[SAFETY GLASS. PART II] Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: Safety Glass, Part Two. “The ground sheets are transferred to the polishing line.” Sheets of glass on conveyors. “The plate glass is polished by felt-covered disks --” Worker standing under raised polishing machine with disks around perimeter - close-up of disk - long row of polishing machines in operation. “-- that are fed with rouge and water.” Close-ups of polishing process. “The same mirror-smooth finish --” Sheets of glass on conveyor. “-- must be given to the other side of the sheet. So it is picked up and turned over by a machine called the ‘Iron Hand.’” Machine with suction cups picking up sheet of glass, transferring it to another. “The turned-over sheets go to a second grinding line --” Long row of grinding machines in operation, glass moving on conveyor. “-- and a second polishing line.” Polishing machines in operation. “A compressed-air jet is used to separate the polished glass from its table --” Worker removing sheet of glass from table. “-- and it is transferred to the washing line --” Suction machine on overhead crane picking up sheets of glass, moving them to conveyor. “-- where acid and water remove and plaster or rouge.” Glass going through wash. “The sheets are inspected for flaws --” Workers inspecting glass passing them on conveyor. “-- and imperfect sections are cut out.” Worker cutting glass passing him on conveyor. “The good portions are cut to special shapes.” Glass being cut by machinery. “These are conveyed to the laminating department --” Cut piece of glass on overhead conveyor. “-- where they are washed --” Glass moving into machine . “-- and coated on one side with cement --” Glass passing between rollers. “In the assembly room --” Workers at moving assembly line. “-- a sheet of cellulose acetate --” Worker placing flexible sheet on cut piece of glass. “-- is placed on one glass and a second glass in added to make a sandwich.” Workers on moving line. “Rollers press the sandwich tightly together.” Laminated glass leaving rollers. “The sandwiches are placed in tubs --” Workers placing glass in racks in tub. “-- but are separated by lead sheets.” Close-up of sheets. “The next step is heating to 300°F. under 200 pounds of pressure.” Lid of vat opening, steam - workers lowering stack of tubs into pressure vat, lid closing. “Temperature, pressure, and time are carefully controlled.” Close-ups of gauges - worker at controls. “After cooking --” Lid of vat opening, crane removing tubs. “-- the safety glass is dried --” Crane lowering tubs into pit. “-- given an acid bath to cut away the edges of the cellulose sheets between the plates of glass --” Crane lowering tubs into vat, steam rising. “-- and finally washed.” Tubs lowered into vat of water. “After inspection --” Workers inspecting glass on conveyor. “-- the edges are ground and polished.” Stacks of cut pieces of safety glass, machinery grinding and polishing edges. “The channel cut by the acid bath is filled with a waterproof seal.” Glass passing through machine. “After final inspection --” Worker inspecting, writing on glass. “-- the safety glass is ready for installation.” Workers installing glass in car. “Chemists test all raw materials used in making safety glass.” Row of closed rooms - workers in chemistry laboratory - testing processes. “Samples of the finished products are tested also.” Worker using laboratory equipment. “The humidity test subjects samples of safety glass to severe atmospheric conditions.” Inside of humidity chamber. “The sun-arc machine gives the equivalent of months of tropical sunlight.” View of machine with glass samples in it. “A half-pound steel ball --” Worker placing glass in frame. “-- dropped from a height of two feet --” “-- completely shatters ordinary plate glass.” Ball falling, glass breaking. “With safety glass, the same fall --” “-- dropped from a height of sixteen feet --” “-- only makes a ‘star’ and does not break through.” Ball dropping, bouncing - broken, but not shattered windshield from inside car. “So that is why our windshield didn’t fly to pieces.” Same view of car windshield. “This picture is from the film library of the Bureau of Mines of the United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.” “Presentation of this film was made possible through the cooperation of the Ford Motor Company.” “The End.” [1937]
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