IMPROVEMENTS IN OVENS OR KILNS FOR FIRING OR BAKING PORCELAIN AND VARIOUS KINDS OF EARTHENWARE OR POTTERY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OVENS OR KILNS
FOR FIRING OR BAKING PORCELAIN AND VARIOUS KINDS OF EARTHENWARE
OR POTTERY."-A communication from abroad by Monsieur Edouard
de Beaumont, of Maestricht, in the Kingdom of Holland.
Sealed the 30th June 1868, and dated the 18th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OVENS OR KILNS
FOR FIRING OR BAKING PORCELAIN AND VARIOUS KINDS OF EARTHENWARE OR
POTTERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel apparatus for the firing of porcelain
and earthenware and similar articles. The advantages incident thereto

page_text: are causing a great draught by displacement of air but without loss
of caloric, at the same time the firing is effected with the greatest
regularity. The oven is closed during the progress of the firing, and
the fire-places or boxes are fed with coal through openings that com-
municate by a number of horizontal flues with a chimney or vertical
flue placed in the centre of the oven. The heat passes from the fire-
boxes along the horizontal flues and ascends the chimney or vertical
flue, and when it reaches the top it is thrown downwards by the arch
or dome of the oven, which is pierced with openings which are closed
during the operation of the firing. The heat when it escapes from the
central chimney or flue and reverberates towards the hearth bakes or
heats the articles that are placed thereon, and finally finds its way out
by openings in the hearth and communicating with short horizontal
flues leading to outer flues which conduct the heat over the top of the
dome into a large cone-shaped chimney, from whence it passes into the
atmosphere. The number of fire-boxes and outer flues varies according
to the diameter of the whole apparatus. The openings in the dome are
closed by stoppers during the operation, which stoppers are removed
when the firing is complete. As it would be difficult to place a fire-box
at the entrance of the oven the door should be made of brick with a
flue up the centre, so that when the opening is filled up there will
still be a flue therein as in other parts of the apparatus. In larger
apparatus, as it is necessary to equalize the temperature as much as
possible, a number of small holes should be made in the flues leading
from the fire-boxes, and small tubes about ten inches long introduced,
so that the heat may be distributed with the greatest regularity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the
3

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OVENS OR KILNS FOR FIRING OR BAKING
PORCELAIN AND VARIOUS KINDS OF EARTHENWARE OR POTTERY," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Edward de Beaumont, of Maestricht,
in the Kingdom of Holland, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
This Invention relates to a novel apparatus for the firing of porcelain
and earthenware and similar articles. The advantages incident thereto
are causing a great draught by displacement of air but without loss
of caloric, at the same time the firing is effected with the greatest
regularity. The oven is closed during the progress of the firing, and
the fire-places or boxes are fed with coal through openings that com-
municate by a number of horizontal flues with a chimney or vertical
flue placed in the centre of the oven. The heat passe; from the fire-
boxes along the horizontal flue and ascends the chimney or vertical
flue, and when it reaches the top it is thrown downwards by the arch

page_text: or dome of the oven, which is pierced with openings which are closed
during the operation of the firing. The heat when it escapes from the
central chimney or flue and reverberates towards the hearth bakes or
heats the articles that are placed thereon, and finally finds its way out
by openings in the hearth and communicating with short horizontal
flues leading to outer flues which conduct the heat over the top of the
dome into a larger cone-shaped chimney, from whence it passes into the
atmosphere. The number of fire-boxes and outer flues varies according
to the diameter of the whole apparatus. The openings in the dome are
closed by stoppers during the operation, which stoppers are removed
when the firing is complete. As it would be difficult to place a fire-box
at the entrance of the oven the door should be made of brick with a
flue up the centre, so that when the opening is filled up there will
still be a flue therein as in other parts of the apparatus. As it is
necessary in larger apparatus to equalize the temperature as much as
possible, a number of small holes should be made in the flues leading
from the fire-boxes and small tubes about ten inches long introduced,
so that the heat may be distributed with the greatest regularity.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the
kiln or oven; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front
view of one of the fire-places; and Fig. 4 is a section (in the line a, b,
c, d, of Fig. 1) of a furnace or fire-place; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section
of a kiln taken in the line A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a horizontal
section in the line C, D, of the same Figure; and Fig. 7 is another
horizontal section in the line E, F, of the same Figure. The same
letters indicate like parts in all these Figures.
The furnace or fire-place A, the opening A' of which is closed during
the firing operation, is fed with fuel through the opening A²; X is
the ash-pit. The heat is diffused through the oven partly towards
the centre by means of flues B which unite at the central chimney C
(which may be of any suitable height) and partly by means of
openings D, so that all the heat shall be united at the upper part of
the oven under the dome H. The openings H in the dome H are
hermetically closed and mercly serve to cool the oven after the firing
operation. The great draught of air produced will draw down the
flame and heated gases towards the openings E, which communicate
through the flues F with the upright flues G which lead into the

page_text: central chimney I above the dome H. The number of furnaces A
and flues G will vary according to the size of the oven. The door or
opening K, Fig. 2, which serves to charge the oven with goods to be
fired is to be closed during the firing operation, but as at that place a
furnace A or a flue G cannot be applied the flue F is continued opposite
the door to underneath the bottom of the entrance door K (see Fig. 7)
where it communicates with a flue G, which is formed by closing the
door K by double masonry or brickwork, as seen in Fig. 6, at a distance
of about nine inches from one another, and which is carried up over
the top of the door K and over the dome H into the central chimney I.
By this combination the exterior cooling has no influence upon the
interior of the oven by reason of the double wall which is employed to
enclose the oven, and principally by the flue which is formed thereby
between these two walls, and which affords a passage to a certain
portion of heat.
For ovens of very large diameter it is necessary to divide the caloric
in all parts of the oven with the greatest possible regularity. In order
to attain this end I make in the bed of the oven openings o, o, of about
two inches diameter communicating with each flue B, upon which
openings are placed tubes L made of fire-clay of the same diameter and
about nine inches in length. These openings are made at an equal
distance from the openings D and chimney C. It is preferable to
construct the flues G of brickwork if the thickness of this latter will
allow of it, as shown in the Drawing, if not they must be attached to
the outside of the oven. This construction of oven will be found suitable
for the firing of porcelain, carthenware, fire-bricks, and generally all
ceramic products.
The advantages possessed by this improved oven are as follows:-
First, great economy of fuel; second, regularity in the operation of firing;
thirdly, very few repairs are required, and the system may be applied to.
any existing ovens at little cost and without loss of space.
The ovens at present employed for this purpose give out a great
quantity of smoke, while according to this Invention the smoke is
entirely consumed and affords great protection against fire.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated
to me as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters

page_text: Patent as aforesaid, constructing kilns with internal flues and a domed
roof, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)