Colburn developed a process for the production of continuous flat glass disks which allowed for the mass production for window panes. Colburn began his experiments in 1899. He created the Colburn Machine Glass Co. in August 1906. After suffering business setbacks and filing for bankruptcy in 1911, he sold his patents to the Toledo Glass Company in 1912. He then improved his flat glass process with Michael Owens and Toledo Glass, and the company became the Libbey-Owens Sheet Glass company in 1916.