Improved Construction of Potters' Kilns.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
Improved Construction of Potters' Kilns.
I, ABRAHAM FIELDING, trading as J. Fielding & Co., Railway Pottery Stoke-
on-Trent, Staffordshire, Earthenware Manufacturer, 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 my invention has reference to an improved construction of enamelling,
bardening-on and majolica-kilns for use in firing earthenware or the like
articles, the object of my invention being to obtain as much heat as possible
from the fires of such kilns, and cause such heat to circulate, and be. evenly
distributed around or against the sides, bottom and top of the firing-box or firing-
chamber of such improved kilns.
In carrying my said invention into practice I prefer to build or erect such kilns
rectangular in plan view of any suitable size. The firing-box of such kilns
I make any suitable size with curved, bowed or bulging fire-brick side walls of
suitable thickness, as I find that the side walls of similar kilns when built vertically
are damaged by cooling and contraction after firing.
Around the sides and crown of such firing-boxes or firing-chambers at a suitable
distance therefrom I erect a covering or wall of fire-brick or other similar suitable
material of any suitable thickness, the space between such walls I divide into a
suitable number of vertical or nearly vertical flues by fire-brick or the like walls
of any suitable thickness or thicknesses, the directly fired flues at the front side of
such kilos 1 make of any suitable width, and to gradually increase in cross-
sectional area as they pass around such firing chamber, such division walls being
continued transversely across the kiln bottom beneath the horizontal or nearly
horizontal floor of their firing-box, and extend from the kiln-bottom to the under-
side of such firing-box floor which is erected a suitable distance or height above
the bottom of such kilns. Upon, or above the top or curved portion of the firing-
box of each of such kilns I also arrange and erect suitable fire-brick or other
division walls so as to conduct the heat, or smoke and gases generated by the
several fires from the directly fired flues, into the intermediate flues, or those flues
which are between such directly fed or directly fired flues. In the top portion of
the covering of such crown flues I erect a suitable damper or the like directly
above each directly fired flue, which dampers can be readily opened or closed by
suitably arranged metallic rods, levers or chaius extending through apertures or
openings formed in or through the circumferential wall of the smoke stack or
chimney surmounting such improved kilns.
In order that my said invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a kiln built or erected according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line A-B of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line C-D of
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line E-F of Figure 2.

page_text: Figure 5 is a sectional plan view shewing the arrangement of the flues above the
crown of the firing box of such kiln.
The drawings hereto annexed are made about one twenty-fourth of full size, or
to half-inch scale.
On reference to the said drawings a, b represent the bowed or curved side walls,
e the crown, and d the floor of the firing-box of such kiln which I build of or
from fire-brick or the like material of any suitable thickness or thicknesses upon
fire-brick or the like division walls e erected upon the kiln bottom f, a fire-brick
or other wall g erected adjacent to, and at a suitable distance from and around the
walls a and b, the continuation of the walls e between the walls a-g and b, g
forming directly fired flues h, 4, 4 and A, and intermediate flues i, P, Pand
The outer or ordinary brick-work may be strengthened by any suitable
number of metallic "buck-staffs" k, and the brickwork chimuey or stack I which
is built any suitable height may be strengthened by any suitable number of
metallic bands.
It will be understood on reference to these drawings that after the firing-
chamber or firing-box of such kilns has been packed or filled in with earthenware,
china or the like articles, the several dampers m above the crown of the firing-
box are opened by means of their levers, rods, chains or the like which extend to
the outside of such kilns, and the fuel on the fire-grates n lighted, a portion of the
heat, or of the smoke and gases generated on such grates passes up through the
flues h, 1, and at the front side of such kilns, and a portion of such heat or
gases passes beneath the floor d of the firing box, into and upward through the
continuation of such flues at the opposite side of such firing-box, such smoke or
heat and gases on arriving at the crown c of such firing-box are for a suitable
length of time after the commencement of firing allowed to pass out through the
several damper-holes into the smoke-stack or chimney 1, and so create an inducing
current or flow for the smoke or gases.
After such dampers m are closed or shut down, the smoke or gases which travel
through the flues h, h, and to the crown of the firing box pass through
openings in the division walls e above the said crown e into and downward
through the intermediate flues i, , and i, through the continuation of such
flues beneath the firing-box floor d, and upward through such flues at the front
side of such kilns to the crown c, where such smoke or gases from the several
flues i,, and pass through the outlets or openings o above the crown of such
firing-box into the chimney or stack 1, where the gases or smoke from such flues
mingle, and pass therefrom into the atmosphere.
The smoke or gases as they emerge from the lower end of each of the
flues i,, and at the back of the firing-box into the continuation of such
flues beneath the floor d are ignited by contact with the hot gases or flame passing
through the flues h, k, and beneath the said floor d, through openings or
apertures p, p, p and p in the division walls e beneath such floor, thus assisting
or facilitating combustion.
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 construction of enamelling, hardening-on, majolica kilns and the like built
of any suitable size and material for use in firing pottery-ware, the floor of their
firing-box or firing-chamber being preferably rectangular in plan view, and
supported by fire-brick or other walls of suitable height erected upon the bottom
of such kilos, and extending transversely across such kilns beneath their firing-
box floor, such walls dividing the space beneath the floor of their firing-box into
a suitable number of direct firing flues and intermediate flues, the continuation of
such division walls against the outer surface of the sides and crown of such firing-
box or firing chambers forming a continuation of such flues, the directly fed or
directly fired flues conducting the smoke or heat and gases generated from the several

page_text: fire-grates to the transverse flues on the crown of such firing-boxes, from whence
such smoke or gases is conducted, or passes through the intermediate or down-
draught flues at the back of such kilns to the transverse intermediate flues beneath
the firing box floor, to and up through the intermediate flues at the front side of
such firing-chambers to the crown of same, from whence the smoke or gases from
the several intermediate flues at the front side of such firing boxes passes through
orifices in the covering of the crown of such firing chambers into a suitable smoke
stack or chimney.
Each wall which divides a directly fired flue from an intermediate flue beneath
the floor of the firing-box of such kilns having an opening or apertures through
same in any suitable position, so that the smoke or gases issuing from the lower
end of each down-draught or intermediate flue at the back of such kilns into the
continuation of such flues beneath their firing box floor may be ignited by contact
with the hot flame or gases passing through the adjacent directly fired due beneath
the floor of the firing-box of such kilns for the purpose of assisting or facilitating
combustion, as herein substantially described set forth, and illustrated on the
drawings hereto annexed.
D
CT.... 1900
JOHN NEWTON,
Longport, Staffs, Agent for Applicant.