Improvements in the Construction of Potters' Kilns.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Potters' Kilns.
We, WILLIAM BURTON, of Clifton Junction, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Earthenware Manufacturer, and JOSEPH BURTON, of Clifton Junction,
aforesaid, Potter's Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
The nature of our invention consists in improvements in the construction of
kilns for the firing fusing of glaze or enamel and the hardening on of earthenware
china ceramic material or other like articles (which kilns are hereinafter referred
to as Potters kilus.
In the ordinary Potters kilns there are usually two flues taken from each firing
mouth up the side of the kiln nearest to the external opening of such firing
mouth and two under the bottom and up the opposite side of the kiln. The heat
and other products of combustion passing up each side flue meet the heat and
other products of combustion passing up each of the flues on the opposite side
at the top of the kiln and are then allowed to escape into the chimney or hovel.
By our arrangement of the flues connecting the ordinary firing mouths of the
kilns with the chimney we not only prevent the heat flames and the various
products of combustion of the fuel in the firing mouths passing up the flues on
one side after reaching the top or crown of the kiln box from meeting the same
passing up the flues on the opposite side as in an ordinary kiln but the flues
are so arranged as to again take the heat and other products of combustion in
the same direction completely round the said kiln box before passing into the
chimney stack or hovel of the kiln, each flue after leaving the firing mouth,
passing round the kiln box separately and independently from any other flue,
and terminating in a short chimney inside the main chimney stack or hovel of
the kiln.
These short chimneys may be fitted with dampers, or they may be raised or
lowered in height or treated in any other similar or usual manner, in order to
regulate the amount of heat passing along the different flues.
The flues are constructed and arranged in such a manner as to cause no avoid-
able baffling of the heat, flames and other products of combustion in their passage
round the kiln box, transverse flues and sharp angles being carefully avoided, so
that the fires in the firing mouths may burn briskly from the first.
The manner in which our said invention can be practically applied and carried
out will be readily understood on reference to the drawings hereto annexed and
to the following explanation thereof.
Figure represents a cross sectional elevation of a potter's kiln taken
through X Y Figs. 2 & 3 improved according to our said invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the flues on the top or crown of the kiln.

page_text: Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the flues under the kiln and of the firing mouth.
In Figure 1, K. is the kiln box or chamber, I is a firing mouth connected with
the flues A and B which conduct the various products of combustion round the
kiln as indicated by the arrows.
Referring also to Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that there are two flues passing
from each firing mouth, one immediately under the bottom of the kiln box
marked B Figures 1 and 3 and the other marked A, Figures I and 3; immediately
up the side of the kiln box nearer the firing mouth and further that after each
flue has reached the top or crown of the kiln box it is diverted or deflected in such
a manner that the various products of combustion passing along the flues A A A
do not mingle with or baffle or in any way interfere with the various products
of combustion passing along the flues B B B which are directly opposite to them
and that each flue then passes completely round the kiln box before passing out
into the main chimney stack or hovel through the short chimneys CO C, C, C, C
(Figures 1 and 2).
The flues passing from the firing mouths F F F immediately under the bottom
of the kiln box are marked B B 13, Figures 1 and 3 and the continuations of such
flues as they pass round the kiln box are marked B B B Figure 2, and B, B, B₁,
Figure 3 the short chimney in which these flues terminate being marked Oc
Figures 1 and 2 whilst the flues passing from the firing mouths F F F (Figures 1
and 3) immediately up the side of the kiln box nearer to the firing-mouths are
marked AA A. Figures and 3 and the continuations of such flues are
marked A A A Figure 2, and A, A, A, Figure 3.
The arrows indicate the direction in which the various products of combustion
travel in their passage along the various flues.
It will at once be seen that as each flue after leaving the firing mouths is taken
round the kiln box separately and independently from any of the other flues and
terminates in a short separate chimney each flue is under separate control at the
said chimney by means of a damper, raising or lowering the height of the chimney
itself or other similar means so that the amount of heat flames and the various
products of combustion passing from the firing mouths may be apportioned
between the flues A A A and the flues B B B and thus the firing or heating of the
kiln regulated.
are
It may also be pointed out that there are no transverse flues, that is, flues
running approximately at right angles to the general direction of the main flues,
and that the midfeathers or walls forming and separating the flues
so arranged that there are no sharp angles presented to the passage of the various
products of combustion and that consequently there is no avoidable baffling of
the same in their passage round the kila hox.
This is particularly important in the first stages of the firing whilst the kiln
and brickwork surrounding the flues are comparatively cold and the draught
consequently much less than at a later stage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. The arrangement of the flues in the construction of a potter's kiln in such a
manner as to prevent the heat flames and the various products of combustion of
the fuel after passing from the firing mouths up the flues on one side from meet-
ing the same passing up the flues on the opposite side at the top or crown of the
kiln such flues being also so arranged as to again take the heat and other products
of combustion completely round the said kiln box before passing into the chimney
stack or hovel, each flue after leaving the firing mouth passing separately and
independently round the kiln box and terminating in a short separate chimney
by means of which the relative amount of heat flame and the various products
of combustion passing through the several flues may be regulated substantially a
as herein before described.

page_text: II. The improvements in the construction of a Potters kiln substantially as
herein before described set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Fifteenth day of October 1897
WILLIAM BURTON.
JOSEPH BURTON.