IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE GRATES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stratford, of Leyton, in the County of
Essex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACE
GRATES."
Sealed the 11th July 1873, and dated the 27th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stratford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1878.
I, WILLIAM STRATFORD, of Leyton, in the County of Essex, En-
gineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FURNACE GRATES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to produce a simple and efficient
furnace grate, whereby the burning fuel shall be kept constantly though
slightly stirred and furnished with a good supply of air properly diffused
so as to prevent the formation of clinker, and to ensure the more
thorough combustion of the fuel. To this end I employ an improved
bar, which I construct with a number of holes or perforations of any
convenient form passing vertically upward through the head of the bar
at each side of its web or feather, and on the table or upper surface of

page_text: the bar, between these holes or perforations, I form a chamfered or
bevelled rib, fillet, or projection with lateral branches which project
laterally beyond the side of the bar, so as to partly overlap the surfaces
of the neighbouring bars on either side. I arrange the bars side by side,
so that the lateral projections of the one bar work between the lateral
projections of the bars next to it at each side, and I communicate a
to-and-fro motion to the bars, each bar moving in the contrary direction
to its neighbours, so that the lateral projections of each bar are caused
to move slowly backwards and forwards over the sides of the surfaces or
tables of its neighbours between their lateral projections, thereby con- 1
stantly stirring the burning fuel, to which air is admitted through the
holes or perforations in the bars themselves and through the spaces
between them. For giving the necessary motion to the bars I prefer to
use rocking bearers which may be actuated by a connecting rod from a
crank or otherwise, such rocking bearers being formed or provided with 1
arms or projections taking into suitably formed recesses in the ends of
the bars, so as to give them the necessary to-and-fro motion, each in a
contrary direction to its neighbours, without raising or lowering the ends
of the bars.
It will be obvious that various forms of bars may be constructed with :
lateral projections projecting outwards from their upper parts, as
described and arranged, to move to and fro, so that the lateral pro-
jections of each bar shall overlap the surfaces of the neighbouring bars,
as and for the purpose above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Stratford in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STRATFORD, of Leyton, in the County of Essex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Stratford, Her special

page_text: license that I, the said William Stratford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Stratford, 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
FURNACE GRATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Stratford, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the samo to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
が
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Stratford, 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 thereof, and the Sheet of Drawings therein referred
to (that is to say) :—
My Invention has for its object to produce a simple and efficient
furnace grate whereby the burning fuel shall be kept constantly though
slightly stirred and furnished with a good supply of air properly diffused
so as to prevent the formation of clinker, and to ensure the more
thorough combustion of the fuel. To this end I employ an improved
bar, which I construct with a number of holes or perforations of any
convenient form passing vertically upwards through the head of the bar
at each side of its web or feather, and on the table or upper surface of
the bar, between these holes or perforations, I form a chamfered or
bevilled rib, fillet, or projection with lateral branches which project
laterally beyond the sides of the bar, so as to partly overlap the surfaces
of the neighbouring bars on either side. I arrange the bars side by side
so that the lateral projections of the one bar work between the lateral
projections of the bars next to it at each side, and I communicate a
to-and-fro motion to the bars, each bar moving in the contrary direction
to its neighbours, so that the lateral projections of each bar are caused
to move slowly backwards and forwards over the sides of the surfaces or
tables of its neighbours, between their lateral projections, thereby con-
stantly stirring the burning fuel, to which air is admitted through the

page_text: holes or perforations in the bars themselves, and through the spaces
between them. For giving the necessary motion to the bars I prefer to
use rocking or partially rotating bearers, which may be actuated by a
connecting rod from a crank or otherwise, such bearers being formed or
provided with arms or projections taking into suitably formed recesses 5
in the ends of the bars so as to give them the necessary to-and-fro
motion each in a contrary direction to its neighbours, without raising or
lowering the ends of the bars.
It will be obvious that various forms of bars may be constructed with
lateral projections projecting outwards from their upper parts, as 1
described and arranged, to move to and fro, so that the lateral projec-
tions of each bar shall overlap the surfaces of the neighbouring bars, as
and for the purpose above mentioned.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section
of part of a Cornish boiler, shewing the application of my Invention; 1
Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation.
Each of the bars a¹, a³, a³, a', a³, a³, a', is formed with holes 6 through
its head. At each side of the web or feather c, and on the table or
upper surface of the bar, between the holes b, is a chamfered or bevilled
rib, fillet, or projection d, with lateral branches e which project laterally 2
beyond the sides of the bar so as to partly overlap the surfaces of the
neighbouring bars on either side, and to work between their corre-
The bars rest at their rear
sponding lateral projections e, as shewn.
ends on a bearer ƒ capable of partial rotation, and formed or provided
with arms or projections 9 taking into suitable recesses or openings in 2
the ends of the alternate bars a³, a', aª. The front ends of the bars rest
upon another partially rotating bearer h, whose arms or projections i take
into recesses or openings in the other alternate bars a¹, a³, a³, a³, as
shewn. The web of the bar a' is connected by a rod k to an arm / of
the bearer h, which receives motion through the rod m from a cranked &
shaft n actuated by a worm o and wheel p, to which motion may be
given by a strap and pulley, or in any other convenient way.
It will be obvious that as the worm is rotated in the direction indicated
by the arrow, each bearer will be caused to partially rotate alternately in
opposite directions, and the bars a³, a³, a³, a³, will be moved by the arms;
or projections ; in a direction contrary to that of the movement imparted
by the arms or projections g to the bars a³, a, a, so that each bar will

page_text: be caused to move slowly backwards and forwards in the contrary direction
to the adjoining bars, its lateral projections moving over the sides of
their surfaces or tables between their lateral projections, thereby con-
stantly but gently stirring the burning fuel, removing the dust, and
preventing clinker.
The speed at which the bars must travel will naturally vary more or
less according to the character of the fuel, and should be such as to
remove all dust without violently agitating the fuel.
Having described the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements
in Furnace Grates," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into practical effect, I hereby declare that what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction
and arrangement of furnace grates, as herein-before described, I claim
particularly constructing the bars with ribs, fillets, or projections d
having lateral branches e projecting laterally beyond the sides of the
bars so as to partly overlap and move over the surfaces of the neigh-
bouring bars, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stratford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.