Improvements relating to Ovens, Kilns, or Furnaces for Firing Pottery or Earthenware, and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Ovens, Kilns, or Furnaces for Firing
Pottery or Earthenware, and for other purposes.
I, FREDERIC PLANT, of the firm of R. H. Plant & Co., 63, Carlisle Street,
Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, China Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention chiefly relates to ovens or kilns for firing pottery, but my invention
is also applicable to kilns or furnaces for treating glass and metal.
The chief objects of my invention are to economise fuel and to consume smoke
and to this end my said invention consists in the employment of what I term
"obstructers" in the flues or passages of kilns ovens or furnaces.
These obstructers are formed of fire clay or other refractory material and are
provided with a number of perforations or openings through which the products of
combustion from the furnace can pass.
In all cases where possible I prefer to make my obstructers of a circular or arch
shape so as to prevent them from collapsing under the excessive heats to which they
are sometimes exposed.
In applying my obstructers to pottery ovens I preferably place them upon the
tops of the "bags" through which the heat enters the ovens and also at one or
more points in the well hole. In combination with these obstructers I employ
perforated caps or covers forming with the obstructers chambers through which the
heat and smoke pass in order to assist the combustion. 1, in some cases, introduce
steam into the said chambers which may be generated in boilers in the walls of the
oven. I also, in some cases, provide for conveying currents of pure air to the
obstructers to assist the combustion.
Over the central opening in the top of the oven 1 sometimes place a dome-
shaped cover which can be raised when required by a lever or other suitable
means.
1
1
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Ovens, Kilns, or Furnaces for Firing
Pottery or Earthenware, and for other purposes.
I, FREDERIC PLANT, of the firm of R. H. Plant & Co., 63, Carlisle Street,
Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, China Manufacturer, 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 :-
my
invention
My invention chiefly relates to ovens or kilns for firing pottery, but
is also applicable to kilns or furnaces for treating glass and metal.
The chief objects of my invention are to economize fuel and to consume smoke
and to this end my said invention consists in the employment of what I term
"obstructers" in the flues or passages of kilns, ovens or furnaces.
These obstructers are formed of fire-clay or other refractory material and are
provided with a number of perforations or openings through which the products of
combustion from the furnace can pass.

page_text: In all cases where possible I prefer to make my obstructers of a circular or arch-
shape so as to prevent them from collapsing under the excessive heats to which
they are sometimes exposed.
In applying my obstructers to pottery ovens I preferably place them upon the
tops of the "bags" through which the heat enters the ovens and also at one or
more points in the well-hole. In combination with these obstructers I employ
perforated caps or covers, forming, with the obstructers, chambers through which
the heat and smoke pass and in some cases I introduce steam into the said
chambers, which steam may be generated in boilers in the walls of the oven.
also, in some cases, provide for conveying currents of pure air to the obstructers to
assist the combustion.
Over the central opening in the top of the oven I sometimes place a dome-
aped cover which can be raised when required by a lever or other suitable
means.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same as applied
to a pottery oven of the kind generally used in Staffordshire for baking the biscuit,
and in the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 represents such an oven having my obstructers applied thereto :
Figures 2 and 3 are sections at right angles to each other of the obstructers
which are used in connection with the vertical Hues or bags of the oven; and,
Figure 4 is a section on the liner, Figure 2 shewing the shape of one of the
said bags:
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the upper part of the lunette or well-hole; and,
Figure 6 is a plan view of the obstructer shewn in the said figure:
Figure 7 is a sectional view shewing how the obstructer is applied to the crown
hole or flue; and,
Figure 8 is a plan of the same.
indicates the wall of the oven, b, the fire-mouths, c, e the horizontal flues
and d, d the vertical flues or bags. These parts are of ordinary construction and
require no further description. In the drawing it will be noticed that I have only
shewn two bags on opposite sides of the oven but it is to be understood that a
number of bags are arranged equi-distant around the oven and are only omitted
from the drawing for the sake of clearness.
e, e are the obstructers which I use in connection with the vertical flues or bags.
These obstructers are made of an arch-shape, as shewn in Figure 2, and rest upon
the upper ends of the said bags, the external shape corresponding to that of the
bags. These obstructers are provided with perforations, through which the
heat and products of combustion pass into the kiln. g, gare the perforated caps or
covers placed upon the obstructers, as shewn most clearly in Figures 2 and 3, and
serving to form chambers into which steam or air may be introduced for assisting
the combustion of the smoke. When I use steam, it may be generated with
advantage in a boiler which is wholly or partly built into the walls of the oven so
as to be heated by the heat therein.
is the well-hole which is built up of a series of rings to the required height,
and is the obstructer which is placed upon the same. This obstructer is shewn in
Figures 5 and 6 and consists of a perforated dome resting upon the uppermost ring
of the well-hole. In some cases I may find it advantageous to place one or more
obstructers in the well-hole between pairs of the rings in a manner which will be
readily understood.
is the hole in the crown of the oven through which the products of combustion
escape. When
use a perforated obstructer in connection with this crown holo I
advantageously surround the latter by brick-work, as shewn at k, and place the
perforated obstructer upon the said brick-work.
indicates a rod which may be attached to a chain or lever for facilitating the
lifting of the perforated cap or cover.
By the use of my obstructers (1) the heat is retained in the oven or kiln to a
much greater extent than is the case with the ordinary flues whereby an economy

page_text: in fuel is effected; (2) the heat is more uniformly distributed than heretofore
whereby those parts of the oven which hitherto have been most difficult to raise to
the desired temperature are properly heated, and (3) the introduction of steam and
air either together or separately into the chambers above the bags serves to assist
the combustion and thus prevent to a large extent the entrance of smoke into the
oven.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements, relating to ovens, kilns or the like for firing china or
earthenware pottery and for similar purposes, consisting in the employment of
obstructers placed in or upon the outlets of the flues of such ovens or the like,
substantially in the manner described.
2. The combination with an oven or kiln for firing pottery or for similar
purposes, of obstructers for retarding the passage of the heat through the flues
thereof, substantially as described.
3. The combination with obstructers of the kind herein before described, of
perforated caps or covers adapted to fit over the same, for the purpose specified.
4. The improvements in kilns or ovens for firing pottery and for similar purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th day of December 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.