IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR FIRE- DLACES AND IN THE FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREIN."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Robertson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR FIRE-
DLACES AND IN THE FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
October 1866.
I, JAMES ROBERTSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES OR
FIRE-PLACES, AND IN THE FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in furnaces or fire-places and fire-
bars, and has for its object the consumption of the smoke and gases arising
from the fuel, also the protection or preservation of the fire-bars.
In carrying out this Invention I employ a plate or slab of fire-clay or iron
having perforations through it, and placed at the back of or on the fire-bars
and resting on fire-bricks at both ends. This plate extends across the whole
width of the furnace, and is open at the bottom to admit uir from the ash-pit
or from a tube extending from the front of the ash-pit to the back of it. A
series of tubes of fire-clay or iron are made to fit into the perforations in the
plate, such tubes being open at the bottom to admit the air passing through
the perforated plate. The tops of these tubes extend to or near to the bottom.
of the boiler, they also. being provided with small perforations in the-sides

page_text: towards the flue from the top to the bottom for the air to pass through them
in that direction so as not to obstruct but rather to assist or increase the
draught. The action of the fire on these tubes heats them to a high degree,
and consequently heats the air passing through the small perforations in them,
and as none of the smoke or gases can pass away into the flue without coming
into contact with the divided currents of highly heated air from the tubes the
consumption of smoke and other inflammable gaseous products of combustion
is effected. The action of the cold air inside the tubes preserves them from
being burned, and after the smoke or other gases are consumed the hot air
from the small perforations will assist in keeping up the steam. I also propose
when there are many furnaces to bring the whole of the smoke or gases into
one flue, and at the most suitable part before entering the chimney to cause
the smoke or gases to pass through a highly heated furnace, and when in a
highly heated state to pass between the tubes and be brought into contact
with the heated air issuing from the small perforations therein, whereby the
smoke and gases are consumed, and when consumed the heat from them may
be applied to any useful purpose. I also propose that the fire-bars be made
hollow and open throughout their length and width, and of the form of a
wedge, being wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and made of either
cast or malleable iron. I further employ wedges made of fire-clay or cast
iron of lengths that practice will find to answer best; in order to fill up the
hollow space in the bars, such wedges having perforations through them, or
grooves in their sides to admit air through them from the hollow in the bars,
independently of the usual way of admitting the air between the bars. These
wedges are to be made to stand higher than the bars, so that the fuel will rest
upon them and not touch the bars, and when any of the wedges are burned
away they can be easily removed and replaced by others, thus saving the bars
from any action of the fire, so that they always remain entire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the s
8th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBERTSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord 3
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,

page_text: lid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Robertson, Her special license that I, the said James Robertson,
by executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Robertson, my executors, administrators, or 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 FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES, AND IN THE FIRE-BARS TO BE USED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Robertson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 James Robertson, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in furnaces or fire-places and
fire-bars, and has for its object the consumption of the smoke and gases
arising from the fuel, also the protection or preservation of the fire-bars.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a plate or slab of fire-clay or iron
having perforations through it and placed at the back of or on the fire-bars,
and resting on fire-bricks at both ends. This plate extends across the whole
width of the furnace, and is open at the bottom to admit air from the ash-pit
or from a tube extending from the front of the ash-pit to the back of it. A
series of tubes of fire-clay or iron are made to fit into the perforations in the
plate, such tubes being open at the bottom to admit the air passing through
the perforated plate. The tops of these tubes extent to or near to the bottom
of the boiler, they also being provided with small perforations in the sides
towards the flue from the top to the bottom for the air to pass through them
in that direction, so as not to obstruct but rather to assist or increase the
draught. The action of the fire on these tubes heats them to a high degree,
and consequently heats the air passing through the small perforations in them,
and as none of the smoke or gases can pass away into the flue without coming
into contact with the divided currents of highly heated air from the tubes the
consumption of smoke and other inflammable gascous products-of-combustion

page_text: is effected. The action of the cold air inside the tubes-preserves them from
being burned, and after the smoke or other gases are consumed the hot air
from the small perforations will assist in keeping up the steam. I also
propose when there are many furnaces to bring the whole of the smoke or
gases into one flue, and at the most suitable part before entering the chimney
to cause the smoke or gases to pass through a highly heated furnace, and when
in a highly heated state to pass between the tubes and be brought into contact
with the heated air issuing from the small perforations therein, whereby the
smoke and gases are consumed, and when consumed the heat from them may
be applied to any useful purpose. I also propose that the fire-bars be made
hollow and open throughout their length and width, and of the form of a
wedge, being wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and made of either
cast or malleable iron. I further employ wedges made of fire-clay or cast
iron of lengths that practice will find to answer best in order to fill up the
hollow space in the bars, such wedges having perforations through them, or
grooves in their sides, to admit air through them from the hollow in the bars
independently of the usual way of admitting the air between the bars. These
wedges are to be made to stand higher than the bars, so that the fuel will rest
upon them and not touch, and when any of the wedges are burned away they
can be easily removed and replaced by others, thus saving the bars from any
action of the fire, so that they always remain entire.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a steam
boiler furnace with my improvements attached; Figure 2 is a corresponding
transverse vertical section of the same; and Figures 3 and 4 represent
respectively a side and end elevation of my improved compound grate bars
for furnaces.
A is the furnace; B, a plate made of fire-clay or metal, and having per-
forations through it, and placed at the back of or on the bars, and resting
on fire-brick walls C at both ends. It extends across the whole width of the
furnace or flue, and is open at the bottom, so as to admit air from the ash-pit,
or from a tube extending from the front of the ash-pit to the back of it;
D, D, are tubes made of iron or fire-clay, and fitted into the perforations in
the plate B. These tubes (one of which is shown partly in section) are open
at the bottom to admit the air to pass through the perforations in the plate B

page_text: into the tubes D. The tops of the tubes D extend to or near to the bottom of
the boiler, and are further provided with small perforations of any form in the
sides towards the flue, or all around if required from top to bottom for the air
to pass through them. The action of the fire on the tubes D heats them to a
5 high degree, and consequently heats the air passing through the small per-
forations in them, and as none of the smoke or gases can pass away into the
flue without coming into contact with the small currents of highly heated
air from the tubes D the consumption or abatement of smoke or other
gases then takes place, and the action of the cold air inside the tubes D
preserves them from being burned, and even. after the smoke or other gases.
are consumed the hot air from the small perforations will assist in keeping up
steam. I also propose that where there are many furnaces that all the smoke
.or gases be brought into one flue, and that at the most suitable part before
entering the chimney all the smoke or gases shall pass through a highly
heated furnace, and when in a highly heated state shall pass between the
tubes D and be brought into contact with the heated air issuing from the
small perforations in them for their consumption, and when consumed the heat
may be applied to any useful purpose. I also propose that the fire-bars a, a,
Figures 3 and 4, be made hollow and open throughout their entire length
and width, and of the form of a wedge, that is to say, wide at the top and
narrow at the bottom, and composed either of cast or malleable iron.
Wedges b, b, made of fire-clay or iron of lengths that practice will find to
answer best to fill up all the hollow spaces in the bars a, and having grooves
in their sides or perforations made through their centre to admit air through
them from the hollow in the bars independently of the usual way of admitting
the air between the bars. These wedges are made to project above the surface
of the bars, so that the fuel will rest upon them and not touch the bars, and when
any of the wedges are burned away they can be easily removed and replaced
by others, thus protecting the bars from any action of the fire, so that they
always remain entire. In some flues or furnaces it may be found necessary
to place the tubes D horizontally instead of perpendicularly, or they may be
placed in any other position that will best suit the form of flue or furnaces.
In some instances the tubes D which may be of any desired form may be
perforated all round.
Having now described and particularly ascertain the nature of my said
Invention; and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am aware that various plans
have been proposed for admitting hot. air into furnaces, and that therefore I
ay no claim to such admission of air;-but what I consider to be novel.and

page_text: original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the combination of the perforated. tubes D and plate B, arranged.
and operating substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the bringing, the smoke and gases from a series of. furnaces and
passing them through a separate furnace common to the lot, provided with the
perforated tubes D and plate B, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Third, the combination with hollow fire-bars of wedges 6 of fire-brick,
metal, or other suitable material, provided or not with grooves, channels, or
perforations, as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by
my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Robertson, have to this my Speci-
fication hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.