What is Colburn Process in making sheet glass?
In Colburn’s machine, the glass was pulled from the tank by the bait (iron bars), then bent over a steel roller and propelled through the annealing oven on rollers turned by electric motors. By processing the glass horizontally, it can cool more slowly without distortion. Production problems, however, continued to plague Colburn’s original attempts. Large sections of the sheet glass unexpectedly shattered or flaws in the glass suddenly appeared. In 1910, in a final attempt to save the Colburn Machine Glass Company, Colburn invited potential investors, including Owens, to a demonstration. But when he was unable to obtain financial backing, Colburn closed his company and on February 8, 1912, his patents were sold at a sheriff’s auction. The purchase price of $15,000 was paid by the Toledo Glass Company.
