IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-BARS, AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL AND CONSUMING SMOKE, APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Erskine, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-BARS, AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL AND
CONSUMING SMOKE, APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Erskine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1869.
I, FRANCIS ERSKINE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-BARS, AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL
AND CONSUMING SMOKE, APPLICABLE TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in forming the fire-bars with a
vertical projection from that end of the bar nearest the bridge of such
height as to come level with the top of the bridge, these vertical
projections being made so that there will be open vertical spaces between
them from the under side of the bar to the top of the projections through

page_text: which air can ascend and get heated in its progress, meeting the
products of combustion at the bridge. The said projections come
within about three inches of the bridge so as to form an air cavity
closed at the top, into which the air enters from below, and from which
it passes through the spaces between the upright projections.
Secondly. My improvements consist in using in cases of bad draught
a sliding plate or damper arranged in the space under the bridge and
actuated by a rod so that a small quantity of air may be admitted from
the ash pit to the back of the bridge when required, also in combining
with the said damper a supplementary bridge in the flue some feet back
from the fire-bridge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Erskine in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
ERSKINE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
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 succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Francis Erskine, Her special
license that I, the said Francis Erksine, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis Erskine, 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 FIRE-BARS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL AND CONSUMING SMOKE
APPLICABLE TO STRAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Francis Erskine, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Erskine, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and the accompanying Drawings
(that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in forming the fire-bars with a vertical
projection from that end of the fire-bar nearest the fire-bridge of such
height as to come level with the top of the fire-bridge, these vertical
projections being made so that there will be open vertical spaces between
them from the under side of the fire-bar to the top of the projections
through which air can ascend and get heated in its progress, meeting
the products of combustion at the fire-bridge. The said projections may
be made to come within about three inches of the fire-bridge so as to
form an air cavity wholly or partially closed at the top, into which the
air may enter from below, and from which it may pass out at the top of
the upright projections through the spaces between the bars. I prefer to
dispense with the air cavity and bring the upright parts upon the ends
of the fire-bars close against the front of the fire-bridge, allowing the
air to be heated by passing up through the spaces left between the webs
of the upright parts of the fire-bars.
In applying my improved fire-bars to the furnaces of locomotive steam
boilers, or to steam boilers having a fire-box and tubes, I make the
vertical projections at the end of the fire-bars come against that side of
the fire-box nearest the ends of the tubes, the projections extending up to
about the level of the lowest tubes or a little below them. I also make
vertical projectionsat those ends of the fire-bars nearest the fire-door to
admit heated air through the spaces between the projections to the
upper part of the fuel, so that in this latter case an upright projection is
formed at both ends of each fire-bar.
Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal section showing one application and
a is the shell of the boiler; a',
arrangement of my improved fire-bars.
the fire-flue; b, the fire-bridge; c, fire-door; d, dead plate; e, cross
bars for carrying the fire-bars; f, the fire-bars, and f¹ the upright
projections; f, a horizontal projection at the top of the upright, which
comes against the front of the fire-bridge, leaving an air cavity a between
the upright and the fire-bridge.

page_text: Fig, 2 shows a longitudinal section similar to that shown by Fig. 1
of my improved fire-bars as I prefer to construct and arrange them, the
horizontal projection f and air cavity being dispened with. A side
view of one of my improved fire-bars is shown by Fig. 3 and an end
view by Fig. 4. It will be seen that a flange f³ is formed upon the
upright on each side of the central web f*, so that when the bars are
placed close together side by side, as shown by the plan view Fig. 5,
the air passing up between the projections cannot escape at the front
of the projections, but only through the spaces (y) between the bars at
the top of the projections. The closing of the spaces between the bars
at the front of the uprights also prevents the fuel from getting into the
air spaces between the webs (f) of the uprights.
Fig. 6 illustrates the application of my improved fire-bars to the
fire-box class of steam boilers, this view being a partial longitudinal
section of a fire-box with my improved fire-bars shown applied.
These fire-bars may be made with an upright projection at each
end; f, represents the additional upright, the front edge of each
upright is flanged upon each side of the web as before explained in
reference to Figs. 3 and 4, except that the flanges do not extend quite
to the top of the upright. This arrangement allows air to pass up and
get heated between the webs of the uprights of the bars, and to escape
in front and above the fuel, and thus to mix with and ignite the gases of
the fuel, the air passing up at the other end of the bars also acting in
like manner, but entering below, the gases passing over to the tubes.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and
the mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention
fire-bars for steam boiler and other furnaces with upright projections
arranged in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Erskine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
FRANCIS ERSKINE. (L.S.)