IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, COMMONLY CALLED MELTING FURNACES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MELTING POTS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Webb, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, COMMONLY
CALLED MELTING FURNACES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MELTING POTS FOR
THE SAME."
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 30th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas George Webb
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th March 1869.
I, THOMAS GEORGE WEBB, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Glass Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, COMMONLY
CALLED MELTING FURNACES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MELTING POTS FOR THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
In constructing melting furnaces, I propose to use circular or radial
fire-bars, either with or without a central pillar, and to introduce air to
[Price 8d.

page_text: the fuel through the medium of a central pipe, which by being raised
or lowered, or by being provided with valves, may cause the air to pass
generally through the fire-bars, or simply through the central portion
thereof.
I also propose to fire the furnace from the upper part, for which
purpose I form an aperture in the arch through which the fuel is
passed, there being a sliding stopper to open or shut the said aperture.
The fuel propose to convey by an overhead railway, from which the
above-mentioned stopper is also suspended.
I
In the manufacture of melting pots I form the vertical portion
thereof in the usual manner and then adapt a frame constituting a centre
upon which 1 build the arch. The aperture for the mouth is then
formed, and through this 1 separate the centre into detached parts and
withdraw them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent,
filed by the said Thomas George Webb in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, THOMAS
GEORGE WEBB, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Glass
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, er heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas George Webb, Her special license,
that I, the said Thomas George Webb, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas George Webb, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS, COMMONLY CALLED MELTING FURNACES,
AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MELTING POTS FOR THE SAME," upon the cou-
pition, amongst others, that I, the said Thomas George Webb, by an

page_text: 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 Seul Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1. the said Thomas George Webb, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
nanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, and accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My improvements in melting furnaces are shewn in the vertical
section, Fig. 1, in which a represents the arch, and the stage upon
which the melting pots are placed, one of which is shewn at c; at d arc
the fire-bars which may be radial if desired. Ate is the walking stage,
capable of being opened or closed by a door f, and at y is an air trunk
which may be regulated by a damper h. An extension of the walking
stage and a wall i support a slab j, on which is placed a plate k, which
in its turn supports a plate provided with a circular opening m, on
which is placed a pipe n, n*, the latter portion fitting loosely on to the
former. For the purpose of this part of my Invention the fuel may be
supposed to be fed to the furnace in any usual mauner, and according
to the positions of the parts shewn the air admitted through the trunk y
will pass through the pipe n, n, and be caused to act in the central
part of the furuace, but suppose the portion * of the said pipe to be
removed, then upon leaving the part it will extend around and pass
through the general surface of the fire-bars, or the same effects may be
produced by raising or lowering the pipe, or by providing it with valves.
The flues are shewn at communicating with the furnace by any ordinary
arrangements. The object in placing the pipe upon the extra plate
is that the said plate may be removed as to gain an opening
sufficiently large for enabling the attendant to clear out the air trunk g.
If it be found desirable to cause the air to pass higher into the furnace
a central pillar may be adapted as shewn by the dotted lines 8**.
SO
The next part of my Invention is also shewn at Fig. 1. At p is one
of a pair of rails supported by the side walls and upon which is placed
a truck which may be drawn to an outside platform or thrust into the
position shewn by any convenient means. This trunck is provided with
two shutters s, t, opening upon hiuges downward and confined at certain

page_text: times in their transverse positions by triggers u, c. The bottom
shutters is double, that is, it parts in the middle, and its trigger is
therefore formed with two prongs. Attached to the rails p is a shute 1,
and carried by the said rails is also a trough, within which is a fire-
clay stopper y capable of opening or closing an aperture in the arch a.
The stopper is formed by a lump of fire-clay surrounded by an iron
belt, which is provided with a handle 2 extending without the wall q.
The truck having been filled on the outside platform with fuel and in
two compartments constituted by the shutters s, t, is pushed forward into
the position shewn, and when a charge of fuel is to be delivered to the
furnace the handle 2 is drawn forward so as to move the stopper y from
the aperture 2.
After this the trigger u is drawn so as to allow the
double shutters to open and the fuel contained in the
ment falls through the shute into the furnace. After this the
trigger v is withdrawn when a further feed is found necessary, and the
truck is drawn back to be again supplied, but after each charge
supplied to the furnace, the stopper y is slidden forwards so as to cover
the aperture 3. A reserve of trucks sufficient for a day's supply or for
any other period may be kept filled with fuel in readiness. The object
of the trough is to collect any small particles of fuel which may
be dispersed when a charge falls through the shute w.
lower compart-
The next part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of melting
pots, and is illustrated at Figs. 2 and 3. At 6 is a frame which carries
a rod 7 by means of a nut 8, and at 9 is a circular boss on the said
rod, its upper surface corresponding to the crown of the intended melting
pot. The rod 7 extends below this boss and at its lower end is provided
with separate arms 10, 10%, whose outer extremities carry a circular
flange 11, formed in segments and corresponding to the diameter of the
pot. On commencing operations the vertical portions 12 and the
bottom of the pot are formed in the usual manner, after which curved
gores 13 are applied, their bottom ends resting upon the ring 11 and
the upper ends against the boss 9, as shewn in one division of
Fig. 3, they thus constitute a circular centre, as it may be called,
and upon this the clay is moulded so as to join the vertical part 12
and constitute a perfect dome. When this has
mouth 14 shewn by dots is formed as usual and the clay having become
sufficiently set the nut 8 is loosened, and the rod 7 together with the
parts it carries falls to a lower position, and the workınan by introducing
been done the

page_text: his hand through the mouth 14 removes the gores 13 one after another,
then by removing the attachments by which the segments 11 are
secured to the arms 10, 10°, those segments may in like manner be
removed, after which the unscrewing of the nut 15 leaves the
arms 10, 10%, at liberty to be withdrawn, and a removal of the nut 16
liberates the boss 9, so that it may be taken through the month 14, and
finally the bare rod 7 is withdrawn upward leaving a small hole which
is then plugged up with clay.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim as secured to me under the above-recited Letters
Patent and for the purposes above set forth,-
Firstly. The use of a central pipe below the fire-bars to admit air to
to admit the said
the fuel, and arranged and constructed so as
air to the central portion only, or to disperse it over the area of the
fire-bars.
Secondly. As applied to such furnaces as aforesaid feeding them with
fuel through the arches thereof.
Also the use of the overhead railway for supplying the fuel, and of a
sliding or other stopper for closing the aperture through which fuel has
been fed.
In the manufacture of melting pots I claim the use of an internal
and separable frame upon which the arch is built.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas George Webb, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine
THOMAS GEORGE WEBB. (L.S.)