IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF GLASS."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Webb, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Glass Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF GLASS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas George Webb
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th August 1861.
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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF GLASS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a method for facilitating the adaptation of the
"posts" or "pontils" to articles of glass previously to finishing or melting. I
place the article upon a table, which is provided with apparatus for ensuring
a certain position in relation to parallel guides, against which the "post" or
pontil" is placed previously to its being pressed forward. For these guides
I use rollers, and I so construct the apparatus which registers the position of
the article that it may be adjusted to suit different sizes or shapes.
As a modification of the above I can in like manner cause the article to be
moved up to the "post" or "pontil."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas George Webb in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, 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 Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF GLASS," upon
the condition, amongst others, that I,-the-said Thomas George 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 George Webb, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner 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 Invention relates to a method of facilitating the adaptation of the "posts"
or "pontils" to articles of glass previously to "finishing" or "melting." With
this view I place the article upon a table, which is provided with apparatus for
ensuring a certain position in relation to parallel guides, against which the
"post" or "pontil" is placed previously to its being pressed forward. For
these guides I use rollers, and I so construct the apparatus which regulates
the position of the article that it may be adjusted to suit different sizes or
shapes.
66
As a modification of the above 1 can in like manner cause the article to be
moved up to the "post" or "pontil," or sideways..
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I have appended to

page_text: this. my Specification a Sheet of Drawings, which I will now proceed to
describe.
Fig. 1 represents the apparatus in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan view
thereof, with the guide rollers removed; and Fig. 3 is a side view similar to
Fig. 1, but shewing the article upon the table and the "post" or "pontil "
about to be adapted thereto.
At a is the foundation of the apparatus, to which is fixed an upright rod b,
furnished with projecting arms c fast thereon; these arms are provided with
rollers d, having grooves, which I prefer to be of a V form. Upon the
foundation a is placed a plate e, so as to be loose thereon, but capable of being
confined in any desired position by bolts f. This plate has a small aperture g,
and a series of indented circles 1, 2, 3, et cetera, concentric with the said
aperture. Upon the plate e are projecting parts h, within which are sliding
pieces i capable of being moved therein, and of being held in any desired
position by tightening screws k.
The method of using the apparatus is as follows:-A rod (Fig. 1), and
similar to that to be used in the "post," is placed against the rollers d, d,
and is passed downward towards the plate e, which is then moved upon the
table a until the small aperture g is coincident with the centre of the rod ?; in
order to facilitate which arrangement the said rod is provided with an end of
small diameter, so that it may pass into the aperture g. The bolts fare now
tightened, so as to cause the plate e to become immovable, and thus whenever
a "post" is passed down against the rollers d it will always approach the
aperture g, and centre of the series of circles 1, 2, 3, et cetera. One of the articles
of a set to which the "pontil" is to be attached is now placed upon the plate e
in such a manner that it shall be concentric to one of the circles 1, 2, 3, et
cetera, and the sliding pieces i are then moved forward until they arrive in
contact with its periphery, and become stops, therefore, for determining the
position of any number of articles that may be adopted, and so long as they
are of the same dimensions they will of necessity occupy a position concentric
with the centre of the post b, which upon being pressed down with its "pontil,"
as in Fig. 3, will cause a correct central adaptation thereof. It may some-
times be inconvenient to obtain the normal adjustment by placing the article
bottom upward upon the plate e; in such cases I proceed as follows, reference
being had to Figs. 4 and 5, which are drawn upon an enlarged scale. At l
is a plate provided with an aperture g, and concentric circles 1, 2, 3, et cetera,
as described at Fig. 2. This plate has a flange m, in which are set screws n,
by which stops o can be moved forward or backward. One of the articles,
and by which the permanent register is to be obtained, is placed bottom

page_text: downward upon the plate l, as shewn in Fig. 4, and in such manner that it
shall be concentric to one of the circles thereon. The screws n are then
turned, so as to cause the stops o to press against the article, and retain it in
the central position; the whole is then turned bottom upward, as in Fig. 5,
and placed upon the plate e, Figs. 1, 2, 3, the top of the article being adjusted
thereon, so as to allow the rod l when passed downward to enter the aperture g
of Fig. 5, after which the stops i are adjusted against the article, and thus a
correct central position is obtained for the series of articles to be operated
upon.
i
In adapting "pontils" to articles which are provided -with feet, such as
celery glasses, I adapt to the upright b the apparatus shewn at Fig. 6. One
of the articles is then placed foot downwards in the plate l, Figs. 4 and 5, and
the set screws n so adjusted- that the foot shall be concentric with one of the
circles 1, 2, 3, et cetera. The article is then inserted upon the plate-e (the
stops being either pushed back or removed), and the apparatus, Fig. 6,
adjusted upon the pillar-b until the points of the stops 7 are opposite the edge
of the foot where it is fixed by the screw. The rod is then brought down;
and the article adjusted so that the point of the rod l-shall enter the hole
and whilst in this position the points-q of the apparatus, Fig. 6, are adjusted
and fixed by the screws n, so that all the feet of succeeding similar articles
shall occupy the same position when pushed up to or into the stops q. At s
are slots formed in the plate e, and the cavities thus formed being darker than
the surface of the plate e enable the attendant to distinguish the circles 1,
2, 3, et cetera.
9,
It will now be understood that I can, as before stated, effect a modification
of my improvements by causing the articles to be moved up to the "post";
and other variations may be made in arrangement or construction without
departing from the spirit of my Invention. I do not therefore limit myself to
the precise apparatus shewn and described, but I claim as secured to me under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, the arrangement substantially as
above set forth, whereby a central adaptation of the pontil is effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas George Webb, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
THOMAS GEORGE WEDD.
(L.S.)