GB2183805A

GB2183805A - Kiln furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2183805A
Application number: GB08529336A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher John Hewitt
Original assignee: Hewitt & Son J
Current assignee: Hewitt & Son J
Priority date: 1985-11-28
Filing date: 1985-11-28
Publication date: 1987-06-10
Also published as: GB8529336D0

Abstract

Kiln furniture for use in the manufacture of ceramic ware or the like includes a plurality of uniform setters or other platform elements (10) and a plurality of props or other spacers (15) for stacking the elements in spaced relationship one above the other, said spacers having lower and upper end portions (17, 18) shaped to mate with corner formations of the elements so that the stack is stable and, in particular, lateral displacement of its components are resisted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Kiln furniture This invention relates to kiln furniture for use in locating quantities of ceramic ware or other workpieces during firing or other heat treatment in a kiln or oven.

The object of the invention is to provide kiln furniture which is convenient and adaptable in use, provides secure location and handling of articles having a wide range of shapes and sizes, and which enables increased efficiency of operation and reduced risk of damage to the articles by reducing the need to handle them individually.

According to the invention kiln furniture includes a plurality of uniformly sized setters or other platform elements each providing a horizontal article supporting surface and a plurality of props or other spacers-for supporting a series of said elements in spaced relationship one above the other in use, each said spacer having upper and lower end portions formed for mating engagement with formations of the platform elements to resist relative lateral displacement of the components of the stack so formed.

Preferably sets of spacers having different effective heights are provided enabling the vertical distance between adjacent platform elements in the stack to be selectively varied according to requirements.

Conveniently the platform elements are formed from refractory material.

One practical example of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of assembled kiln furniture embodying the invention (the wares or other articles which would be supported thereby in practice are not shown for clarity), and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing parts of the components.

The furniture comprises a plurality of refractory setters 10 each comprising an operatively horizontal platform or shelf portion 11 having corrugated upper and lower faces (it is contemplated that for some applications the setters may be used in an inverted position) to minimise contact with ceramic wares placed thereon. The upper four corners of the setter are provided with integral upstanding lugs 12 having vertical outer faces co-planar with the edges of shelf portion 11 and opposing inwardly directed faces which slope upwardly away from each other at a slight angle to the vertical.

The furniture further includes a plurality of refractory props 15 each having a rectangular main body part 16, a lower end portion 17 notched for mating engagement on a respective lug 12 of the setters 10 and an upper end portion 18 on which a respective corner part of the next setter in the stack locates.

Portion 18 has a stepped profile so that an outer upwardly extending part 1 8a locates against the outer vertical face of said corner part with the latter resting on a horizontal face 1 8b of the prop upper end portion. An upwardly projecting ridge 19 along the inner edge of face 1 8b engages in the outermost groove of the corrugated lower face of the associated setter.

In this way relative lateral displacement of the components of the stack is resisted and the stack is readily and quickly built up and the accurate alignment of the components for full stability is assured.

Sets of props 15 are provided having different effective heights, thus the props used to form a stack can be interchanged to provide the desired vertical spacing between the shelf portions 11 to accommodate ware or other articles of different sizes and it will be appreciated that the setters making up a stack need not. be uniformly spaced throughout its height.

For example sets of props may be provided whose effective height provides vertical spacing between the setters (the setting space) ranges. from about 53 mm up to 153 mm in 10 mm steps.

In one typical example the dimensions of the setters are 375 x 395 mm2 with an overall height including lugs 12 of 50 mm but it will be appreciated that other shapes and sizes can be provided.

The loaded furniture forms a stack which is sufficiently integral to be safely handled bodily e.g. on mobile stillaging for transport and storage as well as for passage through a continuously fired kiln or oven using e.g. kiln cars or other conveyor means. Thus use of the invention can substantially reduce handling of the ware or individual articles both before and after processing, for example unfired ware can be placed on the furniture direct from the production processes at locations remote from the kiln area, stored if need be, and/or transported to and through the kiln as and when convenient and then removed for storage or unloading for further processing at a remote location without need to dismantle the furniture or disturb the articles.

1. Kiln furniture including a plurality of uniformly sized setters or other platform elements each providing a horizontal article supporting surface and a plurality of props or other spacers for supporting a series of said elements in spaced relationship one above the other in use, each said spacer having upper and lower end portions formed for mating engagement with formations of the platform elements to resist relative lateral displacement of the components of the stack so formed.

2. Kiln furniture as in claim 1 including sets of spacers having different effective heights to

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Kiln furniture This invention relates to kiln furniture for use in locating quantities of ceramic ware or other workpieces during firing or other heat treatment in a kiln or oven. The object of the invention is to provide kiln furniture which is convenient and adaptable in use, provides secure location and handling of articles having a wide range of shapes and sizes, and which enables increased efficiency of operation and reduced risk of damage to the articles by reducing the need to handle them individually. According to the invention kiln furniture includes a plurality of uniformly sized setters or other platform elements each providing a horizontal article supporting surface and a plurality of props or other spacers-for supporting a series of said elements in spaced relationship one above the other in use, each said spacer having upper and lower end portions formed for mating engagement with formations of the platform elements to resist relative lateral displacement of the components of the stack so formed. Preferably sets of spacers having different effective heights are provided enabling the vertical distance between adjacent platform elements in the stack to be selectively varied according to requirements. Conveniently the platform elements are formed from refractory material. One practical example of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of assembled kiln furniture embodying the invention (the wares or other articles which would be supported thereby in practice are not shown for clarity), and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing parts of the components. The furniture comprises a plurality of refractory setters 10 each comprising an operatively horizontal platform or shelf portion 11 having corrugated upper and lower faces (it is contemplated that for some applications the setters may be used in an inverted position) to minimise contact with ceramic wares placed thereon. The upper four corners of the setter are provided with integral upstanding lugs 12 having vertical outer faces co-planar with the edges of shelf portion 11 and opposing inwardly directed faces which slope upwardly away from each other at a slight angle to the vertical. The furniture further includes a plurality of refractory props 15 each having a rectangular main body part 16, a lower end portion 17 notched for mating engagement on a respective lug 12 of the setters 10 and an upper end portion 18 on which a respective corner part of the next setter in the stack locates. Portion 18 has a stepped profile so that an outer upwardly extending part 1 8a locates against the outer vertical face of said corner part with the latter resting on a horizontal face 1 8b of the prop upper end portion. An upwardly projecting ridge 19 along the inner edge of face 1 8b engages in the outermost groove of the corrugated lower face of the associated setter. In this way relative lateral displacement of the components of the stack is resisted and the stack is readily and quickly built up and the accurate alignment of the components for full stability is assured. Sets of props 15 are provided having different effective heights, thus the props used to form a stack can be interchanged to provide the desired vertical spacing between the shelf portions 11 to accommodate ware or other articles of different sizes and it will be appreciated that the setters making up a stack need not. be uniformly spaced throughout its height. For example sets of props may be provided whose effective height provides vertical spacing between the setters (the setting space) ranges. from about 53 mm up to 153 mm in 10 mm steps. In one typical example the dimensions of the setters are 375 x 395 mm2 with an overall height including lugs 12 of 50 mm but it will be appreciated that other shapes and sizes can be provided. The loaded furniture forms a stack which is sufficiently integral to be safely handled bodily e.g. on mobile stillaging for transport and storage as well as for passage through a continuously fired kiln or oven using e.g. kiln cars or other conveyor means. Thus use of the invention can substantially reduce handling of the ware or individual articles both before and after processing, for example unfired ware can be placed on the furniture direct from the production processes at locations remote from the kiln area, stored if need be, and/or transported to and through the kiln as and when convenient and then removed for storage or unloading for further processing at a remote location without need to dismantle the furniture or disturb the articles. CLAIMS

2. Kiln furniture as in claim 1 including sets of spacers having different effective heights to enable the vertical distance between adjacent platform elements in the stack to be selectively varied.

3. Kiln furniture as in claim 1 or 2 wherein the platform elements are formed from refractory material.

4. Kiln furniture as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the spacers are from refractory material.

5. Kiln furniture as in any preceding claim wherein the platform elements include integral upstanding lugs and the lower end portions of the spacers are notched for mating engagement on said lugs.

6. Kiln furniture as in any preceding claim wherein the upper end portions of the spacers include an outer upwardly extending part for location against an outer vertical face of corner parts of the platform elements.

7. Kiln furniture as in claim 6 wherein said upper end portions further include an upwardly projecting ridge along an inner edge for mating engagement with a formation on the lower face of the platform elements.

8. Kiln furniture as in any preceding claim wherein upper and lower faces of the platform elements are corrugated.

9. Kiln furniture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.