IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRU- MENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS FINGER PLATES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, AND IN KILNS FOR ANNEALING ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eliezer Edwards, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRU-
MENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS FINGER
PLATES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, AND IN KILNS FOR ANNEALING
ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS."
Sealed the 29th December 1868, and dated the 7th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eliezer Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
July 1868.
I, ELIEZER EDWARDS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS FINGER
PLATES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, AND IN. KILNS FOR ANNEALING
ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS," to be as follows:-
. In the manufacture of articles of glass it is customary, when they are made
by the process of pressing, to subject them after removal from the mould to
the process called fire polishing. This process consists in exposing them to a
strong heat so as to produce a softening or partial fusion of the surface, which

page_text: treatment destroys the corrugated character of the surface left by the mould.
In the case of finger plates and other articles which are flat, or nearly flat on
one side, it is scarcely possible to effect the fire-polishing without bending or
warping of the articles, when the said fire polishing is effected in the ordinary
manner.
My Invention consists, firstly, in the following improvements in instruments
or apparatus for holding finger plates and other articles made of glass during
fire polishing. I support the article to be fire polished on a flat plate, which
plate is connected to a rod to which it is jointed, so as to be capable of turning
in a horizontal plane. By this arrangement the articles can be turned during
the polishing, so as to equalize the effect of the heat. When the holder is
constructed especially for finger plates, I make a rim on three sides of the
supporting plate, which rim limits the action of the heat to the upper surface
of the article.
to 1
My Invention consists, secondly, of the following improvements in kilns for
annealing articles made of glass. This part of my Invention is especially
applicable to the annealing of finger plates and other glass articles, which are
nearly flat, but is also applicable to the annealing of glass generally. "I make
the kiln in the form of an arch, having a fire on two opposite sides. At the
back of the kiln is a series of horizontal shelves made by preference of fire-clay,
and made flat by grinding face to face, or otherwise? The articles to be
annealed are placed upon the said shelves. The front of the kiln has a large
door, having in it a series of smaller doors situated opposite to the shelves
respectively. The said small doors permit of the introduction of the articles
into the kiln without the opening of the large door. The heated air and
products of combustion pass from the kiln by a flue opening into the summit
of the arch, or by a flue or flues at the back of the shelves. When the fires
are first lighted, the draught is directed by dampers over the shelves; but when
the said shelves have attained the requisite temperature, the draught is directed
by dampers: through the flue at the top of the arch, the temperature of the
shelves being maintained principally by radiation from the fires: When the
shelves are filled with articles to be annealed; the doors are closed and the flues
are stoppedaz The fire gradually. exhausts itself, and the articles cool slowly
and are thus annealed.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Eliezer Edwards in the Great. Seal Patent Office on the
5th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIEZER
EDWARDS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our. Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Eliezer Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said Eliezer
Edwards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Eliezer Edwards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
timo 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
INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS FINGER
PLATES AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, AND IN KILNS FOR ANNEALING
ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said.
Eliezer Edwards, my, executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Eliezer Edwards, do hereby declar
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:-.
In the manufacture of articles of glass it is customary when they.are made.
by the process of pressing, to subject them, after removal from the mould, to
the process called fire polishing. This process consists in exposing them to a
strong heat so as to produce a softening or partial fusion of the surface, which.
treatment destroys the corrugated character of the surface left by the mould.
In the case of finger plates and other articles, which are flat or nearly flat on
one side, it is scarcely possible to effect the fire polishing without the bending or

page_text: warping of the articles when the said fire polishing is effected in the ordinary
manner.
My Invention consists, firstly, in the following improvements in instruments
or apparatus for holding finger plates and other articles made of glass during
fire polishing. I support the article to be fire polished on a flat plate, which
plate is connected to a rod to which it is jointed, so as to be capable of turning
in a horizontal plane. By this arrangement the articles can be turned during
the polishing so as to equalize the effect of the heat. As the article is
supported on all parts of its under side during the process of fire polishing it
is prevented from warping. When the holder is constructed especially for
finger plates, I make a rim on three sides of the supporting plate, which rim
limits the action of the heat to the upper surface of the article.
My Invention consists, secondly, of the following improvements in kilns for
annealing articles made of glass. This part of my Invention is especially
applicable to the annealing of finger plates and other glass articles which are
nearly flat, but is also applicable to the annealing of glass generally; I make
the kiln in the form of an arch, having a fire on two opposite sides; at the
back of the kiln is a series of horizontal shelves made, by preference, of fire
clay, and made flat by grinding face to face or otherwise. The articles to be
annealed are placed upon the said shelves. The front of the kiln has a large
door having in it a series of smaller doors situated opposite to the shelves
respectively. The said small doors permit of the introduction of the articles
into the kiln without the opening of the large door. The heated air and pro-
ducts of combustion pass from the kiln by a flue opening into the summit of
the arch or by a flue or flues at the back of the shelves. When the fires
are first lighted the draught is directed by dampers over the shelves, but
when the said shelves have attained the requisite temperature the draught is
directed by dampers through the flue at the top of the arch, the temperature
of the shelves being maintained principally by radiation from the fires. When
the shelves are filled with articles to be annealed the doors are closed and the
flues are stopped. The fire gradually exhausts itself and the articles cool
slowly and are thus annealed.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent my improvements in instruments or appa-
ratus for holding or supporting glass finger plates, and other articles made of
glass, during the fire polishing of the said articles.

page_text: When the instru-
Figure 1 represents a plan of the upper side of the instrument or apparatus;
Figure 2, a plan of the under side of the same; and Figure 3, a section of the
same. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3. a is a
plate supported on the rod 6, the said plate a being jointed to the said rod 6 at c.
The junction of the plate a and rod b at c is effected by a screw and nut, as
will be understood by an examination of the Drawing. The plate a is capable
of turning upon c as a centre. The dotted lines in Figure 1 indicate the
position of the plate a when it is turned a quarter round. In order the more
firmly to support the plate a by the rod b, I prefer to make the end of the rod
near the joint c cruciform as indicated at d in Figure 2.
ment or holder is constructed specially for finger plates, I make a rim all
round the plate a excepting at one end. This rim is represented at e. The
said rim e serves to limit the action of the heat to the upper surface of the
finger plate, and also acts as a guide in placing the finger plate upon the plate
a of the holder. In using the instrument or apparatus the finger plate or
other article is placed upon the plate a, and the said plate a and article upon
it are introduced into the furnace or "glory hole," where it is to be fire
polished, and after a time it is withdrawn and the plate a turned either wholly
or partially round on the centre c. It is again introduced into the furnace or
66 glory hole," and the fire polishing completed. By the turning of the plate a
as described the effect of the heat on the article under treatment is equalized,
and by being supported on the plate a the article is prevented from warping.
Although I prefer to make the supporting plate capable of rotation upon the
rod or handle, as described and represented in the Drawing, yet the said plate
may be made incapable of rotation. In this case the plate may be per-
manently fixed to the rod or handle by a screw and nut; or the plate may be
loose upon the rod or handle, the back of the plate being provided with a
staple at either end through which a moveable rod is passed to support the
said plate; or the plate may be supported by and connected to the rod or
handle in any other convenient way.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent a kiln for annealing articles made of
glass constructed according to my Invention, Figure 4 being a front eleva-
tion, Figure 5 a vertical transverse section, Figure 6 a vertical longitudinal
section, and Figure 7 a horizontal section. The same letters indicate the
same parts in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. The kiln consists principally of an
arch f, having fire-places 9, 9, on either side; h, h, are horizontal fire-clay
shelves in the arch f. The space between each of the shelves h, h, opens at
front into the chamber i, into which the fires from the. fire-places 9 converge,

page_text: and each of the spaces between the said shelves h, h, communicates at back
by a passage with a flue .. The chamber i is provided with a flue m,
having a damper n. The front of the kiln is closed by a large door o, in
which are a series of smaller doors p.. By opening the large door o access is
gained to the whole of the shelves h, and also to the fire-grates 9, 9, and by
opening any one of the small doors p access may be gained to that shelf h of
the kiln immediately opposite to the door opened, and. articles may be
introduced into the kiln and placed on the shelf exposed without opening the
large door o. Each of the small doors p is closed by an ordinary latch, and
the large door is closed by means of two ordinary latches, as will be under-
stood by an examination of Figure 4. When it is wished to close securely
both the large, and all the small doors a cruciform bar 9 (see Figure 4) turning
on a joints on the front of the kiln is turned upon the doors in the manner
represented. A stapler fixed on the door o, between two of the doors p,
passes through a slot in the bar q, and by means of a padlock t locked upon
the stapler the whole of the doors are securely fastened. In using the kiln
fires are lighted on the grates 9, 9, and the damper n' and the several doors
are closed. The fire and heated air pass over the shelves through the
passages into the flue 7. When the kiln and shelves have acquired the
requisite temperature the damper n is opened, and the draft over the shelves
h is prevented either by a damper in the upper part of the flue 1, or by means
of fire-clay stoppers on the shelves h which may be pushed by means of a rod
in front of the passages k. The shelves are filled with the articles to be
annealed, the temperature of the said shelves being sufficiently maintained by
radiation and convection from the fires in the chamber i. When the shelves
are filled with the articles to be annealed the several doors are closed and
the damper n shut. The fire gradually exhausts itself, and the kiln and
articles on the shelves h, h, slowly cool, and the said articles are thereby
annealed.
'
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention.
But I claim as my Invention, firstly, the improvements in instruments or
apparatus for holding or supporting glass finger plates, and other glass articles
during fire polishing herein-before.described and represented in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the part on which

page_text: the article is supported in the form of a flat plate, which may or may not be
capable of rotating in a horizontal plane upon the handle, and forming a rim
upon the said part substantially as herein described.
Secondly, arranging or combining the parts of kilns for annealing articles
made of glass substantially in the manner herein-before described and repre-
sented in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eliezer Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
HENRY SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
ELIEZER EDWARDS. (L.S.)