NEW-DISCOVERED INVENTION AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, AND ERECTING AND MAKING OF OVENS, KILNS, AND FIRING PLACES, SO AS TO MAKE AND CAUSE A VERY GREAT SAVING OF COALS AND FUEL, IN AND ABOUT THE FIRING, HARDENING, AND BAKING ALL MANNER OF PORCELAIN, CHINA WARE, AND ALL MANNER OF EARTHEN WARES IN EVERY STATE WHEREIN FIRING. 18 NEEDFUL AND NECESSARY
Year: 1796

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, VALENTINE
CLOSE, of Hanley, in the County of Stafford, Merchant, and JAMES KEELING, Of
the samo Place, Potter, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, by His Letters
Patent bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of July, in the thirty-
sixth year of His reign, hath given and granted unto us, the said Valentine
Close and James Keeling, our executors, administrators, and assigns, special
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, during the term of years
therein expressed, to make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our "NEW-DISCOVERED INVENTION AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, AND ERECTING AND MAKING OF OVENS,
KILNS, AND FIRING PLACES, SO AS TO MAKE AND CAUSE A VERY GREAT SAVING OF
COALS AND FUEL, IN AND ABOUT THE FIRING, HARDENING, AND BAKING ALL MANNER
OF PORCELAIN, CHINA WARE, AND ALL MANNER OF EARTHEN WARES IN EVERY STATE
WHEREIN FIRING. 18 NEEDFUL AND NECESSARY;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, obliging us, the said Valentine Close and James Keeling,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within one calendar month next after the date of the said
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, may'
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we the said
Valentine Close and James Keeling, do hereby declare that by means of our

page_text: said Invention, porcelain china wares and earthen wares are more compleatly,
uniformly, and regularly fired, and with greater certainty and much less incon-
venience, and with very much less damage, and with very much less fuel, than
by any other method hitherto known and practised, and with coals of all kinds,
and of very inferior qualities, and the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained in
the Plans hereunto annexed, and the following description (that is to say):-
No 1 is the ground plan of the reverberatory close-mouthed oven, supposed
to be twelve feet in diameter in the inside, having four mouths or fire-places;
but if an oven is required larger or smaller, the number of mouths or fire-
places, and the other requisites, must bo increased or lessened in proportion.
A, A, A, A, is the ground shell of the oven, which is built of the common
strength, height, and form (except as to the fire-places); the mouths or fire places
are at equal distances at the points B, B, B, B. There are strong arches turned
in the said outside wall to receive the fire from the mouths, which are to be set
against the saine. These arches are of the same size as those for the same
purpose in the common ovens, and may be varied' accordingly; these arches
are continued to a, a, a, a, a, b, a, a, in the inside of the oven, to the depth of
about eighteen inches. D, D, D, D, D, D. D, D, are solid walls to be raised on
each side of each of the said arches, from the inside of the shell of the oven to
the extent of the said arches within. E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, are otlier arches
of the same height as the arch above mentioned, abutting against the walls
D. D. D, D; D, D, D, D, and the rebutter or inside circular 'wall F, F, F, F,
which is nine inches in thickness, and describes a circle, the which within
contains the well, and without leaves abotit two feet' and six inches between
the suid rebutter and the said outward shell of the oven. The last men-
tioned arches admit the flame and heat into the spaces G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G
from whence the flame and heat ascends into the tunnels or bags. These
spaces may be covered or closed with bricks of a proper size, or other proper
covering, or by an arch of the same height of those last mentioned, to be
spring from the solid walls H. H, H, H, (after described;) to the arches
E, E, E, E, E, E, EE; and the solid walls D; D, D, D, D, D, D, D,' to the
lines:b, b, b, b; b, b, b, b, on which the inside or face walls of the bags or tunnels
are supposed to be erected, which are of the breadth or size of common bags
or tunnels. In cases where slow.and inferior coals are intended to be used, holes
or vents, about. three inches wide, and six inches in height at c, c, c, c, c, c, c, c,
may be left in the rebutter, to admit a portion of flame and hent into the well.
H, H, HI, H, are four solid walls or pillars raised to the height of the top part
of the arches, and fill up the remaining spaces between the bags; and the

page_text: whole of the said work from the rebutter, close round the tunnels or bags, is to
be covered with a proper floor or covering, when the bottom of the oven is
compleat. The well is left open to the inside of the oven. I, I, K, K, is the
ground plan of the close mouth, about two feet and three inches in length
from the outside shell or wall of the oven, and about three feet in breadth,
at the outward or extreme end K, K, in the inside, and is continued to lessen
on each side to the side of the shell of the oven, in such a proportion as two
lines, drawn from the points K, K, and continued, will cross each other at.
the centre of the well; which, however, may be varied from, but we think
this best.
No 2, section of the reverberatory oven. L, the well in the centre of the
oven; M, M,.M, M, are four complete bags or tunnels, which for the firing
the wares in the different states must be made of the height as in the
common ovens.
No 3, plan of the oven and mouth or outward fire-place. N, a small arched
opening of the same kind as in the common mouths and fire-places, and for
the same use. The height of the mouths or fire-places are the same, and
may be varied as those to the common ovens; instead of bringing the side
walls of the mouths or fire-places p square from the bottom, we think it best
to narrow the sides upwards, so that the top may be about one third in width
less than the bottom. O,.O, is an oblong square opening called the feeder,
about twenty inches in length, and about nine inches in breadth, (which we
think the best and most convenient size, but it may be varied at pleasure,) in
which the coals or fuel are put to supply the fire after the same has been
raised, or brought up in the common way; the feeder, in the act of firing,
must in general be closed with a fire door or covered; all the rest of the tops
of the mouths or fire-places are to be closed with bricks or other proper
covering; the fire door or cover. to the feeder may be removed as may be
found necessary when the heat is too intense. In cases where the regulators
herein-after mentioned are found to be insufficient to abate the heat as
required, a is a small square hole, about four inches square, through the top
of the mouth, close to or near the side of the oven, which in the ordinary
course of firing is to be closed, but is to be opened to abate and regulate the
heat as occasion requires; b, b, are two other regulators through the shell of
the oven into the bags, about four inches square, which are in the general
course of firing also to be kept closed with clay or other proper stoppings; but
if by any means the fire should be more intense in one bag or tunnel than in
the other, which is supplied from the same mouth or fire-place, the regulator
in the bag so over heated being removed, will abate the heat, and in case the

page_text: •
fire is too ardent in both bags, all the regulators are to be opened. It is to
be observed, the height of the reverberatory oven is raised, so as that from
the floor over the arches the oven may be of the height of the common
ovens of the like dimensions. In order to give a more perfect description
of the close mouth or fire-place, we have in N° 1, Figure 2, given &
Drawing thereof. a is the arch at the bottom of the mouth or fire-place,
which is loosely filled with bricks or other materials, except as herein-before
mentioned; b, b, b, b, is the front view; c, c, c, c, the top of the mouth;
d, d, d, d. the feeder; e, the regulator, at or near the side of the oven. In
cases where very bad coals are used, it may be of use to put in a bottom of
iron bars with an ash cave beneath.
No 4, ground plan of the close mouthed repressing oven, which is erected on
a part of the principle only, and at less expence than the reverberatory oven,
and may answer the purposes of that oven, where the object of the utmost
savings in the fire, coals, and fuel, and trifling injuries sustained by the wares
in firing, are not of great importance; and greater or less ovens may be erected
with more or less number of mouths in proportion to the size. A, A, A, A,
is the outward shell of the oven, supposed to be twelve feet in diameter
within, and of the common height, to which there is four months or fire-places
of the same kind and size as to the before-described oven. a. a. a, a. a. a, a, a,
are small walls raised in the spaces between the bags or tunnels for the
covering of the bottom to rest upon in those parts. b, b. b, b, b, b, b, b, arɑ
holes left about four inches wide, and eight inches from the ground, in the
bottom of the sides of the bags, to supply the four direct flues in the bottom
with fire; like openings are likewise to be left in the bottom of the faces of the
bags or tunnels, and the repressers or false bags to supply the other flucs in the
bottom in like manner; the white spaces in the plan describe the flues in
the bottom, and the situations of the bags and repressers, and the shaded parts
are brick work that form them, and support the covering or floor of the oven,
which is made of bricks or other proper materials with which the whole bottom
is covered, except the space of about one foot in diameter which is to be left
open in the centre. We will here generally observe that the form and
direction of these bottom flues may be varied at pleasure, always observing
that the number and direction of these flues aro such as to heat the whole
bottom uniformly and sufficiently, in whatever form or shape this kind of oven
may be erected.
N° 5, section of the repressing oven. A, A, A, are the two bags or tunnels.
and represser or false bag, which is directly against the mouth or fire-place;
the bags are of the cominion size, and stand on each side of the space that

page_text: admits the fire from the mouth or fire-place, at the distance of about the
breadth of the common bag from each other, in which space and directly
against the arches a wall is raised, together with the two bags or tunnels, to a
little above the top of the said arch; and in the inside of the shell of the
oven a groove is left, or made about five or six inches in depth, to receive
bricks, commonly called coverers, and must be continued so far in the sides of
the real bags or tunnels as shall be necessary to set or erect the two side
walls C, C, of the bags upon, as described, at D, D; the bags or tunnels
having a free communication with each other and the fire, are then built up in
the common way; the like method is to be pursued at every fire-place the
oven contains; the open space in the centre is obvious at E.
No 6, the ground plan of the contort close-mouthed oven, supposed to be
twelve feet in diameter in the inside, of the usual height; and if a larger or
smaller is required, the flues must be enlarged or diminished in proportion,
and fire-places to supply the flues in the oven must be increased as may be
necessary, and which must be placed in directions round the oven nearly
opposite A; A is the outward shell of the oven, built in the common way
except as to the fire-places; B, the situation of the fire-place that supplies the
bottom of the oven with fire; C, the situation of the fire-place that supplics
the sides of the oven with fire; the black lines describe the contort flue,
about six inches wide and nine inches in height, but they may be varied as
required; the black lines describe the wall of the flue, the strength and height
of which is ascertained by the flue, the whole being covered with a floor of
bricks or other proper materials, except a circle, about two feet in diameter,
in the centre the bottom is complete.
No 7, section of the contort oven. A is the circular opening in the bottom
of the oven, from whence a bag or tunnel is to be raised to the height of the
lower part of the crown of the oven; in various parts of this bag or tunnel,
from about three feet from the bottom upwards, small apertures or holes are
to be left to admit the flame and heat thereout into the oven; B is the mouth
that supplies the bottom and the said middle bag with fire; C, the fire-place
that supplies the sides of the oven with fire, by means of the flue D, D, D, D, D,
which runs round the inside of the oven until the contort flue arrives at or
near the lower part of the crown or top of the oven; this flue is nine inches
in height and six inches in width from the shell or side of the
oven, and may
be varied as required. In different parts of the contort flue last-mentioned
apertures or hole are left to admit the flame and heat thereout into the oven;
about four inches by two inches square, as described at the points 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; and in the uppermost round of this flue these

page_text: apertures may be enlarged a little; and also on the top side other openings
are left, as at E, E, to admit more of the flame and heat into the oven. Tho
mouths or fire-places to this oven are of the form and size, and are constructed
in manner as the mouths or fire-places herein-before described.
But in order to prevent any difficulties in applying the principles of our firing
to ovens of different shapes and forms, we will lay them down as applied to a
square oven, from which, and the plans and descriptions before given, no
difficulties can arise in their application to ovens of any other proper form,
size, or shape.
No 8, the ground plan of the close-mouthed reverberatory squaro oven,
supposed to be twelve feet square in the inside; A, A, A, A, is the outside
wall or shell of the oven, strong and firmly built, eighteen inches in thickness
at least; B, B, B, B, the plan of the mouths or fire-places, same as before
first described; the arches, the reverberatory, the flues, the walls, and the
situation of the bags, will be perfectly understood by referring to this plan and
description of the reverbatory oven before given, the shaded parts being the
arches, and the white parts the flues and bags. The bottom of this oven must
be covered as the other oven bottoms are, except at the corners C, C, C, C,
which spaces, as also the square well D, D, D, D, are left open;
this well may
be made circular or square at pleasure; the openings a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, into
the well are to be made or not, as first mentioned as to the first ground plan.
No. 9, section of the square reverberatory oven; the height of the oven
from the inside floor or covered bottom to the square is the same as the height
of the common ovens are to the lower part of the crown or round top. The
bottom, the well, and corners, are obvious on the face of the plan. A, A, A, A,
four bags, as before described in the reverberatory oven.
No 10. plan of the oven and mouth or fire-place; A, A, A, the arch of the
roof, of the same radius as the tops of the common ovens, in tho which like
vents are left as in the other ovens, and for the like purposes; B, B, the
entrance into the oven. The whole is firmly bound together with bars and
bands of iron, and the mouths or fire-places and regulators are exactly.the
same as to the two ovens hercin-before first described.
We have added No 11, ground plan of a square repressing oven, from which,
and observing that the shaded parts of the plan represent the solid work, and
the white parts the bags and flues, and the places not covered by the floor
of the oven, which uncovered places are in the middle, and the corners of
the oven.
Attending to the explanations herein-before given any further description is
unnecessary; where the saving of fuel is great object, and where ordinary

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of August, in the
0 year above written, the aforesaid Valentine Close and James Keeling came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.