces another portion
of the molten glass which may not be in such an advanced stage of
manufacture. This glass, after remaining a time at the surface and
being thoroughly molten, becomes of greater specific gravity and sinks
to the bottom in its turn. In this way, with a continuous influence
of the flame on the surface of the bath, and a continuous or nearly
continuous working out of the glass at one end of the tank, the flowing
of the glass along the tank being prevented by the floating rings, an
ascending and descending circulation of the glass is obtained, until the
thoroughly planed glass reaches the working out holes.
This Invention has also reference to an improved construction of the
regenerators of regenerative gas furnaces as applied to the manufacture
of glass, the object of which is to prevent glass mixture which may be
carried away with the flame from interrupting the flow of the air and
gas, as well as of the products of combustion through the zig-zag
passages of the regenerators.

page_text: These improvements consist in constructing the regenerator chambers
in such a manner that the greater part of them is filled up with fire-
bricks in the usual way, whilst in that part of them which is nearest
to the charging holes of the furnace a pocket or chamber is formed,
which receives such molten glass or dust as is carried off by the out-
going products of combustion before these products enter the passages
of the regenerators.