IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-GRATES, FIRE-STOVES, AND FIRE-BARS."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Barker, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-GRATES, FIRE-STOVES,
AND FIRE-BARS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Barker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th June 1876.
GEORGE BARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-GRATES, FIRE-STOVES, AND FIRE-BARS."
Firstly. I make fire-grates of wire similar to a birdcage, oval, globular, hexagon,
or other shaped, so as to admit air with the greatest possible freedom to all parts
of the fire and for showing the fire with the least impediment to the sight, and in
many cases I hang this cage grate on pivots, the cage being supplied with one,
two, or more doors for admitting the fuel, so that the cage may be easily turned
round, and thus the fresh fuel would be brought to the bottom of the grate for
the purpose of having the hot fuel in sight, and for the better consumption of the
smoke.
Secondly. I make fire-stoves of wire similar to a birdcage, or the upper part
may be formed of sheet or cast iron, as at present the lower portion only being
made of wire like a cage. The stove may be suspended from the top or hung upon
pivots and separate from the smoke pipe, in order that it may be turned top to
bottom when new fuel is put on.
Thirdly. I construct fire-bars (sometimes called grate-bars) by stretching wiro
in a frame, or by laying wire frames on bearers, or the wire may be interwoven
amongst thin laths of iron. I also use, instead of fire-bars, thin laths, such as hoop
iron, kept upright by passing a rod or rods of iron through as near the centre of
the depth of the laths as possible, the laths being kept apart by distance picces,
these laths I sometimes make of special section for greater strength and lightness,
that is, rather thicker top and bottom of their depth than at the centre or web
part. These laths being the same thickness top as bottom, they can be reversed
[Price Gd.]

page_text: or the whole grate turned bottom side up, or the laths can be framed together for
greater strength. In some cases the laths are dropped into a cast-iron bearer or
bearing frame, the rib or sides being thicker at the bottom than at the top, so as to
support the weight with less metal, or wire may be put in these frames, or the
fire bearing surface may be formed of thin perforated sheet iron on the aforesaid
bearing frames. The laths and the wire are sometimes placed in a sand or iron
mould, and the end pieces, frame, or distance pieces are cast on to them so as to
join them together in a cheap manner. The thin laths may be used in long pieces
and bent round into an ☐ shape, or to form more than one ✓, or coiled into any
convenient shape to keep them in an upright position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th December
1876.
GEORGE BARKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-GRATES, FIRE-STOVES, AND FIRE-BARS."
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in Fire-grates, Fire-stoves,
and Fire-bars."
I make fire-grates of wire so as to admit air to the fire with the greatest possible
freedom, and for showing the fire with the least impediment to the sight, such as
shown by Figures 1 and 2 which are an end and side elevation of an oval grate
hung on pivots.
"
.
Figures 3 and 4 are an end and side elevation of a round grate supported by
stands having suitable bearing-holes for the pivots.
Figures 5 and 6 are an end and side elevation of an octagon grate with pivots
for suspending or supporting the grate; suitable doors, one, two, or more for each
grate, are provided, as shown at letters a, a, a, a, through which the fuel is entered,
after which the grate may be turned round so as to bring the fresh fuel to the
bottom, and thus keeping the hot parts of the fuel where it can be best seen, and
also for the purpose of consuming the smoke as it ascends.
Figure 7 is an open grate with a wire front. Figure 8 is a front elevation and
Figure 9 a sectional elevation of an open grate with wire front and back so that
the air can be admitted all round the fire between the wire for the better con-
sumption of the smoke, and to increase the temperature of the fire.
Figure 10 is a section and side elevation showing a pivoted grate applied, and
also the bonnet pipe b for conveying the smoke to the chimney, and which is made
to slide up and down when desired. Sometimes the chimney recesses would be
lined with bright reflectors so as to give a more cheerful appearance to the fire
as well as for utilizing the back for warming the air which can circulate freely
round for that purpose. These wire grates may be made of any desired shape or
design.
Secondly. I make fire-stoves of wire or partly of wire, such as shown by Figure
11, representing a stove made of plate, about the upper part, and of wire at the
lower portions; this stove is shown standing upon three legs in an ash pan, but
stoves of wire or partly so may be suspended on pivots similar to the grates and
with a smoke pipe separated from the body, as illustrated in the case of grates by
Figure 10.
Thirdly. I construct fire-bars (sometimes called grate-bars), by stretching wire
in frames, such as shown by Figures 12 and 13, which are both plans; the frame,
Figure 12, shows the wire passing lengthwise, and is stiffened by the cross wires
c, c, c, while the wires in frame Figure 13 pass through the ends of the frames and
also through cross bars d, d, d, which are a part of the frame, or fastened into the

page_text: frame. The frame for carrying the wire would in some cases be flat, as shown by
Figure 14 plan, and Figure 15 a cross section, so as to be suitable for laying on
bearers, or the wire may be interwoven amongst thin laths of iron, as shown by
Figures 16 and 17. I also make fire-bars of thin laths, such as hoop iron kept up-
right by passing a rod or rods of iron or other metal through them, and kept apart
by distance pieces, as shown by Figure 18 cross section, and Figure 19 side eleva-
tion, and Figure 20 plan, this grate is a reversible one, the rods passing through
the laths at the centre of their depth, and the laths and spaces are quite parallel so
that the top and botton are precisely alike.
I also make special sections of iron for these bars, such as shown by Figures 21,
22, 23, for reversible grates where the top and bottom must be the same width, and
as shown by Figures 24 and 25 where the grate does not require reversing. All
of these special sections would be both very light and very strong, and the centre
web part would be so thin as not to conduct the heat to the bottom thick part. T
sections, such as shown by Figure 26, would be very suitable to either string to-
gether or to drop separately into recesses formed in the bearers to receive them, or
to be placed alternately with other sections, such as Figures 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25,
and in many cases it would be found desirable to mix the sections, such as a deep
section with thick bottom flange, and next to it a taper section, or one like
Figure 26.
In some cases where great strength is required the laths are dropped or fastened
into cast-iron frames, as illustrated by the plan Figure 27, the cross section Figure
28, and the longitudinal section Figure 29, the ribs or sides being thicker at the
bottom than at the top so as to support the weight with less metal, or wires may
be put into these frames, or any of these sections of laths, or into frames, such as
shown by Figures 30 and 31, or an ordinary wire net, as Figure 32, may be laid
upon such bearing frames, or the fire-bearing surface may be formed of thin per-
forated sheet iron, such as shown by Figure 33 on the aforesaid bearing frames.
The laths and the wire are sometimes placed in a sand mould or chill and the
end pieces, frame, or distance pieces are cast on to them so as to join them together
in a very cheap manner, Figure 34 is a side elevation, and Figure 35 is a plan of
some of the laths so joined together. The laths may be bent into such shapes, as
shown by Figures 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42, to keep them upright and to the
proper distance, and they would be especially strong and very light when bent
round from strips into U sections, such as shown by the Figures 43 and 44. In
all cases where the laths or the wire comes or rests upon bearing frames the
sections of the frames are made thicker at the bottom than the top, which still
allows a perfectly free access for the air, as will be clearly seen on reference to
Figure 45 plan, Figure 46 side elevation, and Figure 47 cross section of such
bearing frame, with the ends of lath bars shown resting thereon, this section of
bearing frame may be varied, as shown by Figure 48, which still leaves ample access
for the air, and the maximum air surface contact with the fuel.
In adapting these bars to badly constructed boilers or furnaces I should turn
the bars up at their end, as shown by Figure 49 and 50, for the purpose of ad-
mitting more air to consume the smoke.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same in practice, I would have it understood that
what I claim as my Invention of "Improvements in Fire-grates, Fire-stoves, and
Fire-bars," is
First. Making fire-grates of wire, and also in the shape of cages to turn round
for consuming smoke.
Second. Making fire-stoves of wire, and also to turn round for consuming
smoke.
Third. Making the bearing surface of fire-grates from wire, and also from laths
of hoop iron, and from laths of both wrought and cast iron with increased section
at the bottom and top, and fastening groups of wrought laths together by casting,

page_text: with bearing frames, substantially as described. I do not claim grouping cast-iron
bars together.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Barker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witnessed by
THOMAS HIPWOOD,
Clerk to George Barker,
Patent Agent,
27, Colmore Row,
Birmingham.
GEORGE BARKER. (LS.)