TYRES & SUPPORT ROLLERS

Tyres, sometimes called riding rings, usually consist of a single annular steel casting, machined to a smooth cylindrical surface, which attach loosely to the kiln shell through wedge arrangements. These require some ingenuity of design, since the tyre must fit the shell snugly, but also allow thermal movement. The tyre rides on pairs of steel support rollers, also machined to a smooth cylindrical surface and set about half a kiln-diameter apart. The rollers must support the kiln and allow rotation that is as nearly frictionless as possible. Depend on size and capacity an additional tyre can be provided with a set of support rollers. Kilns usually rotate at 0.5 to 2 rpm. The bearings of the support rollers must be capable of withstanding the large static and live loads involved, and must be carefully protected from the heat of the kiln and the ingress of dust. In addition to support rollers, there are usually upper and lower "retaining (or thrust) rollers" bearing against the side of tyres, that prevent the kiln from slipping off the support rollers.