IMPROVE- MENTS IN LIME KILNS, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR WORKING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street. in
the City of London, E.C., Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LIME KILNS, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR WORKING THE
Sealed tho 15th June 1858, and dated the 19th December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
19th December 1857.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, E.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIME KILNS, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR
WORKING THE SAME," a communication from A. C. Simonenu, a foreigner
residing abroad, to be as follows:--
The objects of this Invention are to facilitate the working of lime kilns
to preserve lime burners from injuries to which they are ordinarily exposed,
and to improve the quality of the lime produced; and the Invention consists,
first, in constructing and fitting lime kilns, as hereafter described; and,
secondly, in forming apparatuses to be employed for working such kilns, as
hereafter described.
The interior of the kiln is of such a form as an ellipse would generate by
moving round its major axis, placed in a vertical position, the figure thus

page_text: generated being truncated at different distances from its centre, and having
its larger end uppermost. At the bottom of the kiln is fitted a curved grato,
with its convex side placed upward. At the front of this grato is fitted a
door or register, and at the front of the pit below this grate also is fitted
a door or register. By opening or closing these doors or registers a more
or less powerful draught may be admitted to the interior of the kiln, for
the purpose of regulating the burning of the limestone in the kiln, and
thus preventing undue adhesion between or aggregation of the said material.
The vault or recess by which the doors or registers are approached expands
outward from the doors or registers, for the purpose of concentrating a large
current of air upon the entrance to the kiln, when one or other, or both of the
doors or registers is or are open. Rails are laid from beneath the grate
through the vault to the lime store or receptacle, and upon these rails suitablo
carriages run for conveying away the burnt lime, &c. In front of the doors
or registers is fitted an inclined folding grate, which folds aside when the
doors of the pit beneath the grate are to bo opened, and when they are closed
turns down and guides the burnt lime from the kiln to the ground as it is
raked through the discharging doors. A carriage is ordinarily placed beneath
the grate, to catch the lime dust, ashes, &c. that fall through, and when full
is withdrawn and replaced by an empty carriage. A similar carriage is also
ordinarily placed beneath the inclined grate for the same purpose. On each
side of the kiln (the discharging doors being supposed to be at the front) is
fitted a double furnace, in which ordinary fuel is burnt, to aid in the cal-
cination of the limestone, and which opons into the sides of the kiln. Each
furnace is divided by a central partition, and both the furnaco and the ash-pit
beneath it are approached by vaults or recesses, expanded outwards, in the
same manner and for the same purpose as those of the discharging aperture.
For small kilns a single furnace on one side will be found sufficient. In frout
of the furnace a chamber is built to shelter the lime burner. A series of
binged iron screens is fitted at the top of tho kiln in such manner that they
may be placed over the burning materials or not, as may be required to
protect them from strong currents of air, or otherwise.
The improved apparatuses employed for working lime kilns consist of a
pronged fork or rake, a lance-liko instrument, a collar or support, which may
be adapted to the discharging aperture, and a leg guard or shield, composed
of rushes or other suitable material, all of which are for the use of the lime
burners in effecting the discharge of the burnt lime.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, E.C.,
Patent Agent, serid greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIME KILNS, AND IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED
FOR WORKING THE SAME," a communication from A. C. Simoneau, a foreigner
residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
The objects of this Invention are to facilitate the working of lime kilns to
preserve lime burners from injuries to which they are ordinarily exposed, and
to improve the quality of the lime produced; and the Invention consists, first,
in constructing and fitting lime kilns as hereafter described; and, secondly,
in forming apparatuses to be employed for working such kilns, as hereafter
described. The interior of the kiln is, of such a form as an ellipse would

page_text: generate by moving round its major axis placed in a vertical position, the
figure thus generated being truncated at different distances from its centre,
and having its larger end uppermost. At the bottom of the kiln is fitted a
curved grate, with its convex side placed upward; at the front of this grate is
fitted a door or register, and at the front of the pit, below this grate, also is
fitted a door or register. By opening or. closing these doors or registers a
more or less powerful draught may be admitted to the interior of the kiln for
the purpose of regulating the burning of the limestone in the kiln, and thus
preventing undue adhesion between or aggregation of the said material. The
vault or recess by which the doors or registers are approached expands outward
from the doors or registers for the purpose of concentrating a large current of
air upon the entrance to the kiln when one or other or both of the doors or
registers is or are open. Rails are laid from beneath the grate through the
vault to the lime store or receptacle, and upon these rails suitable carriages
run for conveying away the burnt lime, &c. In front of the doors or registers
is fitted an inclined folding grate, which folds aside when the doors of the pit
beneath the grate are to be opened, and when they are closed turns down and
guides the burnt lime from the kiln to the ground as it is raked through the
discharging doors. A carriage is ordinarily placed beneath the grate to catch
the lime dust, ashes, &c., that fall through, and when full is withdrawn and
replaced by an empty carriage. A similar carriage is also ordinarily placed
beneath the inclined grate for the same purpose. On each side of the kiln
(the discharging doors being supposed to be at the front) is fitted a double
furnace, in which ordinary fuel is burnt to aid in the calcination of the lime-
stone, and which opens into the sides of the kiln. Ench furnace is divided by
a central partition, and both the furnace and the ash-pit beneath it are
approached by vaults or recesses expanded outwards in the same manner and.
for the same purpose as those of the discharging aperture. For small kilns a
single furnace on one side will be found sufficient. In front of the furnace a
chamber is built to shelter the lime burners. A series of hinged iron screens
is fitted at the top of the kiln in such manner that they may be placed over
the burning materials or not, as may be required to protect them from strong
currents of air or otherwise. The improved apparatuses employed for working
limo kilns consist of a pronged fork or rake, a lanco-like instrument, a collar or
support which may be adapted to the discharging aperture, and in leg guard
or shield composed of. rushes or other suitable material, all of which are for
the use of the lime burners in effecting the discharge of the burnt lime.
Figure 1, Sheet. 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, is a partial elevation.

page_text: of the front of a kiln constructed with the said improvements; Figure 2 is a
vertical, and Figure 3 a horizontal section, Figure 4 is a plan, Figure 5 is an
elevation on a larger scale of the arch and doors through which the lime is
taken out; Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken at the lower part of the
kiln; Figure 7, Sheet 2, is a lateral section, to illustrate the part where the
discharge takes place as clearly as possible. The same letters refer to similar
parts in all the Figures. A is the foundation; B is the opening for the door
of the central and principal ash-pit; C is the interior of the ash-pit, which is
lined with bricks; D is the inclined grate, placed near the lower part of the
cavity G; E is the opening for the discharge; F is the opening of the large
arch at the bottom of the kiln leading to the doors for the discharge and to the
ash-pit; G is the cavity or interior of the kiln; I (Figure 4) is a covering
formed of bricks and masonry; K is the part or chamber where the kilnmen'
work; L, L, are arches formed of stone or brick in front of the furnace, and
included in the chambers K; M, M, are openings into the furnaces, by which
fuel is supplied, and which are furnished with doors; N, N, are the grates,
formed with movable bars; O, O, are passages from the furnaces to the
interior of the kiln; P, P, are arches formed of fire-brick above the furnaces;
Q, Q, are openings from the ash-pits of the furnaces, and are furnished with
register doors; R, R, are the ash-pits of the furnace; S, S, are supports in
masonry, forming an arch above the passages from the ash-pits; T, T, are
blocks of masonry lined with firebrick, dividing the furnaces and forming a
support to the arches of the furnaces; U, U, are solids formed of masonry,
which, when the kiln stands against earth or stones, form a means of ascent to
the top of the kiln. The diameter of the mouth H of the kiln is 'more than
twice that of a horizontal section taken at the grate D; at or about the middle
of this grate D'an opening is formed for the lime to pass through, which is
closed by means of a register door of thick sheet iron; the ash-pit C of the
kiln is below this grate, and the interior of it is lined with firebrick and pro-
vided with a register door made of thick sheet iron. In the interior of this
ash-pit a small waggon, having four or any other suitable number of wheels,
is placed, which runs on a small rail or tramway on the bottom of the ash-pit
through the large arch, and as far as it may be required to carry the lime,
cinders, and dust. A view of this arrangement is given at Figure 7, Sheet 2;
a large arched excavation at the bottom of the kiln leads to these openings,
and by its form presents the following advantages:-First, the workman can
remove the lime from the kiln without being incommoded by the heat or the
dust of the lime or the cinders from the various combustible materials burnt

page_text: in the kiln; second, it increases the draught of the kiln in a very powerful
manner, which can be regulated by means of the register doors, dischargo
doors, and those of the ash-pit.
To afford access to the furnace doors, and to their ash-pits, there are two
openings, separated by a partition, as shewn in Figures 3 and 8. To remove
the lime in a regular manner, more particularly soon after lighting, the Inventor
employs an iron instrument, shewn at Figures 12, 13, and 14. It is circular,
and is of the shape of the opening of the door and of the vault at the point of
discharge. This instrument is made slightly smaller than the entrance, so
that it may go into the interior of the vault. At the top of this instrument
there is a hollow part in which a bar of iron slides, and which is fixed by means
of an iron or wooden wedge passed between this bar and the top of the vault.
This instrument is moved at will according to the depth it is desired to go, and
to prevent the stone from descending in front of the kiln.
Supported on the wall of the kiln at a short distance below the discharge
door is an inclined folding grate, with iron or wooden bars; the bars are at
short distances apart, according as it is desired to sift the parts and dust of
the lime more or less fine; the bars of this grate are fixed in a folding frame F',
which opens in two, shown at Figure 7; below this grate a waggon is placed,
which receives, similar to tho one placed in the ash-pit, the dust of the lime and
cinders, which are sifted by the grate as the discharge takes place. The largo
lir yon leaving the discharge door falls on to this grate, slides down quickly,
and rolls to the foot of the grate, where it is removed from the dust and
cinders; a workman then shovels it into a waggon placed on the railroad.
When the waggon which is under the grate (Figure 7) is to be removed, it is
rolled out on the railway, the half of the grate, Figure 5, Sheet 1, being raised
on each sido. The large door of the ash-pit, Figure 5, is next opened, and the
waggon which is under the grate run out on an inclined plane in the ash-pit to
the store, and is immediately replaced by an empty waggon, and tho ash-pit
door closed. There is then brought near this door a second small waggon,
above which the two sides of the grate are lowered down. The third waggon
for receiving the discharged lime is then brought up, and the kilnmau proceeds
to shovel the lime into it. In order to draw out the limo at the dischargo
door, the Inventor makes use of a small hook with two prongs or fingers, as
shown at Figure 15, but this hook in the hands of an inexperienced workman,
will often be with difficulty withdrawn from the middle of the kiln; to obvinte
this the Inventor uses an instrument, Figure 16, which he calls a lance.
This instrument serves to disengago the hook from the lime. With this lanco

page_text: the calcareous stone is reached at the bottom of the kiln, and the position of
the stone in the kiln is regulated at will by using the instrument shewn at
Figures 12, 13, and 14. With these instruments the kiln is brought perfectly
under control.
The leg guard or shield before referred to is shewn upon the legs of the
kilnman in Figure 7. The hinged iron screens before referred to are shewn
in Figures 4 and 11. These screens are formed of strong sheet iron, and
surround the whole circumference of the kiln. They are held there by strong
binges which allow them to be raised or lowered. To the ends of these plates
iron rods are attached, opposite to the parts which are held by hinges to the
plates, a weight which carries on its under side a roller on which the weight
is rolled along when it is desired to open or shut either wholly or partially the
plate, in order to open or close the mouth of the kiln; by this means a screen
can be formed round part or the whole of the mouth as considered necessary,
so as to narrow the mouth of the kiln, and not only protect the kiln from high
winds, but assist in increasing the draught and preserving the heat during the
night, when generally no work is done, and consequently much heat is lost.
When the kiln is to be loaded these plates are open and lowered to a level
with the top of the kiln, and by means of planks it is easy to pass above with
the barrows or waggons..
A kiln constructed as before-described is distinguished from others,→
First, by being suitable for the employment of different combustible.
materials, such as wood, furze, heath, coal, coke, peat, &c., &c.
Second, by the employment of the inclined grate used at the discharge
aperture for sifting the cinders and lime dust which fall into a waggon placed
in the ash-pit.
Third, by the facility it gives to the kilnman to increase or slacken the fire
by means of sliding registers; also by the opportunity it affords to suspend the
work for three or four months without allowing the kiln to cool, and then to
resume work without applying more than a small quantity of fresh fuel; also
by the production of very white lime, leaving very fine ashes entirely free
from offal.
Fourth, by affording the means when an undue aggregation of the lime
takes place in the kiln, of introducing air through all the register doors, so
that in a few hours the said aggregation is removed, and the action of the kiln
proceeds as before.
When it is desirable that the kiln should be worked on a smaller scale
without the railroad, &c., the Inventor substitutes for the large kiln with four

page_text: furnaces above-described, the kiln which is represented in vertical section in
Figure 9, and in borizontal section in Figure 10. This kiln has only one
furnace; it works in the same manner as the preceding, and the same letters
indicate the same parts.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the samo is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the general arrangement of the parts of lime kilns as herein-before
described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed,
Second, the introduction into kilns of atmospheric air, together with the
means of removing the carbonic acid, and thereby avoiding the undue adhesion
or aggregation of the parts as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed.
Third, the employment in kilns of register doors and grates, as herein-
before described.
Fourth, the employment of waggons running on tramways or rails for
conveying away the lime, cinders, and ashes, as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Fifth, the employment of hinged iron screens at the top of the kiln to
protect the burning materials from strong currents of air as herein-before
described and illustrated in in the Drawings annexed:
And, sixth, the improved fork, rake, and lance for working lime kilns,
together with the leg guard or screen herein-before described and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, J, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, One 2
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.D.)