IM- PROVEMENTS IN DRYING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF BRICK EARTH
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Holley Swan, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, in Scotland, Commission Merchant, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DRYING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF BRICK
EARTH."
Sealed the 14th July 1854, and dated the 14th March 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Holley Swan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
March 1854.
I, JOHN HOLLEY SWAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, in Scotland,
Commission Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF BRICK.
EARTH," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of constructing long drying kilns or arches with
railways through or in them, in such manner that carriages may be moved into
and through the kilns or arches with bricks, tiles, and other articles of brick
earth thereon, suitably arranged on frames or holders to facilitate the heat of
the interior of the kilns or arches getting to the surfaces of such articles. The
lower parts of the arches on which the railways are supported are formed also of
arches under which furnaces are constructed, by which the interiors of such kilns.
or arches are heated, and provision is made for carrying off the damp vapour from

page_text: the kilns or arches. By this arrangement, the bricks or articles to be dried,
being suitably arranged on carriages as before stated, the carriages are moved
into and through the heated kilns or archies, and the bricks or other articles
become dry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Holley Swan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOLLEY SWAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, in Scotland, Commis-
sion Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Holley Swan, Her special licence that I, the said John Holley Swan,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Holley Swan, 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 DRYING BRICKS,
TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF BRICK EARTH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Holley Swan, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 calen-
dar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Holley Swan, 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
thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists of constructing long drying kilns or arches with
railways through or in them, in such manner that carriages may be moved into
and through the kilns or arches with bricks, tiles, and other articles of brick
earth thereon, suitably arranged on frames or holders, to facilitate the heat of

page_text: The
the interior of the kilns or arches getting to the surfaces of such articles.
lower parts of the arches on which the railways are supported are formed also
of arches, under which furnaces are constructed, by which the interiors of such
kilns or arches are heated, and provision is made for carrying off the damp
vapour from the kilns or arches. By this arrangement, the bricks or articles
to be dried, being suitably arranged on carriages as before stated, the carriages
are moved into and through the heated kilns or arches, and the bricks or other
árticles become dry.
.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same...
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS. -
Figure 1 shows a transverse section of a stove constructed according to my
Invention.
Figure 2 shows a longitudinal elevation of the stove; Figure 3 shows a plan
of one of the surfaces or trays on which the bricks or other articles of brick
earth are placed, so as not to be in contact with each other, but allow of the
moisture being evaporated from such articles. The Drawing shows a double-
arched stove, but stoves may be made with one or more arches or tunnels. The
drying stove may be level, or built on an incline of three-fourths of an inch to the
yard, or such gradient as may be found suitable to facilitate the descent of the
carriages through the stove, and the ascent of the heated vapours to the upper
end, and the upper and lower ends of the drying arches or tunnels A, A, and
are closed at pleasure, by folding, sliding, or any other convenient form of doors.
A; A, are the drying arches or tunnels, through each of which is laid a rail or
tramway, to facilitate and guide the carriages B, B, through the arch or tunnel;
C, C, are the flues, passing under the entire length of the drying arches or
tunnels. The carriages are simple platforms of iron, mounted on railway or
tramway wheels; on to the bottoms of these carriages a quantity of bricks,
tiles, or articles are placed, but not so as to touch; then a tray or platform is
placed on supports, so as to keep it above the first layer of bricks, tiles, or
articles of brick earth, and a further layer of bricks or articles are to be placed
thereon; then another tray, and so on, till a quantity are piled, as shewn. The
carriages thus loaded are to be moved slowly through the arches or tunnels A
by any convenient means, and as they progressively move into the arch, the
bricks or articles will become more and more dry. The arches or tunnels are
heated by one or more fire-places C', C, constructed below the arches or tunnels
A, as shewn by the Drawing, and having direct and immediate communication
with the flues C, C. The top arches over the arches or tunnels A, A, arc

page_text: .
covered with earth or clay, or roofed oyer, to protect them from the rain; but
in single arches this will be unnecessary; and the vapours rising from the
bricks or other articles pass through holes left in the roof or upper part of the
stove, or out at the upper end of the tunnel, or into a stalk or chimney con-
nected with the tunnel. The smoke arising from the furnace or furnaces passes
through the flue or flues C, C, and is carried away, either by a stalk erected
for that purpose, or by any stalk already in use, to which it may be carried.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details shown and described, nor do I claim any of the parts separately;
but what I claim is, the combination, herein described, for drying bricks, tiles,
and other articles made of brick earth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Holley Swan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
J. M. TAYLOR,
of the City of Glasgow,
Solicitor,
Witness.
JOHN HOLLEY SWAN. (L.S.)