Improved System of Continuous-acting Kilns.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved System of Continuous-acting Kilns.
I, GRAZIANO APPIANI, of Treviso, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Continuous acting kilns for bricks and lime which are heated by gas, as hitherto
employed have not been successful, on account of the cost of installation and of
working; of the results obtained not having been satisfactory; and of the dangers
which their working have presented.
The present invention relates to new system which effects a great economy in
the costs of installation and of working, and produces greatly superior results,
while removing all danger. The general principle of this improved system consists
in the introduction of retorts charged with combustible to be distilled, into the
interior of the mass of material to be burnt, situated in the burning chambers of
the continuous kilns.
As soon as the retorts in one of the chambers begins to get slightly heated by
the passage of the products of combustion from the preceding chambers, as occurs
in all continuous acting kilns, gas immediately begins to be generated, and leaving
the retorts is ignited, and heats and burns the materials with which it comes into
contact; thus in succession the products of combustion of the gas serve to heat the
retorts in the succeeding chambers. The retorts remain charged in the mass of
material until the complete burning of the latter, that is to say until the kiln is
drawn, so that the distillation of the combustible is complete, and more perfect than
in ordinary lighting gas retorts.
This arrangement of enclosing the combustible in retorts instead of placing
it directly among the mass of material to be burnt presents the following
advantages:-
1. The flame which plays upon the material being purer, produces a product of
better quality.
2. The products of distillation or fixed combustibles which are left in the retort
represent about 55 or 60 per cent. of the weight of the combustible which was
introduced, and they have a much greater commercial value than that of the
combustible with which the retorts are charged.
3. Hand labour is requisite to ignite the mass of combustible placed in the
chambers of continuous acting kilns heated by direct flame, whereas with this new
system such hand labour is no longer required for ignition, as the products of com-
bustion from preceding chambers themselves ignite the gas which is generated in
the retorts of the succeeding chambers.
This new system may be applied to all continuous acting kilns, and could be also
applied to kilns which are fired intermittently.
The retorts may be made of any form, material and size, and may be arranged
in any manner, the invention consisting in the principle (which may be applied in
various ways in practice), of the distillation of combustibles by means of retorts
situated in the mass of material to be burnt, and of employing the flame of gas
which is generated from such combustible to burn the said material.
In some cases it may be found convenient to add to the heat produced from the
gras distilled in the retorts, an amount of heat proceeding from combustibles placed
in the kiln, and acting directly upon the material, that is to say without the use of
retorts. This mixed heating may, in certain cases, have the advantage of
facilitating the stoker's working in burning the material. For example, it may
happen that the quantity of gas and consequently of heat a certain combustible
will yield is not known with exactitude, and in such case, for safety in burning it

page_text: is advisable to limit the charges of the retorts; and should it be found that the
heat in the burning chambers is not sufficient, it will be necessary to add thereto
by burning a quantity of combustible so that it acts directly on the material.
Another case may be that the kiln owner does not desire to produce a large
quantity of coke, but desires to limit same, when it will suit him better to
completely burn a part of the combustible directly, instead of distilling such
part.
Dated this 24th day of February 1890.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved System of Continuous-acting Kilns.
I, GRAZIANO APPIANI, of Treviso, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentleman, 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 :-
Continuous acting kilns for bricks and lime which are heated by gas, as hitherto
employed have not been successful, on account of the cost of installation and of
working of the results obtained not having been satisfactory; and of the dangers
which their working has presented.
The present invention relates to a new system which effects a great economy in
the costs of installation and of working, and produces greatly superior results,
while removing all danger. In my improved system retorts charged with com-
bustible to be distilled are introduced into the interior of the mass of material to be
burnt, situated in the burning chambers of the continuous kilns.
As soon as the retorts in one of the chambers begin to get slightly heated by the
passage of the products of combustion from the preceding chambers, as occurs in
all continuous acting kilns, gas immediately begins to be generated, and leaving the
retorts is ignited, and heats and burns the materials with which it comes into
contact; thus in succession the products of combustion of the gas serve to heat
the retorts in the succeeding chambers.
This arrangement of enclosing the combustible in retorts or closed receptacles
instead of placing it directly in the kiln without protecting it from contact with air
presents the following advantages :-
1. The flame which plays upon the material being a gas flame and purer, it
produces a product of better quality.
2. The products of distillation or fixed combustibles which are left in the retort
represent about 55 or 60 per cent. of the weight of the combustible which was
introduced, and they have a much greater commercial value than that of the
combustible with which the retorts are charged.
3. Hand labour is requisite to ignite the mass of combustible placed in the
chambers of continuous acting kilns heated by direct flame, whereas with this new
system such hand labour is no longer required for ignition, as the products of
combustion from preceding chambers themselves ignite the gas which is generated
in the retorts of the succeeding chambers.
This new system may be applied to all continuous acting kilns, and could be
also applied to kilns which are fired intermittently.
The retorts may be made of any form, material and size, and may even be formed
of the material to be burnt, and they may be arranged in any manner, the invention
consisting in the principle (which may be applied in various ways in practice), of
the distillation of combustibles by means of retorts situated in the mass of material
to be burnt, and of employing the flame of gas which is generated from such
combustible to burn the said material.
In some cases it may be found convenient to add to the heat produced from the

page_text: gas distilled in the retorts, an amount of heat proceeding from combustibles placed
in the kiln, and acting directly upon the material, that is to say without the use of
retorts. This mixed heating may, in certain cases, have the advantage of
facilitating the stoker's working in burning the material. For example, it may
happen that the quantity of gas and consequently of heat a certain combustible
will yield is not known with exactitude, and in such case for safety in burning;
it is advisable to limit the charges of the retorts; and should it be found that
the heat in the burning chambers is not sufficient, it will be necessary to add
thereto by burning a quantity of combustible so that it acts directly on the
material.
Another case may be that the kiln owner does not desire to produce a large
quantity of coke, but desires to limit same, when it will suit him better to
completely burn a part of the combustible directly, instead of distilling such
part.
The annexed drawing shows one method, in which the principle above described
may be carried into effect.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent in transverse section and plan respectively a kiln
constructed according to my invention.
This kiln, like continuous acting kilns of known construction, consists in a con-
tinuous annular chamber A, A, having inner and outer walls B, B, and C, C, of
masonry. The space D formed by the inner walls B, B, serves to collect the
products of combustion and convey them to an ordinary chimney E. The material
to be burnt is placed inside the chamber A so as to entirely fill saine from top to
bottom and from the outer to the inner wall, but is divided into sections a, b, c, d, etc.,
which leave spaces a, b, c, d, etc. between them. These sections or blocks a, b, c, d,
etc., of material to be burnt are of the same height and width as the chamber A, A,
and their length measured on the longitudinal axis thereof varies from 0.50" to
2 metres. The spaces a, b, c, d, etc., are of the same height and width as the
blocks, but of a shorter length measured on the longitudinal axis of the chamber,
and varying from 0.10 to one metre. The openings F, F, F, serve to charge the
material to be burnt, and to draw the burnt material, which is effected in a con-
tinuous manner, as in ordinary continuous acting kilns, so that the above mentioned
blocks a, b, c, d, etc., are introduced and withdrawn as the burning progresses along
the chamber, the same as in all continuous acting kilns, whereby the materials
themselves constitute the different burning sections. The openings F, F, are closed
after charging, and until it is required to draw, by temporary masonry, indicated
by dotted lines G, G, G. The arch or crown of the chamber A, A, is pierced
with cylindrical vertical holes H, H, H, which serve to introduce the combustible
into the spaces a, b, c, d, etc. When the materials in one burning section have
by means of the heat produced by the products of combustion of the preceding
sections become incandescent, the combustible is thrown into the spaces a¹, b, c, d,
etc., until it fills a small part of the height of such space; such spaces a', b', c', d',
etc. then really constitute retorts, because as the combustible therein is almost
entirely protected from contact with air, it is just as if it were enclosed in closed
receptacles, and it is distilled instead of burning completely. The gas resulting
from this distillation then begins to develop and passing through the material to
be burnt to the next space, it ignites, serving to commence the burning of the
material with which it finds itself in contact, and thus successively the gases pro-
ceeding from each space charged with combustible pass to and serve to heat the
material situated in the succeeding chamber. In the temporary masonry which
closes the openings F, F, F, small openings 1, 1, are left and serve to draw the
coke forming the residuum of the distillation of the combustible which has been
placed in the spaces a, b, c, d, etc. But if the openings F, F, F, are too far
apart, other small openings L, L, L, may be pierced through the exterior
wall and serve also to draw the coke resulting from the distillation in the said
spaces a, b, c¹, d¹, etc.

page_text: 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 :-
The improved system (which may be applied in various ways in practice) of
distilling combustibles in continuous acting kilns by means of retorts situated in
the mass of material to be burnt, the flame of the gas generated from such
combustible being employed to burn the said material, substantially as specified.
Dated this 24th day of November 1890.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.