IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Long Jackson, of Mile End, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACE BARS."
Sealed the 2nd July 1861, and dated the 10th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Long Jackson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th May 1861.
I, THOMAS LONG JACKSON, of Mile End, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACE BARS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the arrangement and
mounting of furnace bars, so that the supply of air may be more uniformly
distributed over the fuel, and increased facilities be afforded for breaking up
and removing "clinkers" from the bars.
For the purpose of carrying out my improvements I make the fire bars of
cast iron (by preference) and of a taper form in transverse section, having the
widest part at the top, and I form the bars with the ends made so that when
placed side by side there is a proper air space left between the bars, the bars
are formed by preference with circular holes in them, small at top and
tapering towards the under side of the bar, as is well understood, and with the

page_text: outer edges serrated or indented, and the serrated and indented parts are so
arranged that, when placed side side in their places the projecting part
of one bar comes opposite the indented part of the other bar, leaving an uni-
form and equal space between the bars throughout their entire length. The
under sides of the ends are formed one end with a curve or slope tapering
from the bar towards the extremity, the other with a recess or groove of a
circular form for the reception of a tooth or cam or of a fixed bearing. To
carry these bars in the furnace, I place at the back end thereof away from the
fire door, a fixed bearing bar of cast iron (by preference); this bar has spaces
in its upper surface of the same width as the width of the fire bars, each alter-
nate space being of a wedge shape, upon which the taper ends of the fire-bars
move while the other spaces form teeth or studs or fixed bearings for the
support of the recessed or grooved ends of the fire-bars by the fixing on them
of the slots or grooves of the bars. At the end of the furnace nearest the fire
door I place a bearing bar of a similar character to that above described for the
back end of the furnace, but instead of being fixed it is provided with axes]
or bearings, upon which it makes a partial rotation when moved by means
of a lever or bar; the spaces in this bar are placed .alternately with those in
the bearing bar at the other end of the furnace, so that the tooth or stud of
one is opposite the wedge shape part of the other. The fire-bars are arranged
on these bearings, each one having the ends placed so as to fit in the tooth or
on the side, as required. When required to clean the fire the lever or bar
fixed to the moveable bearing bar is alternately lifted or depressed, this motion
causes these bars, which have the sloping ends on the bearing bar to rise
upwards at the taper ends, while being fixed over the teeth or studs at the
other end they are unable to be moved out of their positions, while the same
movement causes those bars which have the recesses or grooves in them to be
moved by the teeth or studs towards the further end of the furnace, and in so
moving it at the same time lifts the bars at that end by their taper ends being
moved forwards on the sloping part of the bearing bar. The effect of this
compound lifting and horizontal movement of the serrated or indented bars is
to effectually break up any "clinker" or dirt that may be formed over the air
spaces, and it will after such breaking up either drop through the spaces between
the bars, or may be removed from the surface of the bars in the ordinary manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Long Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LONG JACKSON, of Mile End, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for IIerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Long Jackson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Long Jackson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Long Jackson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Long Jackson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Long Jackson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the arrangement and
mounting of furnace bars, so that the supply of air may be more uniformly
distributed over the fuel, and increased facilities be afforded for breaking up
and removing "clinkers" from the bars.
:
For the purpose of carrying out my improvements, I make the fire bars of
cast iron (by preference) and of a taper form in transverse section, having
the widest part at the top, and I form the bars with the ends made so that
when placed side by side there is a proper air space left between the bars;

page_text: the bars are formed by preference with circular tapering holes in them, small
at the top, and increasing towards the under side of the bar as is well understood.
The outer edges are serrated or indented, and the serrated and indented parts
are so arranged that, when placed side by side in their places, the projecting
part of one bar comes opposite the indented part of the other bar, leaving
an uniform and equal space between the bars throughout their entire length.
The under sides of the ends of the bars are formed, one end with a curve
or slope tapering from the bar towards the extremity, the other with a recess
or groove of a circular form for the reception of a tooth or cam, or of a fixed
bearing. To carry these bars in the furnace, I place at the back end thereof,
away from the fire door, a fixed bearing bar of cast iron (by preference); this
bar has spaces in its upper surfaces of the same width as the width of the
fire bars, each alternate space being of a wedge shape, upon which the taper
ends of the fire bars move, while the other spaces form teeth or studs or fixed
bearings for the support of the recessed or grooved ends of the fire bars by
the fixing on them of the slots or grooves of the bars. At the end of the
furnace nearest the fire door I place a bearing bar of a similar character to
that above described for the back end of the furnace, but instead of being
fixed it is provided with axes or bearings, upon which it makes a partial
rotation when moved means of a lever or bar; the spaces in this bar are
placed alternately with those in the bearing bar at the other end of the
furnace, so that the tooth or stud of one is opposite the wedge-shape part
of the other. The fire bars are arranged on these bearings, each one having
the ends placed so as to fit in the tooth or on the slide or incline, as required.
When required to clean the fire, the lever or bar fixed to the moveable bearing
bar is alternately lifted and depressed; this motion causes the bars which
have the sloping ends on the bearing bar to rise upwards at the taper ends,
while being fixed over the teeth or studs at the other end, they are unable
to be moved out of their positions, while the same movement causes those
bars which have the recesses or grooves in them to be moved by the teeth
or studs towards the farther end of the furnace, and in so moving it at the
same time lifts the bars at that end by their taper ends being moved forwards
on the sloping part of the bearing bar. The effect of this compound lifting
and horizontal movement of the serrated or indented bars is to effectually
break up or grind any "clinker" or dirt that may be formed over the air
spaces, and it will after such breaking up either drop through the spaces
between the bars, or may be removed from the surface of the bars in the
ordinary manner.

page_text: carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side view of a furnace bar a, together with sections of the
front and back bearing bars 6 and c, arranged and constructed according to
my Invention. Figure 2 shews a plan of two bars a, a. Figures 3 and 4
shew perspective views of the front and back bearing bars b, c. Figure 5
shews a transverse section of one of the furnace bars a; and Figure 6 shews
a section of a furnace having fire bars mounted therein, constructed according
to my Invention.
The furnace bars a, a, are formed by preference with
perforations through them of a circular taper form, as shewn by the transverse
section at Figure 5, and the sides of the bars a are serrated or indented by
preference in the manner shewn at Figure 2, so that when placed in position
side by side on the bearing bars b, c, the projections of one bar come opposite
the indentations of its neighboring bars, leaving an equal width of space
between the bars throughout their entire length, as shewn. One end of each
bar a is formed with a curve or incline a³, which rests when in position upon
one of the curves or inclines 6¹ or c¹, formed on the bearing bars b, c. The
other end of each bar a is formed with a recess or groove a³ of a circular or
other suitable form, which rests when the bar is in position on one of the
teeth or cam surfaces 62 or c³, formed on each of the bearing bars b and c.
The ends of the back bearing bar c are supported by and fixed in position by
the brackets c³ at each side of the furnace, whilst the ends of the front bearing
bar 6 are of round or circular form to serve as axes to this bar, which axes
are supported and move in the brackets 6s fixed at each side of the furnace.
A partial rotation is given to the front bearing bar 6 by means of the lever
arm & attached to the bar b, as shewn, or in any other convenient manner.
When the lever d is alternately raised and depressed the front ends of those
bars which rest on the curved or inclined surfaces 6' on the bar 6 are caused
to rise upwards, the other ends of these bars remaining stationary on the
teeth or projections c² on the bar c, whilst those bars a, which rest on the
teeth or cam surfaces 63 of the bar 6, are caused to move to and fro endways,
and to rise at their back ends upon the curved or inclined surfaces c¹ of the
bar c.
This compound lifting and horizontal endway movement of the bars a
causes the serrated or indented surfaces thereof to effectually break up or
grind any
"clinker" or refuse fuel that may obstruct the air spaces, through

page_text: which it will drop or be removed from the surface of the bars in the ordinary
manner. Motion may be communicated to the levers d by hand or by other
mechanical means, if desired.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements in furnace bars, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details
herein described so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained;
but what I claim is, the giving motion to furnace bars arranged and constructed
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Long Jackson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
G. H. BIRKBECK,
Patent Agent,
THOMAS LONG JACKSON. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.