US1578559A - Continuously-operated kiln - Google Patents

Description

c. SMITH CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED KILN Mdrch 30,1926.

6 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1925 March 30 1926. 1,578,559

. c. SMITH CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED KILN Filed Feb. 23, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Match 30 1926.

C. SMITH CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED KILN Filed Feb. 23, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 30,1926. V 1 ,578,559

C. SMITH CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED KILN Filed Feb. 23, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I By-Wlki h March 30 1,578,559 C. SMITH I CUNTINUOUSLY OPERATED KILN Filed Feb. 23, 1925 u Y Z riilillrlil, I III c. SM ITH connnvousmr OPERATED KILN v Filed Feb; 25, 1923 -6 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 30 1926. 1,578,559

- jnwiao w UNITED STATES;

CLAUDE SMITH, or cBiIoAco ILLInors.

I con'rInUoUsLY-ornnie'mn KILN.

Application filed February 23, 192a. Serial no. 620,574.

1 0 all whom it 'HZ-(l'j/ concern:

Be it known that I, GLAUDE' SMITH, a citizen of theUnited States,'residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook' and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuously-Operated Kilns, of which the following is a specification- Prior to my invention it has been customary to burn clay products such as brick, tile, etc, either in kilns in which the products are deposited or stacked in Stationary charges and which therefore require intermittent operation, the products being removed and replaced between successivefirings, or in continuously operated kilns in which the brick or 'the like are fed through long horizontal tunnels or kilns and submitted therein to the flames and products of combustion necessary to dry, heat and bake. them at the required temperature. The Objections to the first named. style of kiln are many and obvious. Among the objections to the horizontal form of kiln may be mentioned the-fact that it is impossible in such a kiln to get uniformity of treatment. The hot gases and products of combustion by which the kiln is heated, naturally seek the upper portion of the kiln and the lower portion thereof is therefore much cooler, the- 7 articles treated therein being in consequence imperfectly burned; or, if. heat is maintained suflicient to properly burn the lower part of the charge,it is unnecessarily high in are successively dried, burned and cooled in vertical shafts having the advantage among others over the horizontal shafts that the hot air, gases and products of combustion naturally distribute themselves substantially uniformly throughout the cross-section .of

'the shafts so that all the articles undergoing treatment at any particular level at any particular time are under substantially the same conditions of temperature, etc. In the preferred form of the invention the kiln is constructed in two shaftsconnected by a Patented Mar. 30, 1926 r PATENT:OFFER;*

flue at their tops, and the fire boxes or other I means for providing the hot air andgases.

for burning'an'd drying the brick are connected to one of said, shafts midway the top. and bottom" thereof so 'tl atthegases, etc., rise to the top of saidshaft and then are conveyed across and down the othershaft. The'brickor other wares treated are conveyed against the current of gases, first upwardly through the last mentioned shaft to the top thereof, then transferred by suitable transfer mechanism to the first mentioned shaft down which they are slowly conveyed, their temperature being gradually raised from the time they enter the last mentioned shaft until they'reach the fire'boxes on their passage down the first mentioned shaft, after which they are gradually cooled and finally removed at the bottom thereof, The brick are thus gradually heated, dried and burned and then cooled before their removal from the kiln, and theair entering the" kiln is gradually heated bythe descending brick as it ascends to the fireplaces after which,

the heat is extracted by the articles being. treated. The constructionis therefore-not only efficient in that it treats all the" m2.- terialequallyand in precisely the same manmingled-with the products of combustiomit is gradually cool-ed. until substantially allv ner, but 'is' economical in that all of the heat furnished by the fireplaces substantially is utilized. 7 v v, In the accompanylng drawings I have shown and in the'following specification de scribed a preferred form of my invention.

It is to be understood, however, that the specific disclosure is for the" purpose of exemplification only and that the scope of the invention is defined in the following claims in which I have endeavored to distinguish-j it from the prior art, so far as known to me, without however relinquishingor abandon ing any portion or feature thereof.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is' a vertical section representing'a building in which a kiln of my improved construction is erected; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionon a planeparallel'to that of Fig. 1,- showing the kiln on an enlarged scale; Fig. Bis a vertical section of the shaft in which the wares v receive'their final treatment on the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the other shaft; Fig." 5 is ahorizontal section on an enlargedscale of the burning shaft on the 'line'55 of'Fig. 2; Fig. 6a

I eral zviews.

drying to the burningshaft Fig. 9 a plan of a pallet used in the handling of the brick; Fig. 10 aside elevation of the carrier forming a part of the transfer mechanism; ,Fig.

llzan endview of the same; Fig. 12 a detail in elevation; Fig.,13 asideelevatlon ofa modified for-1110f the kiln on a. reduced, scale;

' Figlt, a vertical section on the planevof the lines 14114 of Figplg and Fig. is a side view partly in elevation of a detail.

Each part or element of the construction isidentified .vith thesame reference character whereverii't occurs throughout the sev- MReferring ,first to Fig. the kiln as comprising the dryingshaft andflthe burning shaft- 1B enclosed in the bnildingfl, which, serves as ,asupportfor the transfer mechanism indicated a generally at D. The-brick stackcd ready for convey-.

ance' into. the {kiln are shown at with tracks F. leading therefrom to the kl-111; for

conveying the brick to the latter. Simil larly' at G are, shown tracks for conveying awayflthebrick or, other material after hav- 'ing been treated.

In the. form of the invention shown in- Figs. 2- to 7 inclusive, the vertical shaft-s A,

B, are connected at or near theirupperends:

by afiue 10, the shaft Bbeing provided at apoi'nt preferably more ,than half way up with the heating means which are illustrated as fire boxes .11, 11 -(see Fig. 3),;Preferably the shafts are composed of steeljackets '12, 1.3, suitably reinforcedby; longitudinally extended beams 14,16, and lined with brick as at 17, 18.". The-lower end of shaft A is connected by La flue, 19 (Fig. 7) with a fan chambenfchilnney, or other-suitable suction device- H. Theshaft Bis provided at its upper endwith a side, door 20, and a cover door 21, and shaft-A witha similar side door 22 and cover 28, which doors and covers are normally closed. More or less air' is per-" mitted to enter thebottom of the shaft B, as for example. through the doorway .or opening 2 (see Fig; 2) and, being drawn upward in said shaft, mixes with; thehot gases issuing from the fire boxes 11, flows upward" through shaft B,- across through flue lO to shaft Arand' thence downward to; fine 19. As will hereafter appear, the shafts arelzept practically or completely filled with brick or other earthen ware to bedried onfired,

'whichearthen ,ware is continuously introduced to the-bottom ofthe .shaftfA,con, veyedd upward slowly and intermittently therein; transferred to shaft ;B and slowly loweredtherein ,to :be. removed through the opening 24. Thus the brick is first intro- 1', -I have shown du'ced tothe gases and productsof combustion from which the heat has been largely extracted, and as it rises through the shaft A is graduallyheated and dried by coming into contact with increasingly heated prod nets of combustion, is transferred to the top of, shaft B,,fed downwardly therein reaching the zone of maximum heat at about the lire boxes, at which point theburning is completed, and then gradually cooled by be ing lowered through the. incoming air in the bottom of the shaft 1B,..which it serves to pre-heat before the air reaches the fire bores I In the constructionshown diagrammatically in Figs. 13 and 14, the circulationof gases and n oducts ofcombustion is slightly modified, the construction being otherwise 7 the same, In this form of the device av cross-flue- 25 connects. the lewer portion' of the shaft B. at 26 with approximately the central portion of shaft at 27 whereby a portion of the preheated airfrom the for,

mer is carried directly into thelatter, shaft to assist in. the drying ofthe brick therein.

lhe shaft A is also provided with circulating flues 28, 29 connected to said smear I their bottoms by.openings 30,. 31 and attheir tops by openings 32,33, fansfi, $5, or other CLICUlQ UDg dGVICQS being installed interme- (liate saidupper and. lower openingsto force the circulation from said lower openings 7 through thecirculatlon fines and back into the shaft through the upper openings... In Figs. 13, let, I have alsoshowna bustleflpipe- 36 surrounding theupper end :of shaft: A, and connected to the cross-flue 10. for, disgases therefrom more tributingthe 7 through the shaft a f 4 V:

The mechanical means for handling or carrying-the brick are the same which ever circulation-of air and gases. is employed. Broadly spcaking, ,they coni jrise.,endless chain means for supportingslowlyand in evenly termittently elevating brickin the shaft A and for slowly andintermittentlylowering it m. the shaft 13, the"operatingmechanism for the chains being so connected that the weight of brick in one shaft is substantially balanced by the weight of the brick inthe other shaft whereby comparatively flittle power is required toseife ct the necessary slowmovement of the chains.

Specifically, the Ibirck handling meansv in the two shifts differ for a; reason whichwill appear. 7. In each shaft an openingis formed in the lower end. thereof' the openingST' in the shaft A being ,forfheintroductio of the brick, and. the opening 24, referred. to I above, in the shaft B being for thearemova'l of the brick. These openings; may. be closed in any suitable manner exceptduringithe insertion or removalof' the brickl Referring now to- Figs, 2, 4 and 6, it will: be seen that the means for traversing the bricks upward through the shaft A consists in two series of chainsl lO arranged"respectively upon the opposite side walls of the shaft. .Eaolr series, in the particular construct-ion shown,

comprises four chains extending nearlythe lengtlrof the shaft,..ez irried at their upper ends by driven sprockets tl, and at their lower ends by idler sprockets 42. As shown in Fig. 4 the sprockets are mounted in slot-s or apertures extending through the wall of the shaft so that the chains move. upward within the shaft, and downward outside the shaft. lVithin the shaft the chains run in channels formed by embedding channel irons within'the brick work (see Fig. 6). The shaft is braced onv the exterior by vertical Ibeams H of which there is one directl y opposite or in register with each channel, and the beams are provided at their upper ends with brackets in wh1ch "the shafts 46 carrying the driven sprockets are jo-urnaled. The idler sprockets 42 are mounted on shafts 48 which are journaled in pillow blocks 49 secured to the concrete or other base of the shaft (see Fig. 12);.

sprockets 41 will i mounted and adjusted relative to "each other that for each chair on any chain there isa corresponding chair on each of the other chains. Thus as the chains move upward within the shaft. A successive horizontal series'of chairs are presented each series comprisingfour chairs or eight in all.

For the purpose of presenting the brick to be supported by the chains and carried upwardly through the shaft A, they are stacked in uniform stacks or'uni'ts, each stack being carried by a pallet 51. The con-j struction of these pallets is best seen in Fig. 9. It comprises a pair of parallel sidebars .52, 52 which may be conveniently formed of pipe of suitable strength, and crossbars 53 connecting the same which may properly be formed of small channel beams. The pipes and channel beams are rigidly connected together. The cross-bars are of such length and the longitudinalbar s consequentlyso spaced that when the pallet isplaced in the bottom of'the shaft A in horizontal position, the longitudinal bars are in the path of movement of the respective series of chairs and adapted to be picked up thereby. For convenience ofghandling, the loaded pallets are stacked upon supports 54 adjacent tracks 55 upon which a truck 56 is adapted-to travel; The roof 57jprotects the'brick on the supports 54; from the weather.' The tracks 55 extend into the lower end oftheshaft A 5 (see Fig.

7 so that successive pallets carrying stacks of brick,'1nay be transferred by hand or' otherwise to the trackand carried into the lower end .ofthe shaft Ag Each brick-carrying pallet is placed on the 'truckin such a position that when the latter is shoved mto the bottom of shaft A the longitudinal bars 52 of the pallet" extend close to the! chains on their respective sidesof the shaft and in positionto be" engaged by the chairs on said chains as 'previouslydescribed. Preferably I provide a pair of stands 54 upon opposite'sides of the. tracks 55 which standsarc adapted to receive the pallets of brickconveyed into the shaft from the truck, thus releasing the latter for further service. "For this purpose. the top or platform 56 of the truckis made adjustable ver tically and the stands are of a height intermediate the height of the platform when in its upper and lower positions respectively. The truck isfrun into the shaftwith the platform raisedslightly higher than the stands and when the proper position reached the. platform is lowercdj-thus transto the stands and freeing the truck. In Fig. 15 I have shown a'suitable construction of truck for the above purpose. The truck ferring the pallet with the brick thereon comprises a stationary'frame 58 carried by the wheels 59 and provided with guides 62 Which receive and guide the slides 61 arranged .on opposite sides of the adjustable platform 62. The l atte'r compris'eseen'd pieces 60 and sidemembers 62*. The "slide I 61 and guide 62 maintain the horizontal positionof the adjustable platform but the latter is supported ;from the stationary frame of the truck by-meanslof rollers 66 carried on arms 65 'attachedtoshafts Shafts'63 211305921113 worm sectors 67 which are engaged by worms 68 upon a longitudt nal shaftfi provided with handles 70 for turning the same} Obviously, by-rotating the handles 70 and: shaft69 the platform may be adjusted and fixedin adjusted position. By this construction or some equivalent means thebrick may be carried into the stack A and deposited on the stands 54 ready to be taken up by thechain's in their upward movement.

The successive pallets each bearing its stackof brick are picked up from-the stands and slowly lifted through the drying shaft A, arriving successively at'the to-p thereof. As each unit reaches the position shown ata in 4'the doors 22, 23 are openedto pertransferring mechanism by which the brick journalld in standards" 64; on said frame; 1

is carried to and deposited inthe-burning kiln'or shaft B. The precise character of this transfer mechanism is n'otmaterial to thisinvention' in its'broader aspect." In the specific form of the invention illustrated the transfer mechanism is adapted to permitthe brick to be transferred to the burning shaft without 'the pallets the brick being stacked in a continuous column in said shaft. Re.

ferringinoreqparticularly to Figs. 8 toll inclusive, lt-willthe observed that the trans fern1ec hanism Comprises a carr1er7-1 'having a series of supporting'bars or tines 72,

which are so spaced as to enter between the cross bars or slats 53. of the pallets. The

tinesarenot directly connected'together but each is supported towards its rear end by an Fupright 73 and braced to maintain its angular position with respect to said upright'by a strut 74 extending from its rear end 75 and secured to the'upper end of its upright 73. Theend tines are preferably invertedU-shapedin cross section, as shown at 76 and are connected by struts 77 with uppcr'hori'zontal bars 78, the rear ends of 'which'are likewise connected to the upper ends of the uprights 73. Each end of the carrier is'thereforein the form of a trapezodial frame braced by anupright. The

two end framesareconnected together by the transverse members 82- at the upper ends ofthe uprights, thetransverse members 83 and8 l connecting theforward upper "corners-of the end-frames and the transverse L- 7 bar 85' connecting the uprights towards their lower ends, Saide-nd frames are further secured together by the round bars 86, 87, 88

extendingbetween themat their upper rear corners at an intermediate point onv the cuprrght members and at their" forward upper earners respectively. Nuts 89, 90,. 91 screwed on the respectiveends of the several "rodsout-side the end frames prevent the latter vspreading, The intermediate 1 tines at their forward ends consist of a T-bar 79 which is supported by member 80 secured to the web 81 of the T-barbeneath thetop thereof and to an-upright 73 as well as a fiat strut 74extendingffrom the rear end of said tines to the upper end of an upright 73. Foreach tine also and connected to the upright and rear brace or strut th'ereof,there is a: parallel upperf bar 78 butno forward brace or strut corresponding to the struts 7 7.

thus "secured a rigid carrier, the tines of which are adapted to extend between the slats of the -pallets and engage with their broad upper. surfaces the bricks; supported 93 of the supporting-surfaces. Nhen the thereby... As shown for example in Fig. 8, the upper two courses of br ck, (or in case t le is being treated the arrangement s substantially the same,) are so groupedas to afford spaces for the tines of'the carrier to enter between them to engage theunit or block of brick immediately above. The broad supporting surfaces of'the tines are" of such length as to completely underlie the; stack of bricks when the carrier is in position-to raise a unit but are so short as to just clear one of the longitudinal bars offthe pallet when the other longitudinal bar lies between the uprights 73 and the'rearends carrier therefore, is raised by the means hereinafter l described the supporting surfaces or other tines engage and support the brick or other material on the pallet and also one of the longitudinal bars ofthelatfor, but the pallet being engaged at no other point swings down ward awayfrom the brick to :a vertical .positionor it 5 may be swung back of the carrier out of the way asdesired, and whenthe load ofbrick has been deposited in the manner hereinafter described the pallet maybe removed from'the carrier forv further useand the carrier. is then in condition to;receiveanother,load of brick. As the uppermost-pair .oflaye rs of brickof 95 eachunit are formed into spaced columns or supports ad aptedto receive between them the tines of the carrier, andgas eaclrunit, is conveyed inthis condition into, the burning kiln, the. following unit onblock may ,be I de- 100 posited thereon. by running thecarrier into the upper end of theburningkiln with'the tines thereof between. such columns, lowering the carrier untilrthe ,brick thereon reston the columns ofthe unit below and then 10 withdrawing the carrier. i Any suitable means may be employed for moving the carrier, from its position within I theone shaft to its position-within 'thelother shaft and I have, shown. in Fig. la wellknown mechanism of this character, the 'tletails of .which are so I familiar that. they need notbediscussed. The building C containing the kiln is provided with tracks 9%, Mon its oppositeside .walls, upon which' a 1 1 traveling frame is supported by rollers 96 in the usualmanner. I Said frame is formed or provided-with tracks 97 upon which a trolley 98 may be reciprocated,.which trolley I directly supports .thecarrier heretofore vdescribed. It is necessary towprovide means for raislng and lowering the carr er -w1th reference to the trolley, whichinay be .ac-

complished in a variety ofwell-known ways as, for example, by suspending the carrier 1.25 l

by cables 99 secured to a Windlass 100 upon which thecables may be wound. The windlass isprovidedv with. a ratchet and pawl for preventing unwinding to maintainthe carrier. at any altitude to which itis .wound. 13

a Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 3yand 5,,it willbe seen that the-burning kiln or shaft B, as above stated," is provided, below the fireboxes, with endlesschains 103 of less length than the similarchains .inthe other shaft, but similarly'mounted in the walls of the shaft. Vertical beams 1041support the brackets 105, furnishing bearings for shaft 106 of sprockets 106 andsprockets 107' at the lower ends of said beams are mounted in a manner similar to sprockets42 in shaft A. The'chains 103 arealso'provided' withchairs 108 which may be in all respects similar to the chairs'5O in stack A andc'ser've'to support the column of brick. :In shaft B,- however, the brick are supported above the chains in a continuous column and without the .useofpallets. For this purpose bars 117 are supported ,upfon the chairslOS 3 and-in turnsupport the beams 118] It will berecalledthat the upper pair of, layers of brick of each unitare arranged intspaced columns which serve, as a previously described, for the 'entryofthe tines of the :Ltransferring device between them and this arrangement is maintaind in the column of gbrick inthe burning kiln as it descends to the chains. The transverse spaces between the columns havethe further purpose and function to permitthe insertion of the bars ll8 vwhich takesthe weight Qf'the column of brick above them. The method of inserting thefbars-ll'? and 118 will beunderstood :fr'om-the following. l/veliave'referred. to the tracks 112 within "the lower endof a shaft B for permitting the'entry thereto of :thetruck 121 by which the brick are removed from the-shaft and ion oppositecsides of the tracks are stands as in the bottom of shaft A. These stands are adapted to receive the ilowermost'setof beams 118 andtemporarily :relieveithe {chains ofgthe jweight of the column of brick when the chains are lowered for this. purpose. Asea'oh succeeding unit ,of brick at the;lower end of the columnis "ready for removal, itis' lowered until its supporting beams '118 rest upon said stands. The chains are then given a further movenient in the same direction sufficient togpermit th-eiplacing offthe bars 117 ,and the beams 118 under the second unit-'ab ovefthe unit which is to be removed. .Byi reference .to Fig. 5 itwill be seen that oneof the end -wall's. of the shaft 13 is forined with openings120 through which the, bars 117; maybe :inserted'and placed upon thechairs 108 and tl'1e'side walls of said shaft are formed with ;openings 119 througlr which the1-beams .118 may be placed inposition between the spaced columns of r brick constituting the upper layers of the unit .next above that-to be -removed; When {these bars and 'b'eamsfghave .been placed; in position the; chains arejmoved to a slight extent in the opposite direction so that the newlylinserted bars and beams ing the bottom unit which is now restingon c the stands '54. I The lower .un'itiis now rep I i moved from: the standsfby raising the radjustable platform; of the truck 121- ;fivhich,

as shown'i'n Fig-'2 is provided withr'i beams 123 so spaced apart? as :to receive between 'theni the beams 118 supporting 'the xlower unit- As the platform of truck l2l is raisedy' course available fork-reuse i'nlshaft B. ,After @theweight of the coluinii 'f b'ricks has been removed from the flows nost -u'nit by re- --'vers'ingj; the movementjlof he; jchains,,1,the weightof said COlllHLl s dbetwe'en the two sets ofbeams 118 wliiclia -thenin-pla'ce 011 the chains; After theburniingan'd cool-'- in g have prepared another nnit' for removal tithitis'lowered on to the stands and removed by afrepetitien oif the operations .justfde' scribed, -lnjd of bars 1117 ancl bean s lltl a platform 124: surroun ds shaft 13 at. a; suitable, elevation.

Itremains toide ribe the means 91" -0per ating the chains. ia Eor this purpose; the

sprockets 11 in shaft A" are 'fast'upontheir i shafts 46-and the latter are extendejd 'beyond shaft A toward shaftBand'provided with bevel pinions125 whichmesh withgpinions 126 upon upright shafts 127 which carry'at o facilitate; the insertion T v their lower ends ;pinions 128 by :which said shafts are, driven (see F igs. 2 andfl); The -pinions' 128 are driven bybe'vel pinions 129 on the ends-of shafts 130 ,whi'ch carry the ;worm wheels 131. Said wor n wheels are driven by worms 132 on horizontallshaft 133. The worms 132 also engage and drive the Worm wheels :110 npontheishaftsof which are mounted beveled piniojns 1 8 1- which drive p nlons; 135 "upon thelow-er ends of shafts 1 36. The latter drive ithe fshafts 15' 106fby means of bevelpinions13 7 seeEig. 2) The shaft 133 is driven "from a motorQllG through the-medium ofa belt 138 and gears 113,-g11gt. I It .will 'now' be seen that the t columns of brick inthe two shafts-gsub'stantia 'lly balance each other, and the motor ds I 4 substantially relieved of strain; except lsuc'h as is necessary to overcomev the frictio the parts. i a a i r-a -1.- In a kiln for; burning and drying brick, etc. avertical drying shaft and vertical burning shaft, means for v conveying material up the drying shaft,;a firebox comnnr "nicating with the burning shaft and a flue connecting. the shafts near their respectivetops;

. 2. In a kiln-for burning and drying brick,

- etc., a vertical drying shaft, a vertical burningshaft, a

the-tops. thereof, meanszfor supplyingh'ot gases 7 to the burning shaft, anexhaust means I connected to the bottom of the drying shaft wand means for conveying the material up fine connecting such: shafts near the drying shaft and down the burning shaft. 1

3. In avkilln for burning and'dry-ing brick, etc-. a vertical drying shaft and a vertical burning shaft, 'a flue connecting such shafts near their tops, fire boxesarrang'ed intermediate the upper and 1 lower-ends of the burningshaft, an exhaust means "connected to the lower "end of' the' drying shaft" and means for raising articles to be burned through the drying iSllftfi? and lowering them through the burning shaft. V I

4. In :a kiln for drying and burning brick and' th'e like, aburning shaft drying shaft, endlesschains for raising the brick in the drying shaft, snpports'at intervals onsaid chains for-supportingthe Weight of the brick-above them, and means'for lowering'thebrickthrough the burning shaft.

5; In a kiln for d-rying and burning brick -and'the like aburning shaft and a drying shaft,a flue' conne'cting shafts near the tops thereof, means for 'su'pplyingfheated gases 7 to theb'u'rn'ing shaft and for removing them from "thebo ttom of the drying shaft, means forwraising brick in the dryingshaftymeans for transferring the brickinthe drying shaft to the burning shaft anddneans for loweringthe brick inthe burning shaft.

6. ln'afki-ln for drying-andburning brick and the like, a vertical shaft, sets of endless chains on opposite w all's thereof,means for Y moving said 'ehains upwardly within the "shaft,; supports *on said chains and pallets 1 adapted to receive loads of-material to be dried thereon and to be engaged and carried bythe supports on said chains, and "means outside said shaftfor lowering the brick.

and the like, a ver't;

7 In kiln f jr-drying-jand burning brick cal shaft, ser'ies'of chains onfopposite sides'of said shaft, sprockets for said 'ichain so i jenrnaied' 'with reference to the walls of the shaft that the chains may move in one-direction within the shaft and in the'reverse direction outsideth e sh-aft,

supports on said chains,- IHGZITIS adapted to "be carried by said supports and to'rec'eive loads [of brick and means outside said-shaft 6 for lowering the brick.

8. In akiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a vertical shaft,sin'eans for supplying heated gases at the top thereof-and Withdrawing {them from the bottomthereof, series of "endless *chains arranged on opposite Walls of said shaft, means for sups'upports -for' carrying loads 'of' material to be clrains on opposite sidesef said-shaft'havingvertically movable platform thereon adaptporting and moving said-"chains to cause them to move upward within the shaft, supports on the chains andimeans engaging-said treated, and means outside said shaft for lowering the brick. Y 7 a '9. In a kiln for lrying and bur'ning brick and the like, vertical shaft, vertical beams on opposite sides thereof, sprockets mounted at the opposite endsfof -saicl beams With-" -in :slotsin the Walls of the shaft, endless chains carried by said 'sp'rockets,-mean's for. rotating certain of" said sprocketsto move the endlesschains, channels within theshait in which the inner, runs of said bli a ins'inove,

*suppo'rts von said chains an'ddeviees carried by said supports for receiving ,nia'terial to be treated and meansoutside said shaft'for lowering the brick. 1 a V 10. In a kiln ffor' drying.- and-biirningfi brick and the like, aipa-ir of vertical shafts, means for heating saidshafts, meansfor carrying the-"material 'to be treated u ward in one o f said shafts, :ineans for low ring material to be treated through theotiier said shaft; a firebox communicating with }the lat- 'ter, and? a flue connectingsa id shafts 'near theirtops. a 7 v kiln for drying and: binning brick and the like, a pair o-f vertical shafts, means for carryingmaterial to' be "treated upward in one of'said shafts; means for lowering material to be treated throngh 'tlie 1-10 at in'ter'vals thereon mean s aci apted 'te en I gage said pallets on the t ru'ck' and' raise them from the truck, and; means; for; removing saidj allets from thenpper end "of the shaft; 13. In kiln fGIf ClfYl II'g burning brick and thelike, averticai shaft'iiavingnn openin in the lower *end and a-secen'd opening in the upper end th reof; means for V heating the said shaft, a true-k having 'a ed to'enter-the-lowerend of sa i'd.shaft, a f

series of pallets adapted "to su portbiiek a and to be carried byg'saidftr'uck into said shaft, series "of endless-- thaiii'e on: opposite sides of said shaft, mea-ns'for supporting I25 and moving said chain's upwardlywith'in the 1 shaft andgchairs on'the -chaii ns adapted to engage the pallets for raising the same from said truck-p l l. In a kiln for dryingfand burning brick and thelike, a vertical shaft, means for opening and closing the upper end of said shaft, an openingjin the lower end of said shaft, means for supplying heated gases to said shaft, a truck adapted ,to enter the end thereof, means for supporting material being burned from said chains and means for removing the materialfrom the lower end of said shaft. i

16. In 'a kiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a vertical burning shaft having means for closing the same at the upper end and an opening at the lower end,

a truck having a vertically adjustable plat-,

form adapted to enter said shaft to receive a load of treated material, means for rais ing and lowering the platformof the truck,

endless chainson opposite sides of said shaft near the lower end thereof, supports on said chains,*means for supporting the material being burned from said supports and transferring them to the platform of said truck. 17. In a kiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a vertical burning shaft,

means for opening and closing the same at the upper end thereof, said shaft having an opening at the lower end thereof, a truck adapted to enter the lower end of the shaft through said opening, an adjustable plat- -form on said truck, transverse supports 123 on said truck platform, endless chains mounted on opposite walls of said shaft and havingsupports arranged at intervals thereon,beams received by said supports and sup-' porting loadsof brick, there being opening s l 119 in the wallsof said shaft for the insertion and arrangement ofsaid beams.

18. Ina kilm for drying and burning brick and the like, a pair of vertical shafts,

series of endless chains on opposite walls of 7 each said shaft, means for heating said shafts, means for supporting materials to be dried and burned from sa d chains and common I means connected to the chains on both shafts for moving the chains in one shaft upward and in the other shaft downward whereby the load-in one shaft counterbalances'the.

load in the other shaft. V p

19. In a kiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a pair of vertical shafts,

means for heating said shafts, means for conveying. material to be treated from the "a top of oneof saidshafts to the top of the other, series of endless chains on the opposite walls of eachsaid shaft, sprockets for supporting and drivingsaid chains, shafting and gears connecting said sprockets in the respective shafts whereby the load in one shaft issubs-tantially counterbalanced by the load on the other shaft,'and means for driv- V ing said mechanism.

2Q. In a kiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a pair ofverticalfshaft's,

a flue connecting said'shafts near their upper" ends, a flue for exhausting one of 1 said shafts at 1t-s lower end, a means for supplying heated gases to the other said shaft intermediate its ends and a flue connectin said shafts intermediate their ends.

21. In a kiln for drying and burning brick and the like, a pair of vertical shafts, i

a flue connecting said shafts near their upper ends, a means for exhausting one of said shafts at its lower end, asecond flue connecting said shafts intermediate their ends and means for said second flue.

' CLAUDE SMITH.

propelling the gases in

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