Im- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Sheard, of Elmwood House, Batley, in the
County of York, Manufacturer and Merchant, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Sheard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
March 1867.
I, BENJAMIN SHEARD, of Elmwood House, Batley, in the County of York,
Manufacturer and Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," to be as
follows:-
The object of the Invention is the prevention of smoke or a considerable
diminution of the quantity of it produced, also saving of fuel and other
advantages. For this purpose the grate bars are formed in two or more
lengths supported on cross bars or shafts, with capability of receiving un-
dulating motion worked by hand or by power, such undulating motion being
obtained by working the bars alternately in opposite directions. There are
also perforated fixings on each side of the grate bars, and the fuel is supplied
from a hopper. By these means the fuel is admitted at one end of the furnace,

page_text: whilst the ashes are sent out at the other end, and the fire is kept broken up,
thereby avoiding the formation of clinkers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Sheard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
SHEARD, of Elmwood House, Batley, in the County of York, Manufacturer
and Merchant, send greeting.
Her Letters
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin Sheard, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Sheard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benja-
min Sheard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER
AND OTHER FURNACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Sheard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Sheard, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The object of the Invention is the prevention of smoke or a considerable
diminution of the quantity of it produced, also to effect a saving of fuel and
other advantages. For this purpose the grate bars are formed in two or
more lengths supported on cross bars or shafts, with capability of receiving
undulating motion worked by hand or by power, such undulating motion being
obtained by working the bars simultaneously. There are also perforated

page_text: furnace arranged according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a horizontal section
or plan view, and Figure 8 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a
front elevation of a separate arrangement of detaching motion, and Figure 5
is a side elevation of the same. The same letters refer to similar parts in each
of the Figures..
A is the flue of a boiler in which the fire-grate or furnace is applied; Bare
the front fire-bars resting at one end on the round bar G; B₁ are the back
fire-bars, one end of each of which is connected to a front bar B by a pin B³,
which in addition to the rivet pin B3 couples two or more bars together,
allowing space for their free working as well as their expansion when heated;
B and B are projections cast on each bar to separate them to the proper
distance; C, C, are side frames on which rest the ends of the bars G, G',
and G. These side frames at their upper parts are formed into flanges C¹,
having a number of holes or spaces c¹ in them for the free passage of air to
the fire, and also to allow the ashes to fall through. G is a moveable roller
resting on the ends of two lever arms D and D', and supporting the central
portion of the fire-bars; these lever arms D and D' are affixed to the shaft G',
the arm D also extends backwards forming the arm D2; I is a coal hopper, the
door or front J of which works freely upon the stay bolt J'; J and J³ nre
handles connected with catches to hold the door in the position shown in the
Drawing, and which may be detached by turning the handles when the door
may be lifted over against the boiler and when steam is required to be got up
or the fire worked by hand. K is a rod, the stem of which passes into the
hollow, rod or tube K³, whilst the upper end of it works freely on the crank
pin K¹ from, the crank E; K' is a shoulder on the rod K, acting against the
upper part of the hollow rod K8; K is a regulating screw connecting the
hollow rod K. and the lever D together by a stud K. The crank E is
applied to or formed on the shaft E, and it has motion given to it by wheel.

page_text: work or otherwise. As the crank E revolves it gives an up and down as well
as an oscillating motion to the rod K, and at each revolution the shoulder K*
comes in contact with the top of the hollow rod, giving a slight movement to
the fire-bars by means of the lever D, thereby preventing the adhesion of
clinkers. By altering the regulating screw K* the quantity of fuel supplied
may be varied. L, Figures 1 and 5, is a lever connected to and working
freely upon the stud L', on one side of which is a small roller or pulley L³
working upon the outside of the plate L³, on one side of which a hollow piece
is cut out L'; M is a catch or sneck plate with teeth all round it; this plate
is fixed to and is connected with the plate L' working upon the pin K³. M¹ is
a catch or sneck fixed to the screw K*, which by the oscillating motion of the
rod K gives motion to the sneck plate, which motion is regulated by raising
or lowering the stud of the catch or sneck in the slot in the screw end.;
N, Figure 5, shows a catch kept in position by the spring N¹ against the
projecting part of the lever N; N³ is a stop to hold the lever D fast in
position. At every revolution of the crank E the lever D³ is pressed down to
the lowest point (Figure 1) by the shoulder K' coming in contact with the
upper end of the hollow rod K³, when the same is removed by the upward
stroke of the crank the lever D rises up to the position shewn in Figure 5,
and the catch N or pulley N (Figure 1) coming in contact with the stop N³;
retains the lever D in position until another revolution, and this is repeated
until by the oscillating motion of the rod K³ working backwards and forwards
the sneck M¹ turns round the sneck plate M until the pulley on the lever L
drops into the recess in the plate L striking off the catch N from the stop N³
(Figure 5), or the stop N³ from the pulley N (Figure 1), and causing the
lever D³ to rise up and the fire-bars to fall to the position shown by the dotted
lines, which allows a certain quantity of coals to descend from the coal hopper
down the incline of the bars B, and at the same time opens a space between
the fire-bar ends and the plate F, through which the clinkers fall into the ash-
pit, and any clinker too large to pass through the opening on the return of the
bars to their former position becomes broken up between the bar ends and the
plate F. The fresh coals which are regularly pressing forwards at each move-
ment of the bars pushes forwards the red cinders, by which means the formation
of smoke is prevented and a saving of fuel effected.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts shown and described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the
Invention; but what I do claim is the adaptation or combination of means by

page_text: which furnace bars formed in separate lengths are supported on cross bars
with capability of their receiving simultaneous undulatory motion by hand or
power, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Sheard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
BENJAMIN SHEARD. (L.S.)