Improvements in or relating to Kilns, for Burning Pottery, Bricks, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in or relating to Kilns, for Burning Pottery, Bricks,
and the like.
I, BERNARD DAWSON, of York House, Malvern Link, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
When gas fired kilns for burning pottery, bricks and the like are arranged in
groups and worked in succession, the air supplied to support combustion in the kiln
first set in action is usually cold air, with the result that this kiln to effect proper
burning of the articles placed therein, has to be in action some hours longer than
the second and each succeeding k ln the air supplied to which is heated by passing
through the first or preceding kiln whilst this is cooling down.
Now this invention is designed to obviate this disadvantage by enabling a kiln or
any one kiln of a group of kilns, to be started with hot air, and also to enable the
several kilns of a group to be worked independently of each other and in any order
instead of in succession and in regular order.
For this purpose there is used in conjunction with a group of kilns, and a gas
producer or producers, air and gas mains and passages provided with suitable valves
whereby air and gas can be supplied to each kiln independently a common flue into
which the products of combustion are delivered separately from each kiln, a
chimney, a pair of air regenerators external to and common to all the kilns of the
group, means whereby previous to starting the kilns, either regenerator can be
heated up by the combustion of gas, taken preferably from the said gas main, so
that hot air can be supplied to either kiln at starting, and reversing valves whereby
after the kilns have been set in operation and the supply of heating gas has been
cut off from the air regenerators, cold air and products of combustion can be sent
alternately through each regenerator; the heated air passing to the hot air main or
mains and the products of combustion to the chimney.
By this arrangement the kilns can be started with a supply of hot air for effecting
the complete combustion of the gas supplied thereto, and after the gas has been
shut off from the air regenerators, a regular and constant supply of hot air will be
maintained by utilizing in the said regenerators, a portion of the heat of the
escaping products of combustion.
In an arrangement of gas fired kilns according to this invention, the kilns are
arranged in a straight row with longitudinal air and gas mains along the two outer
sides of the row, there being a single longitudinal flue extending centrally below
the row of kilns, and two reversing valves arranged one at each side of a pair of air
regenerators. Combustible gas is supplied to heat the air regenerators by a pipe
extending from one of the gas mains.
The internal arrangements of the kilns may be varied to suit circumstances and
the class of work to be done.
A single kiln having regenerators and reversing valves, may be provided
according to this invention with means, such as a gas burner, for heating up one or
both of the regenerators previous to starting the kiln.
Dated this 16th day of October 1894.
17
Aunlicant

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Kilns for Burning Pottery, Bricks,.
and the like.
:
I, BERNARD DAWSON, of York House, Malvern Link, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, 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:-
When gas fired kilns for burning pottery, bricks and the like are arranged in
groups and worked in succession, the air supplied to support combustion in the kiln
first set in action is usually cold air, with the result that this kiln, to effect proper
burning of the articles placed therein, has to be in action some hours longer than
the second and each succeeding kiln, the air supplied to which is heated by passing
through the first or preceding kiln whilst this is cooling down.
Now this invention is designed to obviate this disadvantage by enabling a kiln
or any one kiln of a group of kilns, to be started with hot air, and also to enable
the several kilns of a group to be worked independently of each other and in any
order, instead of in succession and in regular order.
For this purpose there is used in conjunction with a group of kilns, and a gas
producer or producers, air and gas mains and passages provided with suitable
valves whereby air and gas can be supplied to each kiln independently, a common
flue into which the products of combustion are delivered separately from each
kiln, a chimney, a pair of air regenerators external to and common to all the kilus
of the group, ineans whereby previous to starting the kilns, either or both of the
regenerators can be heated up by the combustion of gas, taken preferably from
the said gas main, so that hot air can be supplied to any one kiln or number of
kilns at starting, and reversing valves whereby after the kilns have been set in
operation and the supply of heating gas has been cut off from the air regenerators,
cold air and products of combustion can be sent alternately through each
regenerator, the heated air passing to the hot air main or mains, and the products
of combustion to the chimney.
By this arrangement the kilns can be started with a supply of hot air for
effecting the complete combustion of the gas supplied thereto, and after the gas
has been shut off from the air regenerators, a regular and constant supply of hot
air will be maintained by utilizing in the said regenerators, a portion of the heat
of the escaping products of combustion.
The accompanying drawing is a plan, partly in section, showing, diagrammatically,
a group of gas fired kilns with air regenerators according to this invention.
1 are kilns arranged in a straight row. 2 and 3 are respectively air and gas
mains extending longitudinally along each of the outer sides of the row of kilns
and provided with regulating valves 2 and 3 respectively for controlling the flow
of air and gas to each of the kilns separately. 4 is a longitudinal flue extending
centrally below the row of kilns, the connection with each kiln being controlled
by a valve or damper 4°. 5 are gas producers in connection by a transverse
main 3 with the longitudinal gas mains 3. 6, 6* are two air regenerators arranged
to be placed in communication with the longitudinal air mains 2 by branch
passages 2º, 2º, each provided with a damper 2, and with the external atmosphere
by other passages 2º, 2º. 7 is a reversing valve by which products of combustion
escaping from the kilns 1 by the flue 4 can be directed through each air regenerator
in turn by way of the corresponding passage 2* or 2°, and 7 is a similar reversing
valve by which the said products of combustion after leaving each regenerator by
the passage 2 or 2e can be led into the flue 4 and thence to the chimney 4b, air
at the same time flowing through that regenerator which is not, for the time being,

page_text: traversed by escaping products of combustion. 8 is a pipe extending from the gas
main 3 to the air regenerators. and by means of which combustible gas can be
supplied to each of the air regenerators through a valve at the top, and burnt for
the purpose of heating these regenerators to a suitable temperature to enable
heated air to be afterwards supplied to the kilns, or to any one of them, when
starting the same to work.
The process of working is as follows: Either one or both of the air
regenerators 6, 6* is or are first heated up by the combustion therein of the
producer gas supplied to them from the gas main 3 through the gas pipe 8 and
suitable valves at top of each regenerator. When the regenerators are hot enough,
the gas is shut off, air being admitted as indicated by the arrows a, to one of them
say 6, through the reversing valve 7 and heated, then passed through the reversing
valve 7 and damper 2 to the air mains 2, and thence through the air regulating
valves 2 to the combustion chamber of that kiln or kilns which is or are to be
and
first set in operation, and where it meets the gas supplied through gas main
the corresponding gas valve 3*. The products of combustion from the kiln are
passed by the corresponding damper 4* into the flue 4, whence they are directed
by the reversing valve 7 through the other regenerator 6*,.and by means of the
reversing valve 7, to the chimney flue 4ª past the damper 4° and thence to the
chimney 4, as indicated by the arrows b.
Thus the kilns can be started with a supply of hot air for the complete
combustion of the gas supplied to the kiln or kilus first set in operation, and after
the supply of combustible gas is shut off from the air regenerators, a regular and
constant supply of hot air can be maintained by storing up and utilizing the heat
of the products of combustion escaping from the kilns and passing through each
air regenerator in turn. After once heating the air regenerators 6, 6ª by the
combustion therein of gas, they can be worked continuously for any length of time,
without further use of combustible gas for heating them, so long as the kilns are
kept working.
A single kiln having regenerators and reversing valves such as described, may
be provided, according to this invention, with means such as a gas supply pipe 8
for heating up one or each of the regenerators previous to starting the kiln for
the purpose of supplying heated air thereto at starting.
The arrangement of the gas producers, air regenerators, kilns, chimneys and
flues, and also the internal construction of the kilns, can of course be varied to
suit different circumstances, the main feature of my invention being the improved
means used for obtaining a constant and regular supply of heated air to the kilns
without any direct expenditure of fuel to obtain this object, except the small
quantity used for heating up the air regenerators when starting the kilus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a kiln or group of kilns for burning pottery, bricks
and the like, and a pair of air regeuerators arranged external to the kiln or
5 kilus and in connection with which a pair of reversing valves is provided of means
whereby previous to starting the kiln or kilus, either or both of the regenerators
can be heated up by the combustion of gas supplied thereto, so that hot air can be
supplied to the kiln or to any one or more of the kilns at starting, after which
the supply of heating gas to the regenerator can be cut off and a regular and
O constant supply of hot air obtained by utilizing in the said regenerators a portion
of the heat of the products of combustion escaping from the kiln or kilns,
substantially as herein described.
2. The combination with a group of kilns and a gas producer or producers, of
air and gas mains and passages provided with regulating valves whereby air and
5 gas can be supplied to each kiln separately, a common flue into which the products
of combustion are delivered separately from each kiln, a chimney, a pair of air
'

page_text: whereby,
regenerators external to and common to all the kilns of the group, means
previous to starting the kilns, either or both regenerators can be heated up by the
combustion of gas, and reversing valves whereby after the kilns have been set .in
operation and the supply of heating gas has been cut off from the air regenerators,
cold air and products of combustion can be sent alternately through each
regenerator, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.
annexed for the purposes specified.
.
Dated this 16th day of July 1895.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
+
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent..