Improvements in Kilns or Furnaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kilns or Furnaces.
A communication from LUIGI FALASCONI, Engineer, residing at Fermignano, in
the Province of Urbino, Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 kiln is especially designed as a brick and lime-kiln as well as for the torre-
faction of minerals.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of a kiln constructed
according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line A B C of Fig. 2 drawn to a large
scale and
Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the cars and platforms.
The kiln consists of a rectilinear gallery open at each end having an inclination
of about 15 degrees. The chimney is situated in the upper part.
Two or three
rows of openings & receive the fuel required in the kiln Figs. 1-3.
Let us suppose that the gallery is filled with materials to be treated and
the mouth at the upper end closed by a bulkhead; the air would enter at the
lower end, and pass through the whole length of the gallery before reaching the
chimney.
The fuel whether coal wood peat or the like falls between the stacks of material
to be treated on every two adjacent cars or platforms and between which stacks
free spaces are left much like pits in shape, so that the fuel practically mixes with
the material to be burnt and even reaches down to the platforms. These small
pits it is absolutely necessary to provide between the cars and the distance between
them must correspond to the distance between the orifices so that for each such
orifice there is a corresponding pit.
When the kiln is operating the materials situated at the upper end will naturally
be treated first and the others by degrees advancing toward the lower end. It is
evident that the operation of the kiln once started will continue without loss of
heat because the materials placed below the fire-openings will heat the passing
air and the products of combustion will be cooled in passing through the material:
last introduced and before reaching the chimney.
When the material is fully treated the bulkhead at the upper end is remove
and a car loaded with materials is introduced at the same time a car with kiln-
dried or treated materials will go out at the lower end quite cooled. With this
operation a car loaded with raw materials passes under the direct action of the
fire. This done the bulkhead is replaced until the next charge when the same
operation is repeated. This system of kiln comprises also rollers and cars
Figs. 4 and 5 on which the raw materials are loaded outside and afterwards
bushed through the gallery of the kiln. A tramway or railway is also pro-
ided as in Figure 2 to bring the cars outside from the month at the lower
end where the kiln-dried material is unloaded, to the upper one where they are
gain loaded with raw material preparatory to introduction in the kiln.
The car or platform Fig. 5 consists of two rails a on which are fixed trans-
ersely some bars a' of iron as in Fig. 5; on the horizontal flanges of these
ars a three or four layers of bricks are placed of which two or three layers
ould be of raw bricks, the lowest of baked ones which are cemented by mortar.
го

page_text: These layers are almost non-conductors of heat so much as that the cars even
under the direct action of the fire never exceed in temperature 100 to 150 degrees C.
and the underlaying space is easily accessible. On the side of the movable plat-
form and rivetted to the extremity of the T irons are two angle irons a² which
have unequal sides the larger of each of which fits in a channel filled with sand
as in Fig. 3 (which is a transverse section on the line A B C of Fig. 2) thus
preventing the circulation of the air between the lower and upper part of the
gallery.
When the platform has been unloaded of the kiln-dried materials it is trans-
ferred to a flat car with wheels which carries it by the railway to upper entrance
of the gallery. The layers of brick are always serviceable as a platform. To
prevent the escape of air at the junction of the cars the space between them that
is between the flanges projecting from the T irons at the extremity of the cars is
filled with mortar or sand.
In two or three hours four workmen can load a car capable of carrying from
3 to 4000 bricks and in less than one hour can unload it while it requires only
10 or 15 minutes to execute all the necessary operations to introduce a car into
the kiln.
Fig. 4 represents a car formed of an iron band through which are made to pass
the axles of two cast iron rollers. These bands are intended to guide the rollers
along the gallery and to keep them on the special double railway whose rails are
set at a uniform distance apart.
Upon the rollers and between the projecting ribs T T Fig. 4 are laid the longi-
tudinal rails a of the platform of the car so that the platforms may rest upon at
least four rollers which, guided by the double railway serve the purpose of trans-
porting the materials. The distance between any two successive rollers should be
less than half the length of any of the platforms.
The movement of the car is helped by the inclination of the gallery but it is
propelled forward by a windlass, hydraulic power or screw or other suitable
means.
With this system the locomotion is very regular and easy even though the car
should be loaded with 10 or 15000 bricks.
The advantages of this new system are;-
1. Reducing the cost and greater facility in charging and discharging.
2. Reducing the consumption of fuel about 50% as demonstrated in many
experiments because the combustion takes place in a space warmed to the highest
temperature.
3. Uniformity of temperature in each part of the kiln and therefore a saving
in the construction and in the maintenance because great thickness of wall is only
required in that part of the gallery where the fire is situated.
4. Facility whenever necessary to increase with little expense the production
because all that is required is to lengthen the gallery and increase the number of
fireplaces. For this same reason the kiln is easily adapted to whatever quantity
is required and the expense is in proportion or nearly so to the amount of materials
to be kiln-dried.
5. Saving in construction compared with other systems of kiln because as can
be seen by consulting the drawing the amount of building to be executed is little
and the walls could be made mostly of raw material as only a small part of the
gallery is acted upon by the fire. The draught is much easier than in the
Hoffmann's and therefore a low chimney is sufficient. The metallic parts of this
kiln or the material used in the construction of the cars and railway cost about as
much as the numerous fire-boxes and valves of the Hoffmann's kilns.
6. Facility of removal with very little loss because the most costly parts can be
easily transported. This is a great advantage especially on railway constructions
where often temporary furnaces or kilns are erected.
The advantage of being able to transport the kiln is of great importance
because it has often been the case that after a kiln has been constructed the

page_text: locality or the clay has been found unsuitable hence the advantage of being able
to remove the kiln.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
A kiln in the form of a longitudinal or straight gallery with or without
inclination and with the chimney in preference placed at the upper extremity what-
ever the length of the gallery or the number of fire-places in accordance to the
amount of material to be produced substantially as described.
2. In a kiln the introduction of rollers their special disposition also that of the
railway and cars with their system of construction adapted to carry the material
to be dried or torrefied and which cars set in motion by mechanical power aided
by the inclined plane pass under the direct action of the heat and afterwards when
the treatment is completed pass out at the lower end of the kiln substantially as
described.
3. The complete kiln or furnace apparatus substantially as described and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of April 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.