IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS AND STOVES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES WALLACE CHALK WEBB of Swissville House Astwood Road Rainbow
Hill Worcester Encaustic tile manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS AND STOVES to be as follows:-
1st In the building of two kilns boxes or stoves in such a manner that the
surplus beat from the one kiln box or stove shall fire the other. 2nd In the
arrangement of the flues which convey the heat round the outside of the box,
kiln or stove, by which the action of the heat is less destructive to such box, kiln
or stove and there is consequently a great saving in repairs. 3rd By an arrange-
ment of dampers, and by varying at difforent points the cubical capacities of the
flues which work round the box, kiln or stove, so that the heat shall be undor
perfect control and directed to any part of the box, kiln or stove, as may be
required.
I will now proceed to describe the methods I adopt for carrying my said
invention into practice.
1st In the building of the kilns, I prefer to place one kiln, box, or stove over the
other, with an intercepting common flue communicating with a main stack,
preferably between the two kilns, boxes or stoves, and in such common or outlet
flue I have an arrangement of dampers, by means of which I am enabled to confine
the heat entirely or partially to the lower kiln, box or stove or to direct it into the
flues of the upper kiln, box or stove as may be desired.
For the more even firing of the.kiln, box or stove and in order that the heat
within it may be as nearly uniform as possible in the top and bottom of the kiln,
box or stove, two methods are employed 1st I vary the substance or thickness of
the walls of kiln, box or stove, at different points of the top bottom and sides,
according to the heat which it may have to sustain, and 2ndly I vary the capacitios
of the several parts of the flues which convey the heat round the kiln, box or stove
and to the stack. The method of firing is the opposite of that which is now used
for the same class of kilns. The heat is generally conveyed from the mouths or fire
holes under the bottom of the kiln box or stove first, which renders it necessary to
have the fire " quarries' or "bats" composing such kiln bottom very thick in
substance to sustain the weight of the goods in the kiln, box or stove, and also to
bear the trying heat which comes upon it direct from the fire holes or mouths..
The result is that under this system, the bottom of the kiln, box or stove is very
soon burned thin, and collapses thus necessitating constant repairs. The heat also
is not so easily regulated in the flues. Under my system, the heat is first con-
veyed from the fire holes into a chimney or "bague" upwards, such chimney or
"bague" being about double the cubical capacity of any other portion of the fluo
"

page_text: which is worked from it round the kiln, box or stove, and the cubical capacity of
such flue is varied in its different parts. The heat which under the old system is
so destructive to the bottom of the kiln box or stove is under my system brought
under the bottom in a secondary form, and only after it has traversed the top and
back side of the kiln box or stove, and when more perfect combustion has been
effected, and this enables me to use fire quarries for the bottom of the kiln box or
stove of less than half the thickness or substance than can be used when the heat is
brought directly under the bottom first, and thus the wear and tear generally are
reduced to a minimum. 2nd In respect of the flues the arrangement I prefer is
as follows I build fire holes or mouths to project somewhat from the casing or
outer wall of the kiln box or stove, and from these fire holes or mouths the fire
starts firstly upwards into a large flue or chimney from whence it is conveyed
along a continuing fluc, over the top of the kiln box or stove, and carried down
the back or opposito side, and under the bottom, returning again into a flue or
flues, parallel with the latter, proceeding up the back, over the top, and down the
front side nearly to the point of starting from the fire holes or mouths, and turning
up the front into a horizontal common outlet flue, which carries it into the stack or
stacks as aforesaid. This applies to the firing of the lower kiln only, but when
both kilns are required to work, the heat, instead of being carried into the outlet
flue as before described, is conducted into the flues of the upper or second kiln box
or stove and made to traverse round that exactly in the same manner as in the
lower kiln box or stove, and finally carried into an upper common outlet flue, and
conveyed into the stack or stacks. In the outlet flues, there are dampers placed to
regulate the working of the flues, and by this arrangement either one or both of
the kilns boxes' or stoves can be worked, but when both kilns are being fired at
one time there is found to be a great economy of heat, the upper or second kiln
box or stove being fired practically with the surplus heat from the lower kiln box
or stove.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
."
I JAMES WALLACE CHALK WEBB of Swissville House Astwood Road Rainhow
Hill Worcester do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN KILNS AND STOVES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be 3
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Theso improvements have reference to kilns and stoves for use in effecting the
burning of pottery and other articlos requiring similar treatment and the object of
the invention is to enable such kilns or stoves to be so arranged and operated that

page_text: economy of fuel with increased heat may be uniformly obtained in the different
parts of the kilns or stoves whilst the kilos or stoves themselves are made less
liable to destructive action from the heat employed with great economy in repairs.
In carrying out my invention I construct the kilns or stoves one above another
5 with an intercepting flue arranged between them having communication ultimately
with a stack to carry off the products of combustion, and in such intercepting flue
I provide dämpers by means of which I can control the heat so as to confine it
wholly or partially to and around the lower kiln or to cause it to pass thence to
the flues of the upper kiln as may be desired.
By these means the-firing of the upper and the lower kiln may he so adjusted as
that the heat within them may be brought as nearly as possible uniform.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shews an external front view of one
modification of the invention in which two fire places A A' and series of flues or
heat passages in connection therewith are employed, and Figures 2 and 3 shew
sections of the same respectively through the lines C D and A B respectively of
the sectional plan views Figures 5 and 6. These plan views, 5 and 6 are taken
respectively on lines just above the floor levels of the chambers B' and B. Figure 4
is a cross section on the line E F of Figure 6 shewing the lower kiln B and
passages.
Figure 7 and Figure 8 shew respectively by sectional view and sectional plan at
about the line of the fireplaces and floor of the chamber B another modification in
which three firoplacos A A² A³ and a somewhat different arrangement of the flues
are employed.
In the arrangement shewn by Figures 1 to 6 the heated products from the fire
pass by the passage A³ around the chamber B first up one side over and down the
other thence by the passage A to a passage A which conveys the heat again up
the back and over the chamber B down the front and thence by the passage Aº up
over and around the upper chamber B' in the direction of the arrows, then by a
passage A to a return passage A8 around the back over and down the front of the
chamber B and thence away by passage A³ to the stack F. Or, the damper G
may be employed to close the passage A so as to direct the current of heated gases
from the passage A direct into the stack F when it is not desired to heat the
upper chamber B¹. In liko manner the heated gases from the second fire place A¹
pass around the chambers B and B¹ by a series of passages similar to those already
described with respect to the fire place A.
In figures 7 and 8 the arrangement of the flues is somewhat modified in that the
products of combustion pass up over down behind and below the floor of the
chamber B, then they return under, up the back of and over the passage A³ either
directly by a passage A* to the stack F when the damper H is open and the
damper G is closed, or when the damper H is closed and the damper G open the
heat current passes up the side of, over down the other side of and under the upper
chamber B' by a passage A" and returns by a passage A7 under and up the side of
passage A and out by the passage As to the stack F.
the
When employing gas as fuel as the source of heat it will not generally be
necessary to make the passages other than uniform in their area throughout.
•
In constructing tho flues or passages A³ for conducting the heated gases from the
fire place A or A¹, or A², I form them of greater area as they pass up the side of
the chamber B and gradually diminishing in area over the chamber B to the back
and the walls or linings of this passage A³ for some distance from the fire whero
the heat and expansion of the gases is greatest are made thicker and stronger.
According to arrangements now generally adopted the fluo or passage from the
fire is conducted first beneath the chamber B and the floor thereof requires in
consequence to be made of very considerable thickness and strength or substance
in order to resist the destructive action of the fire but according to my invention
I obviate the necessity for any such great substance to the bottom of the chamber B
and I am able to make it of greatly reduced thickness and in fact I can employ
fire quarries for its construction of half the thickness needed when the heat passes

page_text: direct thereto, besides which by 'my improved arrangements the heat is better
distributed, better maintained, more readily regulated and generally utilized to
greater advantage.
By means of the dampers G H and others similarly arranged at desired points in
the flues the cubical capacity thereof at those points may be contracted so as to
diminish the flow of heated gas and thereby keep complete control over the heat
developed in the chambers B B¹ and cause it to be directed to any particular part
thereof.
Kilns or stoves arranged with three or other number of fire places and series of
flues arranged substantially as shewn in figures 7 and 8 will be found most con-
venient by reason of the facility given for maintaining one or more of the fires
at a greater intensity than the other or others, or by checking the flow of gases
in any one or more of the series of fluo passages, or stopping one fire, and thereby
regulating the relative intensities of the heats at certain parts in a manner most
useful in treating certain wares.
The relative arrangements of the flues and chambers and furnaces may be varied
somewhat without departing from the principle of my invention so long as the
main features be retained.
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. The improved method of arrangement, or construction, of flues or passages for
conveyance of the heated gases around the chambers or kilns to be heated so as to
avoid the immediate action of those gases upon the bottoms of the kilns or
chambers as set forth.
2. The construction or arrangement of kilns or stoves so that the flues or
passages for conveyance of the heated gases may be so regulated or controlled
that one, or both kilns may be used at one time and the distribution and economy
of the heating gases effected as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved construction or arrangement of parts of kilns or stoves for
effecting the regulation control and distribution of heated gases thereto sub-
stantially as described and shown in respect of Figures 7 and 8.
4. The general arrangements or constructions of parts of kilns or stoves as set
forth.