Heating – Accessory means for holding – shielding or supporting work... – Support structure for heat treating ceramics
Patent
1992-11-30
1994-11-08
Bennet, Henry A.
Heating
Accessory means for holding, shielding or supporting work...
Support structure for heat treating ceramics
248201, 432259, F27D 500, C04B 3332
Patent
active
053622316
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to article support apparatus and particularly but not exclusively to apparatus for supporting ceramic articles during firing.
It is usual to offer support to ceramic products during one or all of the firing processes that occur during manufacture and the supports employed must have sufficient strength to carry the load at the temperatures encountered without detrimental affect to the ceramic product. Such supports can be made from any suitable refractory material and are commonly referred to as setters.
In the whitewares industry articles may require support either at their base, foot, top or rim, this being dependant on their shape, form, or design characteristics, together with their ultimate use or function.
Setters may be required to offer full support over the total area of the article, or partial support. In the case of some tableware items a full profile support is necessary. Alternatively support only of the wall section of an item may be required.
FIGS. 1A to C show a typical sanitary closet which requires support during firing for only its base, which is hollow, as illustrated in FIG. 1C. This illustrates the very small actual surface area of contact between product and setter necessary to achieve the desired results.
Tableware plates may require foot support only to retain shape during firing processes.
It is usual to avoid setter contact with any glazed or decorated areas so as not to detract from the appearance of the final product.
The weight of setters in a kiln load can exceed the weight of ware and thus consumes a considerable amount of energy in heating the setters. Setters are relatively expensive and can contribute to rejection of products due to deterioration in the setters during continual re-use at high temperatures. In recent years the trend has been to use higher grade refractory materials for setters but this greatly increases their cost.
According to the present invention there is provided article support apparatus comprising two substantially planar components detachably engagable together to define a planar support surface comprising a continuous band of material surrounding an open area.
Engagement means are preferably provided on the components. The engagement means preferably substantially prevent relative movement between engaged components in a first direction, and desirably also in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second directions preferably lie in the plane of the apparatus.
The engagement means may comprise a projection from one component engagable in a corresponding recess on the other component. The greatest width of the projection may be greater than the opening of the recess.
The components are preferably both identical. Some or all of the side edges of the components are preferably bevelled. The components are desirably made of a refractory material and especially recrystallised silicon carbide.
The components may be substantially `C` shaped or alternatively `L` shaped.
The components are preferably shaped such that a supported part of an article to be fired lies substantially adjacent the inner edge of the band formed by the apparatus when the article has been fired, and substantially adjacent an outer edge of said band at the maximum size of the article, so allowing for expansions and contractions of the article which occur during firing.
Elongate refractory members may be provided engagable beneath the components to provide support therefor. Upstanding spaced portions may be provided on the elongate members defining recesses therebetween to locate the components, thereby providing a required spacing between respective pairs of components.
Alternatively spacer members may be provided engagable on the elongate members between respective pairs of components to provide the required spacing. As a further alternative, spacing lugs may be provided on the components engagable with corresponding lugs on adjacent components to provide the required spacing.
The elongate members may be stepped such that adjacent
REFERENCES:
patent: 1384468 (1921-07-01), Howell
patent: 2543549 (1951-02-01), Jeppson
patent: 4259061 (1981-03-01), Dubetsky
patent: 4315738 (1982-02-01), Lovatt
patent: 4564489 (1986-01-01), Welzen et al.
Bennet Henry A.
Doerrler William C.
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