Improvements in Fire Grates or Fire Places, Apparatus and Appliances Connected therewith Applicable to Furnaces, Stoves, Kitchen Ranges, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Grates or Fire Places, Apparatus and
Appliances Connected therewith Applicable to Furnaces, Stoves,
Kitchen Ranges, and the like.
I HEDLEY STANLEY MOORWOOD, of the Harleston Iron Works, Harleston Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE GRATES OR FIRE PLACES, APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH APPLICABLE TO FURNACES, STOVES, KITCHEN
RANGES AND THE LIKE," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide a simple, effectual and inexpensive means
by which the fire bars, fire grate, or hearth on which the fuel is laid during the
process of combustion may be raised or lowered so as to allow of the incandescent
fuel being brought in closer contact with the object to be heated, or by which
the cubical contents of the fire place or grate may be increased or decreased at will
and without interfering with the fuel contents of the fire place or grate beyond what
may be caused by the movement of the apparatus or appliances employed.
I effect these objects in the following manner, and although the principles of my
Invention may be applied in almost every form of fire grate or fire place in which
solid fuel (as distinguished from liquid or gaseous fuel) is employed, a description of
my Invention as applied to the fire grate, or fire place of a Kitchen range will
suffice.
The normal position of the bottom of my improved fire grate is horizontal or nearly
so, and when in this position the distance from the bottom grate to the top bar of
the front of the fire grate would be sufficient to enable a moderate sized fire being
maintained, from this position the bottom grate may be moved radially either
upwards or downwards, the upward movement causing the fire to be shallow at the
front and thereby reducing the cubical capacity of the fire place, the downward
movement causing the fire to be deeper at the front and in like manner increasing
the cubical capacity of the fire place; the front bars being curved to a radius
corresponding to that traversed by the bottom grate, and instead of making the front
bars horizontal as is usually the case, I should by preference construct them

page_text: vertically, thereby avoiding obstructions to the movement of the bottom grate by
the jambing of particles of fuel or cinder which would be the case with horizontal
bars.
In order to obtain the radial movement herein described I construct the bottom
grate in such a manner that it may be carried on a spindle, pivots, or trunnions, fixed
in the back of the fire place, and on one or both sides of the bottom fire grate, I
place a portion of a worm wheel in the form of a sector or quadrant which is
actuated by a worm placed horizontally or diagonally below the bars; the worm
shaft or spindle being carried on a suitably formed bracket or brackets. The front
end of the worm spindle may be square so that it may be actuated by a box spanner
or handle, or it may be fitted with a small hand wheel.
By these means the bottom grate may he moved through a range of ninety
degrees or thereabouts as circumstances may require and whilst the fire is within
the grate, in the case of a Kitchen range the lowest position of the bottom grate
being that which would give the largest vertical heating surface such as is required
for the purpose of roasting, and the highest position of the bottom grate being that
which would give the largest horizontal heating surface such as is required for frying
and grilling, which operation could be performed with a shallow fire and the
horizontal or normal position of the bottom grate being that which is best adapted
for ordinary use.
The movements of the bottom grate can be effected without interfering with the
action of the boiler or oven flues where such are required, and the general arrange-
ment herein described would materially conduce to the economy of fuel.
In cases where my improved arrangement of fire bars and grate are applied to
large and wide fire places such as for à furnace, two or more sectors or quadrants,
and worms may be employed, each worm receiving motion from bevil or mitre
wheels placed on a continuous front shaft the movement of which would cause a
simultaneous action of all the quadrants.
As a further modification which will be applicable to any of the arrangements
herein described, in lieu of a worm wheel and worn, the sectors may be made like
portions of spur wheels, and be actuated by spur pinions placed upon the actuating
shaft.
Datel this 15th day at Fabu 1007

page_text: Improvements in Fire Grates or Fire Places, Apparatus and
Appliances Connected therewith Applicable to Furnaces, Stoves,
Kitchen Ranges, and the like.
I HEDLEY STANLEY MOORWOOD, of the Harleston Iron Works, Harleston Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE GRATES OR FIRE PLACES, APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THERE WITH APPLICABLE TO FURNACES, STOVES, KITCHEN
RANGES AND THE LIKE," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described, and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of my Invention is to provide a simple, effectual and inexpensive
means by which the fire bars, fire grate, or hearth on which the fuel is laid during
the process of combustion may be raised or lowered so as to allow of the incan-
descent fuel being brought in closer contact with the object to be heated, or by
which the cubical contents of the fire place or grate may be increased or decreased
at will and without interfering with the fuel contents of the fire place or grate
beyond what may be caused by the movement of the apparatus or appliances
employed.
I effect these objects in the following manner and although the principles of my
Invention may be applied in almost every form of fire grate or fire place in which
solid fuel (as distinguished from liquid or gaseous fuel) is employed, a description of
my Invention as applied to the fire grate, or fire place of a kitchen range will suffice.
The normal position of the botion of my improved fire grate is horizontal or nearly
so, and when in this position the distance from the bottom grate to the top bar of the
front of the fire grate would be sufficient to enable a moderate sized fire being
maintained, from this position the bottom grate may be moved radially either upwards
or downwards, the upward movement causing the fire to be shallow at the front and
thereby reducing the cubical capacity of the fire place, the downward movement
causing the fire to be deeper at the front and in like manner increasing the cubical
capacity of the fire place, the front bars being curved to a radius corresponding to
that traversed by the bottom grate, and instead of making the front bars horizontal
as is usually the case, I should by preference construct them vertically, thereby
avoiding obstructions to the movement of the bottom grate by the jambing of particles
of fuel or cinder which would be the case with horizontal bars.
In order to obtain the radial movement herein described I construct the hottom
grate
in such a manner that it may be carried on a spindle, pivots, or trunnions, fixed
in the back of the fire place, and on one or both sides of the bottom fire grate, I place
a portion of a worm wheel in the form of a sector or quadrant which is actuated by a
worm placed horizontally or diagonally below the bars; the worm shaft or spindle
being carried on a suitably formed bracket or brackets. The front end of the worm
spindle may be square so that it may be actuated by a box spanner or handle, or it
may be fitted with a small hand wheel.
By these means the bottom grate may be moved through a range of ninety degrees
or thereabouts as circumstances may require and whilst the fire is within the grate,
in the case of a Kitchen range the lowest position of the bottom grate being that
which would give the largest vertical heating surface such as is required for the
purpose of roasting, and the highest position of the bottom grate being that which
would give the largest horizontal heating surface such as is required for frying and

page_text: grilling, which operation could be performed with a shallow fire and the horizontal or
normal position of the bottom grate being that which is best adapted for ordinary use.
The movements of the bottom grate can be effected without interfering with the action
of the boiler or oven flues where such are required, and the general arrangement
herein described would materially conduce to the economy of fuel.
In cases where my improved arrangement of fire bars and grate are applied to
large and wide fire places such as for a furnace, two or more sectors or quadrants, and
worms may be employed, each worm receiving motion from bevil or mitre wheels
placed on a continuous front shaft the movement of which would cause a simultaneous
action of all quadrants.
As a further modification which will be applicable to any of the arrangements
herein described, in lieu of a worm wheel and worm, the sectors may be made like
portions of spur wheels, and be actuated by spur pinions placed upon the actuating
shaft.
I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not claim as part of my invention the
construction of a fire grate or fire place with a movable hottom grate or fire bars
either radially or otherwise, neither do I claim any novelty in the form of the front
bars which are curved to a radius corresponding to that traversed by the bottom
grate. The essential feature of my invention being the combination and arrangement
of parts and appliances by means of which the fire bars, fire grate or hearth may be
raised or lowered.
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of my improved fire grate and apparatus as applied to
a Kitchen Range.
Fig. 2, is a cross section of the same shewing the bottom grate in its lowest
position.
Fig. 3, is a similar view shewing the bottom grate in the highest position.
The dotted lines indicate the normal or horizontal position of the bottom grate.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
a, is the movable bottom grate.
b, is the front grate the bars of which are curved to a radius corresponding to that
traversed by the bottom grate.
c, c, is the spindle pivot or trunnions on which the bottom grate moves.
d, is the sector or quadrant.
is the worm by which the sector or quadrant d, and the bottom grate a are
actuated.
f, is the worm shaft.
g, g, is the bracket or brackets carrying the same.
, is the spanner or handle by which the worm is turned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
(1) In a Fire grate, or fire place applicable to Furnaces, Stoves, Kitchen Ranges,
and the like, The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances by means of
which the fire bars, fire grate, or hearth on which the fuel of such a fire grate or fire
place is laid during the process of combustion, may be raised or lowered, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 14th day of November 18987