Improvements in the Construction of Moveable Fire-bars and in the Ashpans of Locomotive, Land, Marine, and other Boilers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Moveable Fire-bars and in the
Ashpans of Locomotive, Land, Marine, and other Boilers.
I, HENRY WILLIAM SHEPHARD, of Walter Street, Granville, in the colony of New
South Wales, Australia, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:
--
My invention has for its object an improved means for securing the more efficient
combustion of fuel in the furnaces of steam boilers, more particularly serviceable in
the use of inferior qualities of coal or other fuel. In the working of locomotive and
other steam boilers considerable difficulty exists in the adoption of efficient means for
utilising fuel of low carboniferous quality, such as small, dirty and smokey coal and
other kinds which possess in a large degree elements of co-ageilation. Further in
the mechanical construction of certain classes of steam boilers, particularly of loco-
motive boilers, the furnace bars are usually placed in such a position as to render
difficult the operation of stoking and consequently the uniform treatment of the fuel
by the ordinary means of raking with fire-irons cannot be efficiently carried out. In
other furnaces than locomotive furnaces it has been found that the operation of
combustion is performed only by the aid of considerable labor, and waste of fuel and
loss of heat result from the old method of raking from the top. Sparks are also
ejected from the funnel during the operation of raking and are the fruitful cause of
bush or other fires. By such method the green coal on the surface is disturbed
instead of that portion already partially consumed called ashes, perfect combustion
cannot be obtained, and considerable loss is occasioned by the unconsumed fuel being
forced through the fire-bar spaces into the ashpan beneath. In the case of locomotives
the fine ashes are frequently distributed over the corresponding parts of the engines
during the operation of cleaning and raking out and much wear and tear are the
direct result. This is caused in part by the ordinary process of raking out the ashes
in a dry condition and in part by reason of the blower having to be used while the
fire is being cleaned with fire-irons.
My invention secures the increased combustion of fuel and the removal of the said
disadvantages by an improved construction of moveable fire-bars in combination
with a discharging ashpan and damper, the use of the blower not being required
while the fire is being cleaned and the ashes disposed of. I construct the fire-bars
so as to secure a jarring or oscillating in addition to a sliding movement. I make
them parallel their entire length and either parallel or slightly tapered in depth and
at a certain distance from one end two horns or lugs are cast so as to sit upon bearers
or resting plates which have oscillating motion imparted to them. These horns being
on either side of the bearers regulate the distance they travel. At a certain distance
from the other end of the bars I form a number of corrugations which produce a
jarring motion as the bars are alternately pushed to and fro over their respective
bearers. It is essential that each bar should move independently of the adjacent
bars, and in an opposite direction, and for such purpose the bars occupy reverse
positions, that is to say the corrugated part of one bar is placed at the side of
another bar where the horns or lugs are situated the effect resulting therefrom being
the production of a jarring motion simultaneously at opposite ends of the furnace.
The bearers are placed on the under side of the bars, having their ends attached to
any convenient part of the furnace. In locomotives they may be secured to the
bottom ring which forms the water space. On the outer end of these bearers I
attach levers to which is connected a sliding connecting rod. This also is attached to
a handle used for imparting the requisite motion. The bearers are slightly rounded
on the upper edge, and have notches in which the fire-bars are placed, such notches

page_text: being so constructed as to give the required distance to form the spaces between the
fire-bars.
When the bearers are placed in position and the bars laid thereon it will
be found that at either end there will be spaces down which the fuel would pass to
the ashpan below. To obviate this I construct a bevelled covering plate which diverts
the fuel to the bars and prevents its exit at the ends.
For ordinary boilers this form of mechanism will suffice to secure some of the
material advantages which are incident to my invention but for locomotives it is
essential that additional mechanism shall be provided to receive the ashes as they
pass through the bars, and to discharge them without adopting the ordinary method
of raking, and also to obtain the requisite draft. To meet this i construct an ashpan
hinged at one end and having the sides separate from the lower part of the furnace
and forming a comparatively close joint on each side with a fixed inner lining. At
the opposite end I place an adjustable damper; both the damper and the ashpan
being operated by connecting levers all placed in close proximity to the engineer in
charge. I make a connection with the feed pipe which is attached to the tender and
carry the same to that part of the ashpan which is hinged, and place there a two-way
cock or tap having the outlet leading into the end of the ash pan. The normal
position of the ash pan is of course level. The water being discharged into it
through this tap will, if the damper door be down, cause saturation of the ashes.
When the ashpan is lowered by means of the lever it will assume a sloping position,
and thus by the aid of the water the ashes will be readily discharged therefrom upon
the damper being raised. The water may be made to further cleanse the ashpan as it
lies in its sloping position. After the ashes have been discharged the ash pan may be
returned to its horizontal position ready to receive the ashes as before. In locomotive
furnaces the design of my mechanism must necessarily vary according to the type of
locomotive to which it may be applied and in other furnaces it will also vary to meet
the differences which exist in their mechanical construction.
In carrying the said invention into practice when applied to an ordinary locomotive
boiler, the furnace is provided with the usual opening (covered by the furnace door)
through which the fuel is conveyed to the furnace. The said boiler is provided with
water spaces around the furnace, and with water tubes as usual. The fire bar is
made with horns or lugs near one end, and having corrugations near the other end.
Covering plates are placed over the spaces at the ends of the bars. Resting plates or
bearers are provided which carry the fire bars and have notches formed in their
upper edge to give the requisite space between the bars. Levers are attached to the
outer end of the bearers. A connecting rod is attached to the said levers and made
to slide between the rollers. A pivoted lever is also attached to the connecting rod
for transmitting the sliding and jarring motions to the firebars. The movable ash pan
is hinged. For operating the ashpan links are connected with levers secured on a
rocking shaft on the outer end of which is also secured the main lever attached by a
connecting rod to a vertical lever pivoted in the base of a quadrant which is placed on
the floor of the cab. Mechanism is provided for lowering and raising the ashpan for
the purpose of discharging its contents. A pipe attachment is connected to the
ordinary feed pipe and provided with a two-way cock or tap and an outlet pipe
leading into the end of the ash pan, a vertical rod passing through the floor of the
cab with a handle on its upper end is provided to open or close the tap. A damper
is placed at one end of the ash-pan and connected by the link to a lever which is
placed loosely upon the rocking shaft and is moved by means of the lever connected
to the sliding rod for operating same from foot-plate.
In another modification a connecting link is arranged between the bearers and a
lever is attached to the centre of the outer bearer. A connecting rod attached to the
end of the said lever and having on its extreme end outside the front of the furnace
a right and left hand screw cut thereon. A collar is placed over the screwed end
having a pin running in the screw. A handle is provided for operating the collar.
When the handle is revolved the pin travels in the spaces of the threads comprising
the screw by which means a rectilineal motion is imparted to the lever and the
connecting link which causes each alternate bar to travel in an opposite direction. A

page_text: covering piece is provided to secure the collar in its position against the outer face of
the boiler.
Some of the advantages obtained by the use of my improved mechanism are :-
1. The saving of labour in the operation of stoking as regards the cleansing of the
fire and the subsequent disposal of the ashes.
2. The use of fire irons for cleansing the fire is not required.
3. The danger of fire occasioned by live coals being displaced through the use of
fire-irons is minimised.
4. The speedy removal or discharge of ashes from the ashpan by a flow of water,
the services of a man to rake out the pan being consequently unnecessary.
5. The prevention of dust and grit being carried to the working parts of the
engine of a locomotive boiler.
6. The blower in locomotive boilers not being required while the operation of
cleansing the fire is being performed the fire-box and tubes are not subject to sudden
and extreme variations of temperature which result from the use of the blower and
fire-irons.
7. Economy in the quantity of fuel consumed.
8. The use of fuel of an inferior quality with better results.
9. The easy removal of bars of one dimension and the substitution of others either
narrow or wide so as to increase or diminish the spaces between them as may he
found necessary according to the quality of the fuel being used.
10. The necessity of allowing the fire to go out each day for the purpose of cleaning
out the furnace of a locomotive is prevented and the temperature of the furnace can
be maintained at a normal condition.
HENRY W. SHEPHARD..
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Moveable Fire-bars and in the
Ashpans of Locomotive, Land, Marine, and other Boilers.
I, HENRY WILLIAM SHEPHARD, of Walter Street, Granville, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Australia, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings:-
-
My invention has for its object an improved means for securing the more efficient
combustion of fuel in the furnaces of steam boilers, more particularly serviceable in
the use of inferior qualities of coal or other fuel. In the working of locomotive and
other steam boilers considerable difficulty exists in the adoption of efficient means for
the utilising fuel of low carboniferous quality such as small, dirty, and smokey coal
and other kinds which possess in a large degree elements of co-ageilation. Further,
in the mechanical construction of certain classes of steam boilers, particularly of
locomotive boilers, the furnace bars are usually placed in such a position as to render
difficult the operation of stoking and consequently the uniform treatment of the
fuel by the ordinary means of raking with fire-irons cannot be efficiently carried out.
In other furnaces than locomotive furnaces it has been found that the operation of
combustion is performed only by the aid of considerable labor, and waste of fuel and
loss of heat result from the old method of raking from the top. Sparks are also
ejected from the fuel during the operation of raking, and are the fruitful cause of bush
or other fires. By such method the green coal on the surface is disturbed instead of
that portion already partially consumed called ashes, perfect combustion cannot be
obtained, and considerable loss is occasioned by the unconsumed fuel being forced
through the fire-bar spaces into the ashpan beneath. In the case of locomotives the
fine ashes are frequently distributed over the working parts of the engines during

page_text: the operation of cleaning and raking out and much wear and tear are the direct
result. This is caused in part by the ordinary process of raking out the ashes in a
dry condition, and in part by reason of the blower having to be used while the fire is
being cleaned with fire-irons.
My invention secures the increased combustion of fuel and the removal of the said
disadvantages by an improved construction of movable fire-bars in combination with a
discharging ashpan and damper, the use of the blower not being required while the
fire is being cleaned and the ashes disposed of. I construct the fire-bars so as to
secure a jarring or oscillating, in addition to a sliding, movement. I make them
parallel their entire length, and either parallel or slightly tapered in depth, and at a
certain distance from one end two horns or lugs are cast so as to sit upon bearers or
resting plates, which have oscilating motion imparted to them. These horns being on
either side of the bearers regulate the distance they travel. At a certain distance
from the other end of the bars 1 form a number of corrugations, which produce a
jarring motion as the bars are alternately pushed to and fro over their respective
bearers. It is essential that each bar should move independently of the adjacent bars,
and in an opposite direction, and for such purpose the bars occupy reverse positions,
that is to say, the corrugated part of one bar is placed at the side of another bar
where the horns or lugs are situated; the effect resulting therefrom being the pro-
duction of a jarring motion simultaneously at opposite ends of the furnace. The
bearers are placed on the under side of the bars, having their ends attached to any
convenient part of the furnace. In locomotives they may be secured to the bottom
ring which forms the water space. On the outer end of these bearers I attach levers
to which is connected a sliding connecting rod. This also is attached to a handle used
for imparting the requisite motion. The bearers are slightly rounded on the upper
edge, and have notches in which the fire-bars are placed, such notches being so con-
structed as to give the required distance to form the spaces between the fire-bars.
When the bearers are placed in position and the bars laid thereon it will be found
that at either end there will be spaces down which the fuel would pass to the ashpan
below. To obviate this I construct a bevelled covering plate, which diverts the fuel
to the bars and prevents its exit at the ends.
For ordinary boilers this form of mechanism will suffice to secure some of the
material advantages which are incident to my invention, but for locomotives it is
essential that additional mechanism shall be provided to receive the ashes as they pass
through the bars, and to discharge them without adopting the ordinary method of
raking, and also to obtain the requisite draft. To meet these requirements I construct
an ashpan hinged at one end and having the sides separate from the lower part of the
furnace, and forming a comparatively close joint on each side with a fixed inner
lining. At the opposite end I place an adjustable damper; both the damper and the
ashpan being operated by connecting levers all placed in close proximity to the
engineer in charge. I make a connection with the feed pipe which is attached to
the tender, and carry the same to that part of the ashpan which is hinged, and place
there a two-way cock or tap having the outlet leading into the end of the ashpan.
The normal position of the ashpan is, of course, level. The water being discharged
into it through this tap will, if the damper door bo down, cause saturation of the
ashes. When the ashpan is lowered by means of the lever it will assume a sloping
position, and thus by the aid of the water the ashes will be readily discharged there-
from upon the damper being raised. The water may be made to further cleanse the
ashpan as it leans in its sloping position. After the ashes have been discharged the
ashpan may be returned to its horizontal position ready to receive the ashes as before.
In locomotive furnaces the design of my mechanism must necessarily vary according
to the type of locomotive to which it may be applied, and in other furnaces it will also
vary to meet the differences which exist in their mechanical constructions.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like letters
indicate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing the furnace of a locomotive boiler with
my apparatus attached thereto.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a locomotive furnace with my apparatus attached
thereto.
Figure 4 shows the furnace of a Cornish or marine boiler with my movable bars
and bearers placed therein.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the bars with the mechanism attached thereto for
other than locomotive furnaces applicable to all classes of furnaces.
Figure 6 is a side view of the bearers, showing the notches for the fire-bars to rest
in, and rounded on their upper edge.
In Figure 1A is the furnace of an ordinary locomotive boiler; B the usual
opening (covered by the furnace door) through which the fuel is conveyed to the
furnace; CC are the water-spaces around the furnace; D D the tubes of such boiler;
E is the floor of the cab; the feed pipe ordinarily connected to the tender of a
locomotive; G is the special form of fire bar made with the horns or lugs G¹ near one
end, and having the corrugations G" near the other end; HH are bevelled covering
plates placed over the spaces at the ends of the bars; Í I are the bearers or resting
plates which carry the firebars and have notches I formed in their upper edge (as
shown in figures 3 and 6) to give the requisite space between the bars;
JJ are
levers attached to the outer end of the bearers ; K is the connecting rod attached to
the levers JJ and made to slide between the rollers K'; L is a pivoted lever also
attached to the connecting rod K for transmitting the sliding and jarring motions to
the fire-bars G; M is a movable ashpan hinged at M'; NN are the links connected
with levers 00 secured on the rocking shaft P, on the outer end of which is also
secured the main lever Q attached by the connecting rod R to the vertical lever S
pivoted in the base of the quadrant T, which is placed on the floor of the cab;
N, O, P, Q, R, and S comprise the complete form of mechanism for lowering and
raising the ashpan M for the purpose of discharging its contents. U is the pipe
attachment connected to the ordinary feed pipe F. V is the two-way cock or tap;
and V1 the outlet pipe leading into the end of the ashpan; V" is a vertical rod passing
through the floor of the cab with a handle V on its upper end to close the tap V;
W is the damper placed at the end of the ashpan and connected by the link W to the
lever W", which is placed loosely upon the rocking shaft P, and is moved by means
of the lever X connected to the sliding rod Y.
In Figure 2 the parts corresponding to Figure 1 are similarly lettered.
In Figure 3 the parts corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 are similarly lettered.
Figure is a transverse section of a furnace of a Cornish or ordinary marine
boiler with the movable parts and rockers placed therein.
Figure 5 is a side elevation showing my form of firebars with the mechanism
attached thereto for other than locomotive furnaces. (a) is the connecting link
between the bearers II; (b) a lever attached to the centre of the outer bearer I ;
(c) a connecting rod attached to the end of the lever (b), and having on its extreme
end outside the front of the furnace a right and left hand screw (d) cut thereon ;
(e) is a collar placed over the screwed end (d) having a pin (f) running in the
screw (d); (g) is a handle for operating the collar (e). When the handle (g) is
revolved the pin (f) travels in the spaces of the threads comprising the screw (d), by
which means a rectilineal motion is imparted to the lever (b) and the connecting
link (a), which causes each alternate bar to travel in an opposite direction. (h) is a
covering piece to secure the collar (e) in its position against the outer face of the
boiler. In Figure 6 I¹ I¹ I¹ represent the spaces in the bearer I prepared to receive
the firebars.
Some of the advantages obtained by the use of my improved mechanism are :-
1. The saving of labor in the operation of stoking as regards the cleansing of the
fire and the subsequent disposal of the ashes.
2. The use of fire-irons for cleansing the fire is not required.
3. The danger of fire occasioned by live coals being displaced through the use of
fire-irons is minimised.

page_text: 4. The speedy removal or discharge of ashes from the ashpan by a flow of water,
the services of a man to rake out the pan being consequently unnecessary.
5. The prevention of dust and grit being carried to the working parts of the
engine of a locomotive boiler.
6. The blower in locomotive boilers not being required while the operation of
cleansing the fire is being performed the firebox and tubes are not subject to sudden
and extreme variations of temperature which results from the use of the blower and
fireiron.
7. Economy in the quantity of fuel consumed.
8. The use of fuel of an inferior quality with better results.
9. The easy removal of bars of one dimension and the substitution of others either
narrow or wide so as to increase or diminish the spaces between them as may be found
necessary according to the quality of the fuel being used.
10. The necessity of allowing the fire to go out each day for the purpose of
cleaning out the furnace of a locomotive is prevented, and the temperature of the
furnace can he maintained at a normal condition.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I have to state that I
make no claim for the novelty of a furnace fitted with movable firebars as such, but
what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-
1. The improved construction or combination of mechanism for movable firebars
for locomotive furnaces consisting of parallel bars as G, having corrugations thereon G.
resting on movable bearers II connected by levers placed on the ends thereof attached
to a connecting rod K and pivoted lever L so as to impart movement to each alternate
bar in opposite directions, in conjunction with a bevelled covering plate H sub-
stantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2. The construction of bevelled covering plates to be used for covering the ends of
movable firebars in the furnaces of locomotive and other boilers substantially as
described and for the purposes set forth.
3. In the construction of movable firebars for locomotive and other furnaces the
formation thereon of corrugations G" resting on movable bearers II connected by
levers placed on the ends thereof, substantially as described and for the purposes set
forth.
4. In the construction of movable firebars for locomotive and other furnaces the
combination of mechanism shown in Figure 5, substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
5. An improved movable ashpan attached to locomotive and other furnaces for the
purpose of discharging, with the aid of water, the ashes contained therein, substantially
as described and for the purposes set forth.
1
CT
1000
HENRY W. SHEPHARD.
Haseltine, Lake & Co..
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.