Refractory burner brick

Abstract

A refractory furnace brick ( 1/2 ) has chamfered corner faces (F 3 /f 3 ) enabling the bricks to be formed into a regular grid with longitudinal rectangular bores formed both within respective bricks and defined by surrounding bricks. Preferably the shorter sidewalls of the bricks are extended slightly in the transverse direction to form ridges R/R′ which interlock to strengthen the structure. In order to provide a distributed expansion flexible ceramic pads (P) may be provided between the chamfered corner faces.

1 . A refractory furnace brick comprising: 
 a plurality of sidewalls having facing internal surfaces defining a longitudinal central bore of said furnace brick, said sidewalls having longitudinal junctions,    said furnace brick having a transverse cross-section in which said longitudinal junctions form corner regions thereof, said corner regions being shaped externally to interlock with similar corner regions of neighbouring furnace bricks when said furnace brick is disposed in a regular two-dimensional transversely-extending array of such furnace bricks.    
   
   
       2 . A refractory furnace brick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said corner regions have chamfered portions which form mating faces in said regular two-dimensional array.  
   
   
       3 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 1 , wherein said junctions comprise external longitudinally-extending ridge portions which interlock transversely with similar ridge portions of neighbouring furnace bricks in said two-dimensional array.  
   
   
       4 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 1 , wherein said sidewalls have longitudinal ends lying in a common transverse plane.  
   
   
       5 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 1 , wherein said array includes adjacent furnace bricks having facing external surfaces, said facing external surfaces defining a further longitudinal bore, said facing external surfaces matching said facing internal surfaces whereby the transverse cross-sections of said longitudinal central bore and asid further longitudinal bore are substantially the same.  
   
   
       6 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 5 , wherein said transverse cross-section of said longitudinal central bore has an area within ±20 percent of the area of said further longitudinal bore.  
   
   
       7 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 5 , wherein said longitudinal central bore and said further longitudinal bore have matching dimensions such that said longitudinal central bore has dimensions which are each within ±10 percent of said matching dimensions of said further longitudinal bore.  
   
   
       8 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 1 , comprising a first pair of opposite sidewalls, said opposite sidewalls having ends which are tapered in longitudinal cross-section.  
   
   
       9 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 8 , comprising a second pair of opposite sidewalls having flat end surfaces, said first pair of opposite sidewalls extending beyond said flat end surfaces of said second pair of opposite sidewalls.  
   
   
       10 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 8 , wherein said first pair of opposite sidewalls each have opposite ends which are both tapered in longitudinal cross-section.  
   
   
       11 . A refractory furnace brick according to  claim 1 , which is substantially rectangular in transverse cross-section.  
   
   
       12 . A transversely-extending grid of refractory furnace bricks, said bricks having a plurality of sidewalls having facing internal surfaces defining longitudinal central bores, said sidewalls having longitudinal junctions, said longitundinal junctions having an external transverse cross-section which interlocks tranversely with longitudinal junctions of neighbouring furnace bricks in the grid.  
   
   
       13 . A transversely-extending grid according to  claim 12 , wherein said longitudinal junctions are chamfered in transverse cross-section to form mating interfaces between said neighbouring furnace bricks.  
   
   
       14 . A transversely-extending grid according to cliam  12 , wherein said mating interfaces include interlocking longitudinally-extending ridge portions.  
   
   
       15 . A transversely-extending grid according to  claim 12 , wherein said longitudinal junctions have interlocking portions separated by resilient refractory pads.  
   
   
       16 . A transversely-extending grid according to  claim 12 , wherein adjacent furnace bricks have facing external surfaces, said facing external surfaces defining further longitudinal bores, said facing external surfaces matching said facing internal surfaces whereby the transverse cross-sections of said longitudinal central bores and said further longitudinal bores are substantially the same.  
   
   
       17 . A transversely-extending grid according to  claim 16 , wherein said transverse cross-sections of said longitudinal central bores have an area within ±20 percent of the area of said further longitudinal bores.  
   
   
       18 . A transversely-extending grid according to  claim 16 , wherein said longitudinal central bores and said further longitudinal bores have matching dimensions such that said longitudinal central bores have dimensions which are each within ±10 percent of said matching dimensions of said further longitudinal bores.  
   
   
       19 . A grid comprising two vertically adjacent layers of furnace bricks, said bricks having a plurality of sidewalls having facing internal surfaces defining upright central bores, said sidewalls having substantially vertical junctions, said junctions having external horizontal cross-sections which interlock tranversely with substantially vertical junctions of neighbouring furnace bricks in the same layer, said layers being relatively displaced in a horizontal direction to bifurcate a gas stream flowing through said bores of one of said adjacent layers into said bores of the other of said adjacent layers.  
   
   
       20 . A grid according to  claim 19 , wherein said substantially vertical junctions are chamfered in horizontal cross-section to form mating interfaces between neighbouring furnace bricks in the same layer.