IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johnson Hands at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
March 1854.
I, JOHNSON HANDS, of Epsom, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has. for its object a better construction of kilns, with a view
to economise fuel by a more advantageous application of the heat. For this
purpose, in place of allowing the heat to pass away at the top of the kiln into
the atmosphere, the kiln is closed in at top in such manner that the heat may
be caused to enter a flue which descends down from the top of the kiln to a
horizontal flue or flues in a chamber suitable for drying purposes, and such
flue returns and passes up the kiln and in contact therewith, so as to be highly
heated; hence no black products or smoke will get away into the atmosphere.
And in order to dry sand the descending flue is made double; one compartment
for receiving and being charged with damp sand, which runs out when dry at
the lower end; and the other compartment or flue is for the passage down of
the heat and products from the kiln, as above explained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Johnson Hands in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHNSON
HANDS, of Epsom, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Johnson Hands, Her special licence that I, the said Johnson Hands,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Johnson Hands, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN KILNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Johnson
Hands, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johnson Hands, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object a better construction of kilns, with a view
to economise fuel by a more advantageous application of the heat. For this
purpose, in place of allowing the heat to pass away at the top of the kiln into
the atmosphere, the kiln is closed in at top in such manner that the heat may
be caused to enter a flue which descends down from the top of the kiln to a
horizontal flue or flues in a chamber suitable for drying purposes, and such
Alue returns and passes up the kiln and in contact therewith, so as to be highly
heated; hence no black products or smoke will get away into the atmosphere.
And in order to dry sand the descending flue is made double; one compartment
for receiving and being charged with damp sand, which runs out when dry at
the lower end; and the other compartment or flue is for the passage down of
the heat and products from the kiln, as above explained.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS....
Figure 1 shows a vertical section; Figure 2, a transverse section, Figure 8, a
plan in section, and Figure 4, a bird's eye view of a kiln constructed according
to my Invention. A is a chamber enclosed by strong walls as shown; and in
which the articles are placed which are to be subjected to the action of the
heat from the fires below; the floor of the chamber A is perforated with
numerous holes or passages, and rests upon the perforated arches B, B, into
which the fuel is introduced from time to time, as required to heat the kiln;
the arches or fire places B, B, pass from front to back of the kiln; the fire and
heat, ascending through the openings or perforations in the arches and floor of the
kiln into the chamber A, is conducted through the opening A' at the top of the
chamber into a flue C, which passes partly over the top of the kiln and descends
down one side at C¹ to a horizontal flue or flues C2, which may be conducted
through and be enclosed by a chamber suitable for drying purposes; the
flue C², having made the desired circuit, re-enters the kiln from the back, and
being divided as shewn at C³, C³, passes between the arches B, B, so as to be
highly heated thereby, there being apertures C* left in the flues C³, C³, through
which the heat and flame is drawn from the fire chambers so as to ignite the.
black products and smoke, and prevent their escape into the atmosphere; the
flues C³, C³, pass up the front of the kiln, where they unite and pass into a
flue C³ around the top of the kiln, and away into the chimney D, as shown in
the Drawings. The descending flue C is made double, the compartment C*
being open at top and closed by a slide E and shoot at bottom, and this flue may
be filled with damp sand from the top, which, when dry, will readily run out on
withdrawing the slide E. F is a flue, which connects the flue C with the
chimney D, and there are dampers F¹ and C to open or close the flues C¹
and F, in order that the products of combustion may be allowed to pass away
direct to the chimney when not required to heat the flues which pass through
the drying chamber, or when moist vapours are generated in the kiln. When
the bricks or other articles have been subjected to the action of the fire in the
kiln for a sufficient length of time to become thoroughly burned, the mouths
B*, B*, of the fire-places B, B, must be closely stopped or plugged up with
bricks and clay, or otherwise, to prevent the admission of cold air, and the heat
may be allowed to circulate through the flues of the drying chamber and kiln
until gradually cool..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-

page_text: forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of my
Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the improved construction of
kilns to economise fuel by a more advantageous application of the heat as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johnson Hands, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
JOHNSON HANDS. (L.S.)