IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROUGHING OR PREPARING THE SURFACES OF GLASS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Timmins Chance, of the Glass Works, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROUGHING OR PREPARING THE SURFACES OF GLASS."
-A communication.
Sealed the 4th August 1854, and dated the 1st June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Timmins Chance
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st June 1854.
I, JAMES TIMMINS CHANCE, of the Glass Works, near Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROUGHING OR PREPARING THE SURFACES OF
GLASS" to be as follows:-
Heretofore in roughing or preparing surfaces of glass it has been usual in
some cases to place pebbles and sand or emery on the surface to be prepared,
and then by machinery to cause the sheet of glass to incline first to one side
and then to the other, so that the pebbles or other bodies may by their own
gravity move on, and in this manner roughen the surface of the glass. Now,
in place of causing the pebbles or other bodies to move by their own gravity,
by alternately inclining the glass, I so arrange the machinery that the plate is
kept as nearly horizontal as may be, and it is the movement of the plate in a

page_text: horizontal plane which gives motion to the pebbles; in this manner the process
is conducted with less breakage, and also with greater efficiency, than was
formerly the case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Timmins Chance in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TIMMINS CHANCE, of the Glass Works, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Timmins Chance, Her special licence that I, the said James
Timmins Chance, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Timmins Chance, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ROUGHING OR PREPARING THE SURFACES OF GLASS,"
communicated to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Timmins Chance, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 James Timmins Chance, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly-described-and-ascertained-in-and-by-the
following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
Heretofore in roughing or preparing surfaces of glass, it has been usual in
some cases to place pebbles and sand or emery on the surface to be prepared,
and then by machinery to cause the sheet of glass to incline first to one side and
then to the other, so that the pebbles or other bodies may by their own gravity

page_text: move upon, and in this manner roughen, the surface of the glass. Now, in
place of causing the pebbles or other bodies to move by their own gravity, by
alternately inclining the glass, I so arrange the machinery that the plate is
kept as nearly horizontal as may be, and it is the movement of the plate in a
horizontal plane which gives motion to the pebbles; in this manner the process
is conducted with less breakage, and also with greater efficiency, than was
formerly the case.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a trough or shallow tray suspended by
four rods, which it is believed is the best mode of carrying the trough or tray,
so that it may be moved in as nearly as may be a horizontal plane, but it will
be evident to mechanics that the trough or tray may be otherwise supported;
and Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 a section, of the same trough or
tray, and of the means which are preferred to be used in giving motion
thereto. a is the shallow trough or tray, the bottom of which is covered with
"moleskin," or other suitable fabric, and the sheets or plates of glass are to
be placed thereon; b, b, are the suspending rods. The pebbles and other
bodies, with water, are to be placed in the trough or tray, so as to move over
the surface of the glass. c is a shaft, receiving motion from a steam engine or
other power. This shaft c gives motion to the upright crank axis d. The
crank c on the axis d gives motion to the trough or tray a, which is the means
I prefer for giving motion in a horizontal plane, or nearly so, to the trough and
glass, but it will be evident to a mechanic that in place of a crank other
apparatus may be employed. The effect of thus giving motion to the trough
or tray, and consequently to the glass on the bottom thereof, is, that the trough
or tray and the glass thereon will be constantly changing the direction of
movement, whilst the pebbles and other substances on the surface of the glass,
being free, will not have their directions of motions changed to a like, extent,
but will continue their motion for a time in the direction in which they have
been moving after the glass has been caused to change the direction of its
movement, by which means the pebbles and substances used will more effectually
rub and roughen the surfaces of the glass than when like substances have been
used on glass in a trough or tray which has been caused alternately to tilt or
incline first to one side and then to another, whereby the pebbles and sub-
stances simply move down the inclined glass by their gravity. In the machine

page_text: used by me, the trough is ten feet long and five feet wide, but is generally
divided internally into shorter lengths, and the axis d is caused to rotate
twenty-six times per minute; but this may be varied.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim any
of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details; but what I claim
is, the combining apparatus in such manner that glass may be caused to move
in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, and be thereby subjected to the
action of pebbles or other substances, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Timmins Chance, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. F. LEDSAM,
Chad Hill,
Birmingham.
JAMES T. CHANCE. (L.S.)