Improvements in Continuous Muffle Furnaces or Kilns.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Continuous Muffle Furnaces or Kilns.
We, WILLIAM DICKEN, of 41, Hulton Street, Hanley, Banksman, WILLIAM
WADE, of The Watlands, Longport, and LEONARD LUMSDEN GRIMWADE, of
Fjaerlands, Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, Earthenware Manufacturers, all in the
County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in continuous muffle furnaces for firing
pottery ware. I propose to construct a circular kiln, which has only one opening,
At a suitable
where the goods to be fired are set in, and taken out of the kiln.
place which is far enough from the opening, so as to allow the goods to get gradu-
As hitherto known con-
ally heated in the muffle, the firehole is constructed.
tinuous circular kilns are either without bottom fire, or the inner muffle (or firing
chamber) is not entirely closed; owing to the manner in which the travelling of
the goods is effected. In my invention, the kiln will have an entirely closed
muffle, the fire playing well all around the muffle. The travelling of the goods
will be effected in the following manner;-
Two rings of angle irons, one the radius of the outer muffle, and one the
radius of the inner muffle, are joined at various places. Suitable wheels, which
contain iron balls, and which will not run tight, caused by the expansion through
the heat, or suffer by the weight of the goods in the heat, are fixed at various
places to the two rings of angle irons. The wheels will travel on angle irons,
placed on the bottom of the kiln.
To give this big circle, which has no hold from the centre whatever, a guide
I propose to fix at intervals, ordinary wheels in the vicinity of the ball-wheels;
these wheels will work against the side of the last mentioned angle irons. I
further propose to fix at the underside of both rings of the first mentioned angle
teeth-wheels fixed
irons, 2 rings of teeth which, working in conjunction with
near the opening of the kiln, will move the whole circle round.
Iron or clay boxes, which hold the goods to be fired, are placed on this movablé
circle, formed by the upper angle irons.
Dated this 25th day of January 1899.
Improvements in Continuous Muffle Furnaces or Kilns;
We, WILLIAM DICKEN, of 41, Hulton Street, Hanley, Banksman, WILLIAM
WADE, of The Watlands, Longport, and LEONARD LUMSDEN GRIMWADE; of
Pine S13

page_text: Fjaerlands, Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, Earthenware Manufacturers, all in the
County of Stafford, 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 is for an improved continuous muffle furnace or kiln for firing
pottery ware and enamelled iron, and consists in constructing a circular kiln
with an entirely closed muffle having an endless horizontal platform or turntable
contained therein, that is capable of being revolved in the muffle by mechanism
which can be operated from the outside of the kiln, said kiln having only one
opening where the goods to be fired are set in and taken out.
The object of our invention is to prevent cracking and "dunting" of pottery
ware during the process of firing.
In the accompanyig drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of the improved con-
tinuous muffle furnace or kiln which forms the subject of this invention. Fig 2
is a vertical section of the same kiln on line A A, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section
on line B-B. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same kiln showing a modified
construction of turntable therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same on
line CC, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line D, D. In these views similar
letters refer to similar parts.
In this invention we construct a continuous circular kiln with an entirely
closed muffle as a and the fire is carried well around the muffle. The fire hole
which may be situated at any convenient part of the kiln as at b is constructed
on the opposite side of the kiln to that in which the opening for the goods to
be set in or taken out is placed and the flues are arranged in proximity to the
fire hole extending on each side and partly over and partly under the muffle to
about one third of the circuit, from whence they are carried to the chimney.
We form an endless platform or turntable within the muffle by two rings of
angle iron as c c² the outer ring being approximately the same radius as the
larger radius of the muffle and the inner ring c approximately the same radius
as the lesser radius of said muffle. These angle irons are joined together by
diagonal or transverse bars. as and form a circular frame. We fit
to the underside of said frame wheels or rollers as e having prefer-
ably ball bearings and moving on a circular tramway formed of two
rings of angle iron as g g¹, fixed to the bottom of the muffle. In order to keep
the herein before described platform or turntable in position when caused to
revolve we fit antifriction wheels or rollers as f to work horizontally against the
inner side of the vertical web of the inner angle iron gl forming one side of the
tramway. The table is moved round from the outside of the kiln by means of a
horizontal shaft g* that is fitted in journals and provided at the inner end with
a pinion to work in a rack formed on or fitted to the underside of the outer
edge of the table, and one or more toothed wheels on the outer end of said shaft
which gear into a wheel or wheels fitted on a shaft that is provided with a handle
for turning said wheels.
In a modification of our invention shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings we employ
an endless platform or turntable that is constructed of cast metal frames as c
forming segments of a circle and coupled as at 2, sufficient play being allowed
at the ends of said segmental frames for expansion and contraction, but when
coupled forming a complete circular table; the aforesaid table is carried on rollers
as e which revolve on tram plates g g that are secured to the bottom of the
muffle. The table when moved round in the manner herein before described is
retained in position in the muffle by anti-friction rollers f placed horizontally
in wall boxes f¹ that are fitted in the inner wall of the muffle.
In applying our invention we place the iron or clay boxes u represented by
dotted lines containing the goods to be fired on the circular platform or turn-
table herein before described by passing said boxes through the opening, the
table being moved slowly round as each box is placed in the kiln; the entrance

page_text: to the kiln is then closed by a sliding door and the turntable with the ware is
moved round by means of the rack, pinion, and train of wheels previously
described; the flames and hot gases from the fire hole pass up two flues in
proximity thereto on either side of the muffle as u u² and along the top
of the muffle to the next two flues ³, and respectively, which they descend
and pass under the muffle, alternately ascending and descending each succeeding
two Hues until finally passing by the flue into the chimney z: a midfeather or
partition as divides the flue longitudinally at the top and bottom of the muttle,
and dampers may be provided at suitable intervals to regulate the heat of the
kiln. By these means the articles to be fired are gradually heated and after
passing through the greatest heat in the kiln are gradually cooled before being
removed from the kiln.
We do not confine ourselves to the details of the construction of the revolving
platform or turntable shown on the drawings as for example the brackets carrying
the rollers e upon which the turntable rests may be inverted and secured to the
fixed plate at the bottom of the muffle, said rollers revolving when the turntable
is moved round by the rack j or equivalent mechanism but not moving round
with the turntable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. An improved continuous circular muffle furnace or kiln for firing pottery
ware and enamelled iron that is constructed with one opening only for the intro-
duction and removal of the goods to be fired, and so arranged that the flames
and hot gases are conducted from the furnace through vertical flues on each
side of the muffle and along over and under the muffle to a flue connected with
a chimney without coming into contact with the goods in the muffle, and having
a circular platform or turntable within said muffle that is capable of being
revolved, substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown on the drawings.
2. In a continuous circular muffle furnace or kiln for firing pottery ware and
enamelled iron, the combination with a circular muffle having one opening where
the goods to be fired are set in and taken out, of a turntable or circular platform
mounted on rollers, and provided with horizontal anti-friction rollers, means for
revolving said turntable from the outside of the muffle, a fire hole placed on the
opposite side of the kilu to that by which access to the muffle is obtained, duplicate
flues arranged in proximity thereto for conducting the flames and hot gases alter-
nately in an upward and a downward course from the fire hole to a flue or flues
along over and under the muffle and passing to a chimney without coming in
contact with the goods being fired all substantially as herein before described and
as shown on the drawings.
3. A continuous circular muffle furnace or kiln for firing pottery ware and
enamelled iron constructed substantially as herein before described and as shown
on the drawings.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.