Improvements in and relating to Furnaces for Brick Kilns and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Furnaces for Brick Kilns
and the like.
I, FRANCIS EDWARD SWIFT, a citizen of the United States of America, 'residing
in the Town of Washington, in the County of Washington, and State of Iowa,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this'inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My present invention relates to an improved brick-kiln furnace for burning
brick, tile, sewer-pipe, crockery ware and other similar articles or materials
requiring a kiln of this character, the object being to provide an economical and
simple and ye exceedingly effective construction, and the invention therefore con-
sists essentially in the combination and arrangements of parts, substantially as
will be hereinafter described and claimed.
In the annexed drawing illustrating my invention―
Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of my improved kiln.
Figure 2 is a horizontal, sectional plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail front elevation of one of the side furnaces.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same.
Like figures of reference denote like parts in all the views.
On each side of the kiln is a series of furnaces 1, which are built under and partly
outside of the 'walls 6 of the kiln, and in regard to the particular construction of
which, there may be considerable variation in actual practice. In this connection
I preferably employ a furnace which comprises essentially the combination with
the grates, as 2, of an intermediate roasting table, as 3, for receiving' and preparing
the fuel for burning before it is placed upon the grates 2. There may be any
number of the furnaces 1. The heat generated by the furnace 1 passes upward
therefrom through the vertical flues 5 which extend upward through the walls 6
of the kiln, said flues 5 terminating near the top of the kiln so that the heat can
be delivered into the central chamber 20 of the kiln near its top and under the
dome 7. From the furnaces 1, at a point near the lower end of flues 5 also pass
the horizontal heat conveying passages 7 which lead directly into the chamber 20.
The walls 6 of the kiln are preferably heavy, so as to be strong and substantial,
and they carry the top arch or dome 7 which serves to confine the heat in the kiln
chamber 20. The walls 6 are strengthened and held together by means of the
buckstays 8, 8, and the connecting rods 9, said parts helping to support the dome 7,
as shown in Figure 1.
The hot air which discharges from the upper ends of the flues 5 into the top of
the kiln chamber 20, next passes downward through the piles of brick 21, or other
material that is to be baked or dried and which for that purpose is located within
the kiln chamber 20, and then finds exit through suitable passages arranged
beneath the floor of the kiln for the purpose.
Centrally beneath the floor of the kiln is a longitudinal flue or passage 10,
which connects at each end with the vertical flues 14, 14, through which the draft

page_text: escapes into the outer atmosphere. This flue 10 is entered through openings or
orifices 13, 13, located along the upper side thereof, in a position to receive the
draft after it has passed downward through the bricks. Also beneath the kiln
floor are the flues 11 on one side of flue 10 and adjacent to one of the lateral rows
of furnaces 1, and the flues 12 on the other side of flue 10 and adjacent to the other
lateral row of furnaces 1. Flues 11 and 12 are entered through openings 15 in
the floor of the kiln, similar to the openings 13:belonging to the central flue 10
and subserving a similar function. The flues 11 and 12 preferably do not extend
the full length of the kiln in the shape of long flues like flue 10, but there are
several flues 11 and several flues 12, as shown in Figure 2, better results being
believed to be achieved by such an arrangement, and said flues 11 and 12 have a
rectangular construction so that they lead through the walls 6 of the kiln until
they reach and connect with the smoke or escape flues 16, the same being vertical
flues or chimneys through which the smoke or draft escapes in like manner as it
does through the end flues 14. The openings 15 into flues 11 and 12 may, if
desired, be cut in the floor of the kiln at points within recesses in the walls 6 of
the kiln, as shown at 22, see Figure 1. Each opening 15 is provided with a damper
or cover 24 having an operating handle 23 that projects in front of furnace 1 where
it can be conveniently grasped for the purpose of opening or closing the damper 24.
Said damper may be of any suitable material, but it is preferably made of a fire
brick slab of suitable size.
i
j
I call especial attention to the position and function of the dampers 24, as they
are placed in the position where they are able to do the very best work. The
location of the dampers as stated gives only one throat to the flue, whereas to locate
them at any other place would be to give two throats to each flue, and this would
be a great annoyance in getting a good draft. Being where it is the damper does
not retard the draft at all, unless it be more or less closed, since it is at the point
where the draft starts down to leave the kiln. If one flue for any reason draws
harder than another it may be restrained by the use of its damper, and thus all
portions of the kiln will have the same draft and thus the same heat.
The vertical flues 14 are provided with dampers 25, see Figure 2, which are
opened while the kiln is being heated and are then closed, so that after the kiln
is hot the draft does not pass through passage 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is:
1. A brick-kiln consisting in the combination with a furnace for heating and
burning purposes having grates and an intermediate roasting-table, of a kiln-
chamber having a dome covering, and flues leading from the furnace, and deliver-
ing into the kiln-chamber beneath the dome.
2. In a brick-kiln, the combination of the kiln-chamber and its roof, the lateral
series of furnaces having roasting-tables, the flues leading from said furnaces to the
upper part of the kiln, the central draft passage beneath the kiln-floor having a
series of openings, and the side damper-controlled flues likewise under the kiln-floor,
substantially as described.
1511
1
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.