AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OVEN FOR FIRING BRICKS, TILES, AND POTTERY WARE
Year: 1877

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LETTERS PATENT to Felix Edwards Pratt, of Fenton Potteries, in the County
of Stafford, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OVEN
FOR FIRING BRICKS, TILES, AND POTTERY WARE."
Scaled the 21st August 1877, and dated the 23rd February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Felix Edwards Pratt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1877.
FELIX EDWARDS PRATT, of Fenton Potteries, in the County of Stafford. "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OVEN FOR FIRING BRICKS, TILES, AND POTTERY
WARE."
The object of this Invention is so to construct ovens for firing articles moulded in
clay as to effect an economy in the consumption of the fuel employed therein.
In carrying out my Invention I build the oven, by preference, of a circular form
at the base as usual, and with a dome-shaped roof which has a central outlet closed
by a damper.
The walls of the oven extend upwards above the dome-shaped roof to form the
so called "hovel," into which the gases of combustion are discharged.
oven.
The fire-places are arranged radially at equal distances apart below the floor level,
and their number will depend upon the dimensions of oven required.. In general
from eight to ten fire-places will suffice, and I propose to make them of smaller
capacity than heretofore. The gases of combustion from these fire-places are con-
ducted by flues below the oven floor to a central well, from which they will rise,
and traversing along the floors will enter the vertical flues built in the walls of the
These flues will be equal in number to the fire-places, and they will be
situate intermediate thereof. The gases of combustion will gain access to these
flues by openings in the floor of the oven, through which they will descend and
enter a lateral extension of the flue at its base, or the gases may enter the flues at
side openings above the floor of the oven. These vertical flues all lead into the
"hovel" at the top of the oven, and after having absorbed the heat from the gases
of combustion dischargo the same into the "hovel," whence they escape to the
atmosphere.
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At the side of the oven where the charging opening occurs the vertical flue is

page_text: divided or forked for the greater portion of its length and diverted to either side of
the opening. This opening, when the oven is charged with bricks, tiles, or pottery
ware, is bricked up as usual to confine the heat within the oven.
The damper in the roof of the oven is kept closed while the firing is proceeding,
but when the fires have burned out the damper is gradually raised to allow of an
indraught of air through the flues leading to the central well to cool down the oven.
By this means the heat of the oven is so gradually reduced that the risk of crack-
ing the bricks and tiles, or the saggers containing the pottery ware, is greatly
diminished.
I find that by the use of this improved construction of oven the time required
for firing the oven may be materially diminished, and thus a considerable saving of
fuel will result.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Felix Edwards Pratt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
August 1877.
FELIX EDWARDS PRATT, of Fenton Potteries, in the County of Stafford.
«AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OVEN FOR FIRING BRICKS, TILES, AND POTTERY
WARE."
The object of this Invention is so to construct ovens for firing articles moulded in
clay as to effect an economy in the consumption of the fuel employed therein.
In carrying out my Invention I build the oven, by-preference, of a circular form at
the base as usual, and with a dome-shaped roof which has a central outlet closed
by a damper.
This form of oven is shewn in the accompanying Drawing, with my improve-
ments applied thereto, which improvements enable me not only to economize the
fuel but also to cool down the oven so as to prevent the cracking of the goods con-
tained therein.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved oven taken in the line 1, 2, of
Figure 2, which Figure is a sectional plan taken in the line 3, 4, of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken in the line 5, 6, of Fig. 2.
In these Figures A, A, are the external walls of the oven, extending upwards
above the dome-shaped roof B to form the so called "hovel " C, into which the
gases of combustion from the interior of the oven are discharged.
}
D, D, are the fire-places arranged radially at equal distances apart below the floor
level, as shewn by dots at Fig. 2. The number of these fire-places will depend
upon the dimensions of oven required. In general from eight to ten fire-places
will suffice, and I propose to make them of smaller capacity than heretofore. The
gases of combustion from these fire-places are conducted by flues E below the oven
floor F to a central wall G, from which they will rise and circulate in the closed
chamber B¹, in which the ware to be fired is stacked. From this chamber the
gases will escape by openings h, h, near the floor F into vertical flues H built in
the walls of the oven. These flues are equal in number to the fire-places, and
situate between them; or they may be more in number if thought desirable. The
gases of combustion passing up the vertical flues H, which Hues lead into the
"hovel" at the top of the oven, will yield up the greater portion of their heat to
the flues and discharge into the hovel, whence they will escape to the atmosphere.
In order to equalise the heat of the floor F I make openings therein intermediate
of the flues E; these openings I connect with short flues f. Thus the gases of
combustion in passing from the well G to the openings h will, instead of passing
on the face of the floor, take the course of the arrows, Fig. 1, and thereby more
effectually heat the parts of the floor which lie between the radial flues E.
At the side of the oven where the charging opening I is formed the vertical flue is
divided into two, or forked for the greater portion of its length, in order to divert it

page_text: to either side of the opening. This opening, when the oven is charged with bricks,
tiles, or pottery ware, is bricked up as usual to confine the heat within the oven.
K is the damper in the roof of the oven; this damper is kept closed while the
firing is proceeding, but when the fires have burned out the damper is gradually
raised by means of a chain connected thereto, and led over guide pulleys to the
outside of the oven. This raising of the damper will allow of an indraught of air
through the flues E to the chamber B, and of its escape at the top of that chamber
to the chimney. By this means the cooling of the oven may be so regulated, or the
heat of the oven so gradually reduced that the risk of cracking the bricks and tiles,
or the saggers containing the pottery ware, is greatly diminished.
I find that by the use of the improved construction of oven the time required for
firing the oven may be materially diminished, and thus a considerable saving of fuel,
will result.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Construction
of Oven for Firing Bricks and Tiles and Pottery Ware," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim the means above described for economizing the
heat of the gases of combustion admitted to the firing chamber of the oven, and
for ventilating such chamber after the completion of the firing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Felix Edwards Pratt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the 22nd day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
TO
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F. E. FRATT. (LS.)