GB2178148A

GB2178148A - Apparatus for use with kilns or driers

Info

Publication number: GB2178148A
Application number: GB08617285A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony John Price
Original assignee: DIS MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Current assignee: DIS MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Priority date: 1985-07-17
Filing date: 1986-07-16
Publication date: 1987-02-04
Also published as: GB8518061D0; GB8617285D0

Abstract

Apparatus for moving ceramic ware to a kiln (10) or drier includes at least one car (12) mounted on a continuous track (14) having section (32) for movement of the car(s) (12) under gravity between a section (28) at the outlet of the kiln (10) or drier where ware can be unloaded by a conveyor (58), and a section (36) at the inlet to the kiln or drier where untreated ware may be loaded onto the car(s) (12) from a conveyor (54). The loading and unloading may be automatically effected. The car(s) may be pushed up the section (36) by a chain-driven belt having a lug for engagement with the car(s). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for use with kilns or driers This invention is concerned with apparatus for use with kilns or driers for the firing or drying of ceramic ware, the apparatus being particularly concerned with facilitating movement of ware through a kiln or drier.

In intermittent kilns and continuous tunnel kilns where kiln cars are used to move ware into and out of the kilns it is possible to stack a plurality of supports or bats on the kiln car and load ware onto each bat so that for energy saving and economical reasons a sufficient quantity of ware can be dried at any one time. However stacking of the bats and loading of the ware is generally necessarily carried out manually and is difficult if not impossible to automate. To lead towards automation, present day arrangements tend to favour the adoption of fast fire kilns, with kiln cars having a single bat on which ware can be loaded, the kilns being correspondingly reduced in size to be cost effective and energy saving in relation to use with such kiln cars. In continuous kilns a belt is used or kiln cars with a transfer car each end to return the cars from the kiln exit to kiln entrance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost saving and energy saving apparatus for use with such kiln cars.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for use in association with kilns or driers for drying or firing ware, the apparatus comprising a continuous track, at least one vehicle adapted to be movable along the continuous track, the latter having a first section arranged to extend through a kiln, means being provided for supporting the first section at an operative height above the rest of the track, a second section at one end of the first section extending between the first section and the remainder of the track, and a third section at the other end of the first section extending between the first section and the remainder of the track, and means for so supporting the remainder of the track as to enable vehicles to move in one direction therealong under gravity.

Preferably the second section is upwardly inclined towards the first section and means may provided for pushing vehicles up the second section into the first section. A drive arrangement for the pushing means may comprise an endless belt or a chain passing over sprockets including a drive sprocket. The pushing means may be in the form of at least one upstanding lug for engagement with a respective one of the vehicles.

The third section may be downwardly inclined from the first section, and the latter may be inclined upwardly from the second section to the third section.

Preferably also means is provided for delivering ware to vehicles on the continuous track. The delivery means may comprise a conveyor preferably having, at an exit end, arms arranged to extend towards the second track section whereby a support on which ware is located can be transferred from the arms to a respective one of the track vehicles.

Further, means may be provided for enabling ware to be removed after firing from vehicles on the continuous track. The removal means may comprise a conveyor preferably having at an entry end thereof arms arranged to extend towards the third track section, whereby the support with the ware can be transferred from a respective one of the track vehicles to the removing means.

The track may comprise a pair of spaced parallel rails, and the vehicles are preferably provided with double flanged castor wheels, the flange spacing of which is so greater than the width of each of the rails as to enable play between the wheels and the rails.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a kiln car on the track of the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a kiln car wheel on a rail of the track.

Referring to the drawings, there is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 a kiln 10 for the firing of ceramic ware. The kiln 10 may be of conventional construction and may be an electrically heated kiln or a gas fired kiln. The nature of the kiln is not significant to the invention but will determine the construction of kiln cars 12, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment the kiln car 12 will be described in relation to use with an electrically heated kiln.

For movement of the kiln cars 12 through the kiln 10, there is provided a continuous track 14. The track 14 is formed by a pair of spaced parallel rails 16 (Fig. 3) in the form of angie tracks formed on their upstanding ends with longitudinally extending rods 18 of circular cross-section.

The rails 16 are supported above the base or floor on which the apparatus is located throughout their length by suitable framework 20. A first track section 22 extends through the kiln 10 and outwardly of each end thereof and is supported by the framework 20 at an operative height above the rest of the track 14. The track section 22 is formed with a slight gradient extending upwardly from an inlet end 24 of the kiln 10 to an outlet end 26.

The end of the track section 22 adjacent the outlet end 26 of the kiln 10 is so supported by the framework 20 as to decline downwardly over a section 28. The latter then joins into the remainder of the track 14 which is so supported by the framework 20 as to produce a slight decline around a first bend 30, through a straight section 32, and round a second bend 34 until the track meets with an upwardly inclined section 36 joining with the other end of the first section 22 adjacent to the inlet end 24 of the kiln 10. With this construction a kiln car 12 which is moved onto the downwardly sloping section 28 will then continue to move by gravity over the remainder of the track until the car arrives at the lower end of the inclined track section 36 being relieved of its load at section 28.

To provide for optimum use of the floor space available, the radius of the bends 30, 34 of the track 14 should be as small as possible. To enable the outer radius of the bends 30, 34 to be for example four feet, each of the kiln cars 12 is provided with two pairs of track engaging wheels 38, each being in the form of a double flanged wheel, the flanges 40 of which are spaced apart by a distance considerably greater than the width of the rods 18 of the track rails 16. Each of the car wheels 38 is retained by a castor mounting 42 on the kiln car to provide for rotation of the wheel 38 about its own axis as well as rotation of the wheel 38 about a vertical axis. Such an arrangement provides sufficient play between the rail rods 18 and the pulley wheels 38 as to enable the wheels 38 and thus the kiln cars 12 to negotiate the relatively tight bends 30, 34 of the track 14.

Each of the kiln cars 12 is formed with a mounting framework 44 supporting a layer of refractory brick 46 on which is provided a further layer of refractory fibre 48 on which can be supported a bat 50 as hereinafter described. The fibre layer 48 is offset longitudinally of the kiln car 12 relative to the brick layer 46 to provide for interlinking of adjacent kiln cars 12 as hereinafter described. At one end of the framework 44 there is mounted a downwardly extending bracket 52 again for a purpose hereinafter described.

For delivery of ware to be fired onto the kiln cars 12 there is provided a roller conveyor 54 extending towards the inlet end 24 of the kiln 10. The conveyor 54 is formed with freely rotatable rollers 56 extending transversely of the conveyor in a parallel relation with their axes so spaced apart that the bats 50 can move over the rollers 56 along the conveyor 54, preferably by gravity. At its delivery end the conveyor 54 is formed with a pair of extending arms with wheels which locate over the track 14 at a location thereon immediately prior to the track section 36.

When a bat 50 loaded with ware moves along the delivery conveyor 54, the bat 50 is retained by any suitable means on the extending arms over the track 14 until the arrival of a kiln car 12, which comes up under the bat on the rising track, automatically constrains the bat 50 to move onto the car 12. Similarly a roller conveyor 58 for removing ware from the track 14 is associated with the track at the other end of the kiln 10. The conveyor 58 is of the same basic construction as the roller 54 and is preferably inclined in a direction away from the track 14 so as to remove the ware by means of gravity.The roller conveyor 58 also is provided with a pair of extending arms which locate over the track 14 at a location thereon adjacent to the track section 28, the arms being so positioned that, as a kiln car 12 moves down the track section 28 the bat 50 thereon engages with the arms to be removed from the kiln car 12 onto the conveyor 58 by means of the car being lowered from under the bat onto the declining track.

To move the kiln cars 12 up the inclined track section 36, the latter is provided with a drive arrangement (not shown). Such an arrangement may be in the form of an endless belt or chain passing over sprockets, one of which is a driven sprocket, with at least one lug being formed on the belt so as to engage with the bracket 52 of a respective one of the kiln cars 12 and move the latter up the inclined section 36. It will be appreciated that each of the kiln cars 12 is moved through the kiln 10 by the interlinked cars 12 being pushed intermittently by each subsequent kiln car 12 entering the kiln 10. The cars 12 interlink by way of the projecting end of the fibre layer 48 of one car overlying the shoulder defined by the brick layer 46 of an adjacent one of the cars 12.The latter are prevented from rolling back down the incline of the kiln track section 22 by the flanged wheels 38 locking on the rails 16 when in reverse. The drive belt may operate continuously and in sequence with the predetermined movement of the kiln cars 12 through the kiln 10 and around the track 14. Sensing means may be provided to discontinue drive of the belt in the event that a car 12 does not arrive at the intended time so that appropriate action can be taken.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus provides for automatic movement of kiln cars with ware through a kiln which does not require the presence of an operator other than possibly to load ware onto the bats and load the bats onto the roller conveyors. This loading can be done by the operator of the manufacturing process preceding the firing process.

However, such operations are suitable for automation. In providing such an apparatus optimum use has been made of gravity in order to save energy and also reduce the costs of manufacture, installation, servicing and repair as much as possible. The track is designed to occupy a minimum floor area and by virtue of the simple and non-complicated construction of the track and kiln cars, any problems which do arise can be resolved with minimum disruption to the firing process. For example where any problem arises with a kiln car, the car in question can simply be removed from the track and a substitute car used so that the firing process may continue.

The system can also use a multi bat layer on each kiln car, in the event of a bigger and wider car, as would be used in a gas kiln having cross fire burners.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the ware may be delivered to the track and removed from the track by arrangements other than the roller conveyors described and shown, and the drive for moving the kiln cars up the inclined track section may also differ from that described. The track configuration may differ from that described and shown.

Where the apparatus is to be used with a gas fired kiln, the construction of the kiln cars will differ to enable the gas to pass into the cars beneath the ware and would need to be wider using a multi bat layer and multi supply and take off conveyor arms.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing Specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in association with kilns or driers for drying or firing ware, the apparatus comprising a continuous track, at least one vehicle adapted to be movable along the continuous track, the latter having a first section arranged to extend through a kiln, means being provided for supporting the first section at an operative height above the rest of the track, a second section at one end of the first section extending between the first section and the remainder of the track, and a third section at the other end of the first section extending between the first section and the remainder of the track, and means for so supporting the remainder of the track as to enable vehicles to move in one direction therealong under gravity.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the second section is upwardly inclined towards the first section.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which means is provided for pushing vehicles up the second section into the first section.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which a drive arrangement for the pushing means comprises an endless belt.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which a drive arrangement for the pushing means comprises a chain passing over sprockets, one of which is a driven sprocket.

6. Apparatus according to claims 4 or 5, in which the drive arrangement includes at least one upstanding lug for engagement with a respective one of the vehicles.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the third section is downwardly inclined from the first section to the remainder of the track.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the first track section is inclined upwardly from the second track section to the third track section.

9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which means is provided for delivering ware to vehicles on the continuous track.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, in which the delivery means includes a conveyor.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, in which the conveyor has at an exit end arms arranged to extend towards the second track section whereby a support on which ware is located can be transferred from the arms to a respective one of the track vehicles.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which ware is transferred automatically from the conveyor to a respective one of the track vehicles.

13. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which means is provided for removing ware after firing from vehicles on the continuous track.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, in which the removal means includes a conveyor.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, in which the conveyor has at an entry end thereof, arms arranged to extend towards the third track section, whereby the support with the ware can be transferred from a respective one of the track vehicles to the conveyor.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which ware is removed automatically from a track vehicle as the vehicle passes the arms.

17. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the track comprises a pair of spaced parallel rails.

18. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the or each vehicle is provided with double flanged castor wheels.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, when dependent on claim 17, in which the flange spacing of the wheels is so greater than the width of each of the rails as to enable play between the wheels and the rails.

20. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which a plurality of track vehicles are provided which are interlinkable.

21. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the or each track vehicle is adapted to carry one or more supports loaded with ware.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, when dependent on any of claims 10 to 12, in which the conveyor of the delivery means is adapted to carry the supports loaded with ware.

23. Apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, when dependent on any of claims 14 to 16, in which the conveyor of the removal means is adapted to carry the supports loaded with ware.

24. Apparatus for use in association with kilns or driers for drying or firing ware, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

25. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.