provements in Ovens or Kilns for Burning Bricks, Tiles, and other Articles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 188
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Ovens or Kilns for Burning Bricks, Tiles, and
other Articles.
1, REGINALD STANLEY, of Nuneaton Colliery, Nuneaton, in the county of Warwick,
Brick and Tile Manufacturer and Colliery Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of ovens, kilns and
chambers (which for the convenience of description are hereinafter generally referred
to as chambers) for baking or burning bricks, tiles, clay goods or other articles.
My improvements are applicable to two classes of chambers, videlicet, first those in
which the fire circulates around the chamber but does not come into direct contact
with the contents, and second, those in which the fire passes amongst the contents
and acts directly upon the same.
In the application of my improvements to the class first mentioned i construct a
series of long and narrow chambers with arched roofs and parallel with one another.
Between the chambers are formed spaces or flues (which for the sake of description 1
teru lateral flues) and along which the fire and gases travel or circulate.
The side walls of the chambers, which also form the side walls of the lateral flues,
are constructed of fire bricks, and are as thin as possible consistent with the strength
required to resist the action of the fire so as to allow the heat to quickly penetrate into
and through the contents of the chambers.
At each end, or at one end only, of the lateral flues I construct fire holes with
doors and bars in the ordinary manner to admit the introduction of fuel as required,
the bars being sanded over and the doors closed tightly when not being fired. Or
nstead of doors 1 sometimes drop the fuel from openings in the top of the lateral flues
on to bars.
Both ends of the parallel chambers may be open for the convenience of drawing and
etting, or one end only is left open for that purpose the other being built up with a
louble end wall between which the fire and gases circulate.
When set for burning, the open ends of the chamber are closed with double walls

page_text: or wickets built up with loose bricks and plastered over, between
wickets the fire passes or circulate.
At the ends of each of the parallel chambers between the end walls or wickets are
openings in the bottom leading down into an underneath flue or flues (which for con-
venience of description I call underneath flues) which extend along and under the 5
ends of the parallel chambers, in a direction at right angles to them, into a chimney or
chimneys. When the openings at the ends of the chambers leading into the under-
neath flue or flues are not required to be open they are covered with a damper or other
suitable covering.
In addition to the lateral flues that convey the bulk of the fire and gases I constructi
the top and bottom of the chambers with double walls to form a space for the fire and
guses to circulate in correspondence with the fire and gases in the lateral flucs and
together descend through the opening into the underneath flue. The fire and gases
traversing the double top and bottom being prevented from crossing from one side to
the other before they have travelled the length of the chambers.
The fire and gases employed to bake or burn the contents of the chambers circulate
horizontally around. the chambers and are drawn towards the opening into the
underneath flue and thence into the chimney up which they ascend and escape into
the atmosphere. The draught caused by the chimney makes the fire burn fiercely in
the fire holes, as many of which are employed at one time as may be required.
The fire and gases are allowed to escape into the underneath flue at one or more
openings before they reach the last chamber, or they can be allowed to circulate
around all the chambers and escape into the underneath flue at the last opening. The
fire holes are successively charged from the farthest from the chimney towards the
In this
latter, either one or more chambers being under the hottest fire at once.
manner heat is economised as after burning the contents of one or more chambers it
proceeds forwards and backwards towards the chimney, gradually heating the chambers
in rotation and allowing time for warming and heating the contents so as to avoid
their boing heated too suddenly.
The heat from the chambers that have finished burning is carried forwards and
assists in heating the chambers that are being fired and thus economy is effected.
By this system of burning the contents are not only kept from discoloration but are
burnt harder and with less fuel than heretofore, as long and narrow chambers are used
whereby little outside surface is exposed for absorption of heat as is in the case where
thick side walls are used. Also the contents do not suffer from contraction as must be
the case in wider chambers set and burnt in the usual manner.
Trial holes are made through the arches and end walls of the chambers and into the
lateral flues, and through them the progress of the heating and burning can be watched
and regulated..
I sometimes, especially if the articles to be baked are not dry, leave holes through
the inside end walls or wickets of a chamber so as to allow a small quantity of heat to
draw through as required to dry and partly heat the contents but not sufficient to
discolour the contents. These holes can be stopped up when the contents are dry as
the burning proceeds.
In the application of my improvements to the second class of chambers in which
the fire comes into actual contact with the contents during burning 1 construct a
number of parallel chambers separated from each other by thin partition walls withou
the lateral Hues as hereinbefore described but with the underneath flue or flues with
openings in the bottom and leading to a chimney or chimneys as described in the firs
class of chambers, and so arrange the chambers that the fire entering at the wicke
end of the first chamber most distant from the chimney and travelling through i
passes around the end of the partition wall (which at the end of the chamber and a
the side nearest the chimney is shortened to allow an entrance into the next or secon
chamber) and returns through the second and again turning the next partition wa
into the third and so on until it finds its way into the underneath flues either at th
end of the last chambers or into an opening or openings into the underneath flue befor
it reaches the last as described in the chainbers of the first class.

page_text: The chambers of the second class are either arched over or for common brick burning
may be simply plastered over and covered with a coating of earth or other material to
prevent radiation.
The firing is performed either by dropping fuel through openings in the arch or top
among the contents, or instead of or in conjunction with the said openings.
construct one or more fire holes at one end of each chamber, videlicet, the end that the
fire and gases enter it from the previous chamber, a space for that purpose being left
between the back of the fire holes and the contents. These fire holes are charged
when it is required to heat any particular chamber or chambers. The opposite end of
the chambers from the fire holes, I leave open for the convenience of setting and
drawing which when the chambers are realy for heating are built up with a loose wall
or wicket plastered over but not so as to prevent the fire and gases from passing
around the end of the partition wall into the next chamber as before described.
Dated the 6th day of February 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
+, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in Ovens or kilns for Burning Bricks, Tiles, and
other Articles.
I, REGINALD STANLEY, of Nuneaton Colliery, Nuneaton, in the County of Warwick,
Brick and Tile Manufacturer and Colliery Proprietor, 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of ovens, kilns and
chambers (which for the convenience of description are hereinafter generally referred
to as chambers) for baking or burning bricks, tiles, clay goods, and other material and
articles.
My improvements are applicable to two classes of chambers, videlicet, firstly to
muffled chambers or those in which the heated gases and fire circulate around the
chambers but do not come into direct contact or only partially so, with the contents of
the chambers and secondly to open fire chambers or those in which the heated gases
and fire pass through and amongst the contents of the chambers and act directly upon
the same.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an oven or kiln having muffled chambers for
burning bricks, tiles, and other articles and constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a side or end elevation of one range of chambers showing the entrances
or wickets and fire doors, and the manner in which the chambers are bound
together.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the oven or kiln the section being taken through the
line A A of figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken through the line B B of figure 1.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken through the line D, D, of figure 1.
Figure 6 is a similar view to figure 1 but illustrating my arrangement of open
chambers.
Figure 7 is a cross section of the oven or kiln, the section being taken through the
line EE of figure 6.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
In the application of my improvements to the class of ovens or kilns first mentioned
and illustrated in figures 1 to 5, I construct a number of long and narrow chambers a, a,
arranged parallel with one another and having arched roofs b, b.
In these chambers are placed the goods or materials to be baked or burned and I
have found it advantageous to employ two sets or series of such chambers (as clearly
shown in figure 1) connected by flues a', a' hereinafter more fully referred to.

page_text: Between the chambers are formed spaces or flues c, c (which for the sake of
description I term lateral flues) and along which the fire and gases travel or
circulate.
a², a² are the outer front and back walls of the kiln.
The side walls d, d of the chambers a, a which also form the side walls of the
lateral flues c, c are constructed of fire bricks, and are as thin as possible consistent
with the strength required to resist the action of the fire and weight of the arches so
as to allow the heat to quickly penetrate into and through the contents of the
chambers.
At each end of the lateral flues c (or at one end only) and also in the outer walls a²,
I construct fire holes e, e with doors, fund bars in the ordinary manner to allow of
the introduction of fuel as required, the bars being sanded over and the doors closed
tightly when not being fired to prevent the entry of cold air.
Both ends of the parallel chambers can be opened when not being used for burning
for the convenience of drawing and setting, or one end only is left open for that
purpose the other being built up with a double and wall between which the. fire and
gases circulate.
When set for burning, the open ends of the chambers a are closed with double walls
or wickets g, h, figure 1, formed by building up the openings c, figure 2, with loose
bricks and plastering them over, hetween which walls or covered up openings the fire
passes or circulates, openings a³, a³ (shown in figure 3) being provided for that
purpose in the walls d, d. These openings also allow the fire to pass from one lateral
Hue c to the next.
The openings before being covered up as described form the entrances to the
chambers a through which the goods or materials to be baked or burned are taken
into the said chambers.
h
At the ends of each of the parallel chambers a between the end walls or wickets
are openings in the bottom leading down into underneath flues j, j extending along
and under the ends of the parallel chambers a in a direction at right angles to them,
into flues, leading to a chimney (or chimneys). When the openings are not
required to be open they are covered with fire clay slabs or dampers m, m, figure 5,
or with other suitable coverings.
Access is obtained to the dampers m through a space b', shewn in figure 2, left in
the front wicket A, and made by building a bar of iron in the brickwork, which space
is afterwards closed by being built and daubed up.
d', ', are dampers for stopping communication between the flues k, k and the
chimney L.
e,e are dampers for stopping the flues a¹, serving when required to conduct the
heated gases from one set of chambers to the other.
In addition to the lateral flues e that convey the bulk of the fire and gases, 1
construct the top and bottom of the chambers with double walls so as to form spaces
shown at n and o respectively in figures 3 and 4, for the fire and gases to circulate
through in communication with the fire and gases in the lateral Hues c and which
together descend through the openings i into the underneath flues j. The fire and
gases traversing the double top and bottom are prevented from crossing from one side
to the other before they have travelled the length of the chambers a.
I sometimes however nake both the arches and bottom of solid brickwork allowing
the heat to radiate from the lateral flues only.
The fire and gases employed to bake or burn the contents of the chambers travel
horizontally in the flues c around the chambers for the distance required and are
drawn towards the opening or openings i, which may be uncovered for that purpose,
into the underneath flue and thence into the chimney up which they ascend and
escape into the atmosphere. The draught caused by the chimney makes the fires burn
fiercely in the fire holes e as many of which are fired at one time as may be required.
The fire and gases are allowed to escape into the underneath flues at one or more
of the openings i before they reach the last chamber that is being heated.
When however the number of chambers in the range is small, the fire and gases

page_text: .
may be allowed to circulate around all the chambers a and escape into the underneath
flues through the last opening or openings or that nearest to the chimney 1.
The fire holes are successively charged and fired from the furthest from the chimney
towards the latter, either one or more chambers being under the hottest fire at once.
Trial holes p, p, figure 4, are made through the arches and are also sometimes left
through the wickets g. h of the chambers a, and through these holes trials are drawn
and the progress of the heating and burning can be watched and thus regulated.
Other holes 7, 9, shown in dotted lines in figure 4, are left opening into the lateral
flues through which the progress of the firing is inspected and fuel is sometimes
dropped.
Holes r,, figure 3, are left in the inside end walls or wickets towards the chimney
and are kept open to allow the escape of any steam that may be produced in the pro
cess of drying. Small openings are left in the front inside wickets, and sometimes I
insert pipes s in the outside wickets to allow the entrance of a small current of air
which will assist in carrying off the steam which may be generated during the drying,
These holes can be stopped up when the contents have become dry as the burning
proceeds, and, if the contents and chambers are quite dry at the commencement, the
holes would of course not be required.
t,& figure 2, are iron girders and u, u are wire ropes for holding the brickwork
together.
w represents soil or other suitable material covering the arches in order to keep in
heat while the chambers are being fired and it also forms a floor on which to walk,
or on which goods can be dried before they are burned, in which case I cover the
whole with a roof.
When only one of the sets or ranges of chambers is used, the heated gases from
the fire hole or holes e used for firing the last chamber a or that nearest to the
chimney can be allowed to escape directly into the fluc k.
เ
Or they may be caused to travel back along the underneath Anes j and heat the first
or front chamber or chambers of the range. This is effected in the following manner
The dampers e', el are closed as is also a damper e in the said flue j, the horizontal
opening a at the side of the fire hole nearest the chimney is built up and the open-
ings at each end of the inside underneath fluc and one or more of such openings at
the outer ends of the chambers a are left open. The heat and gases from the fire first
pass around the chamber a nearest the chimney and then down the opening at the
inner end of the said chamber into the inside underneath flue j, from which they issue
through the opening at the inner end of the chamber which is farthest from the
chimney. The heat and gases then pass through the horizontal openings a³ and flues c
on one or on each side of the front chamber or chambers and entering the outer
underneath flue j through the opening or openings at the opposite end or ends of
the said chamber or chambers pass thence into the flue k and on to the chimney L.
In practice the front and back fire holes e, are first fired until the outer flue c of the
first chamber a is heated sufficiently, when the first of the side fire holes e is fired,
the flame and gases circulating along the lateral flues c around as many of the parallel
chambers a as may be required to be warmed and heated when they are allowed to
escape down one or more of the openings i, into the underneath flue j, whence they
are drawn to the chimney L.
When the materials in the first chamber a are sufficiently baked or burned, the
front or back fire holes e and the first and fire holo e are closed up and the fire bars
sanded down, so that no more cold air can enter than is required to cool the chamber
quickly or slowly according to the nature of its contents, the same process is observed!
with the second chamber when the goods therein have become sufficiently baked or
burned. As fast as the goods in the back chambers are sufficiently burned and the fire
holes closed and bars dampered down, other fire holes e toward the chimney are
เ
opened and commenced to be fired along the ranges, the dampers m covering the
openings being regulated so as to cause the goods in the chambers to be heated,
burned, and cooled in stendy succession as required, it being possible to regulate the
speed of the different operations with the greatest nicety.

page_text: The drawings show a double range of only five chambers each, but it is evident that
a larger number may be employed by the addition of chimneys at intervals to assist
the draught for the fires.
The horizontal openings a³, figures 3 and 5, are shown open, but in the process of
drawing, setting, and burning it is evident that some of them are stopped up when
and where it is required to prevent the fire, gases and cold air from passing through;
this is carried out as the work proceeds by building them up with loose bricks and
daubing over.
After
In this system of parallel chambers, the heat is economised in several ways.
burning the contents of one or more chambers, it proceeds forwards towards the
opening or openings down which it is drawn successively and gradually, heating the
chambers and drying and heating the contents, and at the same time allowing steam
to escape so as to prevent bursting or discoloration by the too rapid accumulation of
steam in the chambers.
Also the heat from the chambers that have been fired, is carried forward and
assists in heating the chambers that are being fired, and economy is thus
effected.
The chambers also expose comparatively little external surface which would allow
of the heat radiating away and being of no service, the sides of the lateral fines (with
the exception of the two end chambers) being made of thin fire-bricks, the heat
radiates on both sides into the chambers and among the contents to be burned, instead
of being absorbed into " thick side walls " or radiating into the open air on one side
as is generally the case in muffled kilns or ovens.
The length of the chambers allows the heat to be absorbed with economy and
regularity, and their narrowness not only allows the heat to penetrate quickly through
the contents, but the contents do not in consequence suffer from contraction, as is the
case in wide chambers set and burned in the usual manner.
In the application of my improvements to the second class of chambers in which
the fire comes into actual contact with the contents during burning and which I have
illustrated in figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, I construct, a number of parallel
chambers a, a separated from each other by thin partition walls d, d without the
lateral flues c, c herein before described but with openings i, i in the bottom and
underneath flues j, j leading to other flues k, k and so to a chimney as described in
1
the first class of chambers. I so arrange the chambers a that the fire entering at the
wicket end of the first chamber most distant from the chimney and travelling through
it passes through the opening as in the end of the partition wall d into the next or
second chamber a and returns through the same and passes through the opening a² in
the next partition wall into the third chamber a and so on until it finds its way into
the underneath flue j through the opening i at the end of the last chamber or through
one or more of the openings i before it reaches the last chamber as described.with
reference to the chambers of the first class of kiln.
The chambers of the second class are arched over, as shown in figure 7, with a
single or solid arch. The bottom of the chambers is also formed solid instead of hollow
as described with reference to the muffle kiln or oven.
The firing is performed from each end similarly to the muffle kiln or oven, and the
fuel is also dropped through the openings g in the arch or top to assist the combustion
of the contents, or either system of firing can be used alone.
The horizontal openings a³, figures 6 and 7, are shown open, but in the process of
drawing, setting, and burning it is evident that some of them are stopped up when
and where it is required to provent the fire, gases and cold air from passing through ;
this is carried out as the work proceeds by building them up with loose bricks and
daubing over.
From the above description it will be seen that the manner of working the open
kiln or oven is substantially the same as that bereinbefore described when referring
to the muffle kiln or oven, and therefore no further explanation will be necessary to
enable it to be fully understood.

page_text: The wickets can all be built up with loose bricks and daubed over for removing
easily, or one end of the chambers can be built up for a permanency, and one end
only removed for the purpose of setting and drawing the .contents..
Instead of arching over the chambers a, I sometimes set the top course of bricks or
other material to be burnt in close order and daub over their top, putting soil or other
material over that to keep the heat from radiating while being fired and the contents
from suffering from the weather before being fired.
It will be evident that a combination of the herein described arrangements of open
fire and muffle chambers can be used, the lateral flues being employed for the purposes
of drying the contents of the chambers. When the contents are dry the ends of the
flues are stopped up, and the firo and heated gases pass through and among the
contents; by this arrangement the contents are more thoroughly protected from
discoloration and cracking in the process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) An oven or kiln for burning bricks, tiles, and other articles and materials
comprising a series of chambers arranged alongside one another but separated by
spaces or flues along which and around the ends of the chambers the fire and heated
gases employed in heating and burning the contents, travel or are conveyed hori-
zontally till thoy escape through openings leading to a chimney or chimneys
substantially as hereinbefore described.
(2.) An oven or kiln for burning bricks, tiles, and other articles and materials
comprising a serios of chambers adjoining one another having side walls which allow
of the heat radiating freely from the contents of one to the contents of the next and
through which chambers the fire and heated gases travel horizontally from one to the
other till they are allowed to escape through openings into a flue or Blues leading into
a chimney or chimneys, substantially as hereinbefore described.
(3.) The combination in one range of the two arrangements of open fire and muffle
chambers substantially as herein before described.
(4.) The improved ovens or kilns for burning bricks, tiles, and other articles and
materials berein before described and illustrated in the various figures of the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated the 5th day of November 1888