IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR BURNING BRICKS, POTTERY WARE PROVISIONAL SPFICATION ORIME OR FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Knowles of Albion Works Woodville in the
County of Leicester Fire Brick and Sanitary Pipe Manufacturer for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR BURNING BRICKS, POTTERY WARE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Knowles at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1882.
"
HENRY KNOWLES of Albion Works Woodville in the County of Leicester
IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR
Fire Brick and Sanitary pipe Manufacturer
BURNING BRICKS, POTTERY WARE OR LIME OR FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates to Improvements in the construction of continuous or
semi-continuous action kilns for drying and burning bricks, tiles, pipes, terra cotta,
pottery, lime, and other articles and substances for which such kilns are applicable
It applies to down draft kilns and has for its object to give the burner or
operator more effectual control over the working of the kilns in transmitting the
waste heat from one chamber to the other and to secure greater economy of fuel
and labour and the consumption of smoke, and to effectually close the connection
between the chambers when necessary.
I construct a kiln having a series of chambers with or without outer fire-holes, and
having the other parts which are common to such kilns, the construction depending
on the class of goods to be burnt. The chambers are separated from each other by
an improved partition or division wall in which I construct an improved series of
vertical flues having inlets at the bottom of the partition wall in one chamber, and
outlets at the upper part of the adjoining chamber, through which flues the waste
heat and products of combustion are conveyed from one chamber to the other, and
utilized in drying and burning the goods in the receiving chamber-These flues
are provided with suitable dampers at the top or outlet to regulate the heat as it
passes from chamber to chamber and to effectually cut it off and close the
connection when necessary.

page_text: In combination with and above the top of the said flues, I construct openings in
the division wall to the top through which openings I regulate the flue dampers.
The openings are provided with covers to effectually close them and exclude cold
air when the flue dampers have been regulated.
The number and size of the flues can be varied according to circumstances.
When an intense heat is required as in the burning of glazed sanitary pipes, it is
advantageous to make the flues small so that the partition wall may not be too
much weakened, and the dampers, being correspondingly small, are more easily
manipulated, and less liable to damage from the intense heat than if they were
larger
I also vary the size of the flues for the better distribution of the heat as it
passes from one chamber to the other. When the kiln is built with the chambers
in a straight line, I make the centre flue the largest and gradually decrease the
size of the flues right and left to the outer or side walls of the kiln.-When the
kiln is annular I make the flue next the outer wall the largest and gradually
decrease the size of the flue to the inner wall of the kiln.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Knowles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th June
1883.
HENRY KNOWLES of Albion Works Woodville in the County of Leicester
Fire Brick and Sanitary Pipe Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR
BURNING BRICKS POTTERY WARE OR LIME OR FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates to Improvements in the construction of continuous or
semi-continuous action kilns for drying and burning bricks tiles pipes Terra cotta.
pottery lime and other articles and substances for which such kilns are applicable.
My said Invention applies to down draft kilns and has for its object to give the
burner or operator more effectual control over the working of the kilns in trans-
mitting the heat from one chamber to the other and to secure greater economy of
fuel and labor and the consumption of Smoke and to effectually close the connection
between the chambers when necessary. In carrying my Invention into effect I
construct a kiln having a series of chambers with or without outer fireholes and
having the other parts which are common to such kilns the construction depending
on the class of goods to be burnt. The chambers are separated from each other by
a partition or division wall in which I construct vertical flues having inlet passages
at the bottom of one side of the partition wall the said passages opening into one
chamber and outlet passages at the upper part of the other side of the said wall
opening into the adjoining chamber through which flues and passages the waste
heat and products of combustion from one chamber are conveyed to the other
chamber and utilized in drying and burning the goods in the last named chamber.
The said flues are provided with dampers at the top or outlet part to regulate the
heat as it passes from chamber to chamber and to effectually cut it off and close the
connection when necessary.
In communication with and above the top of the said flues I form openings in
the division wall, extending to the top thereof, through which openings I can
regulate the flue dampers. The said openings are provided with covers to
effectually close them and exclude cold air when the flue dampers have been
regulated. They are also used to admit cold air to lower the temperature when
necessary.
The number and size of the flues can be varied according to circumstances, for
example, when an intense heat is required as in the burning of glazed Sanitary
pipes, it is advantageous to make the flues small so that the partition wall may
not be too much weakened, and the dampers being correspondingly small they are
more easily manipulated and less liable to damage from the intense heat than they
would be if they were larger.
I also vary the size of the flues for the better distribution of the heat as it passes
from one chamber to the other and also to assist the draught in those parts of the
kiln where the greatest body of heat is required. When the kiln is built with
the chambers in a straight line I make the centre flue of the series of flues in the
division walls the largest and gradually decrease the size of the flues on each side
thereof to the outer or side walls of the kiln-When my Invention is applied to
an annular kiln I prefer to make the flue which is situated next the outer wall
the largest and gradually decrease the sizes of the flues to the inner wall of
the kiln.
The kiln may be divided by the partition walls into any requisite number of;
chambers of any suitable size or form; but for convenience and regularity of

page_text: working in burning glazed ware and the best quality of bricks tiles or the like, I
prefer to arrange the chambers in a straight line and with an equal number of fire-
holes on each side and a doorway for charging on one side and another for dis-
charging on the opposite side and also with the usual shield walls and with or
without perforated bottoms and with a central flue and an outlet flue (provided
with a damper) leading to the main flue and chimney.
For burning common quality of bricks or the like the fire-holes and Shield walls
and perforated bottoms may be dispensed with and the burning be carried on
through feed holes in the crown as in the Hoffman kiln.
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 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of four chambers, constituting a portion of
a kiln constructed according to my Invention the said chambers being arranged in
a straight line.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the longitudinal centre line shewing the
centre flue in the partition wall with an inlet at bottom and an outlet at the upper
part and the openings extending from the said flues to the top through which
openings the flue dampers are regulated. Figure 3 is a horizontal Section taken
along the line 1. 2, Figure 2, shewing the partition walls with the flues, the shield
walls, fire-places and doorways for charging and discharging and the central and
outlet flues of the chambers.
Figure 4 is a transverse Section on the line 3-4,-Figure 1, shewing the outlets
of the flues at the upper part of the partition wall.
A, A, are the outer walls of the kiln, B the roof or crown, C¹. 02. 03. 04. the
division or partition walls separating the chambers, the four of which chambers
shewn are marked 1, 2, 3 and 4 in figure 2. The said division or partition walls
have formed therein the hereinbefore described flues and passages to convey the
waste heat from one chamber to the other, D are the central flues of the chambers.
E. E. E³. E. are branch flues from the chambers to the main flue F, leading to the
chimney. Each chamber has fire-places a, shield walls b, perforated bottoms c and
doorways d. The branch flues have dampers e. The flues in the partition
walls have dampers g and the openings above the said flues have covers i,--f³ are
the inlet passages leading from the one chamber at the lower part of the partition
walls to the Blues f, and f³. are the outlet passages leading from the said flues fat
the upper part of the partition walls and opening into the next chamber.
In working the kiln I first charge No. 1 chamber, being that farthest from the
chimney, with green goods; the doorways and openings of the said chamber are
then closed, the fires are lighted and burning cominenced in the ordinary way,
the dampers g, of the flues fin the division walls being closed so that the chamber
io isolated from the other chambers and the damper e in the branch flue E'. is
opened for the passage of the Steam or vapour from the green goods into the main
flue F to be carried off by the chimney. The next or No. 2 chamber is meanwhile
charged and when it is charged the doorways and openings thereof are all closed
to exclude cold air; the dampers g of the flues f in the division wall C³. are also
closed.
When the vapour from the goods in No. 1 chamber has all been driven off the
damper e in the branch flue E. is closed and the dampers in the flues f in the
division wall C. are opened so that the waste heat from No. 1 chamber passes direct
through the connecting passages and flues f, f, f³, into No. 2 chamber and is
utilized for drying and burning the goods in the same, the damper e in the branch
flue E2. being opened for the passage of the vapour from No. 2 chamber to the main
flue and chimney.-The same process is repeated in No. 3 chamber and then in
No. 4 chamber, the waste heat from No. 2 being utilized in drying and burning No. 3
and that from No. 3 in drying and burning No. 4 chamber and so on through any
number of chambers in a series.

page_text: The whole of the chambers No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, are now in operation, No. 1 being
on full fire and No 2 and 3 at different stages getting up and N° 4 drying.
It will be observed that fires have only been lighted in N° 1 Chamber the waste
heat from which is utilized by being made to pass successively through the chambers
2, 3 and 4, so that while the fires are only lighted or burning in one chamber the
drying and burning is proceeding at different stages in the whole of the chambers
1, 2, 3 and 4 All the doorways and fire holes of N° 2, 3 and 4 being closed and
the dampers g g of the connecting flues ff in the division walls C C C being all
open for the free passage of the waste heat from chamber to chamber. All the
dampers e in the branch flues E¹ E2 E³ are closed. The only damper open in the
branch flues being that in E through which the vapour from N° 4 chamber is
passing to the main flue and chimney. When the burning of the goods in N° 1
Chamber is completed and all the waste heat from which has been utilized by
passing it into N° 2 Chamber until the temperature of N° 2 Chamber is equal or
nearly equal to that of N° 1 Chamber the connection between the two chambers is
cut off by closing (through the openings h h) the dampers g g in the connecting
flues ff in the division wall C2 and the covers ii are then replaced over the
openings hh, the dampers gg and the covers i i being as effectually closed as
possible by being embedded in or covered with sand or other suitable material.
The burning of N° 1 chamber being completed and its connection with N° 2 Chamber
cut off it is left to cool
After N° 2 Chamber has received from N° 1 chamber all the heat that it is
possible to utilize and the connection between the two Chambers has been cut off
by closing the connecting flues f in the division wall C2, the fire holes of N° 2
Chamber are opened and the fires made up to complete the burning.
After the burning of N° 2 is completed and all the waste heat from it has been
utilized by passing it into N° 3 Chamber, the connection between the two chambers
is cut off by closing the connecting flues fin the division wall C³ in the same
manner as before described with regard to the other chamber and then the fire
holes of No 3 Chamber are opened and the fires made up to complete the burning
as before. The same process is carried on with N° 4 Chamber and similarly
through any number of Chambers which there may be in a series.
In the Hoffman or other kilns in which only common bricks lime and the like
are burned the fire holes shield walls and perforated bottoms may be dispensed with
and the firing be effected in the ordinary way through feed holes in the crown of
the kiln. In kilns of this class the dampers in the connecting flues in the partition
walls will merely require to be opened at the proper time after the Chambers are
successively charged and the doorways built up and the vapour from the preceding
chamber has all been driven off to the chimney and the branch flue damper closed
and others opened in the order as hereinbefore described. After the burning is
completed in the chamber on full fire and all the heat it is possible to utilize has
passed into the adjoining Chamber then the dampers of the connecting flues are
closed and the chamber in which the burning is completed is left to cool and so on
through any number of a series or continuously if the kilns are annular.
My Invention may be applied to annular or other shaped kilns having a partition
or division wall in which the herein before described flues and passages can be con-
structed and dampers can be arranged in connection therewith substantially as
herein before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First Constructing continuous or semi-continuous action kilns with separate
chambers divided from each other by partition walls having flues and passages
formed therein, the said flues being provided with dampers and all arranged to operate

page_text: substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
Second Construct ng continuous or semi-continuous action kilns with separate
chambers divided from each other by partition walls having flues and passages
therein, the said flues being constructed of different capacities at different parts and
being provided with dampers substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Third In continuous or semi-continuous action kilns the combination of the
flues f, passages f2. f³., dampers g, openings h¹, covers i, and the flues leading
to the chimney and controlled by dampers all substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Knowles have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
HENRY KNOWLES (L.S.)