GB2154230A

GB2154230A - Ornamental glass objects

Info

Publication number: GB2154230A
Application number: GB08403124A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Andrew Elliott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-07
Filing date: 1984-02-07
Publication date: 1985-09-04
Also published as: GB8403124D0

Abstract

Ornamental glass objects are formed using the crown glass technique to provide a workpiece having a "bull's eye" and, while glass in the bull's eye area (e.g. a pad of glass applied to the stalk of the bull's eye) is still soft pressing it with a mould to form, an ornamental relief pattern thereon. A plurality of patterns may be applied in side-by-side relationship to the area of the bull's eye and/or patterns may be applied to the two opposite sides thereof.

Description

SPECIFICATION Ornamental glass objects This invention relates to the manufacture of ornamental objects of glass.

A well known technique for glass sheet manufacture has been practised for several hundred years and is herein called "the crown glass technique" in which a bubble of molten glass is blown and then fixed to an iron rod called a pontil at a point opposite the blowpipe. The pipe is then broken off, and the resulting aperture further opened with instruments and the bubble flattened by vigorous whirling motion, that is to say rapidly rotating the pontil, with appropriate and if necessary repeated periodic reheating of the glass. This results in a disc of glass. Discs of more than a meter in diameter are readily produced and individual window panes can be cut from the disc.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the crown glass technique is not ordinarily used in the second half of the twentieth century to produce window glass.

After a number of panes have been cut from the disc, the centre portion or "bull's eye" remains.

This has in the past been considered to be scrap and unusable, or has been considered to be the poorest quality portion of the disc because of the irregular thickening and stalk connecting the disc with the pontil. In some old houses it will be found that the bull's eyes were used to glaze the servants quarters.

More recently there has been a vogue to use imitation bull's eyes for glazing relatively small panes in imitation period houses, and the bull's eye has come to be considered to be ornamental in its own right.

According to the present invention a method of making an ornamental glass article comprises following the crown glass technique, and whilst the glass is soft, pressing the bull's eye with a mould formed with a relief pattern of ornamentation.

Whilst it is within the scope of the present invention to impress the bull's eye direct, it is preferred to add a pad of soft glass to the bull's eye, and impress the pad with the mould.

The mould may be a conventional iron mould carrying a recessed ornamental pattern so as to leave a raised mirror image ornamental pattern on the glass, but a raised impression on the mould is also possible.

The crown glass technique inherently provides for generally concentric rings in the disc representing variations from a true plane normal to the axis of rotation of the pontil, or variations in thickness, and if the mould is centrally positioned, the pattern is in effect enhanced.

It will be appreciated that the size of the crown (the diameter of the disc) spun need not be of the same order as would be likely were it desired to produce relatively flat window panes, but only of the size desired according to the intended purpose of the ornamental part produced by the invention.

It is also within the scope of the invention to apply pads of glass to both sides of the bulls eye, either or both of which may be impressed with patterns. Further, the bulls eye may be impressed with several different patterns side-by-side, again applied direct to the glass or to added pads on one or both sides.

The invention is more particularly illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the bull's eye portion of a piece of glass made by the crown glass technique; Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a portion which has been modified according to one version of the present invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3; and Figure 5 shows a multiple patterned arrangement.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 (prior art) shows a typical conventional bull's eye consisting of a convex boss or hub 10 on one side of the sheet and a short axial plug or stalk 12 on the opposite side, where the glass was attached to the pontil. The sheet has generally ring-like ripples 14 16 as a result of the limitations and imperfections of the process.

In the Figure 3 embodiment of the invention, a relatively thick disc-like pad 18 has been applied to the area 12 and fused into position, and the surface of that pad has been impressed with a recessed mould so as to create the raised impression of (in this particular instance) a stook of corn 20 located within a generally ring-like framing rib 22, all located generally concentrically of the ripples 14 16.

However, instead of adding a pad of glass, the bull's eye portion may be impressed direct, and for this purpose the spinning out process may be shortened so that the bull's eye is inherently thicker before the impression is made.

In Figure 5, seven separate pads of glass have been applied to the bulls eye on (in this case also) one face only, each impressed with one or other of various moulds.

1. A method of making an ornamental glass article utilising the crown glass technique as hereinbefore defined including the step of pressing the bull's eye area of the workpiece with a mould provided with a relief pattern of ornamentation while glass in that area is soft.

2. A method as in Claim 1 wherein the bull's eye area of the piece is directly pressed with the mould.

3. A method as in Claim 1 wherein a pad of soft glass is added to the bull's eye area, said pad being pressed with the mould.

4. A method as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the mould carries a recessed ornamental pattern so as to form a raised mirror image ornamental pattern on the article.

5. A method as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the mould carries a raised ornamental pattern so as to

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Ornamental glass objects This invention relates to the manufacture of ornamental objects of glass. A well known technique for glass sheet manufacture has been practised for several hundred years and is herein called "the crown glass technique" in which a bubble of molten glass is blown and then fixed to an iron rod called a pontil at a point opposite the blowpipe. The pipe is then broken off, and the resulting aperture further opened with instruments and the bubble flattened by vigorous whirling motion, that is to say rapidly rotating the pontil, with appropriate and if necessary repeated periodic reheating of the glass. This results in a disc of glass. Discs of more than a meter in diameter are readily produced and individual window panes can be cut from the disc. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the crown glass technique is not ordinarily used in the second half of the twentieth century to produce window glass. After a number of panes have been cut from the disc, the centre portion or "bull's eye" remains. This has in the past been considered to be scrap and unusable, or has been considered to be the poorest quality portion of the disc because of the irregular thickening and stalk connecting the disc with the pontil. In some old houses it will be found that the bull's eyes were used to glaze the servants quarters. More recently there has been a vogue to use imitation bull's eyes for glazing relatively small panes in imitation period houses, and the bull's eye has come to be considered to be ornamental in its own right. According to the present invention a method of making an ornamental glass article comprises following the crown glass technique, and whilst the glass is soft, pressing the bull's eye with a mould formed with a relief pattern of ornamentation. Whilst it is within the scope of the present invention to impress the bull's eye direct, it is preferred to add a pad of soft glass to the bull's eye, and impress the pad with the mould. The mould may be a conventional iron mould carrying a recessed ornamental pattern so as to leave a raised mirror image ornamental pattern on the glass, but a raised impression on the mould is also possible. The crown glass technique inherently provides for generally concentric rings in the disc representing variations from a true plane normal to the axis of rotation of the pontil, or variations in thickness, and if the mould is centrally positioned, the pattern is in effect enhanced. It will be appreciated that the size of the crown (the diameter of the disc) spun need not be of the same order as would be likely were it desired to produce relatively flat window panes, but only of the size desired according to the intended purpose of the ornamental part produced by the invention. It is also within the scope of the invention to apply pads of glass to both sides of the bulls eye, either or both of which may be impressed with patterns. Further, the bulls eye may be impressed with several different patterns side-by-side, again applied direct to the glass or to added pads on one or both sides. The invention is more particularly illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the bull's eye portion of a piece of glass made by the crown glass technique; Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a portion which has been modified according to one version of the present invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3; and Figure 5 shows a multiple patterned arrangement. Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 (prior art) shows a typical conventional bull's eye consisting of a convex boss or hub 10 on one side of the sheet and a short axial plug or stalk 12 on the opposite side, where the glass was attached to the pontil. The sheet has generally ring-like ripples 14 16 as a result of the limitations and imperfections of the process. In the Figure 3 embodiment of the invention, a relatively thick disc-like pad 18 has been applied to the area 12 and fused into position, and the surface of that pad has been impressed with a recessed mould so as to create the raised impression of (in this particular instance) a stook of corn 20 located within a generally ring-like framing rib 22, all located generally concentrically of the ripples 14 16. However, instead of adding a pad of glass, the bull's eye portion may be impressed direct, and for this purpose the spinning out process may be shortened so that the bull's eye is inherently thicker before the impression is made. In Figure 5, seven separate pads of glass have been applied to the bulls eye on (in this case also) one face only, each impressed with one or other of various moulds. CLAIMS

5. A method as in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the mould carries a raised ornamental pattern so as to form a recessed mirror image ornamental pattern on the article.

6. A method as in any preceding claim wherein said area includes the plug or stalk to which the pontil was attached.

7. A method as in any preceding claim wherein the opposite sides of the bull's eye area are each so pressed to form a pattern.

8. A method as in any preceding claim wherein the bull's eye area is impressed with a plurality of patterns side-by-side.

9. A method of making an ornamental glass article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. An ornamental glass article formed by the method of any preceding claim.

11. An ornamental glass article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 3 and 4; or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.