IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACE BARS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Holroyd Smith, of Halifax, in the
County of York, Wire Manufacturer, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACE BARS.”
Sealed. the 23rd November 1875, and dated the 24th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Holroyd Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th May 1875.
I, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of Halifax, in the County of York,
Wire Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improved construction of bars for
furnaces, securing increased facility of moulding, requiring less metal,
affording increased air space with minimum openings, insuring lower
temporature of bars, and for preventing adhesion of clinkers.

page_text: Grate bars made in accordance with this Invention have the lower
portion thereof of ordinary form, the fire surface consisting of a series
of short columns (by preference of hexagonal form), the upper portion of
each column being concave or hollowed for the reception of dust or fine
ashes which prevent the adhesion of clinkers. The columns on the next
or adjacent bar will have a slightly different relative position, so that the
columns on one bar are within or opposite the space between the two
columns on the next nearest bar, the whole thus forming a "honeycomb"
or network of air space of equal or greater area than metal surface with
minimum openings through which fuel may fall. When desirable to
employ such bars in short lengths, or "block bars," the columns are
connected by diagonal ribs or feathers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michael Holroyd Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HOLROYD SMITH, of Halifax, in the County of York, Wire Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Michael Holroyd Smith, Her
special licence that I, the said Michael Holroyd Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michaol
Holroyd Smith, 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 FURNACE BARS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Holroyd Smith, my executors,
"

page_text: 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 Michael Holroyd Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
.
This Invention has for its object improved construction of bars for
furnaces, requiring less metal, affording increased air space with minimum
openings, ensuring lower temperature of bars, and for preventing ad-
hesion of clinkers.
.
'
Grate bars made in accordance with this Invention have the lower
portions thereof of ordinary form, the fire surface consisting of a series'
of short columns (by preference of hexagonal form), the upper portion®
of each column being concave or hollowed for the reception of dust or
fine ashes which prevent the adhesion of clinker.. The columns on the
next or adjacent bar will have a slightly different relative position, so
that the column on one bar are within or opposite the space between
the two columns on the next nearest bars, the whole thus forming a
honeycomb" or network of air space of equal or greater area than
metal surface with minimum openings through which fuel may fall.
When desirable to employ such bars in short lengths, or "black bars,"
the columns are connected by diagonal ribs or feathers..
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention, I now
proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the Inven-
tion may be fully understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of
Drawings, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference, the same letter denoting the same part in the several views
or Figures, in which,―
"
Fig. 1 is a side view of a bar; Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 partly

page_text: At A is shewn the lower portion of the bar, which is the ordinary or
"fish bellied " form, cast thereto and forming the upper or fire surface part
of the bar are the short columns B, B, B, of hexagon figure, the upper
portion or surface of each of the columns. B is made concave or hollow,
as at d, d, in which cavities dust or fine ashes lodge and prevent
adhesion of clinker, and in a great measure prevent the bars being burnt
and destroyed by the action of the fire thereupon.
It will be observed that the dead ends of the bars at C and D vary
slightly in length, the object of this is that one "pattern" or model
only may
be necessary for any number of bars of a given length, for if 1
a bar be placed in position with its longer dead end C nearest the "dead
plate" and another like bar be placed in position adjoining, but having
its shorter dead end D nearest the dead plate, the hexagonal columns
B, B, on one bar will be opposite the spaces between the like columns
B, B, of the adjoining bar, and hence the hexagonal fire supporting ]
surface and network of air space, as shewn at Fig. 3, will be secured.
The bars are held in such relative position by means of the keys 6 and
grooves 6¹.
In constructing "black bars" the several columns B are connected
by diagonal ribs or feathers E, E.
In order to distinguish and point out what is old and what is new I
would have it understood that I lay no claim to the part marked with
the letter A, nor to the dead ends C and D, nor to the cavities d, d, nor,
to black bars, per se, nor do I claim bars so made that when placed in
position the fire supporting metal surface forms a honeycomb leaving
hexagonal cells for air space, as I am aware such have been used, the
differentia in my improved bars from such bars being that by the use of
hexagonal columns the space around these becomes the air space or
space for the passage of air to the fuel in lieu of being the actual
support for the fuel as heretofore, and the use of the said columns gives
a strong bar with a minimum amount of metal employed and exposed
to the action of the fire, and secures a lower temperature of bars by
reason of greater circulation of air.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my
Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, I claim, the columns

page_text: applied to grate bars, in the manner and for the purpose herein fully
described and illustrated by Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Holroyd Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
M. HOLROYD SMITH. (L.S.)