IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS, AND SUITABLE TO ALL KINDS OF FIRES."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Baptiste Fondu, of Lodelinsart, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS, AND SUITABLE
TO ALL KINDS OF FIRES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Baptiste Fondu at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1861.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE FONDU, of Lodelinsart, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS, AND
SUITABLE TO ALL KINDS OF FIRES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to obtain a circulation of air over the entire
surface of the grate, whereby more heat is generated and the grate is pre-
vented from becoming overheated, and consists in constructing furnace and
other grates with bars, having horizontal openings (like an open tube) com-
municating with each other in the length and breadth of the furnace, and
permitting the circulation of air received from without by suitable openings in
the front and all over the grate. The square space formed by the crossing of
the bars (which may be of any other form according to the position of the
perforated bars) are filled with fuel, around which a free circulation of air

page_text: takes place. The grate is placed parallel to the door of the furnace, which
may be of any required length or breadth. The grate is obtained by placing
a number of grate bars, as described, side by side. The holes of the per-
forated bars begin at the entrance of the furnace, the framework and plate of
which are perforated with holes corresponding and in a direct line with those
in the grate bars for the admission of the air into the furnace.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Jean Baptiste
Fondu in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
BAPTISTE FONDU, of Lodelinsart, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jean Baptisto Fondu, Her special licence that I, the said Jean
Baptiste Fondu, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Jean Baptiste Fondu, 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, au Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR STEAM AND OTHER BOILERS
AND SUITABLE TO ALL KINDS OF FIRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
J, the said Jean Baptiste Fondu, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
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 Jean Baptiste Fondu, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-

page_text: The object of my Invention is to obtain a circulation of air over the entire
surface of the grate, whereby more heat is generated, and the bars of the grate
are prevented from becoming burnt or overheated, and consists in constructing
furnace and other grates with fire-bars having conical, tubular, or other shaped
recesses or grooves formed in them, and arranged in a line with each other in
the length and breadth of the furnace, and permitting the circulation of air
received from without by suitable openings in the front and around the grate.
The spaces between the bars, which vary according to the position of the
recessed or grooved bars, are covered with fuel, around which a free circulation
of air takes place. The bars are placed parallel to the door of the furnace,
which may be of any required length or breadth. The grate is formed by
placing a number of the said fire-bars side by side and parallel to each other.
The recesses of the bars begin at the entrance of the furnace, the framework
and plate of which are perforated with holes corresponding and in a direct
line with the recesses in the fire-bars for the admission of air into the furnace.
Having thus briefly described the Invention, I will now proceed to describe
the same more particularly, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawings
hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, in which the
same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front view of the furnace or grate; Figure 2, Sheet 2,
a section of the furnace, shewing a side view of one of the conical tubular
recessed fire-bars; Figure 3, Sheet 3, exhibits a plan of the said fire-bars, and
Figure 4 an edge view of the same; Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 1, are details
herein-after referred to.
A, A, are the fire-bars placed parallel to each other, and forming between
them the parallel spaces B, B; C, C, are the conical tubular recesses or
grooves which communicate with the said spaces B, B; D, D, are small square
or other shaped supports formed in the fire-bars, on which rest the charcoal or
other fuel employed. Round these supports a space is left for the circulation
of air in all directions, and owing to the arrangement of the fire-bars, the
recesses being placed opposite and in a line with each other, a series of air
tubes or channels is formed, which pass through the grate or furnace, for con-
ducting the air in a horizontal direction all over its surface. These fire-bars
are placed parallel to the door E of the furnace. The plate F, Figures 3, 4,
5, and 6, is formed with holes or openings G, corresponding with the recesses C
of the fire-bars, so as to form air channels extending to the extremity of the
furnace to conduct the air in all directions, and thus prevent the bars burning,
bending, or cracking, or scoriæ from adhering to them, consequently their
durability is much greater than that of ordinary fire-bars. I is a lever working

page_text: on the fulcrum I. The short arm of this lever is connected to a rod J, to
which is fastened the fire-bars A, A, by pins K. By this arrangement the
stoker can give an oscillating motion to the bars to facilitate combustion,
remove the scoriæ, and prevent especially the greasy coal from adhering to tho
bars. L are holes formed in the bars; M are side flues for the passage of air
through the openings N in the rectangular side plates O, Figures 2 and 6, of
the furnace. By these means a free draught of air is obtained, which permits
The
of the employment of the commonest and smallest kinds of conl.
openings may be arranged very close together, and yet allow of a perfect
current of air. The form and dimensions of the fire-bars of the recesses and
ingress openings inay vary, and be either of a round, oval, square, lozenge, or
rectangular form, according to requirement. This arrangement of fire-bars
may be placed in any kind of furnace. To render it suitable for the furnaces
or grates of locomotives for consuming common fuel, it requires to be placed
on a frame with trunnions, so as to cause it to swing for removing the fire, or
enabling it to be cleaned without being taken down.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself
to the exact construction of the grate as herein described, reserving the right
to modify the same; but what I claim as my Invention, and desire to be
secured by Letters Patent is, the peculiar construction and arrangement of
furnace and other grates with recessed fire-bars, as herein-before described
and represented in the Figures of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said Jean Baptiste Fondu, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. BTB. FONDU.
Ingénieur.