IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS AND IN THE METHOD OF OPERATING THEM
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 27th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th May, 1887.
RESERVE
We, TOM NORMAN, Effingham Road, Engineer, and HENRY SAMUEL MOTTERAM,
Baltic Road, Manager, both of Sheffield in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS AND IN THE METHOD
OF OPERATING THEM to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to enable the fire of any Furnace, boiler fire, or
similar fireplace to be cleared of its slag or other refuse, in a rapid and effective
manner, and without removing the fire to one side, or otherwise retarding its action,
and we accomplish this in the following manner.
In the application of our invention to an ordinary reheating furnace for example,
we make the grate surface of a moderate sized furnace in two parts, each part con-
sisting of a sufficient number of fire bars held together in a frame, either constructed
by casting them together in one piece, or by fastening them together by any suitable
method, and at each end of the frame of such said set of bars we make an axis or
trunnion upon which the said set of bars may turn completely round.
The two sets of bars are supported by means of their trunnions or axles, upon
strong arms secured to rocking shafts working in bearings formed in or attached to
the frame of the furnace below the fire bars, and at a suitable distance on one side.
Upon the end of each rocking shaft that projects in front of the furnace we fix a
lever and any suitable means of balancing and operating the rocking shafts and the
weight of the grates or firebars, a simple means being a chain and weight passed over
a pulley and attached to the end of the lever.
The normal position of the two sets of bars, is of course such as to form the grate
surface of the furnace in working position, but when the front lever is operated the
set of bars which is attached to the said lever, is lowered and may be turned upon its
axles or trunnions either partly or wholly round, and may be replaced in position with
either side upwards as desired.

page_text: When it is desired to clear out the slag and other burnt refuse while the furnace is
at work, the operator takes a specially made fork which resembles a flat or thin set of
bars and passes it underneath the body of the fire until the front end rests upon the
furnace frame at the back of the fire, as well as being supported in front, the grate
bars with the slag and refuse is then lowered and tipped over throwing the refuse into
the ashes pit when it can be at once replaced in position and the fork (or false bars)
which have supported the fire during the operation, can be withdrawn, and the process
repeated with the other set of bars.
Thus the operation or working of the furnace need not be delayed or stopped, and
the work can be accomplished rapidly and comfortably.
Dated the 28th June 1886
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Operating them.
We TOM NORMAN Effingham Road Engineer, and HENRY SAMUEL MOTTERAM
Baltic Road, Manager, both of Sheffield in the County of York, 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:-
Our invention has for its object to enable the Fire of any Furnace, boiler fire, or
similar fire place to be cleared of its slag or other refuse, in a rapid and effective
manner, and without removing the fuel to one side, or otherwise retarding the action
of the fire, and we accomplish this in the following manner.
And in order that our invention may be clearly understood, we annex a sheet of
drawings to illustrate same; like letters of reference indicate like parts in any of the
figures in which they occur.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a furnace constructed according to our invention.
Fig. 2, is a plan of one set of bars, and the rocking shaft.
Fig. 3, the supporting fork.
In applying our invention to an ordinary reheating Furnace such as is shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings, for example, we make the grate surface in either one or more
separate sets or clusters of bars, in the drawings two are shown, A, and A', these
clusters may be made either by securing a number of bars in a frame, or by casting
them in one piece, or fastening them together by other means.
At each end of the set of bars is an axle or trunnion B upon which the bars can be
turned completely round desired.
The two sets of bars A and A' are supported by means of their axles or trunnions
upon strong arms C, secured upon or cast in one piece with a rocking shaft D, working
in bearings formed in, or attached to, the frame of the furnace E, below the fire bars,
and at a suitable distance on one side.
Upon the end of each rocking shaft D, that projects in front of the furnace we fix a
lever F, and attach to it any suitable means of operating the lever, such as a chain G,
passing over a pulley H, and a weight I, to balance the fire bars A, and so that when
the weight is drawn down as shown on the right hand of Fig. 1, the bars are held in
their highest position against the metal framework; but we may use other means to
actuate the lever and raise or lower the bars, such as, for example, a toothed wheel
fixed upon the axle or rocking shaft D, and a pinion geared into it, working upon a
fixed stud, and turned by a handle.
The operation of clearing the furnace of slag and other burnt refuse without inter-
fering with the action of the fire, is as follows; The special supporting fork shown in
Fig. 3, and preferably made of sheet steel is forced through the body of the fuel
about three inches above the fire bars, until its front end rests upon the metal frame-
work at the back of the fire, while the front of the fork is supported by the metal
bar J, which forms the bottom of the horizontal aperture K, through which the fork is

page_text: pushed into the fire. The set of bars above which the fork is inserted, is now lowered
to the position on the left hand of Fig. 1, and by means of a lever or handle put on
the square end of the trunnion B, it is partially turned so as throw off the slag and
other burnt refuse, or it may be completely turned over, and be replaced in the roverso
position.
When this is accomplished, the fork is withdrawn, and the fuel left upon the clear
surface of the bars; the process being repeated with the other set of bars.
Thus the work of clearing a furnace from slag or burnt refuse can be rapidly and
comfortably accomplished, and without delaying the working of the furnaco, or
retarding the action of the fire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The construction of furnace bars in sets supported upon axles and operated
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2. In clearing furnaces from slag and other burnt refuse, the use of sets of fire
bars supported upon rocking shafts and capable of being partially or completely
revolved, and raised or lowered, in combination with a fork or set of false bars, for the
purpose specified and substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated the 2fth day of April 1887