IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- WAGONS EMPLOYED IN THE HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Pilkington, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Baker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
WAGONS EMPLOYED IN THE HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pilkington at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd February 1873.
I, JOHN PILKINGTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Baker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-WAGONS EMPLOYED IN THE HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to the fire-wagons which are employed to contain
the fuel when heating bakers' ovens. Such wagons as hitherto made
have consisted of an upper and a lower casting, the fire-grating or
gratings resting on the upper casting, and the sides of the said upper
casting inclining outwardly from the lower casting. The said upper
casting being exposed to a great heat has warped or buckled and ulti-
mately cracked, and as a consequence the parts have not fitted so well

page_text: together, and the grating has not been properly supported by the said
casting, and the air conducted into the space below the grating has
escaped through the cracks and through the spaces between the castings,
thereby tending to cool the oven, and causing a waste of fuel.
When constructing a wagon in manner according with my said Inven-
tion I form the fire-grating or each of the parts of the said grating with
sides projecting downwards, and I cause it to rest by means of the said
sides upon the bottom of the lower casting, that is to say, of the wagon.
The said grating or one part of the said grating may also be formed with
an end extending to the wagon bottom. The said projecting sides
prevent the escape of air, excepting through the fire, and also add to the
strength of the grating.
The part of the wagon extending above the fire may be separately
formed, or be formed in one piece with the bottom, as preferred.
I prefer to form the said part in segments, any one of which can be
renewed without renewing the whole of the said upper part. The sides
of the said upper part are or may be vertical or nearly vertical, and are
wider apart than the sides of the bottom part of the wagon, so that a
ledge level or nearly level with the upper surface of the fire-grating
extends on all sides of the said grating, the said sides of the upper part
being thus removed from the hottest part of the fire.
I prefer to make the height of the fire-grating from the bottom of the
wagon much less than in the ordinary wagon.

page_text: thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Pilkington, Her special license
that I, the said John Pilkington, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Pilkington, my executors,
6 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
FIRE-WAGONS EMPLOYED IN THE HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS," upon the condition,
amongst others, that I, the said John Pilkington, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and as-
certain 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 John Pilkington, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to the fire-wagons which are employed to contain
the fuel when heating bakers' ovens. Such wagons as hitherto made have
consisted of an upper and a lower grating, the fire-grating or gratings
resting on the upper casting, and the sides of the said upper casting.
inclining outwardly from the lower casting. The said upper casting
being exposed to a great heat has warped or buckled and ultimately
cracked, and as a consequence the parts have not fitted so well together,
and the grating has not been properly supported by the said casting,
and the air conducted into the space below the grating has escaped
through the cracks and through the spaces between the castings, thereby
tending to cool the oven, and causing a waste of fuel.
When constructing a wagon in manner according with my said Inven-
tion I make the sides of the upper part vertical or nearly vertical, and
wider apart than the sides of the bottom part of the wagon, so that a
ledge level or nearly level with the upper surface of the fire-grating
extends on all sides of the said grating, the said sides of the upper part
being thus removed from the hottest part of the firc.

page_text: I sometimes form the sides of the upper part in segments, any one of
which can be renewed without requiring the renewal of the whole of the
said upper part. I permit air to flow between the said upper sides and
the fire, and I prefer to make the height of the fire-grating from the
bottom of the wagon less than in the ordinary wagon. In some cases I
may dispense with the fire-grate, as will be herein-after explained.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I will
now refer to the accompanying Drawings, made about one-eighth of the
full size, and marked with letters of reference, similar marks indicating
the same parts in the various Figures.
Fig. 1 of the said Drawings represents a vertical cross section of a
wagon, Fig. 2 being a plan of the same. In the said Figures a is the
bottom casting; b, is the grate; and c, c, are the upper sides. The said
upper sides consist in this example of ten separate pieces, each of which
is formed to slide into position in grooves formed in the upright
pillars d, d, which are cast on the bottom casting a. Any one of the
said pieces may thus be readily replaced when damaged or worn out.
The fire-grate rests upon a casting e, which is supported by a ledge
formed on the upper part of the bottom casting, there being feet, studs,
or ribs cast on the casting e, or on the said ledge, in order that there may
be space for the flow of air in the direction of the arrows from the space
below the grate to the space f extending around the casting e. The air
issuing through the space f, and flowing between the fire and the sides c,
tends to preserve the said sides from being burnt, and also promotes the
combustion of the gases generated from the fuel, and thereby lessens the
formation of smoke. The air is conducted to the wagon in the ordinary
manner by a tube or pipe indicated at g.
Fig. 3 represents a vertical cross section, and Fig. 4 a plan of a modi-
fication in my improved wagon. In the said Figures the fire-grate is
dispensed with, and a casting ½ substituted therefor. The said casting is
provided with a central opening, so that the fuel rests partly on the said
casting and partly on the bottom casting a. The air flows into the fuel
through the space between the bottom casting and the edge of the said
central opening, which is curved downwards, as represented, and also
through the space around the outer edge of the casting h, as in the first
example.
In Figures 3 and 4 the upper sides of the wagon are not formed in

page_text: segments, but a formation and arrangement of the said upper sides
similar to those of the wagon shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 may be adopted.
Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which I carry the same into practical
effect, I would in conclusion have it to be distinctly understood that I
claim, the manufacture and use of fire-wagons constructed and acting
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before set forth, and as indi-
cated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pilkington, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Signed and sealed by the said
John Pilkington, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Patentee,
Manchester.
JOHN PILKINGTON. (L.S.)