Furnace wall construction

Claim 1

In an industrial furnace, the combination of a furnace casing, a furnace lining consisting of a refractory construction having one surface adjacent to said casing and an opposed surface forming a wall of a furnace chamber, said opposed surface having a recess of a shape to receive a burner block therein, a burner block in said recess, and a temperature resistant shield in the form of a moulded cup-shaped body of fibrous ceramic material and a binder, the material of said body being uneffected by temperatures up to 2300° F., and said body being formed with an open end adapted to receive said burner block and to be received in the recess of said opposed surface, said shield being non-porous or impermeable at furnace pressures, across its thick ness and said shield extending continuously between said burner block and the surface of said recess and surrounding that part of said burner block received in said recess, whereby said shield being of a fibrous ceramic material effectively prevents the flow of gases in either direction between said block and said casing if the block should crack, and an opening being provided through said casing, said lining, said burner block and said shield for reception of a burner extending therethrough for combustion of fuel within said burner block.