IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLICABLE TO FIRE-PLACES, STOVES, RANGES, FURNACES, AND OTHERWISE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Barber, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Warehouseman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBUSTION OF
FUEL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLICABLE TO FIRE-PLACES, STOVES, RANGES,
FURNACES, AND OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 12th December 1876, and dated the 13th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Barber at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1876.
RICHARD BARBER, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Warehouseman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLI-
CABLE TO FIRE-PLACES, STOVES, RANGES, FURNACES, AND OTHERWISE."
This Invention relates to improvements in the combustion of fuel applicable to
fire-places, stoves, ranges, furnaces, and otherwise.
According to my Inveution the fuel is fed to the fire from underneath, and so
burns downwards, thus preventing almost entirely the formation of smoke, and
greatly economising the consumption of fuel.
I employ a sort of cylindrical cage closed at both ends, and turning on or with a
concentric horizontal hollow axle, the axle being large in proportion to the size of
the cage; thus supposing, for example, the diameter of the cage be fifteen inches, the
axle would be, say, about six inches, giving thus an annular space of about four and
a half inches between it and the cage.
The bars of the cage, which form also the fire-bars, may run either transversely,
i. e, parallel to the axis of the cage, or in the direction of its circumference. In
either case they are attached in series to form doors, which may be thrown open to
supply fuel to the fire.
The fuel is fed in at the back of the central hollow spindle, and is brought
forward to the front from underneath by turning the cage on its axis, a ratchet
wheel and pawl being provided to retain it in the position required.
The fire is lighted in the front of the cage, there being no fuel on the top of the
central hollow axle, and as the fire burns down the cage is turned over until the top
of the ignited fuel is raised to the height required, the space at the back of and
beneath the central hollow axle being kept filled with fuel.

page_text: To supply the fuel the door most conveniently placed at the top is opened for that
purpose, and may be left open at pleasure.
The space underneath the cage and between it and the hearth may be closed by a
damper to keep the draft from passing up at the back, and so causing the fire to
spread underneath.
The fire may be extinguished by placing a plate over the front of same, and so
preventing any air passing through.
The bars may be made to close as they pass round the back, and to open as they
come round to the front, for the purpose of preventing any of the small coal from
dropping out in its passage underneath.
The central hollow spindle may be utilised for heating either water or air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Richard Barber in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th December
1876.
RICHARD BARBER, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Warehouseman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLI-
CABLE TO FIRE-PLACES, STOVES, RANGES, FURNACES, AND OTHERWISE.”
This Invention relates to improvements in the combustion of fuel and apparatus
therefor, applicable to fire-places, stoves, ranges, furnaces, and otherwise.
According to my Invention the fire is fed from underneath, and so burns down-
wards; thus great economy of fuel is effected, and the formation of smoke almost
entirely prevented.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe it with the aid of the accompanying Drawings,
reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon, and in which Fig. 1
is a front view of a sitting room fire-place or grate constructed according to my
Invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken at the line a, b, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a
vertical sectional view at the line c, d, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, views of detail; and Fig. 5,
back view of grate and stand detached.
The same letter of reference denotes the same part in the several Figures.
A is a cylindrical cage or fire-grate with closed ends, between which and con-
centric with cage A is a tube or cylinder B forning a hollow axle, with or upon
which the cage turns in suitable bearings. In the Drawings the tube is shewn as
fixed between the sides of the cage, so that both turn together. The annular space
between cage A and tube B should be from three or four inches upwards, according
to the depth of fire required. I find, say, four and a half inches a convenient depth
for a domestic fire-place; thus if the internal diameter of cage A be fifteen inches
the concentric tube B would be six inches in diameter, leaving an annular space of
four and a half inches.
The bars of the cage (which form the fire-bars) may run parallel with the axis of
the cage, or be at right angles thereto, i. e., in the direction of the circumference of
the cage, as shewn in the Drawings. In either case they are attached in series to
form doors, which may be opened either to feed fuel to the fire, or for any other
purpose desired.
The bars are shewn in the Drawings as joined in series to form
doors by transverse bars C. When the bars are placed parallel with the axis of the
cage they are joined by bars transverse thereto, or in the direction of the circum-
ference of the cage. These doors are centred between the sides of the cage, and may
open either backwards against the back of the fire-place, as shewn by dotted lines
at 61, Fig. 3, or may open forwards into the room, as shewn at b², Fig. 3. When
closed they are bolted in position by bolts D, which may be of any convenient form,
details of the description preferred being shewn at Fig. 4. These doors may, if
desired, be flat, forming the cage into a rectilineal figure.

page_text: The fuel is fed in at the back of the cylinder B, and is brought forwards to the
front from underneatli by turning the cage on its axis in the direction indicated by
the arrow in Fig. 3.
When the fuel in the front of the grate has been raised to the proper height it is
lighted on the top, and as it burns down the desired height is maintained by
turning the cage further round, and so bringing more fuel to the front from under-
neath. A ratchet and pawl E are provided to prevent the cage turning back except
when desired.
G is a plate of metal fitting close to the bars, commencing from a point in the
front of the grate corresponding with the height of the desired lowest point of the
burning fuel, and passing thence under and up the back of the cage nearly to the top
thereof. This is to prevent any draft from passing through the fuel underneath,
and so causing the combustion to spread in that direction.
On the front of the hearth is shewn a receptacle H to catch any dust or ashes
that may fall from the grate.
I is a plate hinged to the cylinder B, so that it cannot open beyond a radial line
of the cage, but loosely, so that its weight will always cause it to have a tendency
to assume the vertical direction. On filling the grate it is turned backwards, so
that this plate will be near the top and above the fuel at the back of the cylinder B.
As the cage is revolved the plate I gradually opens at the back of the fuel, and
brings the last of it up to the front for combustion. This plate may be used or not,
as desired.
For extinguishing the fire a moveable plate may be employed to be placed over
the front of the fire, thus preventing the admission of air to support combustion; or
the cage may be turned round until the ignited portion of the fuel is brought on to
the top of the cylinder B, when, if broken up, combustion speedily dies out; or the
fire may be allowed to burn down to the level of the top of plate G, when it will go
out of its own accord.
For quickening the combustion when desired a moveable plate is placed over the
upper part of the cage, and closing also the entrance to the flue, which opens to the
room, thus compelling the whole upward draught to pass through the ignited fuel.
The cylinder B may be utilised for heating air or water. A convenient method
of accomplishing this is by introducing a coil J, as shewn in the Drawings, through
which the air or water to be warmed or heated is caused to circulate. The ends of
this coil may, if desired, form journals for the cage to turn upon, but I prefer that
the coil should be supported independently of the cage, as shewn in the Drawings,
the ends of the coil passing through the cylindrical journals of the cage without
touching them. The coil remains stationary, the cage revolving round it. The
joints of the coil with the service pipes are made outside the cage, and therefore pro-
vision must be made for getting at same after the cage is in position. This may be
accomplised in various ways. I prefer however the simple method of covering the
cage journals, their supports, and the ends of the coils and the joints of same, with
the service pipes, by moveable cheeks K, attached by screws or otherwise to the
front of the fire-place. They are fixed after the cage is in position and the joints of
the coil made, and completely conceal same from view. The top of the cheeks K
may be flat or curved. When flat, as shewn in the Drawings, they form convenient
hobs.
The journals of the cage may be supported in brackets of any desired form, and
these may be part of or attached to the front of the fire-place, or may form stands
and be quite independent of same, as shewn in the Drawings, and marked L. The
two sides are united by tie rods so as to form a complete stand, in which the cage is
supported. The cage may thus be placed in any suitable recess provided for it.
I have thus described my Invention as applied to ordinary sitting room fire-
places. With slight modifications in the detail, which will present themselves as a
natter of course according to the particular circumstances of each case, my Invention
may be applied to cooking ranges taking the place of the ordinary fire, and the flues
remaining the same. The coil in such cases may be put in communication with the

page_text: boiler; or if air be heated therein, the same may be led round the flues with the
ordinary heated products of combustion.
I have not been able to apply my Invention to furnaces to my satisfaction, and
consequently do not make any special claim therefor.
I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, the construction and use for the combustion of fuel of a cylindrical cage
having an internal concentric cylinder or tube, so that the fuel may be fed in at the
back of such internal cylinder or tube, and by turning the cage on its journals the
fuel may be supplied to the fire from underneath, as herein-before set forth and
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Barber, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
E. W. SEARLE,
Draughtsman to J. W. Gray, C.E.,
16, Southampton Bdgs.,
W.C.
RICHARD BARBER. (L.S.)