Improvements in and relating to Leers or Kilns for Annealing Glass.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Leers or Kilns for Annealing Glass.
We, ANTHONY DIXON BROGAN and ANDREW MURRAY MALLOCHI, both of The
Glasgow Plate Glass Company, Firhill, in the City of Glasgow, and JAMES CRAIG,
Glassworker, Beckford Street, Hamilton, in the County of Lanark, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved leer or annealing kiln
and apparatus connected therewith whereby a larger quantity of glass can be
annealed in any given time and with less risk of breakage than is attainable in
leers at present in use.
The improved leer consists of a long covered and suitably heated brickwork
chamber of approximately rectangular cross section which, instead of being fitted
with the usual lifting and travelling bars for feeding forward the glass plates
horizontally, is provided with rails or other supports and is adapted to hold a
large number of frames each containing a glass plate (or two or more plates) the
frames being supported either vertically or at an inclination and parallel to each
other and the whole being slowly traversed through the length of the chamber.
The frames for carrying the glass plates are each composed of light metal lattice
work of rectangular contour of which the length is nearly equal to the width of
the kiln chamber. At the corners of each frame or in proximity thereto small
wheels or rollers are fitted and carried either by shafts or projecting bracket
pieces. These wheels serve to support the frame in the inclined or vertical position
in which it travels through the leer chamber, the wheels at the higher side,
when the frame is tilted up, being preferably carried out beyond each end of the
frame so that they may run upon rails or ledges fitted or formed along each side of
the leer chamber, and the wheels on the lower side being adapted to run in
grooved rails on the floor of the chamber. Central supports may also be provided
by means of wheels carried upon projecting arms near the mid length of each
frame and adapted to run within angle iron or girder rails supported in proximity
to the roof of the kiln.
In the use of the leer the frames are carried singly upon a wheeled bogie or
carriage running in a recess transversely of the kiln at the hot end. A plate of
glass as it comes from the casting table is pushed horizontally through an opening
at the hot or high end of the kiln or leer and on stiffening is pushed slowly
towards the frame which has been placed in the recess. The plate of glass having
reached or come into close proximity to the frame is then pushed forward on to
the frame, and as the bogie has been run into the line of the leer, the frame is
caught at the edge by lifting gear which draws the frame-end up an incline at the
end of the supporting ledges and rails, and leaves it with the upper wheels on the
latter and the lower wheels on the floor rails.. The frame is there caught by pro-
jecting arms or catches on travelling endless chains carried around pulleys at

page_text: each end of the leer; and by means of the chain the frame is carried along the
length of the leer chamber. As one frame is lifted into the vertical or inclined
position in the kiln another frame receiving another plate of glass is run by a
bogie into position for being raised by the lifting gear. Whilst the rate at which
the frames are raised into the kiln is comparatively rapid the speed of the chains
for traversing the frames through the kiln is very slow in order to allow of the
glass remaining the requisite time in the kiln; and consequently the frames are
deposited in close proximity to each other in the kiln. The lifting gear may be of
any suitable kind, but is preferably composed of a wire rope one end of which is
carried round a winding drum whilst the other end is attached to a ball or weight
adapted to run in a tubular casing protruded through the roof of the leer and
having formed on or secured to it a hooked arm or bar which is adapted to engage
with a catch on the glass carrying frame, whilst readily disengaging itself after
the frame attains its vertical or inclined position in which the latter is traversed
through the leer. The hooked arm may either project downwards from the tube,
or the tube may extend downwards into the leer at a suitable inclination and be
slotted throughout- part of its length for the passage through it of the hooked arm.
The lifting of the frame is effected by turning the winding drum by hand or
otherwise, and the weight serves to bring down the hooked arm to engage with a
fresh frame.
When the frames are carried in the inclined position the glass plate may be
supported at the lower edge by a ledge on the frame; but when dealing with large
sheets of heavy plate glass the plate is by preference enclosed within a double
frame or cage and carried vertically through the leer. At the cool end, the frames
are carried by an extension of the guide rails out with the leer and deposited in
their inclined or vertical. position each in succession upon a bogie running on
cross rails, the bogie having either formed or fitted on it an inclined or vertical
carrier to receive the frame as it leaves the guide rails. Or in lieu of this arrange-
ment the frames may be lowered singly down inclined rails or guides and run
on to bogies.
In a modification the frames for carrying the glass are each composed of light
A-shaped structures having inclined sides made up of bars suitably stayed and
approximately of the width of the kiln, the frames being provided with wheels at
the lower ends of their limbs to run in or on rails on the floor of the kiln. The
glass is piled on the inclined front of the frame which is traversed through the
length of the leer by means of the projecting arms on the endless travelling
chains. This type of carrying frame as it leaves the kiln may be run directly on to
a bogie provided with cross rails to receive the wheels of the frame.
11
1
.1. 1007
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
t Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Leers or Kilns for Annealing Glass.
We, ANTHONY DIXON BROGAN and ANDREW MURRAY MALLOCH, both of The
Glasgow Plate Glass Company, Firhill, in the City of Glasgow, and JAMES CRAIG,
Glassworker, formerly of Beckford Street, Hamilton, now of 21, Abbotsford Place,
Motherwell, in the County of Lanark, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-

page_text: tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved leer or annealing kiln
and apparatus connected therewith whereby a larger quantity of glass can be
annealed in any given time and with less risk of breakage than is attainable in
leers at present in use.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a
vertical section of the improved leer or kiln showing within it a number of
the frames which carry the glass through the kiln. Figure 2 is a cross section of the
same. Figure 3 is a front elevation of one of the frames used in traversing the
glass through the kiln. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation to a larger scale of
part of the kiln and frames shown in Figure 1. Figures 5 and 6 are sectional
views of details showing the means employed for raising the frames carrying the
glass into the kiln.
The improved leer consists of a long covered and suitably heated brickwork
chamber A of approximately rectangular cross section which, instead of being
fitted with the usual lifting and travelling bars for feeding forward the glass
plates horizontally, is provided with rails or other supports and is adapted to hold
a large number of frames C each containing a glass plate (or two or more plates)
the frames C being supported either vertically or at an inclination and parallel
to each other and the whole being slowly traversed through the length of the
chamber A. The frames C for carrying the glass plates are each composed as
shown at Figure 3 of light metal lattice work of rectangular contour of which the
length is nearly equal to the width of the kiln chamber A. At the corners of
each frame or in proximity thereto small wheels or rollers c are fitted and carried
either by shafts or projecting bracket pieces c³. These wheels c serve to support the
frame in the inclined or vertical position in which it travels through the leer
chamber A, the wheels at the higher side, when the frame is tilted up, being pre-
ferably carried out beyond each end of the frame so that they may run upon rails
or ledges a fitted or formed along each side of the leer chamber A, and the
wheels c¹ on the lower side being adapted to run in grooved rails a¹ on the floor of the
chamber A. Central supports may also be provided by means of wheels c³
carried upon projecting arms C¹ near the mid length of each frame and adapted to
run within angle iron or girder rails a supported in proximity to the roof of
the kiln A.
A.
In the use of the leer the frames C. are carried singly upon a wheeled bogie or
carriage running in a recess E transversely of the kiln A at the hot end.
plate of glass as it comes from the casting table is pushed horizontally through
an opening at the hot or high end of the kiln or leer and on stiffening is pushed
slowly towards the frame C which has been placed in the recess E. The plate of
glass having reached or come into close proximity to the frame is then pushed
forward on to the frame C, and as the bogie D has been run into the line of the.
leer A, the frame C is caught at the edge by lifting gear such as is shown in
Figures 5 and 6 which draws the frame end up an incline F at the end of the
supporting ledges a and rails a², and leaves it with the upper wheels c, c³, on the
latter and the lower wheels cl on the floor rails a¹. The frame C is there caught
by projecting arms or catches on travelling endless chains G carried around
pulleys H at each end of the leer; and by means of these chains the frame C is
carried along the length of the leer chamber A. As one frame C is lifted into the
vertical or inclined position in the kiln another frame receiving another plate of
glass is run by a bogie into position for being raised by the lifting gear. Whilst
the rate at which the frames are raised into the kiln is comparatively rapid the
speed of the chains G for traversing the frames through the kiln is very slow in
order to allow of the glass remaining the requisite time in the kiln; and con-
sequently the frames are deposited in close proximity to each other in the kiln
as indicated at Figures 1 and 4. The lifting gear may be of any suitable kind,
but is preferably composed of a wire rope I one end of which is carried round a

page_text: winding drum whilst the other end is attached to a ball or weight J adapted to
run in a tubular casing K protruded through the roof A2 of the leer and having
formed on or secured to it a hooked arm or bar L which is adapted to engage with
a catch on the glass carrying frame C, whilst readily disengaging itself after
the frame C attains its vertical or inclined position in which the latter is traversed
through the leer. The hooked arm L may either project downwards from the
tube K, as indicated at Figure 5, or the tube K may extend downwards into
the leer at a suitable inclination and be slotted throughout part of its length for
the passage through it of the hooked arm as indicated at Figure 6. The lifting of the
frame is effected by turning the winding drum by hand or otherwise, and the
weight serves to bring down the hooked arm L to engage with a fresh frame C.
When the frames are carried in the inclined position the glass plate may be
supported at the lower edge by a ledge on the frame; but when dealing with
large sheets of heavy plate glass the plate is by preference enclosed within a
double frame or cage and carried vertically through the leer. At the cool end,
the frames are carried by an extension of the guides or rails a or a², out with the
leer A and deposited in their inclined or vertical position each in succession upon
a bogie running on cross rails, the bogie having either formed or fitted on it an
inclined or vertical carrier to receive the frame as it leaves the guide rails. Or
in lieu of this arrangement the frames may be lowered singly down inclined rails.
or guides a and run on to bogies D₁ as indicated at Figure 1. The empty frames
may be returned through a low roofed chamber alongside the leer.
In a modification the frames for carrying the glass are each composed of light
A-shaped structures having inclined sides made up of bars suitably stayed and
approximately of the width of the kiln, the frames being provided with wheels at
the lower ends of their limbs to run in or on rails on the floor of the kiln. The glass.is
piled on the inclined front of the frame which is traversed through the length of the
leer by means of the projecting arms on the endless travelling chains. This type of
carrying frame as it leaves the kiln may be run directly on to a bogie provided
with cross rails to receive the wheels of the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven- "
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
:-
1. A leer or annealing kiln constructed as described and adapted for use in
annealing sheets or plates of glass traversed therethrough in frames arranged in a
vertical or inclined row or series.
2. A leer or annealing kiln composed of a long chamber of approximately
rectangular section furnished with rails, ledges or like devices in proximity to
the roof and adapted to support a plurality of glass carrying frames arranged
parallel to each other, in combination with means such as endless chains for
slowly traversing the series of frames throughout the length of the kiln substan-
tially as described.
3. For use in a leer or annealing kiln of the class set forth a glass carrying
frame constructed of lattice work and furnished with rollers at top and bottom
for supporting it in an inclined or vertical position within the leer substantially
as described.
4. For use in a leer or annealing kiln of the class set forth a glass carrying
frame composed of an A-shaped structure adapted for carrying sheets of glass
piled on its inclined front and having wheels or rollers at its base upon which it
may be traversed through the leer substantially as described.
5. For use in a leer or annealing kiln of the class set forth a glass carrying
frame composed of a cage adapted to enclose the sheets or plates of glass and to be
suspended vertically within and traversed through the leer substantially as
described.
6. In a leer or annealing kiln of the class set forth lifting gear for raising the
glass carrying frames into position and consisting of a winding rope or chain
'

page_text: having a weighted arm or catch bar adapted to slide within a tube protruding
through the kiln roof substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of December, 1897.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
he Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
nt Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.