Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 188s
I GEORGE TORRY of the Steamship "Adelaide" Port Adelaide in the Colony of
South Australia, Chief 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 —
Engineers are well aware of the difficulties that stokers meet with when burning
bituminous and inferior kinds of coal in boiler furnaces; the bituminous coal cakes
on the fire bars, and the inferior kinds of coal choke the fire with dust, and thereby
prevent a proper and economical combustion of the coal. It is to meet these
difficulties that I have invented my improved firegate for boiler and other furnaces.
In carrying out my invention, the furnace grate is divided into two, three, or
more sections, each section being quite independent of the adjacent ones, but the
whole number of sections forming together the complete grate. Each section is
composed of a rectangular frame consisting of four sides, cross stays, and bearers,
together with the fire-bars, which are placed within the frame. At each end of the
frame is a pivot or trunnion, which serve as supports to the frame, and at the same
time permit of a rocking motion being communicated to it. Should it be found
necessary to upset the frame in its bearings, the firebars would fall from their
positions in the frame, were it not that each bar is furnished with a feather slotted
to receive a cotter which holds them loosely in their places in the frame. The
frames are rocked or agitated by means of a long lever or key which is made to
fit onto the squared outer ends of the spindles or trunnions of the frames. In order
to prevent the frames from being upset in their bearings, each trunnion or pivot is
furnished with a short arm on which is a pin or stud which works in a radial groove
or slot formed in a plate on the front of the furnace. The amount of motion imparted
to each frame may be regulated by the length of this slot, the pin on the arm
limiting the motion.
In the accompanying drawings:
:-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a boiler and a rocking frame.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, with such front parts of the furnace removed
as will give an unimpeded view of the frames, shewing also the arms on the pivots,
together with the pins and radial slots.
Fig. 3 is a similar view, but shewing the central frame in process of rocking.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the frame and firebars.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the same. a a are the sides and ends of the
frame. are the pivots or trunnions upon which the frame is rocked.
cross stays or firebar bearers. dd are the firebars, furnished at their deepest part
cc are the
with slotted feathers e e to receive the cotters ff, which retain the firebars in the
frame. The ends of the front pivots bare squared, as at zz, to receive the arms or
levers, on which are pins or studs which work in radial slots h h formed in a
pricker bar on the front of the furnace. The squared ends of the pivots also receive
the winch or lever handles kk, by means of which the frames are manipulated.
When the coal clinks on the bars, or the bars become choked with dust from inferior
coal, it is only necessary to ship the winch or lever handle k, and rock the frame, as
may be seen by reference to Fig. 3. This action, when repeated on each of the
frames of which the grate is composed, will thoroughly shake up the fire, no matter
how choked it may be, or break up the strongest clinker. When necessary, the fire
may be instantly "cleaned by dropping the superfluous fuel into the ash pit.
This may be readily effected by withdrawing the pins on the arms gg from the
radial slots h, and turning the frames over.-The three or more frames may be
agitated at the same time by connecting the arms with a rigid bar, but it will be
generally found preferable to work the frames one at a time.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew a corrugated casting, which may be fitted either to the side of
the frame, and so constructed as to fit into the sides of a corrugated boiler, or to the
side of a corrugated boiler, so as to present a uniform flat surface to the side of the
frame. Castings of a similar character may be used as attachments to make the
rectangular frames fit other boilers of peculiar shape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:-
Constructing furnace grates in sections, each section consisting of a frame carrying"
fire bars, and provided with trunnions or pivots on which the frame may be rocked as
herein described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 26th day of Santunhan 1000