IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK KILNS
Year: 1885

page_text: I OTTO HERTRAMPF, Carpenter, of Breslau, in the Kingdom of Prussia, dò
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK
KILNS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
In order to sufficiently dry the raw material before burning, that is to say, to
evaporate the water in the material sufficiently without using additional fuel
therefor, it has hitherto been the custom to conduct the heat remaining in the
chamber by systems of piping into the drying chamber before the fire. But this
heat is insufficient for the purpose of efficient drying-A suitable heat is obtained
by this invention in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical section and Figs. 2 and 3 are
horizontal sections of my invention.
In each single chamber cylindrical pipes of chamotte stones a a and slots b are
fitted in the longitudinal sides. The latter run in each chamber alternately in
horizontal and vertical directions and are faced towards the sides of the chamber.
The pipes a and slots bare in connection beneath with the horizontal flues c¹, c²,
and c³, and above by the connecting flues g with the heat conducting flues e e.
The lower flue system consists of the chambers c¹ lying one above the other in
the walls of the flues, and such flues are connected with each other, and are also
connected on the one side with the outer air, and on the other side by means of
the connecting flue c, and the branch flues c³, with the pipes a and slots b.
a and discharge into the flues g, and these in their turn into the heat conducting
flues e.
From the flue e there branches off the flue system i, and from this the fire
feeding-holes lead down into the different chambers.
In order to regulate the supply of air according to requirement the different flues
are connected with each other by valves in the following manner: Flues c' and c³
by valves d: flues g and e by valves f: and flues i and e by valves h.
The method of working is as follows:-
By means of the out-going heated gases which pass from the furnace to the main
flue, the flues c¹ become greatly heated, and thereby heat the air entering into them
from outside. When so heated the valve d of the fire chamber is opened so that
the heated air can enter the pipes a and slots b of this chamber from the flues c¹
through the connecting flues and the branch flues c³. Here the air receives
additional heat from the surfaces of the pipes and slots.

page_text: The valves are then opened and thereby the heated air is led from a and b
through the connecting flues g into the heat conducting flues e. Finally the
valve h of the drying chamber and the valve are simultaneously opened whereby
the hot air is led from the flue e into the branch flues i, and through the fire-
holes into the drying chamber, from whence it flows over the raw-material and
finally passes away with the out-going water-vapours through the flue to the
main flue m.
By these means sufficient heat is obtained to dry the raw-material thoroughly.
In addition to the foregoing another arrangement for drying may be fitted.
Over the ordinary furnace is a covered stirring chamber K entirely surrounded by
brick work, as usual.
"
Into this chamber heat is conducted in the following manner, in order to dry the
raw-material placed therein.
Besides the heat conducting flue i, in the surrounding wall of the furnace, there
is another flue n fitted, which is connected on the one side by valves o with the
flues g, and on the other side by valves p with the out-let channels q.
After the
drying has taken place the valves fare closed and the valves o are opened, so that
the hot air still remaining in a, b and g of the fire chamber, instead of entering the
flue e, passes into the flue n. Then the valve p placed in the required position
is opened, so that the hot air can escape by the corresponding out-let flue g to the
stirring chamber K and to the raw-material to be dried.
At the end of each chamber sliding doors are fitted in the heat conducting
flues e, and by means of opening or closing these doors r r the currents of heat can
be led in any desired direction, as well as into each part of the stirring chamber K.
In furnaces constructed according to my invention there is a saving of 25 per
cent in fuel and time compared with furnaces of the best known systems; the raw-
material for bricks can be put in wet, and, at the end of the operation taken out of
the kiln free from cracks, without discoloration by smoke, and of an entirely
uniform colour. Ordinary furnaces can be adapted to this system in a short time
without great expense.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In the construction of brick kilns the arrangement of the pipes a and slots b
in the walls connected beneath by flues c¹ c2 c³ with the outer air, above by flues g
with the heat conducting flues e and n, for the purpose of partially heating the
outer air in the flues c¹ parallel with the heat collecting walls afterwards heating
the same in the pipes a and slots 6 of the chamber, and of using the same in such a
heated state for drying the raw-material, either by leading it from the heat-
conducting flue e, through i and k, into the drying chamber, or from the heat-
conducting pipe n through p and q into the stirring furnace K, substantially as
described and shewn on the drawings.
2. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts together
forming my improvements in brick kilns, substantially as herein before described
and shewn on the drawings.