Im- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Plummer, of No. 6, Church Row,
Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES."
Sealed the 25th September 1874, and dated the 31st March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Plummer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st March 1874.
I, JOHN PLUMMER, of No. 6, Church Row, Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
" IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," to be as
follows:-
for
The object of the Invention is to avoid accumulation of clinker on the
bars, and thereby to keep the bars clear and free for the passage of air
between them.
In carrying out my Invention the upper surfaces of the respective
bars are formed with teeth of the character of saw teeth, or with the

page_text: teeth of each separate bar inclined all in one direction, but the bars are
applied so that the teeth of the alternate bars incline in an opposite
direction. The bars are supported at there ends on pins or otherwise
upon rocking bars which are supported on rollers or other guides, and
have an alternate endway or rocking motion given to them by means of
cranks and connecting rods or by other suitable means, so that by the
bars being together caused alternately to incline somewhat, first in one
and then in an opposite direction, the teeth of adjoining bars are
alternately caused to approach and then to recede one set from the
other, whereby any clinker formed on them is at once crushed and
broken up..
Studs or projections are formed on alternate bars to act against tho
intermediate ones and serve to preserve the spacing of them.
Motion to the crank axis or other mover is obtained from the steam
engine or other power.
The bars may have simply endway motion given to them by one end
of each of the alternate bars being connected to or operated by a rocking
or rolling bar at one end of them, and the intermediate bars by another
rocking or rolling bar. These rocking or rolling bars are operated for
the purpose by means of arms or levers and suitable crank or other
gear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Plummer in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1874.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PLUMMER, of No. 6, Church Row, Wandsworth, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Plummer, Her special
license that I, the said John Plummer, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John. Plummer, my .exc
:

page_text: cutors, 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 STEAM BOILER AND OTHER FURNACES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Plummer, my exccutors 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 the said John Plummer, 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 (that is to say):
The object of the Invention is to avoid accumulation of clinker on tho
bars, and thereby to keep the bars clear and free for the passage of air
between them.
In carrying out my Invention the upper surfaces of the respective
bars are formed with teeth of the character of saw teeth, or with the
teeth of cach separate bar inclined all in one direction, but the bars are
applied so that the direction of the teeth of each bar incline in an
opposite direction to those of the next adjoining bar. The bars are
supported at their ends on pins or otherwise upon rocking bars whichi
arc supported on rollers or other guides, and have an alternate endway
or rocking motion given to them by means of cranks and connecting rods
or by other suitable means, so that by the bars being together caused
alternately to incline somewhat, first in one and then in an opposite
direction, the teeth of adjoining bars are alternately caused to approach
and then to recede one set from the other, whereby any clinker formed
on them is at once crushed and broken up.
Studs or projections are formed on alternate bars to act against tho
intermediate ones, and serve to preserve the correct spacing of them.
Motion to the crank axis or other mover is obtained from the steam

page_text: Figure 1 shews an end view; Figure 2, a side sectional view, and
Figure 3, a plan of an arrangement of fire-bars and parts acting
therewith according to my Invention.
Figures 4, 5, and 6; shew separately by plan view, side view, and
under side view one of the alternate bars a; and Figures 7 and 8 show
by plan and side views one of the intermediate bars b. It will be scen
by these Figures that the teeth of the adjoining fire-bars are inclined in
opposite directions.
.
In each of these Figures the same letters are employed to indicate
corresponding parts.
a and b are the fire-bars which are each formed with teeth a' and b¹ on
their upper surface, but whilst the teeth of the bars a incline in one
direction the teeth of the bars incline in the opposite direction. The
bars a arc
formed with studs or projections a² at their sides, which by
bearing against the sides of the bars serve to maintain the correct
relative distance apart of the respective bars a and b. Both bars a and b
are on their under sides formed with somewhat clongated recesses a³, U³
for the purpose of receiving within them the studs or projections c', c¹,
standing up from the surface of the supporting bars c, c, when the
bars a and bare placed in position for use. These supporting bars c, c;
are supported on rollers d, d, so that they may be capable of endway
motion, and the endway motion desired is given to them in opposite
directions by means of cranks e', e¹, formed on the crank shaft c, which
is supported with capability of revolving in suitable bearings, and which
has the desired rotary motion given to it by a tooth wheel affixed thereon
actuated by a worm wheel, or the motion may be otherwise given from

page_text: the steam engine or by other suitable power. The cranks c¹ are
connected to the respective bars c, c, by connecting rods f, f, by one end
of each connecting rod fembracing a crank e¹, and the other a stud c³ on
the respective bars c.
In place of cranks other means may be employed to give the desired
motion to the respective bars c in opposite directions. When any such
motion is imparted to the bars c, c, it will be evident that whilst tho
general surface of the bars a and b will be preserved in a horizontal
direction, the respective bars will be in constant motion from inclining
to the sides of the furnace in one direction at one time to that in tho
opposite direction at another, and so on alternately, and it will be
evident that in such motions the teeth of adjoining bars will be alternately
approaching and then receding from each other, by which adhesion of
the fuel or clinker to the bars will be avoided, and the surface of the fuck
next the bars will be kept clear.
Figure 9 shows an edge view; Figure 10, a sectional view, and
Figure 11, a plan view of a modification of my Invention, in which the
motions to the respective bars are simply in directions transverse to the
sides of the fire-place; and these motions to the respective bars in
opposite directions are effected by the supporting bars g, g, in this case
being themselves supported in suitable bearings with capability of their
rocking therein as indicated by Figure 9.
:
Figures 12 and 13 shew by plan and side views one of the bars a,
and Figures 14 and 15 shew corresponding views of one of the bars b
employed with this modification. The bars g are each formed with a
fin g' on which the ends of the bars a and b rest. The bars a in this
case are formed with recesses a³ on their under sides at once end of them
to receive the fin g₁ of one of the bars g, whilst the under side of the
opposite endss of these bars aº is formed simply to slide on the fin g¹ of
the other supporting bar g. The bars are similarly formed on their
under side, but that the recesses b' and corresponding parts 60 are formed
at the opposite ends of them to what they are in the bars a, so that as
the rocking motion is imparted to the bars g the bars & will have to-and-
fro endway motion given to them, and the bars 6 will have like motion
given to them but in opposite directions. k, k, are side plates applied to
cover the spaces left by the traverse of the respective bars a and b. As
shown rocking motion is given to the bars in opposite directions by
arms applied thereto, being-connected together by a link h, and thence

page_text: by the arm
and link j to a crank pin i, so that as rotary motion is
imparted to the axis of the crank pin i, the desired rocking motion to.
the bars g, g, will be obtained, but this may be varied. By these means
amongst other advantages considerable saving of fuel and economy of
fire-bars will be effected with more equal distribution of heat over the
whole surface of the bars..
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the particular shape or form of teeth shown so long as
such teeth are inclined and are arranged on the respective bars to act in
the motions of such bars in opposite directions, nor do I confine myself to
other of the arrangements of parts as shown and described, but what I
do claim is, the arranging or combining parts of steam boiler and other
furnaces, whereby the bars may have motion given to them in opposito
directions, so that the action of the teeth of the respective bars with
cach other may be to prevent the accumulation of clinker or its adhesion
to the surface of such bars, and thereby keep them clear and free for the
passage of air between them, substantially as described..
In witness whereof, I, the said John Plummer, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this. Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.