Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for feeding a granular or powderlike material to a pressing apparatus for the dry pressing of the material. The device comprises containers for the materials and rollers arranged at openings of the containers. Each roller has a cavity which is suitable to be filled by the material and to be freed of the material following a rotation of the rollers so as to pour the material into a mold. In the method, the rotation of the rollers is produced simultaneously with a movement of the rollers in a direction which lies at right angles to its axis. The invention allows to obtain particular color effects, such as colorings, color shades, basic decorations, complex decorations, natural stone-like effects, et cetera, on the resulting ceramic products, particularly tiles.

Abstract: A kiln for baking ceramic materials includes a plurality of burners arranged along the conveyor surface so as to heat the internal volume of the kiln. The kiln includes a deflector which is arranged along the path of the flame that exits from at least one of the burners, so that the path of the flame is diverted with respect to a straight free path, achieving diffusion of the flame in the intended direction.

Abstract: A method for forming complex-shaped sanitary fittings with a mold (10) that includes four parts (11, 12, 13, 14) made of porous resin capable of mutually self-centering by means of complementarily shaped locators (15), in which the method includes the following steps:(a) closing the mold by means of a manual or robotized handling device (23) that has a relatively low force;(b) inserting the closed mold inside a container (16) that has a relatively high force, and generating pressure on six faces of the mold (10);(c) injecting a slip inside the mold (10);(d) extracting the closed mold from the container (16);(e) opening the mold (10).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydraulic circuit and to an apparatus for generating pressure which use a positive-displacement pump provided with a flywheel, one-way valve for discharging the delivery of the pump into a tank, a pilot line for a first valve, delay valve for delaying the opening of the first valve, and second valve for actuating the opening of the first valve by closing the pilot line and connecting the delay valve to the tank and for actuating the closure of the first valve, connecting the pilot line to the delay valve.

Abstract: In a hydraulic circuit a positive-displacement pump has a flywheel. An actuation motor is attached to the positive displacement pump. The pump is capable of directing liquid flow either towards the tank or towards a hydraulic cylinder. The control of flow direction is determined by a first valve which is connected on the output side of the pump in order to discharge the flow of the positive displacement pump either to the tank or to the cylinder. The opening speed of the first valve is controlled. A bistable valve feeds the pilot line of the first valve. A distribution valve, connected with the output side of the pump feeds two pressure lines.

Abstract: A buffer storage unit for substantially plate-like ceramic articles includes at least one carriage movable along a feed-in path and adapted to contain a plurality of articles, and being formed by plural frames laid in vertical planes and attached to a carrier structure, each frame including a pair of vertical uprights to which are attached plural horizontal bar elements which define a plurality of planes for supporting the articles. A roller carrier is operative to insert rollers through vertical spaces left between the frames in a vertical direction. Engagement elements flank the carriage and is operative to hold the rollers in position during a loading/unloading step. The engagement elements are provided with elastic members at least at one of the roller ends.

Abstract: A ceramic material firing furnace, wherein heat is supplied through perforated plates provided on the furnace crown and furnace channel slabs. The plates have an upper face and lower face interconnected by ribs, and are supported by silicon carbide beams.

Abstract: A furnace crown structure for furnaces used to fire ceramic materials at high temperature, which comprises silicon carbide beams.Each beam is laid crosswise to the longitudinal axis of the furnace, parallel to one another at constant pitch distances apart. The spaces between the beams one closed with satisfactory material plates.The furnace affords the possibility of forming a furnace crown from a light weight material which can provide for a rapidly achieved steady state operation and cooling down of the furnace.The furnace can reach temperatures in the 1600.degree. C. range.

Abstract: A process is described according to which tiles are taken up from the oven in which they have been fired, are accelerated to space them from one another, and then are further accelerated and brought into alignment in a direction transverse to that of travel, and are finally discharged onto a terminal conveyor. The apparatus for carrying out the process comprises, in combination with each firing oven chamber and with a terminal conveyor, a first conveyor for taking up the tiles from the oven, a second conveyor for accelerating them, a third conveyor for ejecting the tiles onto the terminal conveyor, and means for aligning the tiles with respect to the direction of travel of this latter before they leave the ejecting conveyor. The speeds on the accelerating conveyor and on the ejecting conveyor for high speed ovens, are respectively 1.8 to 2.2 times and three to five times the linear speed of the tiles in the oven.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading tiles into firing ovens comprises, in combination with each firing oven chamber, a device for feeding the tiles, means for forming on such device a file of tiles which must be loaded concurrently, and means for taking up from such device the tile file and forwarding it in the direction of the oven and transferring the tiles onto a terminal conveyor which conveys the tiles to the oven inlet. Preferably the tile take-up means are constituted by a support device which vertically displaceable between a lowermost and an uppermost position and adapted to lift up the tiles as it passes from the first to the second positions. Preferably also the tiles are forwarded in the direction of the oven by a thruster actuatable by suitable means in the desired direction and adapted to engage and to forward the tile file which has formed on the feeding device. An auxiliary static support organ is preferably provided to support the tiles in an intermediate phase of the forward progress.

Abstract: An oven for firing ceramic materials which is provided with a firing chamber and with a plurality of rotatable transverse rollers for advancing the material to be fired along the chamber. The oven is provided with a horizontal auxiliary surface disposed in the lower part of the chamber, spaced from the material being fired, and with means for displacing the auxiliary surface longitudinally along the chamber in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the material being fired. The vertical distance from the auxiliary surface to the roller axes is preferably not less than twice the axis-to-axis spacing between the rollers and not more than twice such roller spacing plus the diameter of the rollers. The speed of travel of the auxiliary surface is a submultiple of the speed of travel of the material being fired. The auxiliary surface is preferably constituted by a plurality of plates bearing on the oven floor and actuated for displacement in a preferably intermittent manner by thruster devices.