IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BURNING OF BRICKS OR OTHER ARTICLES OF CLAY, AND IN KILNS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BURNING OF BRICKS OR OTHER
ARTICLES OF CLAY, AND IN KILNS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”—A
communication from abroad by Edward Wingard Bingham, of
Portland, Oregon, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 1st April 1875, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE BURNING OF BRICKS OR OTHER ARTICLES OF CLAY, AND IN KILNS OR APPARATUS

page_text: EMPLOYED THEREFOR," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by Edward Wingard Bingham, of
Portland, Oregon, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a
part of this Specification :-
This Invention has relation to the burning of bricks or other articles
made of clay, and it consists, first, in the process of consuming the
gases evolved from the fuel in a more perfect manner than has here-
tofore been accomplished; and, second, in providing the kiln with a
furnace or furnaces so constructed that the consumption of the gases in
the superior manner referred to will be effected with the production of a
steady equalized temperature, and that the influx of currents of aur or
gas of irregularly high or low temperature into the body of the kiln will
be prevented.
The objects of the said Invention are further to so construct a kiln of
rectangular or other shape that the temperature will be completely
under the control of the attendants, and may be increased or diminished
according to the requirement of the material being burned; also, to
provide pipes or flues and other passages in the furnace walls, the walls
of gas vaults, and the walls of the kiln proper, through which air is con-
ducted into the flame spaces in order to be mixed with the carbureted
hydrogen and unconsumed gas from the furnace or furnaces, supplying
oxygen and thereby promoting the combustion of the gases, as will be
herein-after explained.
In the accompanying Drawings I have represented a rectangular kiln,
but the said improvements are designed to be applied to kilns of circular
and polygonal form.
Previous to these improvements the walls of kilns, whether provided
with furnaces or not, were so constructed that the air draught was
directly into the body of the kiln. No adequate provision was made for

page_text: utilizing this air in the consumption of the gases from the fuel or for
regulating its temperature, and its damaging effect in irregularly heating
the material in the lower part of the kiln is well known.
My kiln may be built in the common way, with openings through the
kiln wall at its bottom. On filling the kiln with the "green" brick, arched
chambers are left in the lower part of the pile, communicating at their
ends with these openings in the kiln walls. These arched chambers in
some ordinary kilns serve as furnaces for the reception of fuel, and the
generation therefrom of the heat by which the mass of ware above is to
be burned to the proper degree of hardness. When the atmospheric
draught as in this case is directly into the body of the kiln it is
impossible to diffuse the heat equally throughout any portion of the
mass, and the consequence is that some of the ware will be burned too
much, while other portions of the mass will not be sufficiently burned.
utilizing this air in the consumption of the gases from the fuel or for
regulating its temperature, and its damaging effect in irregularly heating
the material in the lower part of the kiln is well known.
My kiln may be built in the common way, with openings through the
kiln wall at its bottom. On filling the kiln with the "green" brick, arched
chambers are left in the lower part of the pile, communicating at their
ends with these openings in the kiln walls. These arched chambers in
some ordinary kilns serve as furnaces for the reception of fuel, and the
generation therefrom of the heat by which the mass of ware above is to
be burned to the proper degree of hardness. When the atmospheric
draught as in this case is directly into the body of the kiln it is
impossible to diffuse the heat equally throughout any portion of the
mass, and the consequence is that some of the ware will be burned too
much, while other portions of the mass will not be sufficiently burned.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the said kiln.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the air chamber of
a furnace, showing the sand passage; and Figure 3 is a vertical trans-
verse sectional view of the gas vault, showing the air passages.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the said kiln; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the kiln in the rectangular form.
The walls A are designed to be constructed of any material which will
resist the fire The kiln walls may be made of any desired thickness.
I prefer from two and a half to three bricks at the base, tapering off as
the wall rises to nine inches at the coping Through the walls at their
bases are irregular openings e communicating with the gas vaults C,
which are constructed to carry into the kiln and distribute equally tho
inflamed gases. Each of these openings is provided with a communi-
cating passage d, passing upwardly therefrom through the wall to the
exterior surface of the vault or other convenient part. Through these
passages I am enabled to introduce finely pulverized ashes, sand, brick
dust, or other refractory substances into the openings c for the purpose
of partly or wholly closing them, according to the temperature required.
By means of such dampers the passages c may be entirely closed to shut
off the heat when the contents of a compartment have been sufficiently
burned,

page_text: In connection with the main walls A are constructed the gas distri-
buting vaults C and the heat or gas generating furnaces D communicating
with the said vaults. These furnaces are properly spaced and arranged
with relation to the vaults C, which extend lengthwise of the walls A so
as to furnish the proper quantity of heat to each portion of the kıln.
Each furnace is constructed with air chambers ff, in its walls, damper
holes outside, and jet holes inside being provided through the
walls of the said air chambers. The external air is admitted into the
chambers, where it is warmed, and thence it is conducted into the
furnace through the jet holes for the purpose of increasing the com-
bustion therein. Direct draught into the furnace or from the same into
the kiln is avoided. The opening whereby cach furnace communicates
with the gas vault is preferably so located that it will not be opposite
any one of the series of openings c from the gas vault into the body of
the kiln, but will be opposite a part of the blank wall of the vault
between two of the said passages.
2
In order to supply the carburetted hydrogen gas with oxygen from
the atmosphere in proper quantities, and have the temperature in the
kiln such that the glazing material, bricks or wares, or the layers that
contain them, shall not be damaged by sudden changes of temperature,
I carry atmospheric air into the gas vaults by passages, which may be
carried under the same, as shown at g, or introduced between the
furnaces, as shewn at h, or otherwise located, according to the require.
ment of the form of the kiln, these air passages in all instances being
designed to embouch into the upper portion of the gas vault through
small openings near the "skur back" of the arch. The commingling of
the air thus introduced with the inflammable gases of the vault is
thorough and complete, the superior gravity of the atmospheric air
causing it to pass downward in amongst the gases arising from the com-
bustion of the fuel whilst they rise.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 4 that the said kiln may be
divided by walls G into several compartments, cach compartment being
provided with large and small eyes or passages c. Each compartment
may also have a separate furnace communicating with the gas vault.
The control of the heat in cach part of the kiln is thereby facilitated.
The partition walls G are preferably made of "green" brick.
The operation of this improved kiln is as follows -The division
walls G are extended nearly to the top of the kiln, after which tho kiln

page_text: is filled with the brick or ware to be burned, the material being piled
over the division walls. I thus have the kiln divided into compartments
in number corresponding to the number of furnaces, consequently I am
enabled to regulate the heat and distribute it uniformly in cach com-
partment. When the fires are made in the furnaces D the heated
products pass into the vaults C, and are therein mixed with the currents
of air which enter them at their upper portions, as above described. The
mixture of the gases and air ensures perfect combustion, and pure flame
issues through the passages c, c, regulated by the introduction of more
or less sand, finely pulverized ashes, brick dust, or other refractory
material into the said passages through the chutes d, d. By means of
this arrangement of vaults and furnaces a thorough mixture of the air
and gases is made before they are admitted into the body of the kiln
In burning bricks and various kinds of ware it is essential in order to
prevent the breakage thereof that sudden irregularities of temperature in
the kiln shall be entirely avoided. This I accomplish by my arrange-
ment of the gas mixing vaults, and by heating the air before its intro-
duction into the kiln through the flame passages c, c.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First The method or process of introducing the oxygenizing air into the
kiln by descending currents through the combustion chambers to insure
the combustion of the gases, and the heating of the air before its intro-
duction into the kiln.
Second. In burning brick or other clay ware the method or process of
mixing the air and inflammable gases before allowing them to come in
contact with the green ware in the kiln, so that their temperature is
regulated, and introducing into the kiln a supply of the tempered air
sufficient to make combustion perfect, or a greater or a less supply as
required by the means herein described.
Third. The combination with a kiln and furnaces in connection there-
with of gas combustion vaults, as herein specified.
Fourth. The combination with a kiln of the passage or passages for the
introduction of sand or other comminuted refractory material for the
purpose of partially or wholly closing the openings communicating with
the vault and kiln, as herein specified.

page_text: Fifth. The combination of the kiln furnace D with the air chambers f
et holes, and the gas distributing vault C, as herein specified.
Sixth In a kiln the combination with a gas distributing vault C of air
nduction passages opening into its upper portion, as above specified.
In witness whercof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set 5
my hand and scal, this First day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
JAS. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)