Apparatus for making hearth of kiln under vibration

A method of compacting a layer of dry particulate refractory material over a lining of refractory bricks on a circular hearth of a kiln having an upstanding peripheral wall, comprising the steps of:

• providing vibrating-compacting apparatus comprising a sector-shaped pressurizing plate said plate having a surface area of 0.5 to 5 m.sup.2 and having an arcuate end, and means for vibrating said plate;
• providing a layer of dry, compactable particulate refractory material over said lining of refractory bricks on said circular hearth;
• positioning said vibrating-compacting apparatus on said layer, the arcuate end of said sector-shaped pressurizing plate having a radius of curvature substantially the same as that of the peripheral wall of said kiln such that the arcuate end of the sector-shaped pressurizing plate can be positioned in adjacency along its length with said peripheral wall, said pressurizing plate being sized to cover only a minor portion of said circular hearth;
• actuating said vibrating means to compact the dry particulate refractory material under said pressurizing plate;
• and
• moving said vibrating-compacting apparatus to a new position on said hearth to compact the dry particulate refractory material thereunder to provide a compacted layer of said dry particulate refractory material on said kiln hearth.