Improvements connected with Furnaces, Fire Grates, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Furnaces, Fire Grates, and the like.
I, GEORGE HARRY BIDDLES of 7 Holland Road, Charnwood Street, Leicester,
Engineer, 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:-
The objects of this invention, which relates to improvements connected with
furnaces, fire grates and the like, are to regulate the draught so as to effect complete
combustion of the fuel and prevent the undue formation of smoke and also to
reduce the consumption of fuel, at the same time obtaining a more efficient
radiation of heat.
The invention consists in the application to a furnace fire grate or the like of a
combination of draught plates to form suitable air chambers in addition to the
fixed bridge or back, and also means for increasing or forcing the_draught.
In applying my invention to the furnace of a boiler or the like, I carry a plate
from the front of the boiler to the bridge. This plate would be sufficiently wide
to reach across the flue at a distance, say of two or three inches from the bottom
of the latter. The bridge is formed of plates extending across the furnace flue and
forms a suitable cavity for the air to pass up. A suitable steam pipe is also pro-
vided connected with any available supply of steam the said pipe extending
underneath the plate before mentioned and terminating under the bridge. The
steam is controlled in the manner hereinafter mentioned so that the draught is
under complete regulation.
In adapting the invention to ordinary fire grates, ranges or the like, I provide
a plate the full width and length of the grate and rest it upon the bottom bars of
the latter. A vertical plate with flanges to rest against the back of the grate is also
provided and a further plate to lay on the top of the latter. By such means the
fire grate is divided into a front combustion chamber and a rear air chamber.
By this arrangement I obtain a considerable air space, to which space the air
passes through the bottom bars and thence into the body of the fire through
openings formed in the plates before mentioned, thus promoting complete com-
bustion of the fuel, preventing smoke and causing a more efficient radiation of
heat, as before stated.
The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the drawings
accompanying this specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section or part of a boiler flue showing the furnace
with my improvements applied thereto and Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on
the line Z. Z. of Fig. 1. Figure 3 shows part of the front of a boiler with the
furnace bars and deadplate removed for the sake of clearness.
Figure 4 is a cross section of a fire grate, showing the application thereto of my
improved draught plates, Figure 5 is a perspective view of said plates removed
from the fire grate, and Figures 6, 7 and 8 show perspective views of the several
draught plates detached from each other, the holes or perforations not being
shown.

page_text: Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus for automatically acting upon
the steam pipe, as hereinafter described. In Figures 1, 2 and 3 A is a plate
extending from the front of the furnace flue to a plate B forming a part of my
improved bridge. The said plate B extends from side to side of the furnace flue
(as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) and is curved to conform to the flue as will be readily
seen in the drawings. Placed apart from the plate B is a plate C and on the top
of the latter and extending over the plate B is an approximately semi-circular
plate D.
A cavity or air chamber E is thus formed. The said plate D is kept in
position by the snugs B1 C formed respectively on the plates B. C.
In cases where the supply of air is insufficient and the amount of fuel con-
siderable, air may be supplied automatically through the use of apparatus such as
described in my former Patent No. 25246 and dated the 10th November 1896.
At any point in the boiler house convenient for the purpose there is fixed a twin
cistern or cylinder consisting of two chambers F. F the former having therein a
ball float connected to a spindle F3 passing upward through the top of the
chamber F and suitably connected to a lever G, the latter being pivotted at G¹,
the said lever G being provided with an extension G2 to engage the spindle G³ of
a valve enclosed in the valve case G4.
The hollow piston or plunger H is connected by the chain H' or the like to the
furnace door and so arranged that when the latter is opened the piston or
plunger H will be lowered in the chamber F" and the water in the latter will pass
into the piston or plunger H through the valve H2. After the fuel has been
supplied to the furnace and...e door is closed the piston or plunger H will be raised
by medium of the chain H¹ and the water being taken up in the said piston or
plunger, the ball float F2 will drop and the lever G will open the valve in the
case G of the steam pipe P and keep the said valve open until the water has had
time to pass downward through the regulating valve H3 and the ball float F2 has
been raised by the water and the steam pipe valve closed. A suitable opening F*
13 provided at the bottom of the chamber F to allow of the passage of the water to
and from the chamber F. In Figure 4 J is the usual back of a fire grate, K the
bottom bars, M a plate extending from front to back and side to side of the grate,
the flange M' of which rests on the bottom bars K. N is a plate placea
approximately vertical and having side cheeks N resting against the back J. O is
a plate resting on the top of the plate N. It will be seen that an air chamber N*
is formed.
The manner in which the said plates M N O are formed to lock together will
be clearly seen by reference to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The bottom plate M (see
Figs. 45 and 8) is provided when required with an extension M* ornamented or
perforated in the well known manner when desired. The said extension M* will
project beyond the face of the front bars L and be convenient for placing thereon
plates or other articles. The side cheeks Ni of the plate N extends backwards and
rests against the back and serve to keep the said plate in its upright position.
The plates M N are recessed as shown (Figs. 7 and 8) to support and keep one
another in position. The plate N being further cut away at the top to receive and
support the plate 0. The pipe P Fig 4 in a kitchen range or the like, when a
forced draught is sometimes required, may be brought from an apparatus such as
shown in Figure 9 and operated in the manner adopted with W. Cs for instance, as
will be well understood.
By the application of a fire grate of the before mentioned improvements, I am
enabled to lessen the consumption of fuel, by reducing the space the fuel can
occupy, by taking up a part of the usual grate space, thus preventing the useless
consumption of fuel in the lower back part of the grate, from which no useful
effect has hitherto been secured, the advantages being obtained without lessening
but rather increasing the aspect of the fire and the radiation of heat therefrom.
It will be understood that the improved draught plates described in the foregoing
specification and illustrated in the drawings, may be made of cast iron, fire clay
or other suitable material and perforated in the manner shown.

page_text: 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
1 claim is
1. The combination in a boiler or like furnace, of plates such as A B C D
arranged to form an air chamber for the purpose and in the manner described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of a fire grate constructed substantially as shown of
plates M. N. O arranged to form an air chamber in the manner and for the purpose
described and illustrated in Figures 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The improvements in furnaces, fire grates and the like constructed, arranged
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
T
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0.1 Ja of T.... 1907