US2044566A - Art of flame treating glassware - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1936. CORY 2,044,566

ART OF FLAME TREATING GLASSWARE Filed Oct. 29, 1934 Patented June 16, 1936 ART OF FLAME TREATING GLASSWARE Harvey Cory, Chicago, 111.

Application October 29, 1934, Serial No. 750,513

4 Claims. '(CI. 49-77) My invention is concerned with a flame treatment designed particularly for glassware, for the purpose of fixing thereon stripes or other decorations which are applied to a surface thereof. In the past it has been customary, after application of striping or other decoration to the surface of glassware to fire simultaneously a large number of such articles in a leer. At an elevated temperature of perhaps 1500 F., the glassware remains in the leer for several hours. As a result of such an extended operation the striping or decoration becomes fixed permanently to the glass surface. Some such firing treatment as this, which is expensive both in time and money, has commonly been resorted to for the fixing of striping or other decoration upon glassware.

.According to my invention the striping (the term striping or stripe" including decorations generally, wherever used hereinafter) is first applied to the surface of glassware (the term glassware including china, porcelain, and other vitreous materials which lend themselves to the treatment hereinafter described), and then is subjected to the action of a flame. This opera-- tion is very briefperhaps not over two minutes. The operator in attendance is enabled to observe the eifect and thereby determine the proper moment for termination of the treatment. This is important because there are many variables which determine the correct temperature, mode and time of treatment, such as differences in the glass itself, lack of uniformity in the materials employed for the striping, etc. Obviously such a treatment as my invention is concerned with, requiring but a brief time for its application and economizing greatly in the expense as well as improving the results, has many advantages.

As illustrative of an apparatus which is suitable for the carrying out of my process, I have presented in the accompanying drawing two figures, the first of which is a view in plan, and the second a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

The work to be treated. here shown as a glass tumbler W, may be rested upon a heat insulating pad 2 supported on the upper surface of a turntable T affixed to the upper end of a spindle 3 by which it is rotated. Immediately above the table and extending circumferentially, by preference, in excess of 180 is a shield S lined on its interior with insulation material i, such as asbestos. The shield is apertured atone or more places for the insertion therethrough of burners B. It is desirable that two or three of such burners be used, the latter number being illustrated. These several burners are connected by a common pipe 5 with a source of fuel supply, a. valve 6 being interposed at a point which controls the flow of fuel to all of the burners. To support combustion, an air pipe I may connect each of the burners with a source of supply. A valve 8 is interposed in this pipe at a point which controls the air flow to each of the burners.

In practice I have successfully used this invention for the flxing of striping with liquid platinum upon borisilicate glassware. A thin striping of this character is indicated by x upon the work in Fig, 2. Liquid platinum comprises lavender oil which acts as a vehicle for evenly suspending the particles of platinum. When first applied, it presents a dull pale color bearing little or no resemblance to platinum. The glassware is then rested upon the turntable which is set in motion and flames are then projected from the several burners upon the glassware. These flames strike at spaced circumferential intervals upon the striping and because of the rotation of the glassware upon the turntable every portion of the striping is moved successively into the zone of flame treatment. The speed of rotation may beslow, perhaps 30 to 60 R. P. M. Initially the flame temperature at the point of contact with the glass is relatively low, but is quickly raised to a much higher point. Satisfactory results are obtained by the application of a flame of around 700 F. temperature when first applied, and which, after five or ten revolutions of the turntable, is then raised to a point approximating 1700 F. This flame treatment may continue for perhaps two minutes. The fuel used may be ordinary manufactured or natural gas, or liquid fuel which is suitable for the purpose. For supporting combustion, air at a low pressure of perhaps one pound is sumcient.

As the operation proceeds the lavender oil becomes thoroughly dried, but without oxidizing. The color of the striping will gradually change until a rich platinum tone develops. At this point the treatment should stop and a skilled attendant can readily determine the correct time for terminating the treatment.

It is important that the glassware be subjected to a flame treatment in such a manner as not to set up strains in its structure. The flame operation above described may be safely applied because of the fact that a high temperature is maintained for a relatively short time, whereby the glassware in its entirety is not appreciably heated.

It is manifest that the flame treatment of-my invention is applicable to the fixing of striping where a non-oxidizing material other than liquid platinum is used. For example, gold is one material which lends itself to this treatment. While the invention is particularly advantageous for the treatment of narrow stripes which occupy only a small area upon the surface of glassware, it may also be used with wider stripes or heavy decoration, in which event-the temperature and time of treatment may be varied to best meet requirements.

I claim:

. l. The method of firing decorations on articles made of bori-silicate glass, which comprises the step of applying a decorative coating composition to a portion of the articles surface, and thereafter subjecting that portion of the articles surface whereon the decoration is applied to the action of a flame while subjecting the remainder of the surface of the article to room temperature.

2. The method of firing decorations on articles made of bori-silicate glass, which comprises the step of applying a decorative coating composition to a portion of the articles surface, and thereafter subjecting that portion of the article's surface whereon the decoration is applied to the action of a flame whose temperature is initially and for a brief period less than that which ob- *oration is applied to the action of a flame whose temperature range is between 700 F. and 1700 F., the minimum temperature obtaining at the commencement of the treatment, and simultaneously subjecting the remainder of the surface of the article to room temperature.

4. The method of firing decorations extending circumferentially on articles made of bori-siiicate glass which comprises the step of applying a decorative coating composition to a circumferential portion of the article's surface, rotating the article before a flame which successively plays upon every portion of the article's surface whereon the decoration is applied, and simultaneously subjecting the remainder of the surface of the article to room temperature.

HARVEY CORY.

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