-Machine for, and Method of, Rolling Wired Glass.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
-Machine for, and Method of, Rolling Wired Glass.
I, EDWARD WALSH, JUNIOR, a Citizen of the United States, residing at 4100,
North Main Street, St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America,
President of the Missippi Glass Company, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved machine:
Figure 2 is a top plan view;
Figure 3 is an end view, partly in section;
Figures 4 and 5 are detailed views of corrugated rolls; and include also
additional sections of the wired glass, and
Figure 6 is a side-elevational view of my improved machine, adapted for use
in rolling plain plate glass.
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in machines for rolling
wired plate glass-that is, a machine which imbeds in a rolled plate of glass a
wire mesh for the purpose of strengthening the glass. A feature of the invention
relates to an improved machine for rolling wired glass comprising means for
positively feeding the glass during the operation of rolling. Another feature
resides in the method of treating the wire mesh before it is imbedded, and the
method of imbedding the sanie. Other features of invention reside in the
peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts com-
prising my invention, all as will hereinafter be described and afterwards pointed
out in the claims.
In the drawings, A indicates the main frame which is preferably open at its
top and bottom, said frame being recessed at the lower edges of its end wall to
receive bearing boxes a, in which is journaled the shaft B¹ of the main or finish-
ing roller B.
Mounted on the shaft 13 of roller B, preferably within the walls of the frame A,
are two driving gears C, which engage with suitable racks D at the sides of
the glass-rolling table, as is common.
At the top of the end walls of frame A. are preferably mounted bearing boxes a¹,
in which is journaled a shaft E extending across the machine. Pinions F, on
shaft E, engage with roller C, and drive the same. Collars are strung on the
shaft E to prevent longitudinal movement of the same.
On one
G indicates standards or risers mounted upon the ends of frame A, at the
upper ends of which are formed bearing boxes, in which is journaled a shaft H,
forming the armature shaft of a motor I, mounted upon the frame A.
end of the armature shaft H, is a pinion J, which meshes with the spur-wheel K
mounted upon the end of shaft E. If desired, the opposite ends of shafts H
and E can, also, he provided with pinion and spurs J and K, respectively.
Located at some convenient point on the frame A, is a controller L which may
be in the form of a rheostat, or other suitable controlling device, and, in the

page_text: length of the main line to the motor, a switch M is introduced to change the
polarity of the field- or armature-coils, as the case may be, which thereby reverses
the direction of movement of the carriage.
'
The motor designated by the letter I is preferably an electric motor of low speed,
and the switch M is for controlling the direction of movement of the carriage in
either direction. It is obvious, however, that other forms of motors can be
employed and the direction of movement as imparted by said motor may be
changed by a reversing gearing, sliding coupling or clutch, or other convenient
form of common knowledge.
Bolted to the frame A, is an extension of the carriage in the form of a frame N,
in which is journaled in suitable bearings, rollers and P, the former of which O
being corrugated, as shown in Figures and 5, for the purpose of imbedding into
the plate of glass initially rolled by roller P a wire mesh X, the corrugations of
said roller. O forcing the wire mesh into the body of the plate of plastic glass.
The ends of roller are preferably formed plain, which plain surfaces act as
treads to bear upon guide rails Q on the glass rolling table. The treads of roller O
are of less diameter than the crown of the corrugations, and the diameter of the
treads relative to the corrugations determines the depth to which the wire mesh
will be imbedded in the semi-molten glass, to make a thin or a thick sheet, as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.
The upper face of the frame N forms a table upon which the wire mesh is
introduced previous to its being imbedded in the glass. Bearing upon this table,
are lazy rollers R and R', 'which are loosely mounted in slots in bearings pro-
jecting up from the table. The object of these lazy rollers is to hold the wire mesh
taut while it is being fed on the initially rolled plate of glass, at the same time
keeping said mesh straight.
On the axles of roller P are loosely mounted links S the outer ends of which are
slotted to receive bearing boxes v which are normally forced inwardly by springs .
Journaled in the boxes v is a feed roller V for the wire mesh, which is yieldingly
held in contact with the face of roller P, between which rollers V and P the
wire mesh is fed to the glass and is forced under roller P by the advance movement
of the machine. Roller V is driven by gear wheels W and W', 'the former of
which is fixedly mounted on the axle of roller P, and the latter mounted upon
axle of roller V. This feeding mechanism for the wire mesh is held in an upright
position by any suitable means, but preferably by a chain S₁, which may be
removed or adjusted by introducing or removing a link to regulate the position
of roller V relative to roller P.
The operation of the machine as above described is as follows:
The wire mesh, in being prepared to be imbedded in the plate of glass, is initially
cleaned of adhering foreign particles, such as moisture, rust, etc., by being passed
under a rapidly revolving brush, or it may be dipped in acid or oil and dried.
This wire mesh is previously cut to the dimensions it is desired to make the
sheet of wired glass, which obviates the necessity of sawing the glass after it is
rolled. Assuming now that the machine is on a suitable table, and the wire-mesh
prepared as above described, the ladle full of semi-molten glass is placed in front
of the roller P, and, if desired, within the walls of a suitable gun.
The wire mesh is placed on table N beneath the rollers R and R', and between
rollers P and V. Controller M is now operated so as to start the machine, and
as the same advances, the wire mesh will be fed down and hugging the roller P
(the semi-molten glass being banked in front thereof will force it in its proper
position) will be carried thereunder, and come out at the back of said roller, on
top of the initially rolled plate of glass. The wire mesh will remain on top of
this initially rolled plate of glass, expanding, and having all adhering foreign
particles burned off, preparatory to being imbedded by corrugated roller O. The
corrugated roller O, now imbeds the mesh and the finishing roller B, which is a very
heavy roller, and greater in dimension than either of the rollers and P, brings
up the rear, finally rolling the semi-molten glass so as to mash down those portions

page_text: of the plate which protruded through the meshes of the wire, as shown by the
small views beneath Figures 4 and 5. After the plate has been rolled, con-
troller M cuts out the current and causes the machine to come to a stand-still.
Switch L can now be operated so as to reverse the direction of travel of the
carriage when the current can be again admitted and the machine returned to its
first position, ready for another operation.
The above-described machine is especially designed for use in making wired
glass; but, for purposes of economy in the operation of a glass-plant, it is desirable
that the machines be constantly in use. In order to adapt the propelling power
on frame A for other purposes than rolling wired glass, I detach the frame N,
as shown in Figure 6, to carry the same off on a suitable truck or other device T
to some point where it will be out of the way. On the frame A, I then mount
brackets U, which carry trundle rollers to support the frame in an upright
position. The carriage now consists of the roller B, propelling motor, means for
controlling the propelling motor, and means for reversing the direction of travel
of the carriage, whereby the carriage can be utilized to roll a plain or configured
unwired plate of glass thus saving the wear of carriage N and rollers O and P.
The advantages of feeding the wire mesh under advance roller P, are that,
when the wire mesh comes in contact with the semi-molten glass, it is heated and
expanded, and while in this condition, is partially imbedded in the hot and un-
chilled glass. While thus partially imbedded and before roller O acts upon it,
all foreign particles remaining after the mesh is first cleaned, are burned off,
so that when the mesh is entirely imbedded there are no bubbles or flaws in the
plate of glass due to the formation and expansion of the gases of combustion
under the surface of the plate.
It will be noted that by so partially imbedding the mesh in the hot glass, not
only will the gases of combustion pass off, but the glass immediately beneath the
lines of the mesh, having been protected from chilling, will readily receive the
mesh, and in this manner the objection of forcing the wire mesh through a chilled.
surface (as has heretofore been the practice, and which is unsatisfactory, as so
many bad sheets result), is overcome.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a glass rolling machine, the combination with a table, of a plain roller
mounted in one end thereof, a corrugated roller mounted in the other end of said
table, means for feeding a wire mesh from said table, and a lazy roller which is
mounted so as to bear upon said wire mesh while it is being fed, substantially
as described.
2. In a glass rolling machine, the combination with a table, of rollers mounted
therein for imbedding a wire mesh into a plate of rolled glass, and a feeding device
on the table for positively feeding the wire mesh to the rollers, substantially as
described.
3. In a glass rolling machine, the combination with a carriage table, of rollers
mounted therein for imbedding a wire mesh into a plate of glass while it is
being rolled, and a feeding device which is driven by the movement of the carriage,
for positively feeding the wire mesh to the molten glass by the action of the
rollers, substantially as described.
4. The method of forming wired plate glass consisting in subjecting the wire
and a body of heated glass to compression, to level the glass and expand the wire,
forcibly imbedding the wire into the glass, and finally levelling and finishing the
plate by subjecting the same to pressure, substantially as described.
5. In a glass rolling machine, the combination with a carriage, of two levelling
rolls connected therewith, an interposed imbedding roll, and a wire feeding device
on the carriage in advance of the forward roll for positively feeding the wire to
the molten glass, substantially as described.

page_text: 6., In a machine for making wired plate-glass, the combination with a carriage,
of two levelling rolls connected therewith, a wire feeding device on the carriage,
and means for positively driving the feeding device, substantially as described.
7. The method of forming wired glass consisting in first forcibly imbedding
the wire in the rolled surface of a heated body of glass permitting the wire to
remain in the surface until it is properly expanded and cleansed, imbedding the
wire into the body of the glass to a point below the surface thereof, and finally
applying pressure to the upper surface of the glass, substantially as described.
8. In a glass rolling machine, the combination with the carriage, of levelling
rolls, an intermediate imbedding roll, and means for positively feeding wire onto
the glass in advance of the forward levelling roll, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of September 1898.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.