Improvements in or connected with Furnace Grates and Bars.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th May. 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1593
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Furnace Grates and Bars.
I, WALTER SHEARMAN, of 78, St. John's Road, Waterloo, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to furnace grates and bars employed in steam
generators, and other apparatus in which solid fuel is burnt upon bars, but it
has special reference to those grates in which the bars are moveable for the
purpose, chiefly, of breaking up clinker and keeping the air spaces between the bars
free from obstruction, for the passage of air.
According to this invention the bars, which may be of the ordinary fish-belly
form, are mounted longitudinally in the furnace, and so formed and mounted
at their ends that they are capable of being oscillated or rocked upon such
ends. They may be either rocked or oscillated together, or separately, or in sets.
When the bars are rocked together or in sets in a furnace, it may be done
by providing a bar running transversely to the fire bars and connecting the outer
bars together, the intermediate bars being operated through surface contact one
with the other-by projections formed or provided thereon. In this way the whole
of the set will be oscillated or rocked upon their ends by working either of the said
outer bars, or other bars.
In some cases the actuating bars of the grate may be special ones, and provided
with means for connecting to them the said transverse rod or bar. Or, in other
cases the fire bars may be rocked or worked from suitable bars, rods, or other
means, from below the grate, in which case the fire-bars would all be of the same
type or kind.
The bars may be worked by hand from the front of the furnace; or by steam or
other motor; and the operation may be continuous or intermittent.
The fire-bars at their ends are constructed and adapted so as to be capable of
rocking or oscillating upon their point of support, namely their under side, and at
the same time are so formed as to provide distance pieces between each other and
keep each other in proper place in the grate, for which purposes they are made
wider at their ends than at their other part. A suitable form of end by which
these effects are produced is a circular one; or they may be made with curved
parts; or upon the knife-edge principle if desired.
In cases in which the bars are adapted to be mounted or moved in sets as above
referred to, they would be provided, in addition to the formation of end just
specified, with a projecting part or parts on the web at one or more points, whereby
when placed in a set, the motion of one bar is transmitted to the others. And in
cases where the connecting transverse rod or bar is not disposed below the fire-bars,
a recess or gap would be formed in the web, in which said rod would lie and work.
Beyond special advantages attending the application of my invention, all the
advantages attending the use and application of ordinary fire-bars, are afforded.
It is to be stated that my invention is not confined to the particular forms,
combinations, or dispositions of parts above specified or referred to, as these, or any
of them, may be modified to suit requirements, or equivalents used, without
departing from the invention.
Dated this 24th day of August 1802
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Furnace Grates and Bars.
I, WALTER SHEARMAN, of 78, St. John's Road, Waterloo, 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 :-
This invention has reference to furnace grates and bars employed in steam
generators, and other apparatus in which solid fuel is burnt upon bars, but it has
special reference to those grates in which the bars are movable for the purpose,
chiefly, of breaking up clinker and keeping the air space between the bars free from
obstruction, for the passage of air.
According to this invention the bars, which may be of the ordinary fish-belly
form, are mounted longitudinally in the furnace, and so formed and mounted at
their ends that they are capable of being oscillated or rocked upon such ends.
They may be either rocked or oscillated together, or separately, or in sets.
When the bars are rocked together or in sets in a furnace, it may be done by
providing a bar running tranversely to the fire bars and connecting the outer bars
together, the intermediate bars being operated through surface contact-one with
the other by projections formed or provided thereon. In this way the whole of
the set will be oscillated or rocked upon their ends by working either of the said
outer bars, or other bars.
In some cases the actuating bars of the grate may be special ones, and provided
with means for connecting to them the said transverse rod or bar. Or, in other
cases the fire bars may be rocked or worked from suitable bars, rods, or other means,
from below the grate, in which case the firebars would all be of the same type
or kind.
The bars may be worked by hand from the front of the furnace; or by steam or
other motor; and the operation may be continuous or intermittent.
The fire-bars at their ends are constructed and adapted so as to be capable
of rocking or oscillating upon the point of support, namely, their under side, and at
the same time are so formed as to provide distance pieces between each other and
keep each other in proper place, in the grate, for which purposes they are made
wider at their ends than at their other part. A suitable form of end by which
these effects are produced is a circular one; or they may be made with curved
parts or upon the knife-edge principle if desired.
In some cases in which the bars are adapted to be mounted or moved in sets as
above referred to, they would be provided, in addition to the formation of end just
specified, with a projecting part or parts on the web at one or more points, whereby
when placed in a set, the motion of one bar is transmitted to the others. And in
cases where the connecting transverse rod or bar is not disposed below the fire-bars,
a recess or gap would be formed in the web, in which said rod would lie and work..
Beyond special advantages attending the application of my invention, all the
advantages attending the use and application of ordinary fire-bars, are afforded.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, I shew in Figure 1
a longitudinal section of a furnace grate of cylindrical form provided with my
improvements.
}
Figure 2 is a half outside end view, and half cross section of the furnace grate.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross section of several bars shewing their opposite extreme
positions when worked; whilst Figures 5 and 6 are respectively plan and cross
section of the transverse bar or device by which they are actuated.

page_text: In the different ngures, the same letters and figures of reference are used'
to denote the same parts wherever they occur.
Referring now to the drawings, a are the bars; b is the transverse actuating bar
or device; c are the longitudinal rods or bars by which the transverse bar b
is worked to and fro.
The bars a shewn, run longitudinally as ordinary bars, and are of similar form in
the body as such bars, but their ends a' are made of cylindrical form, so as to act
as trunnions and be capable of easily turning or rocking about axially. These
ends rest upon a dead plate h at the front, and a bridge plate i at the back end.
The parts on which the ends rest may in some cases be of corrugated or scolloped.
form to act as bearings for the trunnion ends a¹.
The longitudinal bars c rest in a bracket cl at the front end, and a bearing c³ at.
the back end; and they are provided with a projecting tooth or ward e which,
works in connection with the cross bar which actuates the fire-bars. c is a
saddle with a curved upper face, which passes over the ward 3 and upon which.
curved upper surface the transverse actuating bar brests and works.
In operation, when it is required to rock the bars for the purpose of cleaning the-
fire, one of the longitudinal rods c is worked, that is oscillated about its axis by a.
handle e, which fits on the end of same. By the actuation of this handle to and
fro, the ward ca of the rod c is rocked to and fro, and in this action moves
the transverse barb from side to side, which being provided with teeth or projections.
which lie between the webs of the bars a, act upon same, and move them
simultaneously to and fro, first into the one position and then in the reverse position.
as illustrated by Figures 3 and 4. By this means the clinker may be largely
broken up, or prevented from forming, and ash is removed by the agitation
resulting from this rocking.
One of the chief ends or advantages afforded by this invention is that a simple
means is provided of rocking the bars as well as affording full facilities for raking-
the bars by ordinary tools as is afforded by the ordinary arrangement of fire-bars;
an advantage which will be appreciated by those employed in the practical
employment of stoking furnaces. Also the bars can be placed in position ard
renewals easily fitted.
At each side of the furnace I may provide a fixed special bar or ledge e, so as to.
give room for the webs of the outside bars to rock and support the fuel there.
The application of my invention in the drawings is shewn in connection with a
flue furnace of a marine steam generator, or other furnace of an analogous nature,
such as the Cornish and Lancashire type, and the like; it may however be.
applicable to other furnaces of different natures and constructions to these.
It is to be stated that my invention is not confined to the particular forms,.
constructions, or dispositions of parts above specified or referred to, as these, or any
of them, may be modified to suit requirements, or equivalents used, without.
departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A furnace grate arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein set
forth, that is to say, a grate with grate bars running longitudinally and supported.
at each end on end pieces capable of being rocked about their longitudinal axes,.
and a transverse bar or device capable of being moved from the front of the
furnace to and fro transversely, and of rocking said bars to and fro side-wise.
2. A furnace grate comprising the longitudinally arranged bars a, the transverse-
bar b below same for rocking said bars, and the longitudinal bars c for actuating
the transverse bar b; all arranged, constructed, and operated as set forth with.
reference to the drawings.
3. The grate bar for furnaces herein described, that is, a grate bar with trunnions.
at each end adapted to render the bar capable of being rocked axially thereon, and

page_text: also of serving as a distance piece, to keep bars of such construction the proper
distance apart when fitted together in a grate, as herein set forth.
Dated this 17th day of May 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.