Thermal polishing of glass - for form glass sculptures using improved working conditions free of toxic acid vapours

摘要

Thermal polishing of glass articles to form a sculptured pattern is effected using a flow of heat concentrated into a beam passing successively over the whole surface of the article, the breadth of the zone of action of the heat flow being chosen to be less than the perimeter of the article and so that the thermal stress on each element of the sculptured design is constant. The technique may be used in mfr. of Pb crystal glass, lighting glassware, (lamps, lustre elements etc.) and other glass manufactures requiring an improvement of the surface. The method is simplified and the quality of polishing inproved by choosing the shape of the heating flow to match the pattern to be sculpted. The working conditions are improved by comparison with those of prior art acid polishing techniques. Thermal polishing improves prod. quality by avoiding fusion of sharp corners or edges when these are required, and removing them when they are not. The process can be automated.