Kiln lid mounting assembly

An assembly adapted for mounting a lid of a kiln on a body of the kiln, said body having a normally vertically extending and a normally horizontal upper surface and comprising a ceramic lining defining said upper surface and a chamber recessed from and opening through said upper surface, said chamber being adapted to receive ceramic objects, and said lid being adapted to rest on said upper surface and to extend across the opening to said recess in a closed position of said lid, said lid comprising a layer of ceramic material having a peripheral surface and major upper and lower surfaces defining the upper and lower surfaces of the lid, and comprising a binding member tensioned around said peripheral surface retaining the ceramic material in the layer and defining a periphery of the lid;

• the kiln including means for heating the chamber with the lower surface of the lid supported on the upper surface of the body to cure ceramic objects within the chamber, with such heating causing expansion of the ceramic lining including in the vertical direction;
• said assembly comprising an anchor member having opposite upper and lower ends and opposite sides extending between said ends, said anchor member being adapted to be mounted on the side surface of the body of the kiln with said upper end adjacent the upper surface of the body and said sides spaced along and extending generally vertically along the outer side surface of the body;
• a pivot pin having an axis and being mounted on the anchor member adjacent said upper end with said axis generally horizontal;
• spaced hinge portions adapted to be attached to the periphery of said lid and having surfaces defining openings through said spaced hinge portions receiving and being pivotable about said pivot pin, said surfaces defining openings through said spaced hinge portions comprising, with said lid supported on said upper surface of the body, opposed generally vertically extending surfaces having sufficient length to afford vertical movement of said hinge portions and lid relative to said pivot pin to accommodate expansion of the ceramic lining during heating of the kiln by the heating means;
• a force transfer structure including
• a pivot portion having a lower end part pivotably mounted on said pivot pin, said pivot portion being adapted to project from said pivot pin along the periphery of the lid and having an upper part adapted to be spaced above the upper surface of the lid, and
• a transverse portion attached to the upper part of said pivot portion, said transverse portion having a lid bridging part projecting from said upper part, adapted to be spaced above the upper surface of the lid, and having a distal end adapted to be positioned along the periphery of the lid at a location opposite said pivot portion, said transverse portion also having a force receiving part projecting from the side of said upper part opposite said lid bridging part and having a distal end spaced from said pivot portion;
• mounting means adapted for mounting the distal end of said lid bridging part on the periphery of said lid at said location opposite said rear portion, which mounting means affords pivoting of said force transfer structure relative to said lid around an axis parallel to the axis of said pivot pin;
• and
• biasing means adapted for applying a force at said distal end of said force receiving part to assist manual lifting of said lid at said distal end portion of said lid bridging part or to lift said lid, such lifting pivoting said force transfer structure and said lid about said pivot pin to move said lid from said closed position to an open position spaced from said upper surface of the body.