Improvements in or applicable to Kilns or Muffles used for Pottery and Brick Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left 30th July 1898-Accepted. 29th Oct., 1898
Improvements in or applicable to Kilns or Muffles used for Pottery
and Brick Purposes.
FREDERICK HANCOCK, Elgin House, Stoke-on-Trent, Earthenware Manufacturer,
and CHARLES BURTON WINZER, 27, Aynsley Road, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the transit or carriage of goods through the warming,
firing, and cooling sections of continuous muffles or kilns used for pottery and
brick firing.
Hitherto, in a continuous kiln with a fixed base or bottom the carriages or
vehicles containing the goods to be burnt, have been constructed with an ordinary
flat or perforated bottom, which is sustained over the base of muffle by two or
more rails or projections running parallel through the circuit of the muffle, these
supports being fixed and secured to the bottom thereof. The carriages are depen-
dant for their propulsion on the rack and pinion motion which, when applied
causes intense friction and a great amount of wear and tear to the carrier of the
goods, also frequent stoppages accrue from this method owing to the density of
the loaded vehicles and having to be pushed or dragged.
an
Our invention which is designed to overcome these difficulties, consists in pro-
viding a fixed revolving mechanism at suitable intervals on the base of kiln, or
preferably; fixed on the bottom of ware-carrier in the required proportion. The
revolving mechanism consists of oviform disc provided on its outer
edge with an annular rim, which runs parallel to the outer edge of a
fixed bung or boss in centre of disc; altogether forming a complete channel of
an oviform circuit, devised to hold a series of spherical balls of uniform size,
mutually dependant on each other for their circuit motion; another disc of the
original size is securely attached to encase the balls, and a segment of the circuit
of sufficient dimensions to expose one-fifth of any one of the balls employed, is
cut away from the combined arrangement.
To prevent the balls from falling out of the channel, a ring appertaining to the
size and shape of figure where severed is fixed, the aperture being sufficiently large
to enable the protrusion of one-fifth of the sphere situated lowest in the circuit, the
remaining four-fifths of the ball filling entirely the space intervening between
the ring and boss.
The construction of parts may be of metal, fire-clay or any other suitable
materials; according to the purpose for which the mechanism is required, for
instance, a carriage composed entirely of metal to which the ball mechanism in
metal is securely attached would serve the purpose in what is known as "enamel
and gold firing."
Fire-clay balls may also be substituted for the metal spheres.
In cases where the kilns are subjected to heat that would prove detrimental to
the employment of metal, the whole of the carrier together with the mechanism
may be constructed entirely of fire-clay materials.

page_text: The mechanism may be riveted firmly to the metal carriers, but we do not bind
ourselves to any particular feature in this respect, as it is possible to encase the
required proportion by recesses or apertures in the base of the carrier employed.
In case the circuit of the kiln is not circular, and the direct course of travel is
intercepted by angular hindrances, where the warming, firing, and cooling
chambers are situated adjacent to each other, a false or movable sole of suitable
dimensions may be employed on the floor of the muffle at the junction of the
kiln chambers, to transfer the carrier from one section to the other, provision
being made for an interchangeable movement.
In order that the gradation of speed may be as uniform as possible, the vehicles
may be driven by gearing of a periodic and automatic character.
Dated this Tilavanth
lamanchas
1907
FREDERICK HANCOCK
CHARLES B. WINZER
} Applicants.
Improvements in or applicable to Kilns or Muffles used for Pottery
and Brick Purposes.
We, FREDERICK HANCOCK, Manufacturer, and CHARLES BURTON WINZER,
Manager, both of Elgin House, Stoke-on-Trent, 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 improved means designed to facilitate the traverse of
ware goods through the warming, firing and cooling sections of so-called con-
tinuous muffles or kilns used for potting and brick firing purposes.
Hitherto, in such muffles or kilns having a stationary base or bottom, the
carriers by which the ware goods to be burnt are traversed through the muffle or
kiln have been constructed with a flat and perforated bottom and supported upon
the muffle or kiln bottom by rails or the like arranged in parallel relation and
running throughout the circuit of the muffle and secured to the bottom of the
latter.
In this arrangement, as the carriers are dependent for their propulsion upon
the rack and pinion motion customarily used, very considerable friction is caused
between the carriers and their supporting rails and there is a very considerable
extent of wear and tear of the carriers. There is also, moreover, considerable
liability of blocks and stoppages occurring in the traverse of the carriers owing
to the considerable weight of the latter when loaded and to their progress being
arrested by the frictional contact exceeding the traversing force available.
The present invention is designed to avoid these and other practical disadvan-
tages incidental to such methods and means of supporting the carriers, and, to
this end, the invention consists in the application to the floor of the muffle or kiln
at suitable intervals, or to the underside of the carriers, of series of revoluble ball
carriers, adapted, in the first case, to support the ware carriers resting thereon,
and, in the second case, to rest on the muffle or kiln floor, and, in either case,
enabling the carriers to be pushed or drawn through the muffle or kiln much
more easily than is possible with the aforesaid customary arrangements.
On the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, and 2, represent sectional elevations,
as at right angles to each other, of the ball carrier of the formation we prefer to
employ, showing the same in position as applied to the under side of the ware
carrier, that is to say, as adapted to rest on and to traverse over the muffle or kiln
bottom.

page_text: a, represents the ware carrier bottom to which the ball carrier, b, is bolted or
otherwise conveniently secured, and c, represents the muffle or kiln bottom upon
which the balls, d, of the ball carrier rest.
The ball carrier is made as a casing adapted to contain a series of any required
or convenient number of spherical balls, d, of uniform size, and formed with a
ball circuit or channel of uniform shape, having a continuous inner bearing, 61,
of irregular formation, and a partly surrounding casing trough-shaped at parts,
as at 62, 63, and respectively adapted to permit of the ready placement and removal
of the balls, d, at the part, b, and of the balls protruding to a limited extent
from the casing at the part, 63, where required to rest on the muffle or kiln floor,
and entire as regards cross section at parts, as at 6+, and adapted to cause the balls,
as the ware carriers are pushed or pulled through the muffle or kiln, to be
mutually dependent on each other for their circuit motion and to follow each other
around in regular progression with but little friction.
any
The ball carrier and balls may be made of metal, or of fireclay or of other
suitable material, according to the particular application of the invention; as,
for example, the carrier and balls may be made of metal if required for use in
what is known as "enamel gold firing," and, in cases where the kilns are subject
to such heat as would be detrimental to the employment of metal, the ball carrier
and balls may be made of fire clay.
In lieu of encasing the balls in ball carriers intended to be applied to the ware
carriers, we can encase the balls in recesses made in the bottom of the ware
carriers, but this arrangement is not so convenient as that herein before described.
In cases wherein the circuit of the kiln is not circular or the direct course of
the traverse of the ware carriers is intercepted by angular hindrances where the
warming, firing and cooling chambers of the kiln are situated adjacent to each
other, a false or movable sole of suitable dimensions may be applied to the floor
of the kiln at the junction of the kiln chambers to facilitate the transfer of the
carriers from one section to another, provision being made for an interchangeable
movement.
In order that the gradation of speed may be as uniform as possible the ware
carriers may be driven by gearing of a periodic and automatic character.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In continuous muffles or kilns used for potting and brick firing purposes,
the application to the floor of the muffle or kiln at suitable intervals of series of
revoluble ball carriers having the balls projecting at a part and adapted to
support the ware carriers resting thereon and to facilitate the traverse of the ware
carriers through the muffle or kiln, substantially as herein before described.
2. In continuous muffles or kilns used for potting and brick firing purposes,
the application to the underside of the ware carriers of series of revoluble ball
carriers having the balls projecting at part and adapted to rest on the muffle
or kiln floor and to facilitate the traverse of the ware carriers through the muffle
or kiln, substantially as herein before described.
224
T1 1900
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.