IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF GLASS, AND IN FORMING SHEETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREPROM
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Franklin Stevens, of 17, Henrietta.
Street, Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF GLASS, AND IN
FORMING SHEETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREPROM."-A communication
from abroad by Thaddeus Hyatt, of Atchison, Kansas, United States
of America.
Sealed the 15th February 1870, and dated the 8th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Franklin
Stevens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th December 1869.
1, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STEVENS, of 17, Heurietta Street, Covent
Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF GLASS,
AND IN FORMING SHEETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREFROM," a communication
from abroad by Thaddeus Hyatt, of Atchison, Kansas, United States
of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of straight
or curved plates or sheets of glass, whether plain, corrugated, or other-
Price 8d.1

page_text: wise shaped, suitable for roofing and for other like purposes; also to the
shaping of other glass articles that have hitherto been moulded under
pressure only.
According to one part of this Invention it is proposed to combine
pressure with rolling by the use of a system of pressure rollers whereby
both plain and ornamental glass is produced either in the form of curved
or straight sheets or blocks, which may be plain, corrugated, fluted, or
otherwise shaped or ornamented on their surface or surfaces. Glass
roofs of great beauty and strength can be produced from corrugated
sheets of glass, as these sheets are capable of being curved in one or
both directions at the time of making the sheet or plate, that is to say,
both in length, which gives an arched form, and in width, which pro-
duces a partial spherical form. These results are obtained in the
manufacture of the glass sheets, which this method instead of being
cast upon flat tables, as is the case with plate glass, is cast between
pressure rollers, or between a pressure roller and a flat or curved
travelling pressure mould bed, which is nipped between the pressure
roller on one side and a series of antifriction supporting rollers on the
other side. The form of the glass is produced by the faces of the two
pressure rollers only when the mould bed is not used, but when this is
used the form of the glass is determined by the formation of the face
of this bed and the face of the pressure roller which presses the glass
against it.
The rollers above referred to operate not only as pressure rollers, but
also as cutting rollers, so that in making glasses for vault lights,
floor lights, and similar purposes these glasses are not only shaped
and pressed but are also cut from the "metal" by the action of the
rollers themselves. This is effected by having projecting ribs on the
roller or bed or both working in concert, such ribs constituting the raised
divisions on the face of the roller or in the bed between the counter-
sinks or matrices, which give shape to the glasses. In lieu of using
two rollers or one roller and a moveable table a mould may be used
which is passed between a pair of rollers in order to give the requisite
pressure to the glass contained therein. This mould is made to open
and shut, and contains or encloses the whole of the metal to be operated
upon.
If desired corrugated sheets of glass may be produced by the
use of a travelling roller and fixed table, the roller and table having
corrugations to match each other. Cruet-stoppers, glass plates, saucers,

page_text: and various other forms of glass articles may be made by this system of
combined rolling and pressure.
This Invention also relates to the manufacture of curved plates or
sheets in one operation by the use of curved bed plates and curved
rollers of the coutour required; or in place of such curved plates and
rollers by an arrangement of guide pieces or guide plates by which such
curved sheets of glass might be produced direct from the metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Franklin Stevens in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the Sth June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN STEVENS, of 17, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Benjamin Franklin Stevens, Her special license
that I, the said Benjamin Franklin Stevens, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Franklin Stevens, my executors, administrators, or 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 Mau, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING OF GLASS, AND
IN FORMING SHEETS AND OTHER ARTICLES THEREFROM," a communication from
abroad by Thaddeus Hyatt, of Atchison, Kansas, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin
Franklin Stevens, my executors or administrators, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Franklin Stevens, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of
straight sheets of glass whether corrugated or otherwise formed with
irregular surfaces suitable for roofing and for other like purposes, also to
the manufacture or production of curved sheets of glass whether plain,
corrugated, or otherwise formed with irregular surfaces for roofing
and other like purposes; also to the shaping of other glass articles that
have hitherto been moulded under pressure only.
According to one part of this Invention it is proposed to combine
pressure with rolling by the use of a system of pressure rollers whereby
glass is produced either in the form of curved or straight sheets or blocks,
which curved sheets may be plain, corrugated, fluted, or otherwise shaped
or ornamented on their surface or surfaces. Glass roofs of great beauty
and strength can be produced from corrugated or plain sheets of glass,
I as these sheets are capable of being curved in one or both directions at
the time of making the sheet or plate direct from the metal, the curve
being either lengthwise or breadthwise or both, which latter will give a
partial spherical form. These results, namely, the moulding, curving,
and otherwise shaping of the glass are obtained during the manufacture
of the glass from the "metal" which is effected by passing the "metal"
between a pressure roller and a flat or curved pressure mould bed, which
bed is nipped between the pressure roller on one side and a series of
antifriction supporting rollers on the other side. The form of the glass
is determined by the formation of the face of this bed, and the face of
the pressure roller which presses the glass against it. The rollers above
referred to operate not only as pressure rollers but also as cutting rollers,
so that in making glasses for "vault lights," "floor lights,' and similar
purposes these glasses are not only shaped and pressed but are also cut
or partially cut from the "metal" by the combined action of the rollers
and mould bed themsolves. This is effected by having projecting ribs
on the roller or bed or both working in concert, such ribs in some cases
constituting the raised divisions on the face of the roller or in the bed
between the countersinks or matrices which give shape to the glasses or

page_text: other articles moulded therein. Corrugated sheets of glass may be
produced by the use of a travelling roller and fixed table, or vice versa,
the roller and table having corrugations to match each other. Cruet
stoppers, glass plates, saucers, and various other forms of glass articles
may be made by this system of combined rolling and pressure.
This Invention also relates to the manufacture of curved plates or
sheets in one operation by the use of curved bed plates and curved
rollers of the contour required.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of
one arrangement of machine adopted for producing corrugated glass
sheets by rolling and pressure according to this Invention; Figure 2 is
a corresponding plan of the same; and Figure 3 is a transverse vertical
section taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 1.
A is a cast-iron bed or foundation frame carrying a number of anti-
friction rollers a, a, npon which is placed so as to run freely longi-
tudinally the mould bed or table B. Above this mould bed is fitted
a pressure roller C, which works in bearings D in the brackets E bolted
to the sides of the stationary bed or frame A. In producing corrugated
sheets of glass by rolling and pressure both the mould bed B and
roller C are grooved as shewn in the Drawings. A rack 6 is formed on
the under side of the mould bed into which gears a spur pinion c keyed
on the shaft F which is provided with an actuating winch handle G.
The pressure roller C rests upon the shallow ledges d, d, formed along.or
fitted on to each side of the mould bed, the height of such ledges
regulating the thickness of the rolled sheet.
The glass to be rolled is
poured upon the mould bed in the plastic state known as "metal,"
and the bed is then traversed beneath the roller C by turning the
winch handle G, whereupon the metal will be rolled out or spread over
the surface of the mould bed and will assume whatever form has been
imparted to the roller and bed, or to the roller or bed as found most
suitable in practice. Although I have shewn the roller C as stationary
and the bed B moveable I prefer in most cases to employ a stationary
mould bed and a traversing roller, a rolling motion over the bed being

page_text: imparted to the roller by means of a winch and chain in the usual way,
or by other equivalent mechanism which will readily suggest itself to
the practical man.
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section of a smaller machine of a
somewhat similar construction to the one illustrated by Figures 1, 2,
and 3, adapted for the purpose of shaping small glasses for roof, floor, and
pavement lights intended to be let into iron frames, and Figure 5 is a
corresponding plan of the same.
A is the fixed bed; B is the mould bed which is here shown as having
a number of matrices a formed therein of the required size and shape of
the "lights" to be moulded. The mould bed is supported on the anti-
friction roller carriage b, the rollers of which are grooved to run along
the guide rib or rail e on the fixed bed A; C is the pressing roller
carried in bearings D made adjustable by means of the adjusting screws
d, d. so as to vary the pressure. This roller may either be plain, as
shewn, or it may have the matrices a formed therein, whilst the surface
of the mould bed B may be left plain, or if it be required to mould both
sides of the "lights" or other articles such as bottle stoppers, plates,
saucers, salt cellars, and the like, then one half of the matrices may be
made in the surface of the roller and the other half in the surface of the
mould bed. The raised sides of the matrices are all flush with the edge
of the mould bed B when it is desired to produce detached "lights" or
other like articles, the roller in passing over the edges of the matrices
severing each article from its neighbour by nipping off or compressing to
a very thin web the glass which intervenes between each matrice. The
mould bed when not too heavy may be traversed under the stationary
roller C by means of a simple handle E worked by manual labour, or as
before described the roller may be caused to roll or traverse over the
mould bed whilst the latter remains stationary.
When using large mould beds with matrices thereon it will be
necessary by reason of their great weight to adopt means for removing
the moulded glass from such beds inasmuch as the sheet cannot be slid
from such beds. For this purpose the mould bed may be made in two
parts or leaves hinged to an external frame and meeting when shut down
in the centre, in which position they will form one flat bed or table. In
order to remove the sheet a carrying board is laid upon each and the
leaves are then turned over, the boards being held against them
during such operation so as to receive the glass which is left

page_text: upon the boards when returning the leaves to their horizontal position
again.
When matrices are made both in the bed and the cylinder it will be
necessary to connect the cylinder and bed by a toothed rack and gearing,
or an equivalent mechanical arrangement to insure the two halves of the
matrices coming accurately oppositely to each other.
I propose sometimes according to the nature and condition of the
"metal" employed to use an additional or forward plain roller in order
to spread the metal and prepare it for being moulded and cut cr partially
cut by the moulding roller.
In making small glasses for illuminators a hollow roller may be
employed having its surface perforated or cut through in order that the
glass or metal may rise up through the perforations and assume
somewhat convex surface by the pressure upon its sides.
a
I manufacture according to my Invention curved sheets of glass by
rolling and pressure direct from the "metal as it comes from the
furnace in lieu of making them from sheets of glass as heretofore. This
may be carried out in various ways. For example, a barrel-shaped
roller with a straight bed curved transversely would give a sheet of glass
curved transversely only. A barrel-shaped roller in combination with a
bed which is not only curved transversely but longitudinally also would
produce a sheet of glass curved in both directions suitable for domes.
By using a cylindrical roller in combination with a bed curved
longitudinally only arched sheets of glass may be produced. I prefer,
however, to produce curved sheets of glass by rolling a flat sheet whether
plain, corrugated, or otherwise fashioned on its surface or surfaces, and
then whilst it is still plastic and in its original first heat sliding it off
the mould bed on to a "form" or mould previously heated of the
particular curve or curves required, the soft sheet of glass being pressed
therein or allowed to settle itself into it by its own weight. This
"form" should be composed of a material capable of withstanding the
heat of the annealing oven into which it is placed with the glass upon it
and not liable to adhere to the glass. I have found in practice that
baked clay answers sufficiently well for this purpose. If desired in lieu
of using a separate form the bottom of the annealing oven itself may be
fashioned so as to produce the required curve or curves in the glass
sheet which is to be slid directly thereon from off the platform upon
which it is run to the oven mouth.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The direct production from the metal of curved sheets of glass
whether plain, ornamented, or corrugated, substantially as herein-before
described.
-Second. The manufacture of corrugated glass sheets by combined
rolling and pressure, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The application and use of corrugated glass sheets made by
combined rolling and pressure, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
Fourth. The moulding of glass articles, such, for example, as cruet
and bottle stoppers, plates, saucers, salt cellars, small glasses for roof
lights, floor lights, and pavement lights, by means of combined rolling
and pressure, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Franklin Stevens, have
to this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of
June One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STEVENS. (L.S.)