IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FUEL TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, FIRE-BARS, AND GRATE SURFACES FOR SUCH FURNACES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Lacy at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1877.
HENRY LACY, of Hebden Bridge, in the County of York, Cotton Spinner_and
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FUEL
TO STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES,
FIRE-BARS, AND GRATE SURFACES FOR SUCH FURNACES."
I construct self-acting mechanism for feeding fuel to steam boiler and other
furnaces by mounting several series of fire-bars in a furnace upon rocking bars, as
herein-after described.
I take a set of short fire-bars, and mount them side by side in a furnace, with
their front extremities resting upon a transverse rocking bar extending from one
side of the furnace to the other, and I cause the back extremities of these fire-bars
to rest upon the front extremities of a second set of similar fire-bars mounted further
in the furnace in a similar manner to the first set, but at a slightly lower level.
Several series of such fire-bars may thus occupy the grate surface of the furnace,
each succeeding series being at a lower level than the preceding series.
The rocking bars herein-before mentioned have a suitable rocking motion imparted
to them by means of cranks and connecting rods, worked by any convenient motive
power, and this motion causes each alternate series of fire-bars to reciprocate back-
wards and forwards in opposite directions, thereby causing the fuel resting upon
such fire-bars to pass from off one series of fire-bars on to the next series, and
thus gradually to approach the bridge end of the furnace, where having become
exhausted of its heat-producing properties such fuel falls down into a cavity in front
of the bridge, and may thence be removed through a suitable opening or doorway
communicating with the ash-pit. The fuel is supplied to the furnace through a
suitable hopper..
My improvement in bridges for furnaces, which is especially applicable to the
furnace herein-before described, wherein a cavity is formed between the back
extremity of the fire-bars and the bridge, consists in so constructing a perforated bridge
of fire-clay, fire-brick, or other suitable refractory material that it shall entirely fill
up the flue, and whereby the products of combustion shall be compelled to pass
[Price 2d.1

page_text: through highly heated perforations or channels, and thus become more perfectly con-
sumed before reaching the chimney.
This Invention further relates to improvements in fire-bars suitable for the self-
acting feeding mechanism for furnaces herein-before described, and applicable also to
other fire-bars for furnaces, and consists in constructing such bars of fire-clay,
plumbago, or other suitable refractory material, whereby greater durability is
obtained; or instead of taking the form of fire-bars, I sometimes employ blocks or slabs
of similar material supported in a suitable metallic framework, such blocks being pro-
vided or perforated with suitable air passages or openings, and thus constituting an
efficient grate surface for steam boiler and other furnaces.