IMPROVEMENTS FURNACE BARS, AND IN THE MODE OF ARRANGING AND USING THEM SO AS TO CONSUME SMOKE AND ECONOMIZE FUEL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Gillespie, of Coupland Terrace, Plumstead,
in the County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
FURNACE BARS, AND IN THE MODE OF ARRANGING AND USING THEM SO AS TO
CONSUME SMOKE AND ECONOMIZE FUEL."
Sealed the 9th October 1869. and dated the 13th April 1869.
FROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the sail Walter Gillespie at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1869.
I. WALTER GILLESPIE, of Coupland Terrace, Plumstead, in the County
of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FURNACE BARS, AND IN THE MODE OF ARRANGING AND USING THEM SO AS
TO CONSUME SMOKE AND ECONOMIZE FUEL" to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to that class of fire-bars that are continually
or very frequently set in motion, such as rocking bars employed to break
[Price Su.]

page_text: up or disturb the fuel thereon so as to allow air to pass more freely
through it, and to prevent adhering of clinkers to the fire-bars
Now this Invention consists in causing the fire-bars to rotate on their
respective axes all in one direction simultaneously for the purpose of
breaking up or disturbing the fuel thereon, and conducting it gradually
from the mouth or entrance by which it is fed into the furnace, so that
the green fuel shall be carried towards the bridge of the furnace, at which
part, the fuel being in a highly incandescent state, the gases evolved from
the green fuel near the mouth of the furnace as they pass over the
incandescent portion of the fire shall be consumed, and smoke prevented
or very considerably lessened, and fuel economized.
The following is an example of the construction of the improved bars.
and the mode of arranging and actuating them, that is to say:-I form
all the bars of hollow cylinders or tubes of metal, and into each end
thereof fix a hollow axis and place them out of the centre of the said
tubes, and upon one and the same end of each bar and one axis thereof I
fix a worm wheel gearing all into a long worm or screw extending along
the side of the furnace, to which said screw rotatory motion is to be
imparted by any suitable means, the effect of which is to impart an
excentric rotatory motion to all the bars at the same time in one
direction, namely, towards the bridge of the furnace, the bars being
arranged side by side about ths asunder crosswise of the fire-grate,
instead of lengthwise thereof as heretofore commonly practised, the bars
being all geared into the worm that drives them in the same relative
position to each, so as to leave the same space, between them as they
revolve. By this arrangement the bars receive a compound move-
ment, that is to say, they rise and fall as well as rotate, and thus assist
in breaking up and disturbing the fuel thereon, and at the same time
move it forward. I propose if desirable to conduct water through the
said bars for keeping them cool, the heated water being used to feed the
boiler or for other purposes; or I allow a current of atmospheric air to
pass through the said bars, and such heated air may be employed for
drying or other purposes.
I propose to employ a furnace door of the following construction in
combination with the aforesaid bars:-Instead of making the door flat,
as commonly practised, I form it of a hopper shape open at top and
hinged in front half way down, the bottom edge of such hinged part
resting on the front fire-bar in a line with the centre thereof, so that it is

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Gillespie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTBR
GILLESPIE, of Coupland Terrace, Plumstead, in the County of Kent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hei
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Walter Gillespie, Her special licence,
that I, the said Walter Gillespie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Gillespie, 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
Chann: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACE BARS, AND IN THE MODE OF ARRANGING AND USING THEM 8 AS TO CONSUME
SMOKE AND ECONOMIZE FUEL," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the
said Walter Gillespie, 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 Walter Gillespie, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to that class of fire-bars that are continually
or very frequently set in motion such as rocking bare employed to break

page_text: up or disturb the fuel thereon so as to allow air to pass more freely
through it, and to prevent adhering of olinkers to the fire-bars.
Now this Invention consists in causing the fire-bars to rotate on their
respective axes all in one direction simultaneously for the purpose of
breaking up or disturbing the fuel thereon, and conducting it gradually
from the mouth or entrance by which it is fed into the furnace, so that
the green fuel shall be carried towards the bridge of the furnace, at
which part, the fuel being in a highly incandescent state, the gases
evolved from the green fuel near the mouth of the furnace as they pass
over the incandescent portion of the fire shall be consumed, and smoke
prevented or very considerably lessened, and fuel economized.
The following is an example of the construction of the improved bars,
and the mode of arranging and actuating them, that is to say:-I form
all the bars of hollow cylinders or tubes of metal, and into each end
thereof fix a hollow axis and place them out of the centre of the said
tubes, and upon one and the same end of each bar and one axis thereof
I fix a worm wheel gearing all into a long worm or screw extending
along the side of the furnace, to which said screw rotatory motion is to
be imparted by any suitable means, the effect of which is to impart an
excentric rotatory motion to all the bars at the same time in one
direction, namely, towards the bridge of the furnace, the bars being
arranged side by side about ths asunder crosswise of the fire-grate,
instead of lengthwise thereof as heretofore commonly practised, the
bars being all geared into the worm that drives them in the same
relative position to each, so as to leave the same space between them
as they revolve. By this arrangement the bars receive a compound
movement, that is to say, they rise and fall as well as rotate, and thus
assist in breaking up and disturbing the fuel thereon, and at the same
time move it forward. I propose, if desirable, to conduct water through
the said bars for keeping them cool, the heated water being used to
feed the boiler or for other purposes; or I allow a current of atmospheric
air to pass through the said bars, and such heated air may be employed
for drying or other purposes.
I propose to employ a furnace door of the following construction in
combination with the aforesaid bars:-Instead of making the door flat,
as commonly practised, I form it of a hopper shape open at top and
hinged in front half way down, the bottom edge of such hinged part
resting on the front fire-bar in a line with the centre thereof, so that it

page_text: is always in contact therewith as this bar rotates. The top of the hopper
may be enclosed by a lid if necessary.
And in order to explain this Invention more completely, I now pro-
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet
of Drawings accompanying these presents, and to the numeral figures
and letters of reference marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a smelting furnace shewing
my improved bars adapted thereto; Figure 2 is a front elevation of
Figure 1; Figure 3, a longitudinal and vertical section through the
line A, B, at Figure 2. The above Figures are drawn to a scale of
one inch to a foot.
Figure 4 is a top plan view drawn enlarged shewing the manner
of arranging and actuating my improved bars; Figure 5, an end
elevation of Figure 4, drawn full size; Figure 6, a section through the
ne C, D, at Figure 5; Figure 7, side elevation of bracket, hereafter
referred to.
At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters
of reference to denote corresponding parts wherever they appear at each
of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, mark hollow fire-bars; B, the axes thereof on which they
revolve; C, C, worm wheels fixed to or formed on one end of the
bars A; D, a long spindle supported at one end by the standard E,
and by the front of the furnace at the other end; D I are worms fixed
on D; G, the bridge of the furnace; H, the furnace door, the con-
struction of which is as follows:-I, I, are plates or cheeks of metal
fixed to the front of the furnace; the swing plate or door H is pivotted
to the plates I at a, a; L, a rod carrying a bent lever M for lifting the
door H when necessary.
Figure 7 shews form of bracket to be used in boiler furnaces.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
my said Invention for "Improvements in Furnace Bars, and in the
Mode of Arranging and Using them so as to Consume Smoke and
Economise Fuel," together with the best means I am acquainted with
for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion
that I am aware of hollow fire-bars having heretofore been employed

page_text: in furnaces, and used for heating the feed water of boilers; I do not
therefore claim as my Invention constructing fire-bars hollow, except
when they are made and used in the manner and for the purposes above
described and represented by the Drawing; and I hereby declare my
Invention to consist in and I claim, constructing and operating furnace
bars in the manner above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Gillespie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WALTER GILLESPIE. (L.S.)