IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew West and John Robinson, both of Wickham.
Market, in the County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN."
Sealed the 6th July 1860, and dated the 12th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said, Andrew West and John
Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 12th January 1860.
We, ANDREW WEST and JOHN ROBINSON, both of Wickham Market, in the
County of Suffolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to form a revolving grate to a self-acting
furnace, that shall economise space, consume its own smoke, and prevent an
accumulation of ashes or clinkers on the bars; also for apparatus connected
with a hopper for crushing the coal or other fuel as it passes into the furnace;
likewise for a carriage or apparatus to lift or carry the grate and fix it in its.
place, or remove the same when required.
Our Invention consists in forming a revolving bed of bars placed transversely,
and so arranged that while revolving round two shafts or rollers placed one at

page_text: each end of the furnace, and supported by rollers or bearers on an iron frame,
the fuel passes along it, and is consumed or partially consumed before it
reaches the end, a small portion of the fuel being left in an incandescent state,
which destroys any smoke that may arise from the fresh fuel as it enters the
furnace.
The bars of the grate are made seperately, and laid side by side across
the furnace; they are connected together by snugs cast or fitted on the ends
of the bars, each snug having a hole, and made to lap one over the other to
receive an iron rod with head at one end and nut and screw at the other to
connect the whole together, so as to form one continuous revolving bed or
grating.
The several bars are fitted into and revolve round the cog wheels or
rollers placed one at each end of the furnace, and bearing wheels or rollers are
placed under the bed or grating to support it in its passage.
Motion is given to the revolving grate by means of a belt pulley fixed on a
shaft supported by brackets, and attached to one side of the furnace. An
endless screw is formed on the shaft, and is made to work a cog wheel, the shaft
of which turns another endless screw, which acts upon another cog wheel; the
shaft of the latter cog wheel turns the wheel or roller fixed at the end of the
grate, and thereby revolves the bed of bars or grating, or the motive power
may be given by any other known or ordinary means. The under edge of the
ends of the bars are reduced so as to form a shoulder, and the part between
the shoulders drops down and works between the cogs of the end wheels or
rollers herein-before described.
The furnace is supplied with fuel by means of a hopper, and may be made
with rollers for crushing the coal, coke, or other-fuel-used, and the motion may
be given to the said rollers-by-a-belt-pulley-or-other_known_or_ordinary
means. The rollers may sometimes be grooved or fitted with teeth for tho
greater facility of crushing the fuel.
The carriage or apparatus for running the revolving furnace into its place
and lifting it to the height required, or for otherwise removing it, consists of a
tube placed upon one or more pair of wheels; the front end of the tube is
fitted with a screw shaft and double-handed lever, so as to raise or lower the
furnace at pleasure.