New or Improved Kilns for Firing and Annealing Glass, China, Earthenware, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Kilns for Firing and Annealing Glass, China,
Earthenware, and the like.
I, ERNEST WILLIAM BROCK, of 142, Victoria Street, Bristol, Sculptor and
Artist in Glass, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to new or improved kilns for firing and annealing glass,
china, and similar goods, whereby a constant succession of receptacles containing
articles to be fired, can be passed through the kiln while at its greatest heat,
without the loss and delay consequent on the kiln having to be heated after the
goods are put therein, and cooled again before they can be removed, as is the case
with kilns at present in use.
My invention consists in providing a chamber, either vertical or horizontal, in any
suitable part of which a series of "Bünsen" gas, or other burners are inserted in
such numbers and sizes as to supply the required amount of heat, and then to fit
the sides of the chamber with appliances for passing the receptacles containing
goods through that part of the chamber where the operation of the flame is most
intense, bringing them out at one side, above, or below, according to the arrange-
ment of the chamber, replacing them by others which have become partially
heated by their proximity to the flames, these again are displaced by others, and
those first fired pass on towards the outlet from the chamber, and thus an
annealing process is constantly going on, until by the time a receptacle gets to
the outlet, the articles are sufficiently cooled for removal without injury.
In carrying my invention into effect, I prefer to use a vertical chamber, and
to arrange it so that the receptacles may be put in at the top of the kiln,
the heating appliances being placed about one third of the distance from the top,
by which the contents of each receptacle will be made very hot before they come
into contact with the flames, thus reducing the time required for firing; after the
goods have been under the influence of the flames for the required time, the
receptacle is lowered, and is passed one stage towards the outlet, when this is
reached, it rests on a trolly provided for its removal, and the process of putting
in receptacles filled with goods at the top, passing them downwards through the
fire, and annealing them, goes on continuously without loss of time or fuel by
heating and cooling the kiln for each firing.
If the order of inserting and removing the receptacles be reversed, or a
horizontal chamber be used, the arrangements are adapted to the altered
conditions.
The receptacles may be made of any suitable material and shape, brackets for
their support are formed with racks at their backs, and these slide in grooves
fitted vertically in the sides of the chamber, a succession of these brackets being
placed in the grooves, the lower ones come in contact with a series of toothed
wheels, operated simultaneously by a wheel and gearing, so that as one receptacle
s lowered, all the others, which rest on the brackets above those operated by
he gearing, will fall towards the bottom in regular order, until they are removed
n their turn; as the racks come to the bottom, they are disengaged from the
grooves, and fall to the ground, so that they can be immediately re-inserted at
he top, ready for the support of other receptacles of goods.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1893
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.

page_text: New or Improved Kilns for Firing and Annealing Glass, China,
Earthenware, and the like.
I, ERNEST WILLIAM BROCK, of 142, Victoria Street, Bristol, Sculptor and
Artist on Glass, 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 relates to new or improved kilns for firing glass, porcelain, and
similar goods, and has for its object to provide means whereby a constant succession
of trays, cases, or carriers, containing goods to be fired, may be passed through the
hottest part of the kiln, and be hardened, enamelled, or otherwise treated by the
fire, in the time actually necessary for the firing process, without the delay at
present experienced in filling the kiln before the fire is kindled, and then having
to wait while the kiln is heated and cooled before the goods can be removed.
This invention consists in constructing a chamber of any shape suitable for the
purpose, either vertical or horizontal, with an opening or openings for putting the
carriers filled with goods into the chamber, and for removing the same after they
have been fired, and arranging gas burners or other means of supplying the
required heat near the centre of the chamber, the heat from the burners being
concentrated in the confined space through which the carriers are passed; suitable
means are provided for conveying the carriers through the heat, and thus the goods
will become gradually heated as they approach the fire, and also become cooled or
annealed as they recede therefrom; and it is found that the goods acquire a very
great heat before they come into actual contact with the fire, and that in a very few
minutes the firing will be completed, and the carrier can be moved forward a stage
and its place occupied by another carrier containing goods to be similarly fired, and
thus a continuous succession of carriers is passed through, without lowering the
temperature in the hot part of the kiln, or any delay in waiting for the goods to be
cooled or annealed.
In carrying this invention into effect, I prefer constructing the chamber like a
shaft, so that the carriers may pass downwards, and thus more fully utilise the heat
which ascends from the fire, and the description and drawings will refer only to
kilns of a vertical construction, but they may be made horizontal, where room or
other circumstances render this form desirable, the carriers being passed through
the fire by means of rails, chains, or other suitable contrivances, and the waste heat
from the central part of the chamber conveyed to adjacent parts by an arrangement
of flues, so that the carriers may be gradually heated and cooled in passing through
the chamber.
The arrangements for conveying the goods through a vertical chamber may be
varied to a considerable extent, but three of the methods which appear to be most
suitable for the purpose are herein described and shown in the accompanying
drawings, the first, illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, is suitable for small kilns which are
only occasionally used, or for firing, vitrifying, or otherwise treating glass, and
similar light operations; the second, Figs. 8 and 9, is a vertical kiln, which may be
made of any suitable height, and where the goods are put on trays and placed in
the upper part, each tray containing props or stilts to support the one above it, the
trays are lowered through the fire by means of a screw jack or similar means, bolts
being inserted from the outside to sustain the lowest but one, while the lowest is
removed and emptied, the jack being re-applied to the next tray to lower it while
the bolts engage the one above, this process being repeated, allowing a sufficient
time for the tray in contact with the flame to be fired; the third method, which is
considered most suitable where a large output is required, is shown in Figs. 10
to 13, is one in which the carriers are attached to endless chains passing over wheels,

page_text: and the goods on the carriers passed in a continuous flow through the fire, as shown
in Fig. 10.
Fig.
same;
1 is an elevation of a small kiln, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of the
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing the arrangements for conveying gas flames
which play over and among the goods on the carrier or tray;
Fig. 4 is also a horizontal section, showing the gearing appliances for lowering
the trays into and through the flames, and
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective sketches, on an enlarged scale, of guides and
racked brackets, which support the carriers or trays;
Fig. 8 is a vertical section, and Fig. 9 a horizontal section of a shaft in which a
series of trays are placed one above another, kept at the right distances apart by
props of metal or other suitable material, each lowered by a screw jack at the
bottom as the goods have become sufficiently fired and annealed:
Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a larger shaft, at the top of which are wheels
supporting endless chains passing around similar wheels at the bottom of the shaft,
at intervals, bars are connected to the opposite chains, and cages or carriers
suspended thereto for conveying goods towards and through the flames;
Fig. 11 is a cross section showing the arrangements for carrying the gas burners
to a recess in the chamber, and other details ;
Fig. 12 is a side elevation and part section, showing the attachment of the
carriers to the rods which are fastened in the chains, and the latter passing around
the wheels; and
Fig. 13 is a perspective sketch of a carrier attached to a bar, ready to be fastened
to the chains.
The same letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
A represents a series of atmospheric gas-burners inserted at opposite sides of the
square chamber in a recess a formed to receive the burners and to allow the heat
to travel freely round the goods; the burners are of sufficient size to throw the
flames over all parts of the enclosed area between the trays B, which are sheets of
metal or plates of other suitable material resting on brackets Chaving_vertical
backs on which racks D are formed, these racks are inserted in guides E, which
are grooved as shown in Fig. 5, the weight of the trays and racks will keep the
lower racks at the bottom of the guides, which have an opening at the back to
receive cog wheels F, which are actuated simultaneously by gearing as shown, so
that when one tray of goods has been fired, the lower tray will be withdrawn by
placing a trolly beneath and lowering it thereon by the gearing, the rack brackets
will be disengaged from the guides and fall on the ground, ready to be re-inserted
at the top, and to receive another tray with its supply of goods to be fired: in
Figs. 8 and 9 the gas burners A are inserted in the recess a at any suitable part of
the shaft, and the goods are placed on plates or trays H resting on props or stilts I
and as they pass through the heated area a, each tray in succession will be fired,
the lower tray rests on bolts i, and when it is ready for removal, a jack J raises the
tray slightly to take the weight from the bolts, which are then withdrawn, and the
tray lowered sufficiently to be removed, the bolts are again pushed in to receive
the next tray, and holds it until ready for removal. In Figs. 10 and 12, K are
wheels placed on bearings at the top of the shaft, and L are corresponding wheels
Dear the bottom; endless chains M pass over the wheels, one of the lower wheels
being toothed to engage in the chain, rods n to which carriers N (with one or more
trays) are suspended, are connected to the chains, by which they are conveyed
from opposite the doorway O round to the other.side and passed through the fire
whence they travel round until they arrive at the doorway again, when the
goods are removed and replaced by a further supply to undergo the same process :
N is an enlarged view of a carrier suspended to the rod n ready for attachment to
the chains.
area a,
The kilns being provided as described, their operation by either of the three
methods will be practically the same, the object in each case being to concentrate

page_text: the heat in one small area, through which the carriers convey the goods, retaining
them for the time requisite for firing, which is found to be only a very few minutes,
as the heating has commenced some time before actual contact with the flames, and
as they recede from the fire, the cooling is similarly progressive.
In kilns worked at a comparatively low temperature, which will permit of iron
being used, plates may be put round the hot part of the chamber, as shown in P,
Fig. 10, and the waste heat ascending to the top may be drawn through holes and
pass downwards and into the outer chamber, thus utilising nearly all the heat, the
space between the iron and the brickwork being filled with asbestos packing or
the like.
more
The advantages of kilns constructed in the manner described and shown are
believed to be very considerable, among others may be mentioned a complete
reversal of the present system of firing in which a large area is heated in
or less irregular manner, substituting therefor a concentration of the heat in a
small area, and passing the goods rapidly through the fire without loss of time; a
considerable saving of space, labour, and fuel; a diminution of the risk of damaged
goods from over or under-firing; and an increase in the output of goods.
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. In the construction of kilns for firing glass, porcelain, and similar goods,
placing the fire in a limited space, so as to concentrate the heat on a small quantity
of goods and fire them in a few minutes, and then similarly to operate on succession
of other goods, each lot being gradually heated and cooled in its passage, substan-
tially as herein described and shown.
2. In continuous kilns, as herein described, the arrangement of means for con-
veying carriers filled with goods towards and through the fire, and withdrawing
them therefrom in such a manner that the goods will be gradually heated, fired, and
annealed in a continuous output without loss of time or waste of heat, substantially
as described and shown.
3. In continuous kilns as described, the insertion of racked brackets in guides, as
shown in Fig. 5, with the gearing appliances for lowering the trays through the
flames, and withdrawing them at the base of the kiln, substantially as described and
set forth.
DL: 001 1
1000