Improvements in Continuous Down Draught Kilns for Brick and Terra-cotta Burning.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, fon rep., 1993
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Continuous Down Draught Kilns for Brick and
Terra-cotta Burning.
We, ALBERT WARBURTON and ALBERT BAILEY, Directors, and HARRY ROTII-
WELL, Secretary of the New Haslingden Plastic Brick Company, Limited, of
Top o' th' Slate, Haslingden, in the County of Lancaster, Brickmakers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to continuous down-draught kilns in which bricks, terra-
cotta and the like are burnt.
A kiln constructed according to these improvements may be built with fourteen
chambers, more or less, according to the capacity required. The chambers are
arranged back to back in two rows, one half of the total number being on each
side. In working, the hot gases pass from one chamber to the other successively.
At the bottom of the walls dividing the chambers, there are constructed through
each wall, about eight flues or openings, more or less according to the capacity
of the chamber, and in front of these flues, at a short distance from the openings,
there is built in each chamber a dwarf wall which may be about three feet high.
The space between the dwarf wall and the division wall forms a combustion space
to which fuel is supplied from above the chamber, and the products of combus-
tion can pass from this space through the openings in the division wall into the
next chamber. The dwarf wall prevents the fuel from coming into contact with
the goods and discolouring them.
An air or circulation flue surrounds the kiln and communicates with each
chamber through openings controlled by dampers. This flue may be connected
with the chimney at any suitable point.
Between the two ranges of chambers there is a hot air flue which also connects
through suitable damper controlled openings with each of the chambers.
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The kilns may be worked in the following manner:-Assuming any particular
chamber to be charged with dried articles and the next with green articles.
the hot gases from the combustion space in the preceding chamber pass through
the openings in the division wall into the first or burning chamber where they
burn the articles therein. Thence the hot gases pass through the hot air fluc
to the next or drying chamber, where they dry the green goods and whence they
escape either through the following chamber or direct to the surrounding flue and
to the chimney. All the openings through the division walls except those
through which the products of combustion from the contiguous combustion spaces
are actually passing, are temporarily closed. The goods in the first chamber hav-
ing been burnt, coal is supplied to the combustion space of that chamber and are
ignited by the high temperature therein. Their products of combustion then
pass into the second chamber and burn the already dried goods therein. They
are then conveyed to the third chamber and dry the green goods placed there for
the purpose. Meanwhile the goods already burnt in the chamber preceding that
herein called the first, are cooling down and are finally removed to be replaced

page_text: by green goods. The operation of successive drying and burning proceeds
regularly round the whole series of chambers, but any chamber may be cut out
of the series at will by means of the dampers, for repairs or other purpose.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Continuous Down Draught Kilns for Brick and
Terra-cotta Burning.
We, ALBERT WARBURTON and ALBERT BAILEY, Directors, and HARRY ROTH-
WELL, Secretary of the New Haslingden Plastic Brick Company, Limited, of
Top o' th' Slate, Haslingden, in the County of Lancaster, Brickmakers, 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:
This invention relates to continuous down-draught kilns in which bricks, terra-
cotta and the like are burnt.
A kiln constructed according to these improvements may be built with any
convenient number of chambers arranged in two rows back to back, one half of
the total number being on each side. In working, the hot gases pass from one
chamber to another either successively or in any required order according to the
positions of the dampers in the chambers, or the gases may be led from any
chamber direct into the flue. At the bottom of the walls dividing the chambers
are constructed flues or openings by means of which communication may be
established between adjacent chambers. In front of the flues, and at a short
distance from them is built in each chamber a dwarf wall which may be about
three feet high. The space between the division wall and the dwarf wall forms
a combustion space to which fuel may be supplied from the upper part of the
chamber, and the products of combustion may pass from this space through the
openings in the next division wall into the next chamber. The dwarf wall pre-
vents the fuel coming into contact with the goods and discolouring them.
A flue surrounds the kiln and communicates with each chamber through open-
ings controlled by dampers. This flue opens into the chimney at any suitable
point.
Between the two ranges of chambers there may be another flue, which also com-
municates with each chamber and serves to place any chamber in connection with
any other desired chamber.
The working of the kiln may be briefly described as follows. Assuming the
kiln to be in operation, there is a fire in the combustion space of one chamber,
burning the previously dried goods therein. The next following chamber con-
tains unburnt goods in the process of drying by the hot products of combustion
from the adjoining chamber. The third chamber is filled or in process of being
filled with green goods. These three cells or chambers constitute a group, and
there may be a plurality of such groups in simultaneous action in the kiln. The
action in a group having been completed, the group is reconstituted by cutting
out the chamber containing the burnt goods at one end and adding a chamber
containing green goods at the other end, fuel having first been added to the
combustion space of the first member of the new group, so that the drying and
burning is repeated in the new group. This is repeated continuously step by
step around and around the kiln. Any one or more of the chambers may be

page_text: temporarily cut out of the series by closing dampers provided for that purpose.
The great heat of the drying chamber suffices for the self ignition of the fuel
placed therein at the appropriate time, that is to say when the goods in the.
preceding chamber have been completely burnt. The burnt goods are removed
in the ordinary course and the empty chamber is then ready for the reception
of a new supply of green articles. Thus each chamber in turn is filled with
green articles, has those articles dried and burn therein and finally has the burnt
articles removed therefrom to be replaced by new green ones.
The operation of successive drying and burning proceeds regularly round the
whole series of chambers, but any chamber may be cut out of the series at will
by means of dampers. In such an event the products of combustion would be
led from any one flue to the next working one through the central flue.
In order that our invention may be more readily understood we have appended
hereto a sheet of drawings to which we will now refer.
Figure 1 illustrates a sectional plan of a kiln constructed to embody our
improvements. In the upper part of the drawing the section shown is taken along
the line xx, Figure 3, and that shown in the lower part of the drawing is along
the line yy, Figure 3.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section along the line -, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an illustration of a vertical cross section along the line w-w,
Figure 1.
•
It will be seen that the kiln consists of ten chambers, for example, numbered 1
to 10, and arranged in two rows back to back, an equal number of chambers
being in each row. Each chamber is provided with an opening or door A through
which goods may be taken into or removed from them. The division walls B
between chambers are perforated at their lower parts with openings or flues C,
which may be closed when desired. Within each chamber at a short distance in
front of the openings C is built a dwarf wall D. A combustion space is thus
formed in each chamber between the division wall and the dwarf wall. When
desired, this combustion space is supplied with fuel which is prevented by the
dwarf wall from coming into contact with the articles contained within the
chamber. Each chamber is in communication, through closable openings E, with
an encircling flue 1, which is in communication with the chimney G. H is a
flue which is situated between the two rows of chambers and communicates with
them all. The openings between this flue and the chambers is also closable at
will.
Assuming the kiln to be in operation and that previously dried goods are being
burnt in chamber 1 by a fire in the combustion space therein; that chamber 2
contains goods in process of being dried by the hot gases from chamber 1; and
that chamber 3 has just been filled with new green goods. Then, as soon as the
goods in chamber 1 are completely burnt, fuel is supplied to the combustion space
of chamber 2, chamber 1 is cut out, and chamber is joined in. The heat in
chamber 2 suffices to ignite the fuel just placed therein and the additional heat
thus generated burns the goods, the waste hot gases passing to chamber 3 to dry
the green articles therein. In the meantime a further supply of new green
articles is arranged in the chamber 4. These operations are repeated while advanc-
ing chamber by chamber round and around the kiln. The waste gases may be
diverted from the temporary drying chamber, or be conveyed into a further
chamber containing green goods, to give them a preliminary drying. The fuel is
introduced into the combustion spaces through openings J J, formed through the
top of the kiln, as in existing constructions.
The progress of the work and the passage of the products of combustion are in
the direction of the arrows.
Products of combustion may pass from one chamber to the next through the
5 connecting flue H as well as through the openings in the division walls.
Should at any time one of the chambers, say for example 3. have to be put
out of work, the chamber 2 may be put into communication with the chamber 4

page_text: through the flue H, and the openings in the division walls may be closed so that
repairs could be effected in the chamber 3. without interfering with the working
vi the kiln.
When a chamber containing burnt articles is sufficiently cool the articles may
be removed and be replaced by "green" articles.
The chamber 5, at one end of the series, opens directly through the lateral
opening M, into the combustion space of the chamber 6. Similarly, the end
chamber 10 opens into the combustion space of the chamber 1. To induce the
necessary draught for the commencement of firing a bye-pass Y, may be formed
from the end of the combustion spaces in chambers 1 and 6. As soon as the
fire has well burnt up, these bye-passes may be closed.
To prevent the passing current in the flue F from obstructing currents issuing
from the chamber openings these latter may be shielded by curved or inclined
walls N, which point in the direction taken by the current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In kilns for burning bricks, terra-cotta and the like, the construction and
arrangement in combination with the perforated division walls, of combustion
spaces D, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In kilns for burning bricks, terra-cotta and the like, the construction and
arrangement of the flue F, and its tributaries together with the walls N N con-
tained therein, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In kilns for burning bricks, terra-cotta and the like, the construction and
arrangement of the bye-pass flue H and its connections, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
4. An improved kiln for burning bricks, terra-cotta and the like, constructed
arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Dotad this 17th dor of Nanamban D 1900