IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREPLACES FOR HEATING KILNS POTTERY, OVENS, GLASS FURNACES OR OTHER HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY KNOWLES of Albion Works Woodville in the County of Leicester
Fire Brick and Sanitary Pipo Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said
Jnvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREPLACES FOR HEATING KILNS POTTERY, OVENS,
GLASS FURNACES OR OTHER HEATING PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention relates to Improvements in the construction of the fireplaces in
kilns ovens and glass and other furnaces for burning bricks, tiles, pipes, terra cotta
pottery, lime and other articles and substances and for other purposes to which such
fire places are applicable.
It has for its object the economy of fuel and consumption of smoke which is
secured by a simple arrangement of the parts of the fireplaces for effecting complete
or practically complete combustion of the fuel and the gases evolved therefrom by
which a common and low priced fuel may be used and from which as much effective
heat power may be obtained and maintained as from the more expensive qualities
of fuel ordinarily used for such purposes.
It can be applied to all kinds of fire places used for the various purposes
enumerated or for other analogous purposes and consists in an arrangement for
heating to a high degree the air necessary to effect complete combustion and
to supply the same to the solid fuel and gases evolved therefrom in as simple and
direct a manner as possible so that an intense heat is generated at the smallest
possible cost and smoke is consumed and nuisance avoided.
I construct the sides of the fireplaces of firebricks or blocks with openings or
inlets for the admission of the air These openings or inlets I make in each side
wall of the fire place in the lower part or ashpit near to the fire and I make them
at an acute angle with the inside or inner walls of the fire place the said openings
or air inlets passing in a direction upwards and outwards for a short distance, to
ease the draught and to avoid any ledge on which ashes would lodge at the mouth
of the inlets and so avoid choking I then continue the openings upwards in the
side walls either vertically or otherwise to the upper part level with the top of the
fire, and out of each of these, I make a series of perforations or outlets through
the sides of the fire place directly to the fire at different levels. These outlets I
also preferably make at a slightly acute angle downwards to keep them clear of
ashes, and I also make them slanting in the direction the fire is working to ease thọ

page_text: draught. I also make the outlets wider at their mouths for the better distribution
of the heated air to the fuel. If there be sufficient space in the side wall to allow
of the construction of an air chamber into which the inlet flues enter at the bottom,
and out of the sides of which the outlet flues can be made as in the case of the
above described openings such an air chamber may be used if desired.
These openings or air flues in the side-walls are for the purpose of supplying the
air necessary for combustion in a highly heated state to the solid fuel on which it
impinges as it issues from the flues and causes energetic combustion instead of slow
combustion which results from burning against a "dead" wall with insufficient air
of low temperature.
The interior of the side, walls next the fire may be either plain or corrugated or
ribbed. I prefer to make them corrugated or ribbed when they are made of
sufficiently refractory firebrick to withstand the intense heat and wear as the
corrugations or ribs enable the air to spread more freely upon the fuel.
In combination with the above described improvements I construct in the crown
or arch way of the fire place openings or air flues for the supply of heated air to
the gases evolved from the burning fuel which, as they rise, are met by the heated
air issuing from the said openings in the crown or arch over the fire and by
combining with the said air are consumed and generate intense heat.
In carrying this into effect I construct the crown or arch of the fireplace of
fire bricks or blocks and at the top across the front of the same, I make a series of
air inlets and continue them through the bricks alternately at varying angles
downwards in the direction the fire is working so as to open over different
portions of the fire; and I make them wider at the outlet for the better diffusion
of the heated air among the gases as they are evolved and pass under the crown or
archway where they mix together and burn with great intensity and complete
combustion is effected and the smoke consumed.
If the air be found at any time to be in excess of what is required to effect
complete combustion the supply can be regulated as desired by closing or partially
closing as many of the inlets over the fire as may be necessary.
By the above improved arrangement of air flues, constructed in the form and
manner as described, and passing through the highly heated brickwork of the fire
place, the air necessary to effect complete combustion is supplied to the fuel in a
highly heated state, and in as direct a manner as possible so that common low priced
fuel can be utilized and intense heat generated at a comparatively small cost, and
the smoke effectually consumed, and nuisance avoided.
Dated this cooand day of January 1884

page_text: I HENRY KNOWLES of Albion Works Woodville in the County of Leicester
Fire Brick and Sanitary Pipe Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREPLACES FOR HEATING KILNS POTTERY OVENS,
GLASS FURNACES OR FOR OTHER HEATING PURPOSES "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 the fire places in
kilns ovens and glass and other furnaces for burning bricks tiles pipes terra cotta
pottery lime and other articles and substances and for other purposes to which such
fire places are applicable.
It has for its object the economy of fuel and consumption of smoke which is
secured by a simple arrangement of the parts of the fire places for effecting complete
or practically complete combustion of the fuel and the gases evolved therefrom by
which a common and low priced fuel may be used and from which as much effective
heat power may be obtained and maintained as from the more expensive qualities
of fuel ordinarily used for such purposes.
It can be applied to all kinds of fire places used for the various purposes
enumerated or for other analogous purposes and consists of an arrangement for
heating to a high degree the air necessary to effect complete combustion and to
supply the same to the solid fuel and gases evolved therefrom in as simple and
direct a manner as possible so that an intense heat is generated at the smallest
possible cost and smoke is consumed and nuisance avoided.
I construct the sides of the fire places of firebricks or blocks with openings or
inlets for the admission of the air These openings or inlets I make in each side wall
of the fireplace in the lower part or ash pit near to the fire And I make them at
an acute angle with the inside or inner walls of the fireplace the said openings or
air inlets passing in an upward direction for a short distance to ease the draught
and to avoid any ledge on which ashes would lodge at the mouth of the inlets and
so avoid choking. I then continue the openings upwards in the side walls either
vertically or otherwise to the upper part level with the top of the fire or thereabouts
and out of each I make a series of perforations or outlets through the sides of the
fireplace directly to the fire at different levels. These outlets I also preferably
make at a slightly acute angle downwards to keep them clear of ashes and to make
them slanting in the direction the fire is working to case the draught. I also prefer
to make the outlets wider at their mouths for the better distribution of the heated
air to the fuel. If there be sufficient space in the side wall to allow of the
construction of an air chamber into which the inlet flues enter at the bottom and
out of the sides of which the outlet flues can be made as in the case of the above
described openings such an air chamber may be used if desired.
These openings or air flues in the side walls are for the purpose of supplying the
air necessary for combustion in a highly heated state to the solid fuel on which it
impinges as it issues from the flues and causes energetic combustion instead of slow
combustion which results from burning against a "dead" wall with insufficient air
of low temperature.
The interior of the side walls next the fire may be either plain corrugated fluted
grooved or ribbed. I prefer to make them corrugated grooved or ribbed when they

page_text: are made of sufficiently refractory fire brick to withstand the intense heat and
wear as the grooves enable the air to spread more freely upon the fuel.
In combination with the above described improvements I construct in the crown
or archway of the fire place openings or air flues for the supply of heated air to the
gases evolved from the burning fuel which as they rise are met by the heated air
issuing from the said openings in the crown or arch over the fire and by combining
with the said air are consumed and generate intense heat.
In carrying this into effect I construct the crown or arch of the fire-place of
fire-bricks or blocks, and at the top across the front of the same, I make a series of
air inlets and continue them through the bricks alternately at varying angles
downwards in the direction the fire is working so as to open over different portions
of the fire and I make them wider at the outlet for the better diffusion of the
heated air among the gases as they are evolved and pass under the crown or
archway where they mix together and burn with great intensity and complete
combustion is effected and the smoke consumed. If the air be found at any time
to be in excess of what is required to effect complete combustion, the supply can be
regulated as desired by closing or partially closing as many of the inlets over the
fire as may be necessary.
By the above improved arrangement of air flues constructed in the form and
manner as described and passing through the highly heated brick-work of the fire-
place, the air necessary to effect complete combustion is supplied to the fuel in a
highly heated state and in as direct a manner as possible so that common low priced
fuel can be utilized and intense heat generated at a comparatively small cost and
the smoke effectually consumed and nuisance avoided.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures of the annexed drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire-place, the example given being a fire-place
such as is generally used in brick and pipe kilns. Figure 2 is a vertical Section of
the same taken on the line 1, 2, Figure 1.-Figure 3 is a horizontal Section taken
on the line 3, 4, Figure 1, and Figure 4 is also a horizontal Section but taken on
the line 5, 6, Figure 1.
A is the fire-place proper, B the ash-pit and C the opening through which the
fuel is fed to the fire-place A and D is the arch or crown of the fire place.
The sides of the ash-pit B have in them the openings or inlets b, which are
continued in passages b² towards the upper part of the walls of the fire-place A.
The branch perforations 63 lead from these passages b₁ at different levels.
In Figure 1, I have shewn the side walls of the fire-place A, next the fire, as
being fluted grooved or ribbed as hereinbefore mentioned but they may be plain if
desired.
In the crown or arch D, are flues or passages & through which air passes to meet
the gases evolved from the fuel in the fire-place A. These passages are made with
their inner ends directed downwards at varying angles as shewn at d' so as to
discharge the air (which has become highly heated in its passage through the flues d)
over the whole area of the bach of the fireplace, or that part past which the gases
and Smoke escape therefrom.
In working, the fuel is fed at the mouth C of the fire place and as the fires are
gradually made up, the side walls of the said fireplace and the arch D, become
intensely heated so that the air in its passage through the air flues described is
highly heated and on emerging at the outlets in the side walls it impinges on the
burning fuel causing intense combustion and the gases and smoke evolved are met
as they pass under the arch or crown by the hot air issuing from the air flues & d¹,
which air combines with the said gases and smoke and complete combustion is
effected. In case the air passing through the flues in the crown is in excess of
what is required to effect complete combustion it can be readily regulated or checked
by the insertion of plugs or stoppers into the inlets of the air flues.

page_text: My Invention is applicable to all kinds of fire-places in which the herein before
described air flues can be constructed substantially as herein before described and
shewn in the drawings.
My Improvements are designed more especially for burning the commoner and
cheaper qualities of fuel such as "slack" which being small lies too close and dense
to admit of the requisite amount of air being supplied in the ordinary way thereby
causing slow combustion and the evolution of dense volumes of Smoke causing
great nuisance and much waste of fuel but these evils are prevented when air is
supplied according to my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First The construction of fire-places with air flues or passages having inlets
for air and outlets for heated air into the fire place proper the said flues or passages
being arranged or constructed as and for the purposes herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. The construction of fire places with air flues or passages in the arch
or crown of the fire-place for the admission of heated air to mix with the volatile
products of combustion substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third-The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the fire-place
with air flues or passages for supplying heated air from the sides of the Chamber
containing the fuel and to the products of combustion passing from the said Chamber
all substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty