CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRATES USED IN STEAM ENGINE OR OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MILLER, of Clithero, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the First day of August, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Miller, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said William Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said William Miller, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRATES USED
IN STEAM ENGINE OR OTHER FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said, William Miller, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Miller, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in grates used in steam engine or other furnaces or fire-
places consist in the peculiar manner of constructing such grates, and in the
method of mounting or supporting the fire bars composing the same, in order
that the fire bars may be simultaneously slidden in parallel horizontal direc-
tions, without disturbing their vertical position; the principal feature of novelty
and improvement being, the movement of each alternate fire bar in one direc-
tion, whilst the intermediate bars are moved in an opposite direction; which
sliding motion being assisted by the indented or uneven surface of the fire bars,
will either entirely prevent the formation of clinkers in the furnace, or instantly
break them up, thus preserving the perfect freedom of the air
passage between
the fire bars, and considerably increasing the combustion and heating power of
the fuel. But in order that these improvements may be perfectly understood,
I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings, containing such
Figures as are necessary for the illustration of my Invention, and have marked
the respective Figures with letters of reference, similar letters being placed
upon the corresponding parts of the apparatus. Figure 1 represents a plan or
horizontal view of a fire grate for a steam engine furnace, the top as well as
other unnecessary adjacent parts being removed. Figure 2 is a transverse
section, taken vertically at the line A, B, in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a lon-
gitudinal section, taken vertically at the line C, D, in Figure 1. The front or
firing end of this grate is at a, and the back at b; c, c, being two side plates
upon which are cast the angular upright supports d, d, d, d, upon which the inter-
mediate oscillating bars e, e, e, e, are mounted. These bars (one of which is seen
in side elevation detached at Figure 4), are furnished with V edged uprights f,f,
for the purpose of carrying the fire bars g, g, J, J, which have also correspond-
ing recesses or notches formed upon the under side of each extremity; and it
will be perceived that cach support fin one bar e is placed opposite the space
between such supports in the adjacent bar e, and so on, at the opposite end of
the grate, in order that the oscillating bars e', e', may support each alternate
fire bar, and that the other oscillating bars 1', ', may carry the intermediate
fire bars. The horizontal sliding motion of the fire bars is effected by the reci-
procating action of the working bar h, h, moving to and fro upon its central
bearings i, i. It will be seen in Figure 2 that this working bar h is provided
with upright arms k, k, k, k, for the purpose of taking into corresponding
notebes, formed in the under side of every alternate fire bar, and that each
intermediate fire bar is also provided with an extension or leg m upon its
under side, for the purpose of taking hold of the working bar at the spaces n

page_text: between the uprights ; thus it will be very readily perceived that if any
adequate power were communicated to the working bar h, h, by means of the
lever o connected with any first mover, the fire bars would be simultaneously
caused to slide longitudinally side by side and in parallel planes, but in reverse
directions alternately. Figure 5 represents a side view of one of the fire bars
detached, the indented surface being for the purpose of assisting the bars in
preventing the formation of clinker, and the openings or mortices p, p, being
cast in them as extra air passages. It will of course be very evident that
the horizontal sliding motion may be given to the fire bars by various other
contrivances and by other arrangements of well-known mechanical agents,
or that one, two, or any number of fire bars may be caused to move together
or alternately, or even certain numbers or divisions of the fire bars may be
stationary, whilst the others slide to and fro; all of which modifications I do
not consider it necessary to describe.
Having now particularly described my improvements, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I claim as my Invention, the moving or sliding fire bars of grates or
furnaces in parallel horizontal directions, without disturbing their vertical
positions, each alternate bar or bars moving in one direction, whilst the inter-
mediate bar or bars move in the opposite direction, and used in combination
with the uneven surface of the fire bars, for the purposes and in the manner
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Miller, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, One thousand eight