US1627720A - Single-fire-box kiln - Google Patents

Description

May. 1o, 1927.

w. E. wlLsoN ET AL SINGLE FIREBOX KILN Filed Feb] 25. 1921 s sham-'sheet a Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,627,720 PATENT OFFICE..

WILLIAM E. WILSON, OF MASON CITY, IOWA, AND HENRY Gr. LYKKEN, OF MINNE- APOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SINGLE-FIRE-BOX KILN.

Application filed February 25, 1921. Serial No. 447,661.

Our invention relates primarily to improvements in kiln construction adapted for the use of various kinds of fuel and to reduce the amount of fuel consumption.

I Among the objects of our invention are: to so construct a kiln for the burning of brick, tile, pottery etc. as to effect a maximum reduction in the amount of fuel consumed; to construct a kiln adapted for the use of various fuels such as fuel oil, fuel gas and powdered fuel; to so construct a. kiln as to secure regulated heat distribution throughout the ware being fired; to regulate the heat distribution; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear.

Ourv invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while we have shown therein preferred embodiments, we desire the saine to be understood as illustrative only and not as limiting our invention.

In the present method of firing, there is a large heat loss due to the great amount of excess air carried in thru and over the multiplicity of grates and fires. of heat energy thru the heating of excess air to the high temperatures at which the ware is fired is the largest loss in firing prior types of kilns and there is no practical means of keeping such losses down to a reasonable minimum. By the use of one fire or at the most two or three fires in a larger kiln these losses can be reduced in proportion to the reduction of the number of fires, particularly as it is possible, as in this invention, to utilize a better type of fire box in which it is possible to regulate more accurately the proportion of air used in firing.

A second large loss in the firing of the prior types of kiln is the fact that they have a limited combustion space. The burning of any fuel requires not only a correct proportion of air supply, but an intimate mixture of the air supply with the gases distilled off from the burning fuel together with a large enough combustion space, giving time for such mixing and time to burn. A large combustion chamber is not only desirable but necessary for the economical burning of all fuels, coal and other combustibles burned on a grate, as well as oil, gas and powdered fuels. This invention provides such a com- This loss bustion chamber which can be made of any required dimensions.

In the'burning of gases, oil and powdered rfuel an intensely hot flame is produced which necessitates a large combustion chainn ber for complete combustion, in order that the gases may expand to obviate the erosive eeet of the high velocity gases of the flame itself, which Would be destructive if impin'ged on the refractory of the kiln or the ware to be burned. In this invention such a combustion chamber is provided which can be made of any suitable dimensions, which would obviously be impossible with eight or more circumferential fires used with the present kiln.

By taking the products of combustion and gases direct from the combustion chamber, when they are at their hottest, up thru the center of the ware in the kiln, distributing it radially outward and downward, a better distribution of heat is obtained as the ware body heats from the inside radially outwards while the descending gases may be deflected and pulled ldown along the circumferential walls.

It is also obvious that in this construction an increased capacity of the kiln is obtained in that the ascending central flue or opening left in the mass of the ware to be burned occupies less of the volume of the kiln than the multiplicity of fire bags required in the prior forms of kiln. This kiln also permits of a less expensive wall construction, which may be reduced considerably in'thickness if properly insulated. It reduces tremendously the amount of `high refractory material required, in that the impinging flame and radial heat is confined in the one combustion chamber and strikes the kiln proper only at the apex of the dome eliminating any necessity of high refractory in the wall vconstruction of the kiln proper.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof, Figs. l, 2 and 3 are vertical sections showing the application of various modes of heating a kiln in accordance with our invent-ion; Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section of a kiln such as that shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a kiln embracing our invention; Fig. 6 is a similar section of another form of draft control means, comprised in our invention; Fig. 7 is a still further modification showing an arrangement for firing two kilns from one tire box; Figs. 8 and 9 show respectively a plan view and a vertical longitudinal section of another form of our invention, in which the lire box runs on a track over the kilns and the fire is-directed downwardly through the top thereof; Fig. lO is a somewhat similar modification in which the tire box runs .on a track at or near ground level and may tire either a kiln the right or at l'the lett desired; and Fig. l1. is a Vfurther modification in which a lire box is `loca-ted .centrally o' a ring ol kilns and vdirects the heat and products ot combustion laterally into any one et the kilns as desired.

Referring more in .detail to the annexed drawings numeral l indicates the kiln wall, :provided with lieat insulating material 2, to reduce Vthe amount of heat radiated laterally .through .the kiln walls. 3 -denotes the oil, priwdered lcoal, or ,lump :tuelsuch as coal and lhe like. This lire box may .open into the kiln centrally as is shown in Figs. l, L). and 3,01' at one side ot the kiln, through a structure similar' to a bag tire box.

ln Figures l, 2 and 3 the tlue or stack (l is shown as a .pe'rinaiunt .part of the structure, while in llig. 4L vthis is omitted, the ware vto be burned being stacked so as to torni a central tlue tor the upward passage ot' the heat aud `rases result-ing from the combastion of the fuel. The heat passing upwardly through vthe flue, whether this be centrally arranged -or arranged at one side ot the kiln, strikes .the dome 3 and then passes downwardly through the ware and out tl'irough the lioor through the outlet openings 7, from which .escape is by Way ot ducts 7a. Only so much of the dome is lined with refractory material as is necessary .to resist .the action of the directly iinpinging heat, rentering thru the flue 6, thus reducing to a minimum .the yamount ol refractory material required. Surrounding the wall l and communicating with ducts 7 ,is a .duct .8, which may be shut .olf from one or more ,ot the .ducts 7a by `dampers 9. lt should be noted .that the duct 8 .may be located inside ot the wall l, itv `desired or considered necessary, and may .communicate with the ducts v7'?. It is, however, considered preferable to have the `duct 8 outside ot the wall 1. There `are some instances in which it is practically impossible to arrange the dra'lt ducts 7 as shown in Fig. G, owing to the tact Athat in a kiln already built it would be hard to cut so many openings through the kiln walls. In such a case the ducts or {lue-s may be arranged as shown in Fig. 5, in which case only a single opening,

box serves to VAtire either ot two kilns, or, il

desired, both ot them simultaneoilsly. Connected with the lire box is a duct or exhaust pipe l2 which leads into a main exhaust ful pipe 13, Aconnected with the stack or .exhaust tan, so that, when desired, .the direction ot the air through the kiln can be reversed.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the application ot a single lire box traveling on a 'track above the top of a row ot kilns, so that the tire can be applied to the top ot a'kiln and the heat and products ot combustion drawn out through the bottom thereof. .in .this instance av track l is erected above the row ot kilns and carries a lire box l5, which is preferably tired with oil, powdered coal, vor

the like, 'for the production of the heat. ln 1Eig. 9 is shown a torce leed means 16 drawing tuel trom a tank i7, and blowing the same into the tire box 'l5 where it burned. In this construction the exhaust pipes are not shown.

In Fig. l() the ducts leading troni :the lire box l to the middle of the kilns are placed below the level of the ground and the heat passes from the tire box l5 to the right or left as desired, or may be used to lire .two kilns at once it' so desired. Here also the exhaust ducts are omitted tor the sake of clearness.

In Fig. ll a plurality of kilns are set in a circle around a central pit in which is located. a pivotally mounted blower, which may be turned to direct .the lire into anyone of the lire boxes 5, from which the heat will rise through the center .opening of the kiln as in Fig. l, vill strike the dome ot the kiln, and then be deflected downwardly to and `through the ware, traveling outwardly through ducts 8, l0 and ll to the stack or fan 18.

It is of course understood that the specilic description ot structure and method set forth above may be departed from without departing troni the spirit oit .our invention as set forth in this specilication and the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

l, In a kiln having a root and a floor, a

single lire box beneath the floor, saidV tloor having an apertiue connecting the lire box with the interior ot' the kiln and a plurality ot apertures surrounding the first named aperture and communicating with the interior ol the kiln, a plurality ot' passage- Ways beneath the Hoor of the kiln With which the apertures in said floor communicate, and a common duct Communicating With all of said passageways and connected with an exhaust duct so that the Waste products of Combustion may be Withdrawn through the floor of the kiln.

2. That step in the method of burning plastic Ware which comprises stacking a portion of the Ware around an opening 10 v*che top thereof.

In witness whereof, We hereunto sub- 15 scribe our names to this specification.

WM. E. WILSON. HENRY Gr. LYKKEN.

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