Improvements relating to Furnace-grates Provided with Movable Fire-bars.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 21st Oct., 1887]
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Furnace-grates Provided with Movable
Fire-bars.
I, HIRAM POTTER TALLMADGE, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America, Mechanic, 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 :-
My invention relates more especially to that class of furnace grates which are
provided with means for giving the bars regular reciprocating longitudinal
movements and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts as
hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler,
cheaper and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved grate.
Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line ww of Figure 1.
Figure 3 a vertical transverse section taken on the line, x of Figure 2.
Figure 4 a vertical transverse section taken on the line, y y, of Figure 2; and
Figures 5, 6, 7, & 8, are detail views.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different Figures of
the drawings.
A, represents the walls of the fire-pot, which may be of any suitable size, form
and construction, and, B, C, the grate bars.
A frame-work consisting essentially of the legs, D, side bars E, and cap-plates F,
is inserted in the fire-box, for sustaining the grate bars.
The cap-plates F, are angular, in cross section, as shown in Figure 2, and are
held in position by clamp-irons, m secured to the legs D, one of said plates being
disposed at each end of the grate.
To render the frame-work adjustable longitudinally to fire-pots of different sizes,
the side-pieces E, of the frame are serrated at their inner or rear ends, and pivoted at
their outer ends to the front legs D, the teeth on the side-pieces engaging
corresponding teeth on the clips e, which are secured to the rear legs D.
To hold the teeth on the side pieces E, in engagement with those on the clips v,

page_text: after the frame work has been lengthened or shortened, as the case may be, keys t,
are employed, which are inserted under projections on the legs D, above the said side
pieces.
The cap-plates F, are respectively supported by the front and rear legs, D, and
their upper web or horizontal portion is perforated, as shown in Figure 1, to admit
air and promote the combustion of fuel on the grate-bars, B, C.
Projecting downwardly at regular intervals from the under side of the horizontal
portion of each of the cap plates F, there are a series of flanges, z, which form dividing
partitions for the grate bars, and serve to keep said bars from becoming displaced
laterally on their supports, when in position for use.
A horizontally arranged rocking-bar, H, is journaled on a rod, h, between the front
legs, D, and provided with a detachable handle J, said handle passing through a
vertical slot not shown in the front of the fire-pot, and having its inner end inserted
in the hole g, formed in a projection on the bar H, below the rod, h, so that when the
said handle is moved up and down vertically, corresponding reciprocal, rotary
movements will be imparted to the rocking bar.
A rigid bar K, arranged in parallelism with the bar H is supported by the rear
legs, D, its upper edge being provided at regular intervals with a series of notches »,
corresponding in number with, and disposed immediately below the grate bars B, C.
A rocker L, is disposed in each of said notches, said rockers being V shaped at
the bottom, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.
The bottom of the notches r, in the bar K, on which the rockers rest are A-shaped in
cross section, thus enabling the rockers to be easily oscillated. The rockers are also
rounded at the top, and provided with upwardly projecting side flanges, i, to enable
them to rock readily on the grate-bars, and prevent said bars from escaping therefrom.
Each of the grate-bars B, is provided on its under side near its front end, with a
downwardly and rearwardly projecting arm k, having a notch 1, on its lower side,
said arms resting on the bottom of recesses, b, formed in the upper edge of the bar H,
below the rod, and being kept in place thereon by the edge of said bar which is
inserted in said notches as best seen in Figure 2.
Each of the bars C, is provided on its lower side near its front end with a notch d,
said bars resting on elevations q, formed between the recesses, b, on the bar H, above
the rod h, as best seen in Figure 4. Each of the elevations q, is also notched at its
apex to receive one of the grate-bars C, the upper edge of the bar H, in said notches
resting in the notches d, when the grate bars are in position.
The grate bars B, C, are each provided with a series of short cross-bars, y, arranged at
right angles thereon, as best seen in Figure 1, to aid in sustaining the coal and promote
the draft.
They also serve to assist in breaking up the "clinkers" slate &c., which accumulate
on the grate.
It will be obvious that in the use of my improvement when the handle J, is moved
up and down vertically that the bar H, will be rocked or partially rotated on its pivoted
support or rod, h, and that the grate bars B, C, will be moved thereby longitudinally in
opposite directions, for example; if the handle is raised the bars B, being connected
by the arm k, to the rocking bar H, below its centre of motion will be forced towards
the rear of the fire-pot, each alternate grate-bar in the series being moved in a
direction opposite to the direction in which its adjacent bars are moving a reverse
movement of the grate-bars being of course produced when the handle is depressed.
It will also be obvious that as the bar H, approaches a vertical position the front
ends of the grate-bars C, will be slightly raised, and those of the bars B, corre-
spondingly lowered, and vice versa, thereby producing, in conjunction with the
longitudinal movements of the grate-bars, compound movements which have been
found very effective in clearing the grate of ashes and other obstructions.
The cap-plates F, not only constitute a part of the frame for supporting the grate-
bars, but serve to keep said bars engaged with the rocking bar H, and in position on
the rockers L, they also serve to keep said rockers on the bar K, and by means of the
flange z, assist in preventing the grate-bars from becoming displaced laterally.

page_text: I do not confine myself to the use of the serrated side-bars and clips for adjusting
the frame work, as any suitable means for that purpose may be employed. Neither do
I confine myself to making the cap-plates angular in cross section, nor to perforating
them, nor to securing them to the leg by the clamps, m, as they may be secured in any
suitable manner; nor to the use of cross-bars
y.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
First. In a furnace grate, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to
wit: a supporting frame, adapted to be inserted in the fire-pot; a rocking bar
journalled in the outer end of said frame; a supporting bar mounted in the inner end
of said frame; a series of rockers mounted on said supporting bar; and a series of
grate-bars mounted on said rockers and on said rocking bar, certain of said grate-bars
resting on and being engaged with the rocking bar below its axial support; and
certain of said grate-bars resting on and being engaged with the rocking-bar above
its axial support, substantially as described.
Second. The grate-bar B, provided with the cross-bars y, and arm k, having the
notch 1, whereby said bar is adapted to rest upon and engage the rocking-bar H, below
its axial support when its body is on a plane or flush with the bodies of the other bars
composing the grate, substantially as described.
Third. The horizontally journaled rocking bar H, provided with the elevations
depressions b, and handle j; in combination with the bars H, provided with the
notched arms; the bar C, provided with the notches d, the bar K, provided with
the notch r, the rockers L, cap-plates F, and a frame work for supporting said bars
in the fire-pot, all being arranged to operate substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The cap-plates F, secured to the legs D, by the clamps m, in combination
with the bars B, C, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The cap-plates F, perforated to form flues for the circulation of air
substantially as specified.
Sixth. The bars E, provided with the teeth, f, in combination with the legs D,
serrated clips e, and keys t-for rendering the framework adjustable, substantially as
set forth.
Seventh. The rockers L, in combination with the bars K, for supporting the bars of
a furnace grate, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of Santambar 1987
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.