Improvements in Apparatus for Burning and Cooling Hydraulic Lime and Cement.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Burning and Cooling Hydraulic
Lime and Cement.
I JOHN WILLIAM HENRY JAMES of Victoria Chambers Westminster in the County
of Middlesex Engineer 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:--
The invention relates to apparatus in which the dry powdery materials named in
the title are burnt by direct contact with gaseous or liquid fuel in combustion within
a rotating cylindrical or conical druin and are afterwards cooled in a like drum or by
other convenient means.
The object is to so construct such apparatus that repairs renewals and operating are
more readily effected that the quantity of the material treated is augmented, that more
uniform action is secured and that a product of improved quality is obtained.
My invention consists essentially in novel constructions combinations and arrange-
ments of parts.
The rotating burning and cooling drums are actuated by worm gear or the equivalent
thereof deriving movement from a steam or other motor, and consists of an iron or
steel shell built up of plates angles channels or other suitable rolled sections lined
inside with refractory material.
The said drums are carried on rollers which reduce friction and permit the
iron or steel work of the drum to freely expand and contract as the temperature rises
and falls.
To cool the shell of the rotating drums as much as possible I perforate the plates
and provide the outside of the refractory lining with recesses or cavities in such
manner that cold air is freely admitted into the said recesses whereby the cooling and
ventilating of the shell is effected.
When a cylindrical drum is used such drum is preferably somewhat inclined, the
In this
end which receives the powdered material to be burnt being raised a little.
case fins or corrugations which may or may not be parallel to the centre line of the
cylinder are provided inside thereof. These fins carry up the powdered material and

page_text: discharge it afterwards across the flame and the hot products of combustion or
entering air according as the drum is used as a burner or cooler. Thus all dust and
powder inside the rotating cylinder will slowly travel towards the lower or delivery
end thereof.
Instead of inclining the cylindrical drums they may be mounted horizontally in
which case I provide the interior thereof with fins arranged in a spiral form so as
to carry all dust and powder inside the said rotating drums slowly towards the
delivery end.
A similar effect can be obtained by means of conical drums with horizontal axis and
fins suitably arranged in the interior thereof.
The fuel and air are introduced and ignited at the delivery end of the rotating
burning drum and thus the flames and products of combustion move in a direction
opposite to that of the movement of the material to be burnt. Liquid fuel is introduced
through any convenient spray apparatus worked with dry steam compressed air or
other suitable agent.
The heat which passes from the burning drum with the products of combustion
may be used for drying slurry on drying floors or for any other convenient purpose.
The burnt material which leaves the burning drum at its delivery end is transferred
into a revolving cooling drum combined with and conveniently arranged underneath
the said burning drum.
The burnt material whilst passing through the revolving cooling drum parts with
its heat to air which passes through the said cooling drum and is with advantage used
for the combustion of the fuel in the burning drum.
.
If necessary I employ several cooling drums and dispense with the refractory lining
as soon as the calcined material has been cooled down to a suitable temperature or
transfer the calcined material from the first cooling drum into a revolving cast iron
or wrought iron tube provided with cooling fins inside or outside and surrounded by
water.
Instead of employing a revolving, cooling drum for the purpose of cooling the burnt
material and heating the air necessary for the combustion of the fuel I sometimes
let the burnt material fall into trays which are connected with a travelling band.
In this case the trays are either made entirely of silica asbestos or other refractory
material or they are made of iron or steel coated with refractory material, and are
fixed to the travelling band by means of bolts and nuts or cotters. I prefer to
attach the said trays to the travelling band in such manner that one tray prevents
the other from falling off or I slip the trays between the links of the chain so that
they remain in position without the help of bolt or other small fastenings. The upper
part of the band passes through a tunnel through which the burnt material is slowly
removed towards the delivery end, the air moving through the tunnel takes up heat
from the said burnt material which is thereby cooled correspondingly. The bands
together with the trays which in passing through the said tunnel have become hot
return through a passage underneath the said tunnel where they are exposed to the
atmosphere and are cooled before they enter the tunnel again. The air which is heated
in the tunnel passes into the burning drum to support combustion. The travelling
band inside the tunnel is supported by rollers or slides on cast iron rails bedded in
sand or silica. If the bands are supported by rollers I prefer to make the rollers of
silica asbestos or other refractory material mounted and carried by iron or steel bars.
The said rollers may be further improved by perforating them longitudinally for the
purpose of ventilating and cooling.
Another improvement consists in working the burning drums in pairs; thus two
burning drums with cooling drums or two burning drums with travelling bands or
two burning drums with proper air and gas regenerators or air regenerators alone are
combined to form a multiple apparatus.
In order that my invention and the manner of performing the same may be more
fully understood I have appended drawings showing several ways of carrying my
invention into effect. The reference numerals denote corresponding parts in all the
views on sheets 1 to 8 inclusive.

page_text: On sheet 1. Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are cross sections and
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of apparatus under my invention in which producer gas
is used.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew an alternative arrangement of gas inlet. 1 hopper for the
reception of the powdered material to be burnt 2 elevator for supplying material to
the hopper 3 feed pipe through which the material is introduced into the furnace
4 rotating inclined Burning drum 5 fins 6 bearing rollers for the drum 7 adjustable
thrust roller, 8 worm gear for actuating the furnace drum 9 valve for regulating the
admission of gas from the producers into the burning drum 10 gaseous fuel inlet of
selica or other refractory material, 11 hot air uptake and downward passage for the
calcined material, 12 shoot for directing the flow of the calcined material from the
furnace drum into the cooling drum, 13 inclined cylindrical cooling drum, 14 fins
of cooling drum, 15 worm gear for actuating cooling drum, 16 bearing rollers,
17 adjustable rollers for taking up thrust, 18 delivery end of cooling cylinder, 19 lid for
regulating the admission of air into the cooling drum, 20 worm for transferring
calcined material to the elevator 21 which carries the material to the finishing Mills,
22 damper for regulating the draft to the flue or chimney, 23 sight holes, 24 igniting
hole, 25 main flue leading to drying floors and chimney stack, 26 main driving belt
or chain, 27 chain or belt for imparting motion to the feeding apparatus, 28 chain
or belt for driving the cooling drum, 29 chain or belt for driving the worm 20.
The arrangement of gas inlet shewn by figs. 6 and fig. 7 I have found superior
to all others; the gas is introduced in several distinct currents with which the hot
air can easily mix, thus greatly facilitating combustion.
On sheet 2 Fig 8 is a vertical section Fig a cross section and Fig. 10 a horizontal
section of apparatus similar to that shown in figs. 1. 2. 3. 4 and 5 adapted for use
with natural gas.
Figs. 11 and 12 shew an improved design of gas inlet.
On sheet 3 Fig. 13 is a vertical section Fig. 14 a cross section Fig. 15 is a horizontal
section and Fig. 16 a section through the spray producer of apparatus similar to that
described on sheet 1 adapted for use with liquid fuel.
Figs. 17 and 18 shew an improved arrangement of inlet pipe for the introduction
of the fuel into the furnace.
30 is any convenient kind of spray producing apparatus-31 Cock to regulate the
flow of the liquid fuel to the orifices of the spray apparatus and 32 Valve for supplying
dry steam or compressed air for working the spray apparatus.
On sheet 4 Fig. 19 is a vertical section Fig. 20 a horizontal section and Fig. 21 a
cross section of apparatus under my invention in which both the burning and cooling
drums are cylindrical are set horizontally and are provided inside with fins arranged
in a spiral form. The furnace is adapted for producer gas but can easily be altered
to suit natural gas or liquid fuel in accordance with drawings on sheets 2 and 3.
With the exception of the position of the drums and the arrangement of the fins
inside the drums the apparatus on sheet 4 is in every way identical with that on
sheet 1.
The action of the fins may be increased by corrugating them as shown by figs. 22
and 23, or by providing a number of short fins which break joints with each other and
are set to a spiral of small pitch.
If the pitch of the spiral to which the fins are set is decreased considerably the pins
form a screw thread built up inside the drum in this case the fins accelerate the
delivery of the burnt material considerably.
On sheet 5 Fig. 24 is a cross section fig. 25 a plan and fig. 26 a longitudinal section
of burning and cooling drums with means for ventilation and cooling.
The lining of the drum is built up of moulded bricks which are provided with
cavities 33 which communicate with the atmosphere through the holes 34 drilled or
made through the shell plates.
On sheet 6 Fig. 27 is a cross section fig. 28 a plan, and fig. 29 a longitudinal section
of burning and cooling drums with modified means for ventilating and cooling.
The lining of the drum is built up with moulded bricks in such a manner that

page_text: grooves 35 extend from end to end of the said drums; these grooves communicate
with the atmosphere through holes 36 drilled or made through the shell plates.
On sheet 7 Fig. 30 is a cross section fig. 31 a plan and fig. 32 a longitudinal
section showing a further modification of means for ventilating and cooling burning
and cooling drums.
The lining of the drum is built up of moulded bricks in such a manner that ring
grooves 37 are formed; these grooves communicate with the atmosphere through
holes 38 drilled or made through the shell.
Instead of building in the moulded bricks so that ring grooves are formed these
bricks may be arranged and made so as to form spiral grooves.
On sheet 8 Fig. 33 is a vertical section and fig. 34 a horizontal section of apparatus
baving burning and cooling drums in pairs.
The burning and cooling drums are shewn inclined but they may also be arranged
horizontally with spiral fins in accordance with the design on sheet 4.
The feed apparatus, driving pulleys and the flues of the furnaces are arranged so
that each furnace can be worked independently in order to facilitate repairing. The
furnaces as shown are adapted for producer gas but can be easily altered so as to suit
natural gas or liquid fuel.
On sheet 9 Fig. 35 is a vertical section, fig. 36 a horizontal section fig. 37 a section
through the air valve, and figs. 38 and 39 cross sections of a pair of burning drums
having air regenerators instead of rotating cooling drums.
8 gas
1 hopper for the reception of the powdered material to be burned 2 feed pipes by
means of which the powdered material is introduced into the burning drums. 3 shoot
for the removal of unburned material, 4 burning drums 5 fins, 6 shoots for the
removal of the burned material. 7 worm gear for driving the burning drums.
inlet pipe, 9 gas regulating valve, 10 hot air uptake or downtake for products of
combustion, 11 air regenerator, 12 passage from air valve to the air regenerator 11.
13 air valve. 14 downtake for products of combustion or uptake for hot air, 15 air
regenerator to recover heat from products of combustion 16 passage from the air
regenerator 15 to the air valve 13 and flue 17. 18 main flue leading to the chimney
or drying floor, 19 gas regulating valve.
It will be understood that the products of combustion pass through the two burning
drums and afterwards through the air regenerator 15 into the chimney flue. On shutting
the gas valve 9 opening the gas valve 19 and reversing the air valve 13 the flow of
the gases inside the burning drums and regenerators is reversed. The regenerator 15
which previously recovered heat from the products of combustion now heats the air
which afterwards passes through the uptake 14 into the burning drums while the
regenerator 11 now recovers heat from the products of combustion previous to their
escaping into the chimney flue 18.
On sheet 10 fig. 40 is a vertical section figure 41 a horizontal section figure 42 a
section through the air valve and figures 43 and 44 are cross sections of a further
modification of apparatus having air regenerators and a pair of burning drums. Parts
corresponding to those on sheet 9 are denoted by the same minerals and the whole
mode of working the present furnace arrangement is in every respect identical with
that of the arrangement on sheet 9.
On sheet 11 Figure 45 is a vertical section figure 46 a horizontal section and
figure 47 48 and 49 are cross sections of apparatus in which a travelling band is
used instead of a cooling drum. Figures 50 and 51 shew an alternative design of
gas inlet. On this sheet and sheets 12 13 and 14 the same minerals indicate corre-
sponding parts.
1 Hopper for the reception of the powdered material to be burned 2 Elevator
supplying the said hopper with material 3 feed pipe through which the material is
introduced into the furnace 4 rotating inclined furnace drum 5 fins 6 bearing rollers
7 adjustable rollers for taking up thrust 8 worm gear for actuating the furnace drum
9 gas valve 10 gas inlet 11 downward passage for burned material 12 hot air uptake
13 cooling tunnel 14 rollers to carry the travelling band 15 chain pulleys 16 bed plate
fitted with adjustable bearings for chain wheel shaft 17 fixed bearings for the chain

page_text: wheel shaft 18 worm gear for driving the travelling band 19 travelling band 20 cooling-
chamber for the travelling band 21 incline leading the burned material to the worm 22.
22 worm for transporting burned material to the elevator 23 which supplies the
finishing mills with the said burned material. 24 main flue leading to the drying floor
and chimney 25 damper, 26 sight and igniting holes 27 main driving belt, 28 driving
belt or chain for the burning drum, 29 chain or belt for driving the feed mechanism,
30 chain or belt for driving the transport worm. The travelling band consists of two
chains and is provided with trays into which the burned material falls to be slowly
carried through the cooling tunnel 13 and finally emptied on the incline 21 leading to
the transport worm.
On sheet 12 fig. 52 is a vertical section fig. 53 a horizontal section and figs. 54 55
and 56 are cross sections of a modification of apparatus with travelling band. Fig. 57
is an alternative design of gas inlet.
In the present design the downward passage 11 for the burned material forms at
the same time the hot air uptake 12 and the travelling band is supported by rails 1+
bedded in sand or silica at the bottom of cooling tunnel 13.
On sheet 13 Figure 58 is a vertical section figure 59 a horizontal section figure 60
à cross section of apparatus similar to that on sheet 2 but adapted for use with natural
gas. Figures 61 and figure 62 show an improved design of gas inlet.
On sheet 14 fig. 63 is a vertical section figure 64 a horizontal section and
figure 65 a cross section of apparatus similar to that on sheet 12 adapted for use with
liquid fuel. Figures 66 and 67 shew an improved arrangement of inlet pipe for the
introduction of the fuel.
•
31 any convenient kind of spray apparatus 32 cock to regulate the flow of the liquid
fuel to the orifices of the spray apparatus. 33 steam valve for the supply of dry
steam for working the spray apparatus
It will be seen from the designs on sheets 12 13 and 14 that the burned
material is directed on to the trays of the travelling band by a shoot suitably arranged
in the passage 11, 12.
On sheet 15 figure 68 shews an arrangement of self locking trays on a travelling
band--Figure 69 is a longitudinal section and figure 70 a cross section of the
trays.
The trays 1 2 3 4 and of figure 68 are shown in working order and of these 12
and 3 are in a straight line and 4 and 5 on the smallest chain pulley which I
employ.
It will be seen that when in working order the links form the greatest angle
with each other in the positions 4 and 5-If I bind the chain so that the links
from angles with each other greater than those described above then I am able to
remove a tray as shewn by tray 6 Trays 7 and 8 are again in working order―
This it will be understood that the trays are carried by the links and held by the
projections 9 of the trays and the projections 10 of the links together with the
surfaces 11 of the trays which in cross section form parts of circles about
centres 12.-The surfaces 11 therefore prevent the preceding tray from leaving its
seat and thus any one tray locks the preceding one while at the same time any
tray can be easily removed and exchanged by simply bending the chain so as to
free the tray to be removed from the influence of the adjacent trays-Latterally
the trays are held in position by the projections 13 which grip the links as shewn
by figure 69. The trays may be provided with ribs 14 shewn in figures 69 and 70
which prevent cold air from entering the cooling tunnel through the small opening
for the admission of the empty trays.
On sheet 16 is shown another arrangement of self locking trays-Figure 71 is a
section through the band when moving in a straight line and figure 72 is a longi-
tudinal section of the tray showing the position of the chain link when in working
order and figure 73 is a plan of the chain showing the lugs 2 provided on one
side.
In this case I provide projections 1 at the sides of the trays and corresponding
lugs 2 on the chain links on bending the chains sideways the projections
can be

page_text: introduced into the lugs 2 which in their normal position prevent the trays from
falling off Projections 3 keep the trays in position laterally and the ribs 4 correspond
with the ribs 14 on sheet 15.
In order to collect all calcined material coming down from the burning drum the
trays are in every case arranged so as to overlap each other when the band moves in a
straight line.
On sheet 17 is shewn another construction of chain for self lockney_trays the two
links A are suitable for the trays shown on sheet 15 and the two links B for trays as
shewn on sheet 16.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. Constructing rotating burning and cooling drums with air cavities and
passages for the purpose set forth.
Second. Constructing rotating burning and cooling drums with spirally arranged
fins for the purpose set forth.
Third. Constructing rotating burning drums with devices for distributing natural
gas and with devices for spraying liquid full substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
Fourth. The combination of a rotating burning drum with one or more rotating
cooling drums when the former delivers into the latter substantially in the manner
and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a pair of rotating furnace drums with air regenerators or
with rotating cooling drums for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. The combination of rotating burning drums with travelling chains and trays
for the purpose set forth.
Seventh. Constructing chains and trays so as to be interlocking for the purpose set
forth substantially as shown on sheets 15 16 and 17.
Eighth. The combination of a travelling band with rollers of refractory material
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Ninth. The combination of burning and cooling drums or conveyors substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Tenth. Apparatus for burning and cooling hydraulic lime and cement combined
and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Dated September 18th 1888.
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.