NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHAPING HEATED GLASS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wright and Matthew William Wallbank Mackie,
both of No. 80, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, for an invention
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wright and Matthew
William Wallbank Mackie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 3rd March 1882.
FRANK WRIGHT and MATTHEW WILLIAM WALLBANK MACKIE both of No. 80
Gray's Inn Road in the County of Middlesex "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SHAPING HEATED GLASS
"
This invention relates to apparatus for shaping glass heated by the blowpipe or
otherwise to forms which are usually those of solids of revolution, the object being
to hold the glass treated in suitable positions for the operations to which it is
subjected without depending on manipulation. For this purpose we fit to slide on
a bed like that of a lathe a pair of headstocks having hollow mandrils and suitable
chucks to hold glass in the form of tubes or rods passed through the hollow
mandrils or glass in other forms held in the chucks. Between the headstocks we
provide a slide rest on which one or more heating flames and suitable tools for
working the glass can be secured. The glass to be operated on is brought by the
movement of either headstock or both or by the movement of the slide rest, under
the influence of the flame or flames while it revolves and thus becomes equally
heated and can be blown or shaped as required, or two tubes or rods of glass can be
joined, or a tube or rod can be drawn out. In order to provide for blowing a glass
tube while it is held in the chuck we attach to the back end of the hollow mandril
by a swivel union a flexible or other pipe by which air pressure from the mouth or
from a suitable bellows or other compressor can be communicated to the interior
of the revolving glass tube. In cases where glass has to be turned in convolutions
on a glass or metal core, we fix the core in the revolving chuck and apply the glass
to it at the heating flame. For many kinds of glass work the two mandrils and
chucks are made to revolve synchronously, their relative speed however may be
varied when the glass has to be twisted. Also eccentric or other chucks may be
used for working glass into special forms or for joining glass.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wright and Matthew William Wallbank Mackie in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 31st August 1882.
FRANK WRIGHT, and MATTHEW WILLIAM WALLBANK MACKIE both of No. 80
Gray's Inn Road in the County of Middlesex "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SHAPING HEATED GLASS."
This invention relates to apparatus for shaping glass heated by the blow pipe or
otherwise to forms which are usually those of solids of revolution, the object being
to hold the glass treated in suitable positions for the operations to which it is
subjected without depending on manipulation. For this purpose we fit to slide on
a bed like that of a lathe a pair of headstocks having hollow mandrils and suitable
chucks to hold glass in the form of tubes or rods passed through the hollow
mandrils or glass in other forms held in the chucks. Between the headstocks we
provide a slide rest on which one or more heating flames and suitable tools for
working the glass can be secured. The glass to be operated on is brought by the
movement of either headstock or both by the movement of the slide rest, under
the influence of the flame or flames while it revolves and thus becomes equally
heated and can be blown or shaped as required, or two tubes or rods of glass can
be joined, or a tube or rod can be drawn out. In order to provide for blowing a
glass tube while it is held in the chuck we attach to the back end of the hollow
mandril by a swivel union a flexible or other pipe by which air pressure from the
mouth or from a suitable bellows or other compressor can be communicated to the
interior of the revolving glass tube. In cases where glass has to be turned in
convolutions on a glass or metal core, we fix the core in the revolving chuck and
apply the glass to it at the heating flame. For many kinds of glass work the two
mandrils and chucks are made to revolve synchronously, their relative speed
however may be varied when the glass has to be twisted. Also eccentric or other
chucks may be used for working glass into special forms or for joining glass.
One form of apparatus according to our invention is shewn in the accompanying
drawings, Fig 1 being a side view, Fig 2 a plan and Fig 3 a transverse section
on Z Z.
On a bed A like that of an ordinary lathe we fit two headstocks
B and C, one of which B may be fixed and the other C capable of being slid to
and fro by a rack and pinion worked by a handle D. In bearings in each of the
headstocks is fitted a tubular mandril E and F, of which E is driven by a belt or
otherwise and F by gearing from E so as to revolve at the same speed. The
gearing for this purpose consists of a pinion e driven from a wheel on E, a
horizontal spindle G and on it another pinion f driving a wheel on F. The
pinion is fitted with a key or feather on the spindle G so that it must revolve
At the end of each
with it but may slide freely along it with the headstock C.
headstock is fixed a tube H and K closed at their outer ends but communicating
freely with the respective tubular mandrils, and to each of the tubes H and K there
is a communication by a flexible tube h and k from a reservoir of compressed air, each
of those communications being provided with a cock or valve so that the operator
can open or close it at pleasure. Between the two headstocks B and C is fitted a
slide M that can be moved along the bed by a rack and pinion worked by a
handle N. On this slide is fitted a transverse slide O carrying a blow pipe P
which may be double as shewn, supplied with gas and air by flexible pipes p, each
pipe being provided with a cock or valve so that the quantity of air and gas can
be regulated by the operator. The blow pipe P is fitted to turn on a vertical axis
on the slide O, so that the flames can be directed on the glass at any desired angle.

page_text: Each of the mandrils E and F has at its front end a chuck R and S which is lined
internally with soft or elastic packing material such as leather felt or caoutchouc,
capable of clamping a glass tube without unequal strain and at the same time
preventing escape of air from the hollow mandril. The apparatus is worked in
the following manner. A glass rod or tube T is inserted into and clamped in the
two chucks R and S and caused to revolve. The blow pipe flame is directed on
any part of it and the part thus heated can be drawn out thinner or set up thicker
by moving the headstock C away from or towards B. By admitting air under
pressure into either or both the tubes H, K the glass tube can be blown at the
heated part into a bulb which can be elongated or flattened by moving the
headstock C. Again if it be desired to join two glass rods or tubes, each is
clamped in one of the chucks R and S, the free ends are brought together and
being heated can be joined. And it is obvious that pieces of glass held as described
and caused to revolve under the influence of the blow pipe flame, can be variously
shaped or moulded separated or joined as may be desired.
Having thus described the nature of our invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, we claim :-
For shaping heated glass the use of apparatus wherein two tubular mandrils
provided with chucks to receive glass rods or tubes and with pipes supplying their
interiors with compressed air are caused to revolve simultaneously while the
headstocks carrying the chucks can be moved nearer together or farther apart on
a bed on which is fitted an intermediate blow pipe slide, arranged and operating
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof I the said Frank Wright have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirty first day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-two.
FRANK WRIGHT. (L.S.)