Improvements in or relating to Mechanical Fire Bars for Furnaces.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 10th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 184
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mechanical Fire Bars for Furnaces.
I, LAURA BIDDLE of Rose Villa, Wigston Fields, in the County of Leicester,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to mechanical fire bars for furnaces, and is designed
principally with a view of preventing clinkers forming on any part of the bars.
In some forms of mechanical fire bars, the latter are rocked in such a manner as
to have practically a dead centre so that a portion of the material is not shifted or
only very slightly by the moving of the bars and at this part clinkering, and
imperfect combustion takes place.
According to my invention I provide for raising and lowering either alternately
or simultaneously each alternate fire bar so that the whole of the material thereon
is constantly in motion, clinking prevented and a free passage of air allowed
through each and all of the said bars.
I may either raise the bars alternately or simultaneously at opposite ends which
is preferable or alternately at the same end if desired.
By raising the bars at opposite ends as mentioned there is no dead centre, and as
a consequence the material upon the whole surface of the bars is shifted more or
less at each movement of the bars, and clinkering thereby prevented.
By raising the ends of one set of bars as the set of alternate bars is lowering
any clinkers getting between the same are ground into small portions.
My improved fire bar may rest upon two shafts under opposite ends thereof, the
said shafts being provided with projections cams, wipers, or equivalents to raise
the bars alternately at opposite ends as before described.
To raise the said bars alternately from the same end, only one of the said shafts
may be provided with projections, cams or wipers for that purpose.
The operation of the bars may be effected through the medium of suitable
connecting rods and a lever or other mechanism to operate the same.
The said lever may extend to the front part of the bars or furnace so as to be
readily manipulated by the stoker or attendant.
Dated this 10th day of November 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mechanical Fire Bars for Furnaces.
I, LAURA BIDDLE of Nottingham Villa, Knighton Fields Road, Leicester,
(late of Rose Villa, Wigston Fields, Leicester) do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to mechanical fire bars for furnaces and embodies
improvements in the construction thereof as hereinafter fully described.
In some forms of fire bars every alternate bar is fixed or stationary and the
remaining alternate bars are centrally supported on a shaft and rocked thereon,

page_text: "
In fire bars of this construction there is always what may be termed a "dead"
centre at the part where the bars are centrally supported and at this part the
material being burnt is not shifted so that imperfect combustion takes place and
clinkers are formed.
The object of the present invention is to secure a better combustion and prevent
clinkers by moving or rocking the whole of the bars, by forming them into
preferably two sets of alternate bars and raising and lowering them from near their
ends so that there is no "dead centre and the whole of the fire or material being
burnt is displaced or shifted by the action of the bars thereby obtaining improved
combustion and preventing clinkering as described.
According to my invention one set of alternate bars may be raised and the
remaining set of alternate bars may be lowered simultaneously from the same end
or the sets of alternate bars may be raised or lowered simultaneously or alternately
at opposite ends.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description
in reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire bar constructed in accordance with one
form of my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, Figure 3 is a plan with a portion of the bars
removed, Figure 4 is an end elevation and Figure 5 a transverse section.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the drawings the bars are shown in a most convenient construction as
arranged in two sets of alternate bars.
The whole of the bars A A¹ are supported on two shafts BB' which have
bearings in the side pieces B' of the framing.
Each of the shafts B B is provided with cams, wipers, projections or their
equivalent C hereinafter referred to as wipers.
The wipers on the shaft B are arranged so as to raise or lower the set of
alternate bars A while the wipers on the other shaft B' are arranged on the
latter (in a line opposite to the spaces between the wipers on the shaft B) so as to
similarly actuate the remaining set of alternate bars A'.
Each of the bars A A¹ is furnished with a lip A' so that the wipers C in their
downward movement will come into contact therewith and ensure each bar being
lowered, when in consequence of the material getting jammed between the bars
the weight of the latter would be insufficient for the purpose.
Each of the shafts BB' is furnished with hangers B' bifurcated to receive
connecting rods D which are secured therein by screw bolts and nuts.
The front ends of the connecting rods D are pivotted at D' to hangers B' on a
shaft E Fig. 4. movably carried in bearings F fixed in the plate G and provided
with a lever H which extends forwardly to the exterior of the furnace and in a
convenient position for the stoker or fireman to manipulate it as desired.
The connecting rods D are attached to the fire bars in such a manner that when
they are moved either in the to or fro direction and the wipers C on the shaft B
are moved in an upward direction to elevate the bars A in contact therewith, the
wipers on the other shaft B' will have an opposite motion i.e. in a downward
direction and the other set of alternate bars A will be lowered thereby.
Although the arrangement shown of raising and lowering the bars by means of
wipers on the two shafts is a most convenient one, yet it is obvious that the whole
of the wipers may be arranged on one of the two shafts for actuating the sets of
alternate bars in the manner hereinbefore referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mechanical fire bar with movable bars the alternate bars of which may be
raised or lowered en masse alternately at the same or opposite ends and means for
raising or lowering the said bars in the manner and for the purpose described.

page_text: 2. A mechanical fire bar with movable bars the alternate bars of which may be
raised or lowered en masse simultaneously at opposite ends and means for raising
or lowering the said bars in the manner and for the purpose described.
3. In a mechanical fire bar with movable bars a shaft or shafts baving wipers or
their equivalents thereon arranged in such a manner as to raise one set of alternate
bars and depress the remaining set of alternate bars in the manner described.
4. In a mechanical fire bar with movable bars the combination of lips such as.
A substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
5. A mechanical fire bar with bars constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1894
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.