A CONTRIVANCE FOR PREVENTING THE DISPLACEMENT OF DRAIN-PIPES IN THE KILN.
The contrivance shown in Figs. 153 to 157 is the invention of Mr. John Murtagh, of Boston, Mass., and is for holding or binding the upper course of pipes during the process of burn ing, and the application of this arrangement in works of any magnitude cannot fail to result in considerable savings.
The object is to prevent the displacement of the pipes when in the kiln ; and the invention consists in securing each pipe of the top tier in the kiln to its neighbors, by means of binders made of clay like that of which the pipes are made, and baked or burned in the usual manner. Figs. 153 and 154 are dia grams, Fig. 153 illustrating the new mode of securing the top tier of pipes in one way, and Fig. 154 in another, both ways of arranging the top tier being in common use.
Figs. 155a, 155b, and 155c show three forms of binders.
Figs. 156 and 157 illustrate the relation of the pipes and binders before and after burning.
The binders a are formed of the clay used in making the pipe, or of other suitable clay, with a body-piece, from which project two or more legs, as shown in Figs. 155a, 155b and 155c, and then burned in a proper kiln, with the pipes. When thus made they are hard, and although brittle, like other crockery or pottery ware, are yet abundantly strong for the purpose. One set of them can be used from twenty to thirty
times before they become too much vitrified.
In filling the kiln the unburned pipes are placed in the usual way, but the pipes in the upper tier are connected each with its neighbors by these binders, as illustrated in Figs. 153 and 154, where A represents the pipes, and a the binders. This makes the upper layer of pipes one compact mass, and does away with all danger of their getting out of place in burning, thereby preventing them from becoming bent or adhering to gether in masses. Binders a' are used to connect the tier of pipes with the wall of the kiln, special brick a' being built into the wall to engage with the end of the binders.
The pipes shrink in burning, so that the binders should fit loosely when the kiln is set, as shown in Fig. 156. Fig. 157 shows the position of the pipes after they are burned.
The barrow shown in Fig. 158 is intended for wheeling sewer-pipe and drain-pipe, and it is built very substantially, the wheel being of iron, and the remainder, with the exception of the back braces, being of wood.