IMPROVE- MENTS IN FURNACES AND FIRE BARS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Wright, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County
of Stafford, Engineer and Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACES AND FIRE BARS."
aled the 1st April 1856, and dated the 4th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Wright at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th January 1856.
I, JOSEPH WRIGHT, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer and Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND FIRE BARS" to be as follows (that is to
say)-
The Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement for working the moveable
or reciprocating fire bars of furnaces in such manner that a rising and falling
motion is imparted to them as well as the sliding horizontal motion. It is an
ascertained fact, that in furnaces constructed with the present system of sliding
bars a bed of slag is allowed to form above the bars, and although the action
of the bars may not be thereby impeded, their efficiency is destroyed, for they
will work horizontally under the bed of slag without interfering with it. To
remedy this, I impart to my fire bars a reciprocal rising and falling motion,
one end of each bar being raised out of the horizontal plane, and their oppo-
site ends falling out of the same plane, the bars assume the form of a shallow
trough, their action breaking up the bed of slag or cinder that would otherwise

page_text: be formed. This vertical motion of the bars may or may not be accompanied
with the usual horizontal motion.
Secondly, the Invention consists in constructing the description of furnaces
called slip kilns, fret kilns, and ovens (used by potters), to feed in the same
manner as ordinary boiler furnaces, whether with or without reciprocating bars, 5
by which I economise fuel to a considerable extent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WRIGHT, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Engineer and
Ironfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Wright, Her special licence, that I, the said Joseph
Wright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said Joseph Wright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to timo 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
FURNACES AND FIRE BARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Joseph Wright, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly describo and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause tho
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 Joseph Wright, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to tho
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention comprises, firstly, improvements in the construction of the

page_text: grate, and mode of displacing or agitating the bars of the description of fur-
naco employed under steam boilers, browers' coppers, potters' kilns or ovens,
gas retorts, glass pots, or any other kind of furnace, similarly admitting of the
adaptation of mechanical appliances requisite to carry out these improvements,,
a modification of which may be applied to domestic purposes; for instance,
kitchen ranges.
And, secondly, my Invention includes improvements in charging or firing
slip kilns, fret kilns, ovens, and other kinds of kilns or furnaces employed by
potters and brickmakers.
may
With respect to the first part of the improvements above stated, I am aware
that various plans for simply displacing or agitating the bars or fire grate of a
furnace, with the view of breaking up the slag or cinder bed that is formed by
the fire, have been proviously used, and to a considerable extent, but the motion
communicated to such bars has usually been a reciprocating one in a parallel
horizontal direction or sliding movement, without disturbing their vertical
positions. In some instances this motion has been given to all the bars; in
others, only to the alternate ones; and I have found that it is quite possible in
either case, in fact, it is of frequent occurrence, that a simple horizontal motion
be imparted to the bars without producing the desired effect; for, if a bed
of cinder or slag be once formed, the bars may be moved freely under it without
in the slightest degree disturbing it, and merely abrading its under surface;
consequently no air is admitted to the fire, and no beneficial result arises from
the use of such moveable bars. My object has been the remedy of this defect
by the displacement of the bars from their vertical as well as their horizontal
position, and I employ both these motions simultaneously, for some purposes
causing the bars to rock to and fro, whilst for others, I use only the vertical
displacement, raising and lowering the ends of the bars without horizontal
motion. Under the latter head would probably be included the grates of
locomotive engine boilers, in which space even to the extent of a few inches
in engines already constructed would be of importance, and in which cases it
is requisite to provide for the lowering of the entire series of bars, to let the
fire out when necessary, and to avoid increasing the steam on occasions of
emergency. In the construction of new engines, provision could more readily
be made for the application of the double movement, if desirable.
The second head of my Invention consists of improvements in potters' kilns
and ovens, and applies more particularly to the method of supplying the fuel.
Tlic plan most generally adopted is to fire or feed these furnaces with a
considerable depth of fuel, from three to four feet in depth being frequently
supplied at once. This is often productive of great damage to the furnace,

page_text: arising from the tendency of so great a body of fuel to swell as it becomes
heated, and thus thrust out the brickwork of the kiln; and much loss of time
also arises from the unavoidable irregularity of the heat, whilst, by feeding
thinly, and more frequently, in the same anner as you would feed an ordinary
steam boiler furnace, fuel is economized, smoke consumed, and the evils above
alluded to are avoided.
This method of hring may be applied to furnaces constructed with eithe
moveable or stationery fire bars.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 an end elevation, and Figures 3 and 4
transverse sections, of a furnace constructed according to my Invention; those
portions only of the furnace are shewn that I find necessary to elucidate my
improvements; Figure 3 representing to bars in their normal position, and
Figuro 4, the position into which they can be changed. Figure 5, a longi-
tudinal section, and Figure 6 an end elovation, of a portion of a locomotive
engine, shewing the adaptation of my Invention to that purpose.
I will first proceed to describe the construction and working of the furnace
shewn in the first four Figures of the Drawings, in all of which similar
figures or letters of reference indicate similar parts. (A) is the brickwork of
a common steam boiler furnace, cut out as at (B) to receive a pair of metal
boxes (C), which are each of sufficient size to contain a pair of pinions (D, D',)
mounted on the ends of the shafts or spindles (E, E¹.) which are supported
by suitable carriers (F), securely bolted to the bottom of the boxes (C). The
shafts (E, E',) are furnished with arms or bearers (G), pierced with eyes or
bearings as at (1), in which the rods (I, I,) are loosely hung, but secured in
their position by a pin and cotter at either extremity. The parts marked
(E, G, and I) form in combination what is ordinarily termed a rocker bar or
joggle shaft; but whilst the rods (I, I,) are hung loosely in their bearings,
and are free to revolve therein, having a motion independent of the other parts
of the rocker bar, those marked (I', I',) are securely fixed to the arms or
bearers (G,) and would generally be cast with the other portions of the rocker
bar. The utility of this will be presently seen. (K) are the fire bars, the
upper surface of each being cast in a curved or undulating line, which will
admit of the stoker using the scraper freely, or the bars may be perfectly plain
or serrated on the upper edge, as may be preferred. The ends of the bars
rest on the rods (I, I,) a hollow (L) being formed, for the purpose of allowing
them so to rest, the distance studs (x) keeping them in their proper relative
position; and it will be observed, that whilst one end of each bar rests on one

page_text: of the moveable rods (I), the oppósito end of tho samo bar rests upon onc
of the fixed frods (I). Tho. modo of working the bars is by means of n
lever inserted into a socket on the front. of the rocker bar, as at (M)
And in describing this portion of. my Invention, reference: is. directed to the
rocker bars upon which the.pinions are mounted, or those, which I have shown
as situato in front of the. furnace, although the pinions may, if preforred, be
hung on the shafts in the rear of the furnace. Under the present arrango-
ment those in the rear are governed by the action of the former ones. By
exerting this lover (M) in the same direction as a poker, is used in an ordinary
fire, cach.alternato fire bar will be brought. slightly forward, and at. the same
time will be raised out of position, the one end rising whilst the other; cndifalls;
and by the gearing of the pinion (D), which is hung upon the shaft (E) into
the fellow pinion (D¹) upon the shaft (E), the latter shaft will make a partial
revolution, carrying back those firo bars resting upon it, and with; thoi same
action, vertical and horizontal, as that already described... Thus, the recipro-
cating, undulatory, or rocking movement of the bars is obtained, that will
effectually break up any bed of cinder or slag that may be formed, and it is
in the power of the stoker to riddle the fire thoroughly, and admit a largo
quantity of air to the bars, keeping them comparatively cool, and consequently
rendering them much more durable. This action will be more readily com-
prehended by a reference to the Diagram-acccompanying Figuro 1.
A modification of the apparatus applicable to common domestic purposes,
such, for instance, as a kitchen range, may be constructed in a more simple
manner, by casting lifting cams on tho shafts (E, E',) of the rocker bars, in
place of employing the pinions; this would be suitable for situations in which
the space would not admit of the other arrangement, but either may be used
according to circumstances.
The Drawings shown in Figures 5 and 6 represent the application of my
Invention to the boiler furnace of a locomotive. The form of the fire bars is
somewhat altered, but the principle remains the same, although adapted in
such manner that the entire series of fire bars may be lowered instantaneously,
for the purpose of letting down the fire, as before stated, and of lowering tho
steam by employing the screw (Z). The motion is, in this instance, commu-
nicated to the fire bars by means of a system of lever and links attached to a
5 portion of a wheel, as at (0), a handle (P) being furnished above the stoker's
platform, by means of which the bars may be actuated; or if a simple vertical
movement of the bars be all that is required, the movement may be made
reciprocating by attaching a connecting rod to the rocker bars fore and aft.
Having thus described the nature of my said Juvention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I wish it to be clearly understood, that I do not
confine myself to these precise details, as the same may be varied according to
circumstances, without any substantial departure from the spirit and meaning
my Invention; but that which I claim, and desire to have secured to me by
the heroin-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
of
Firstly, displacing or agitating the fire bars of furnaces by imparting to
them an undulating or rocking motion, changing their vertical and also their
horizontal positions.
Secondly, the arrangement of mechanical appliances herein described and
illustrated, or the equivalents 'thereof, for the purpose of producing such
undulating or rocking motion.
And, thirdly, I claim the method described of feeding pottery kilns or
ovens.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
(L.S.) WRIGHT.