IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Toop, of Bournemouth, in the County
of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE BARS.".
A communication from abroad by Charles Toope, of the City,
County, and State of New York. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Toop at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1875.
I, ROBERT TOOP, of Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE
BARS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a grate bar composed of two side flanges,
which are connected by a series of corrugated traverses at the top, and
by two or more similar corrugated traverses below; the upper traverses
being close together, so as to form a good and even surface for the fuel

page_text: without preventing the passage of air in such manner that a grate bar
is obtained which is capable of expanding and contracting without the
liability of cracking. The lower traverses simply serve to steady the
side flanges and to retain them in the proper relation towards each other.
On the outer surfaces of the side flanges are formed a series of lugs, the
lugs on one side being situated opposite the spaces between the lugs
on the opposite side. In the middle are two lugs, which are situated
close together, leaving a space which is opposite to the middle lug on
the opposite side, so that when two grate bars are placed side by side
the middle lug of one bar will catch between the lugs of the adjoining
bar, and if the end support of one bar should burn off said bar will be
sustained in the proper position by the adjoining bars. At the same
time the lugs of one bar bear against the side flanges of the adjoining
bars, and thereby all the bars are firmly retained in position; and the
side flanges are prevented from warping.
The front end of each bar is made inclined, with a flat bottom
surface and a sharp edge, the front end of the bar being connected with
the first corrugated traverse by corrugated ribs, which run in the
direction of the side flanges, so that the introduction of the fuel is
facilitated, and that the fire-bar or poker can be readily inserted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Toop in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
Toop, of Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Toop, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Toop, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Robert Toop, my executors, administrators,

page_text: 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 FURNACE BARS," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Toope, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Toop, 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 Robert Toop, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
This Invention consists in a grate bar composed of two side flanges,
which are connected by a series of corrugated traverses at the top, and
by two or more similar corrugated traverses below; the upper traverses
being close together, so as to form a good and even surface for the fuel
without preventing the passage of the air in such a manner that a grate
bar is obtained which is capable of expanding and contracting without
the liability of cracking.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a perspective view,
showing the side, top, and front end; and Figure 2 represents the under
side of the furnace bar.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the two Figures.
The grate bar is composed of two side flanges a, a, connected at
the top by a series of traverses b, b, and below by two (or more)
traverses c, c. All these traverses are corrugated, as shown in Figure 1
of the Drawing, so that the grate bar can freely expand or contract

page_text: without danger of cracking. The upper traverses b, b, are close together,
leaving narrow air spaces between them, so that they present an even
surface for the fuel without obstructing the passage of the air to the fire.
The lower traverses c, c, simply serve to steady the side flanges and to
retain them in the proper relation toward each other. On the outer
surfaces of the side flanges a, a, are formed a series of lugs e, f; the
lugs e on one side being situated opposite the spaces between the lugs f
on the opposite side. In the middle are two lugs e, e, which are situated
close together, leaving a space which is opposite to the middle lug ƒ on
the opposite side, so that when two grate bars are placed side by side
the middle lug ƒ of one bar will catch between the lugs e, e, of the
adjoining bar, and if the end support of one bar should burn off said bar
will be sustained in the proper position by the adjoining bars. At the
same time the lugs e, f, of one bar bear against the side flanges of the
adjoining bars, and thereby all the bars are firmly retained in position
and the side flanges are prevented from warping. The front end g of
each bar is made inclined, with a flat bottom surface and a sharp edge h,
the front end of the bar being connected with the first corrugated
traverse by corrugated ribs i, which run in the direction of the side
flanges a, a, so that the introduction of the fuel is facilitated, and that
the fire-bar or poker can be readily inserted. By these means a grate
bar is obtained, which can be made comparatively light, which is not
liable to warp or crack, and which [allows the air to pass freely to the
fire, while the currents of air passing up between the corrugated
traverses and the side flanges serve to keep the same comparatively
cool, so as to prevent them from burning.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination in a grate bar for furnaces of the side flanges
a, a, the upper series of corrugated traverses b, b, and the lower series
of corrugated traverses c, c, for steadying and strengthening the side
flanges, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination in a furnace grate bar of the side flanges a, a,

page_text: the first traverse 6 by means of the longitudinal ribs i, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Toop, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 28th day of October, in the year of our Lord
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.