IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE ANNEALING OF GLASS AND THE FIRING OF POTTERY WARE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas, Webb, of the Platts Glass Works, Stour-
bridge, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
APPLICABLE TO THE ANNEALING OF GLASS AND THE FIRING OF POTTERY
WARE
Sealed the 2nd June 1854, and dated the 19th January, 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Webb at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
January 1854.
.I, THOMAS WEBB, of the Platts Glass Works, Stourbridge, Glass Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE ANNEALING OF GLASS, AND THE FIRING OF POTTERY
WARE," to be as follows:
The chief object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of annealing
articles of glass, and prevent the loss by. breakage, which is apparently unavoidable
in annealing by the ordinary process. The lear or kiln is at present fed with
glass by means of trays or carriages, which traverse a railway extending from
one end of the lear to the other, and on arriving at the end of their course
are taken out, and carried back (with a fresh charge of glass) to the front end
of the lear. In carrying out my Invention I construct a lear or kiln in the
following manner :-I provide an annular table, which is enclosed in an annular
chamber, and is supported on bearings similar to a turn-table. The chamber
is divided above the level of the table by a cross wall at the part where the

page_text: fire-place is situated, whereby the flame and heated gases are caused to cir-
culate in one direction only along the chamber.
An opening is made in the side wall of the lear in advance of the fire, for
the purpose of admitting the articles to be annealed, and several openings are
made through the side wall in the rear of the fire-place, for the purpose of
withdrawing the articles when annealed. When the gases of combustion
have made a half circuit of the chamber, they enter a lateral flue, and are
passed off to the chimney; the other half, therefore, of the circular chamber,
is heated merely by radiation, and its temperature is therefore graduated, the
part nearest the flue being the hottest, and the part most remote therefrom
the coldest. A slow rotary motion is given to the table on which the articles
to be annealed are placed, and in about twelve hours, when light articles are
under operation, the circuit may be completed. The articles are removed as
they approach the discharge openings, and the vacant space on the table is
refilled, as soon as it is presented to the charging opening.
If thought desirable, the lear which anneals light goods may surround a
kiln which is used for operation on heavier goods; and a partition wall being.
between the two, in this case the same fire-place may be extended across
the two annealing chambers. This arrangement of apparatus I propose to
employ for firing porcelain and other pottery ware.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Webb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WEBB, of the Platts Glass Works, Stourbridge, Glass Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Nineteenth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Webb, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Webb,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Webb, my executors, adiñiors, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLICABLE

page_text: TO THE ANNEALING OF GLASS AND THE FIRING OF POTTERY WARE," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Webb, 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 Thomas Webb, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed; and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The chief object of this Invention is to facilitate the operations of annealing
articles of glass and firing pottery ware, and to prevent the loss by breakage,
which is apparently unavoidable in carrying on these processes in the ordinary
manner. The apparatus may also be employed with advantage for burning
colors into glass which has been already annealed, as well as into pottery
ware generally.
According to the present plan, the lear or kiln is fed with the glass or other
articles by means of trays or carriages, which traverse a railway extending
from one end of the lear to the other, and on arriving at the end of their
course are taken out, and carried back to the front end of the lear, to receive
a fresh charge of glass or pottery. During the operation of charging the
articles are extremely liable to breakage, from being deposited on cold trays or
carriages, and from being upset by the jolting of the carriage, and when this
is the case they are almost invariably damaged.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the lear or kiln in a circular or
annular form. I provide an annular table or tables, which I enclose in an
annular chamber, and support on bearings similar to a turn-table. The
chamber is divided above the level of the table by a cross wall at the part
where the fire-place is situated, for the purpose of directing the course of the
flame and heated gases in one direction only round the chamber.
An opening is made in the side wall of the lear in advance of the fire for
the purpose of placing the articles to be annealed on the annular table, and
several openings are made through the side wall in the rear of the fire-place
for the purpose of withdrawing the articles when they have been sufficiently
annealed or fired. When the gases of combustion have made a half circuit
of the chamber, they will meet with and enter a lateral flue, and will thus pass
off to the chimney. The other half of the circular chamber is heated merely

page_text: by radiation, and its temperature will therefore gradually decrease, the part
nearest the flue being the hottest, and the part most remote therefrom the
coolest. A slow rotary motion is,. by-ineans of a rack and pinion or other
suitable mechanical contrivance, given to the table on which the articles to-be
annealed or fired are placed; and when light articles are under operation, the
circuit may be completed and the articles finished in about twelve hours.
The time, however, depends upon the nature and size of the articles t be
operated upon.
"
The articles are removed as they approach the discharge openings, and the
vacant space on the table can then be refilled as soon as it is presented to the
charging opening. If thought desirable, the lear which anneals light goods
may be made to surround a kiln which is used for operating on licavier goods.
In this, case the same fire-place may be extended across the two annealing
chambers, or be so placed on one side that the heat therefrom may pass into
both chambers. This arrangement of apparatus I propose to employ for firing
porcelain and other pottery ware.
:
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I have shown in the
accompanying Drawing various views of the arrangement I propose for carry-
ing out my improvements...
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of my improved annular lear or annealing
kiln. a, a, a, a, are the side walls; b is the fire-place which extends across
the annular chamber; c is. the fire-door; and d, the back wall of the fire-place,
the flame from which passes along the chamber in the direction of the arrow.
The articles to be annealed are introduced through the opening 'e, and are
placed upon the travelling table f. f. f, f, which consists simply of an annul a
metal plate with flanges at its sides, and mounted on wheels which run on
rails below, or it may run upon anti-friction rollers. As this table is moved
slowly round, the heat from the fire will act upon the articles on the table, and
anneal thein; and when by the motion of the table they are brought opposite
cither of the apertures g, 9, g, they may be removed from the lear or kiln.
Several apertures g, g, are provided, as some articles require to be removed from
the lear sooner than others.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of part of a lear, in which, in order to obtain a
larger fire-place than in the former instance, the fire is placed at the side
instead of across the annular chamber. "
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of a modification of that shewn in Fig. 1,
two chambers being employed in combination. One may serve for small
articles, and the other for heavier or larger articles, or for firing pottery ware."
It will be seen that in this instance the fire-place or furnace extends across

page_text: the two chambers, and that an opening e* is made in the central wall, for the
purpose of obtaining access to the inner chamber. Fig. 4 is a transverse
vertical section of this part of the apparatus taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 3,
shewing the travelling tables f, f*, mounted on rails i, i, and passing, as in the
former instance. under the fire-bars. This table is provided on its under side
with a circular rack, and is driven by means of a pinion j, which gears into
the rack, and is actuated by a crank or winch handle k. Motion is commu-
nicated in a similar manner to the inner table f*, by means of an intermediate
shaft and pinion shewn by dots in Fig. 4.
The heated air and gases, after passing round to the other side of the
annular chambers, ascend through openings in the roof into a horizontal flue
1, 1, which conveys them away to the stack or chimney m. The flue 7 is pro-
vided with a damper or regulator n, for the purpose of regulating the draft
through the chambers. If it be considered desirable, a side fire-place may
be used, or one in combination with a transverse fire-place, as shewn by dots
at o in Fig. 1.
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus applicable to
the Annealing of Glass and the Firing of Pottery Ware," I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, constructing.
and fitting lears or kilns in the manner and for the purposes above set forth.
And particularly I claim, the use of an annular travelling table, or its equiva-
lent, for submitting the articles to be operated upon to the heat of the
annealing chamber, and ultimately bringing them opposite the discharging
apertures.
I also claim the combination of two concentric annular chambers, which
may be heated by one and the same fire, as shewn and described. I
further claim the method shewn and described of actuating the table upon
which the articles to be annealed or fired are placed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Webb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS WEBB. (L.S.)