Improvements in or connected with. Kilns for Drying and Burning Bricks or other Articles or Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1892 -Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with. Kilns for Drying and Burning
Bricks or other Articles or Materials.
I JOHN CRAVEN of Wakefield in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means. whereby the heat. from the
chambers of kilns (such for instance as those known as Hoffmann kilns) in which
bricks or other articles or materials have been burnt. can. be introduced, to the
chambers in which green goods are contained. so that the heat. from the first named
chambers is utilized in drying the green goods. According to this invention a
metal main pipe is led in proximity to each chamber of the kiln and from cach
chamber a branch pipe leads into the said main pipe which has in. connection with
it an air drawing and forcing device. The said branch pipes are each provided
with valves or dampers by which their communication with the main pipe can be
closed. The said branch pipes communicate with the openings in the crown of
each chamber. When it is desired to pass the air from a chamber from which the
charge is being drawn into a chamber (say on the opposite, side of the kiln)
containing green goods the valves or dampers are operated, so that the com
munication between the two chambers is established and the air forcing an
drawing device being set in operation the hot air is drawn from the chamber from
which the charge is being drawn and is delivered into the chamber containing the
green goods into which it is delivered at the lower part. which may be done by
means of descending pipes introduced into the openings in the arch with which the
branch pipes communicate. The air drawing and forcing device is preferably
placed between two passages with valves so arranged that by operating these
valves the air can be drawn from either side of the device. and delivered at the
other side.
Dated this 8th dor of April 1801
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Kilns for Drying and Burning
Bricks or other Articles-or Materials.
L. JOHN CRAVEN of. Wakefield in the County of York Engineer 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:—
+
This invention. has for its object to provide, means whereby the heat from the
chambers of kilns (such for instance as those known as Hoffmann kilns) in which
bricks or other; articles or materials have been, burnt, can be introduced to the
chambers in which green goods are contained so that the heat from the first named
chambers is utilized in drying the green goods.. According to this invention a
main pipe or passage is led in proximity to each chamber of the kiln and from each
chamber a branch pipe or passage leads into. the said main pipe or passage which
has in.connection with it a mechanical, air drawing and forcing device. The said
pipes are preferably ofmetal as, metal presents less frictional resistance to the
passage of: air than does brickwork or, earthenware.. The said branch pipes or
passages are each provided with valves or dampers by which their communication

page_text: with the main pipe or passage can be closed. When it is desired to pass the air
from a chamber from which the charge is being drawn into a chamber (say on the
opposite side of the kiln) containing green goods the valves or dampers are
operated so that the communication between the two chambers is established and
the air forcing and drawing device being set in operation the hot air is exhausted
from the chamber from which the charge is being drawn and is delivered into the
chamber containing the green goods into which it is delivered preferably at the
lower part which may be done (if the pipes and passages be in the upper part of
the kiln) by means of descending pipes introduced into the openings in the arch
with which the branch pipes or passages communicate. The air drawing and
forcing device is preferably placed between two passages with valves so arranged
that by operating these valves the air can be drawn from either side of the device
and delivered at the other side.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe an arrangement according thereto and for that
purpose shall refer to the several figures on the annexed drawings the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures. The accompanying
drawings represent a round kiln of the Hoffman type provided with my invention
and shews the pipes or passages as being situated at the upper part of the kiln,
Figure 1 being a vertical section and Figure 2 a sectional plan and Figure 3 a
detail view of the arrangement for drawing and forcing air in either direction as
desired. The kiln illustrated has twelve chambers (marked 1 to 12) but there
may be any other convenient number. A is a pipe (preferably of metal) laid in
the brickwork over the crowns of the chambers and a are branch pipes or passages
leading therefrom and communicating with the charging holes leading through
from the charging floor into the interiors of the chambers and closed in the usual
way at their upper ends. The said pipes or passages a are shown as communicating
with three of the charging holes but they may communicate with a lesser or
greater number if desired. The said pipes or passages a leave the holes open all
the way down for charging. Each branch pipe a is provided with a valve a² and
on the pipe A valves A are provided between each alternate chamber. B is the
air drawing and forcing device (shewn to a larger scale in Figure 3) by which on
the valves being suitably opened and closed air can be drawn from either of the
chambers and forced into another of them. Figure 3 shews the arrangement of
this device by means of which the air can be drawn from either direction as
required. By closing the valves B and B and opening the valves B and B air
is drawn in and forced out in the direction of the full line arrows and by closing
the valves 13 and B2 and opening the valves B and B³ air is drawn and forced in
the reverse direction as shewn by the dotted arrows. I prefer to place in the
charging holes of the chamber containing the green goods pipes c leading down
to the lower part of the chamber so as to deliver the hot air at the lower part of
the chamber.
When the apparatus is in operation and presuming the valves or dampers to be
closed, assuming the chamber 1 is cooling and chambers 3 and 4 are on fire and the
chamber 7 is filled with green goods, the valves a² on the pipes a of chambers 1
and 7 and the valves A2 on the pipe A. between those chambers and the valves B³
and B on the forcing device B are opened and the device B is put into operation and
the hot air from chamber 1 will be drawn by the said exhauster through the
branch pipe of that chamber and will be passed along the main pipe A through the
valves and will be forced into the chamber 7 containing the green goods which are
thereby dried. The pipes e have been previously inserted in the charging holes b
of chamber 7 so as to deliver the hot air at the lower part of the chamber. The
hot air and vapour from the chamber 7 pass off by the flue e of the chamber 7 to
the chimney E. The flue e of the chamber 1 is of course closed during this
operation. are the valves by which the flues e are closed.
When the chamber 1 is cooled and the goods in chamber 7 are dried the pipes c
are removed the valve a thereof is shut and the valve e thereof opened and the

page_text: chamber 7 is fired, the chamber S being meantime charged with green goods and
the pipes inserted in the charging holes thereof and the necessary valves are
opened and closed so that hot air is drawn from chamber 2 and is passed into
chamber 8 to dry the goods therein and so on in any desired order continuously as
the work proceeds the chambers being successively cooled by drawing air from it
and another having its contents dried by the said air being forced into it as
hereinbefore described.
Although I have described my invention as being applied to a circular kiln it
will be evident that a similar arrangement can be applied to chambers arranged in
other than a circular series such as for instance in straight lines or squares.
It will also be evident that in place of forming the passages or placing the pipes
at the top of the kiln they may be at the bottom or underneath the kiln.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In combination with kilns for drying or burning bricks or other materials a
metal or other main pipe or passage led in proximity to each chamber of the kiln
having in connection with it branch pipes or passages leading from the said main
pipe or passage and a mechanical air drawing and forcing device so as to draw hot
air from a chamber being cooled and force it into a chamber containing goods to
be dried the said pipes or passages being provided with valves or dampers
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with kilns for drying or burning bricks or other materials a
main pipe or passage led in proximity to each chamber of the kiln and having in
connection with it an air drawing and forcing device placed between two passages
with valves or dampers so arranged that the said device can draw from either side
and deliver at the opposite side and branch pipes or passages leading from each
chamber into the said main pipe or passage the said pipes or passages being
provided with valves or dampers all substantially as hercinbefore described.
3. In combination with kilus for drying or burning bricks or other materials a
main pipe or passage led in proximity to each chamber of the kiln and having in
connection with it an air drawing or forcing device and with branch pipes or
passages leading into each chamber and descending pipes for delivering air to the
lower part of the chamber the said main and branch pipes or passages being
provided with valves or dampers all substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 8th day of January 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.