Improved Apparatus for Actuating the Movable Fire Bars of Steam Boiler or other Furnaces.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Apr., 1887.
Improved Apparatus for Actuating the Movable Fire Bars of Steam
Boiler or other Furnaces.
I JAMES PROCTOR of Hammerton Street Iron Works Burnley in the County
of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In actuating a certain class of movable fire bars for steam boiler and other furnaces
it has been usual to have every alternate bar fixed and to rock or move the
intermediate bars only, by means of a rocking shaft provided with levers connected to
the movable bars by rods or links, the rocking movement being given to the shaft by
a slotted lever and crank pin or other equivalent motion.
The object of my invention is to dispense with fixed fire bars entirely in such
furnaces and to arrange the fire bars (alternately) in two sets, one set being worked
with a regular to and fro motion in the usual manner and the other or intermediate
set having an intermittent to and fro motion, which carries the fuel. forwards and
breaks up the clinkers more effectually and produces a more perfect combustion of
the fuel than the plan hitherto adopted.
The rocking shaft has cast to it one set of levers, say for example those for
actuating the alternate odd fire bars, (first, third, fifth, and so on) and these fire bars
thus receive the ordinary regular to and fro motion from a crank pin acting in the slot
of a lever cast with or fixed to, the rocking shaft.
4
The intermediate firė bars (instead of being fixed as usual) are also movable,
and are actuated by a second set of levers which are supported on forks or saddles
resting on the rocking shaft between the first named levers, and capable of an
independent motion thereon.
long
This second set of levers are all connected together by being cast with
bar above the rocking shaft and extending behind all the first set of levers, so that
when the latter are moved backwards towards the bridge they carry the said long bar
(and consequently the second set of levers and their fire bars) backwards with them,
and thus the whole of the fire bars move backwards together carrying the fuel
with them towards the bridge.

page_text: But as the rocking shaft moves in the reverse direction it only carries the first set
of fire bars forwards, towards the furnace door leaving the second set behind.
The face plate which carries the crank pin at one side of each flue is made in
the form of an excentric and is provided at one portion of its circumference with
a notch and one of the second set of levers on one side of each flue is provided with
a corresponding arm having a stud or pin which rests upon the circumference of
the excentric and holds the second set of levers and their fire bars at rest whilst
the first set move forwards to a certain extent, say three fourths of the throw.
The notch in the circumference of the excentric then catches hold of the pin of the
arm above referred to and brings the second set of levers (and their corresponding
fire bars) forward also. The notch then leaves the pin and the second set of
levers are at liberty to be carried back again by the next movement of the first
set of levers, and so on alternately.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Actuating the Movable Fire Bars of Steam
Boiler or other Furnaces.
I JAMES PROCTOR of Hammerton Street Iron Works Burnley in the County
of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
1.
In actuating a certain class of movable fire bars for steam boiler and other furnaces
it has been usual to have every alternate fire bar fixed, and to rock the intermediate
bars only, by means of a rocking shaft provided with levers connected to the movable
bars by rods or links, the rocking movement being given to the shaft by a slotted
lever and crank pin or other equivalent motion.
The object of my invention is to dispense with fixed fire bars entirely in such
furnaces, and to arrange the fire bars (alternately) in two sets, one set being worked
with a regular to-and-fro motion, in the usual manner and the other or intermediate
set having an intermittent to and fro motion, which carries the fuel forwards
and breaks up the clinkers more effectually and produces a more perfect combustion
of the fuel than the plan hitherto adopted.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be readily understood I
have annexed hereunto a sheet of illustrative drawings and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. is a vertical section and
Fig. 2. a plan view of part of the rocking shaft and levers for actuating one
set of fire bars.
Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the corresponding arrangement (hereinafter
described) for actuating the intermediate set of fire bars.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section and Fig. 6. a plan view showing the complete apparatus,
and Fig. 7. is a detached sectional view showing the working parts of the same
in different positions.
The rocking shaft a, a (Figs. 1. and 2) has cast to it one set of short vertical levers b, b,
say for example those for actuating alternate odd fire bars c, e (Figs. 5 and 6) being
the first, third, fifth and so on; and these fire bars thus receive the ordinary regular
to-and-fro motion from a crank pin d (Fig. 5) acting in the slotted bar e, e fixed
to a short leverfcast with the rocking shaft a, a, there being one of these levers f, f
at one side of each furnace.
The intermediate fire bars c¹, c¹ (instead of being fixed as hitherto) are also movable,
and are actuated by a second set of short vertical levers 6, 6' (Figs. 3 and .4)
which are supported on forks or saddles g, g resting on the rocking shaft a, a between
the first named short levers b, b, and capable of an independent motion thereon. This

page_text: .
second set of vertical levers b¹, & are all connected together by being cast in one piece
with a long bar h, h (see Fig. 4) above the rocking shaft a, a and extending behind
all the first set of levers b, b so that when the latter are moyed backwards towards the
bridge they carry the said long bar h, h (and consequently the second set of
levers, and their fire bars c', c) backwards with them, and thus the whole of the
fire bars move backwards together carrying the fuel with them towards the bridge
(see Fig. 7.).
But as soon as the rocking shaft a, a moves in the reverse direction it only carries
the first set of fire bars c, c forwards towards the furnace door (as shown by the
dotted lines in Fig. 7) leaving the second set c', c¹ behind.
The face plate, which carries the crank pin d (see Figs. 5 and 7) is made in the
form of an excentric or cam, and is provided at one portion of its circumference with a
notch and one of the second set of vertical levers ₁, has an arın !, I cast or fixed
to it at one side of each flue, which carries a stud or pin which rests. upon
the surface of the cami, and holds the second set of vertical levers 1, and
their fire bars c¹, c' at rest whilst the first set b, bmoves forwards to a certain extent,
say, three fourths of its throw.
The notch in the circumference of the cani i, i then catches hold of the pin m and
brings the second set of levers, (and their corresponding fire bars c, c) forward
also, (see Fig. 5).
The notch & then leaves the pin m and the second set of levers
are at liberty to.
be carried back again by the next movement of the first set of levers b, acting
against the long bar h, k, and so on alternately.
To prevent any tendency of the cam to become wedged against the stud or pin m I
provide the end of the arm with a finger which rests on in curved projection 711
on the side of the cam i, i.
In Figs. 5 and 6, nn is the dead-plate and o,o is the ordinary worm gearing
for actuating the apparatus."
141
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I déclare that what I claim is
The improved apparatus (substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the drawings annexed) for actuating the movable fire bars of steam boiler and other
furnaces, whereby one set of fire bars. (say the odd ones) has a regular to and
fro motion given thereto whilst the alternate fire bars (say the even ones) have an
intermittent to and fro motion given to them, substantially in the manner and for the
púrposes-herein set forth
i
CAL 1. 1007