IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND FIRE-BARS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Annan, of 8, Albert Terrace, Bow, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
AND FIRE-BARS."
Sealed the 19th February 1861, and dated the 8th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Annan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
December 1860.
I, DAVID ANNAN, of 8, Albert Terrace, Bow, in the County of Middlesex?
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FURNACES AND FIRE-BARS," to be as follows:-
.3
This Invention has for its object improvements in furnaces and fire-bars?
For these purposes, when constructing furnaces with transverse bars, I arrange
and construct such bars in a suitable manner, to admit of their being moved
to and fro across a furnace, by means of a shaft or axis running in a direction
from front to back of the furnace. Each bar which is to be moved to and fro is
made with suitable under projections or horns for the rocking shaft or axis to
act on. It is preferred that each alternate bar should be arranged to be moved
to and fro whilst the others remain stationary; but, if desired, two shafts or
axes may be used, and then all the bars may be moved to and fro, and by
preference each alternate bar should then be caused to move in opposite direc;
tions. In addition to a to-and-fro movement of the bars when placed
transversely across a furnace, the bars are arranged to rise and fall by two
shafts placed under the fire-bars-and near the ends of the bars, by means of

page_text: which the alternate bars may, by being acted on by one of the shafts, be raised
from their ordinary position to an inclined position, and the other alternate
bars may, by the other shaft, which is situated at the opposite side of the
furnace, be raised to an opposite inclination; and if the two axes be connected,
both sets of bars may be acted on simultaneously. By these means the clinkers
on the bars may be more effectually broken up than heretofore, and the air
spaces between the bars kept more free. Although every alternate bar is
mentioned above, it is not essential that all should be moved, but it is pre-
ferred that such should be the case; and in some cases, where the bars are
acted on at their ends, so as to be moved and caused to assume opposite inclina-
tions upwards, they may also be arranged to incline downwards in opposite
direction to such an extent as to admit of their dropping the fire into the ash-
pit. In constructing furnaces where the bars run in a direction from front to
back thereof, and where they or some of them are capable of being moved to
and fro, I arrange them, or some of them, so that they may be caused to rise
and assume an inclined position, and it is preferred that every alternate bar
should be so acted on. By these arrangements, in addition to the fire-bars, or
some of them, having the power to move to and fro to break up the clinkers
thereon, as has been before practised, the bars will also be arranged to rise at
their front or back ends and incline towards their back ends, and thus more
effectually break up and move the clinkers thereon. In some cases I apply
curved blades, one between the space of' the fire-bars of a furnace; these
blades are mounted at one end on an axis or shaft, which, on being moved,
causes the blades to rise up between the fire-bars, and to clear away or break
up the clinkers and matters on and between the fire-bars. In order to obtain
a supply of heated air to pass in divided streams over the fuel on the fire-bars
of a furnace, a pipe is conducted from the front end of the furnace or other
convenient position into a bridge composed of a series of bent pipes, between
which the heat and products of combustion pass from the fire, and by another
pipe I conduct the air thus heated to a hollow chamber partly-surrounding the
door of the furnace, and such hollow chamber is perforated with numerous
holes on that side which faces the fire, by which numerous jets of heated air
are caused to flow over the fuel on the fire-bars. The flow of air through the
pipes may be accelerated, by steam or by a fan or other blower..
:
In constructing fire-bars, in order to get strength, and at the same time free
passage for air to all parts of the fuel, each bar is constructed with a thick
upper edge, with a thinner web below the upper edge, forming what may be
called flanges or projections on either side of the bar, which, however, is not
new, but these flanges or projections are formed with inclined air grooves, the

page_text: inclined grooves on one side sloping in opposite directions to those on the other
side, and the inclined grooves on one side are intermediate of the inclined grooves
on the other side. In casting furnace bars I prefer that their upper surfaces.
or parts should be chill cast, in order that such upper parts may be very hard..
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Annan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
June 1861.
.
4
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, DAVID
ANNAN, of 8, Albert Terrace, Bow, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said David Annan, Her special licence that I, the said David Annan, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the. said David
Annan, 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 FURNACES
AND FIRE-BARS," upon. the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David
Annan, my executors 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 I, the said David Annan, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in furnaces and fire-bars.
For these purposes, when constructing furnaces with transverse bars, I arrange
and construct such bars in a suitable manner, to admit of their being moved to
and fro across a furnace, by means of a shaft or axis running in a direction
from front to back of the furnace... Each bar which is to be moved to and
fro is made with suitable :under projections or horns for the rocking shaft or

page_text: axis to act on. It is preferred that each alternate bar should be arranged to
be moved to and fro whilst the others remain stationary; but, if desired, two:
shafts or axes may be used, and then all the bars may be moved to and fro,
and by preference each alternate bar should then be caused to move in oppo-
site directions. In addition to a to-and-fro movement of the bars when placed
transversely across a furnace, the bars are arranged to rise and fall by two
shafts placed under the fire-bars and near the ends of the bars, by means of
which the alternate bars may, by being acted on by one of the shafts, be raised
from their ordinary position to an inclined position, and the other alternate bars
may by the other shaft, which is situated at the opposite side of the furnace, be
raised to an opposite inclination, and if the two axes be connected, both sets of
bars may be acted on simultaneously. By these means the clinkers on the bars
may be more effectually broken up than heretofore, and the air spaces between
the bars kept more free. Although every alternate bar is mentioned above,
it is not essential that all should be moved, but it is preferred that such
should be the case; and in some cases, where the bars are acted on at their
ends, so as to be moved and caused to assume opposite inclinations.upwards,
they may also be arranged to incline downwards in opposite directions to such
an extent as to admit of their dropping the fire into the ash-pit. In constructing
furnaces where the bars run in a direction from front to back thereof, and
where they, or some of them, are capable of being moved to and fro, I.arrange
them, or some of them, so that they may be caused to rise and assume an
inclined position, and it is preferred that every alternate bar should be so acted.
on. By these arrangements, in addition to the fire-bars, or some of them,
having the power to move to and fro to break up the clinkers thereon, as has
been before practised, the bars will also be arranged to rise at their front or
back ends and incline towards their back ends, and thus more effectually break
up and move the clinkers thereon. In some cases I apply curved blades, one
between the space of the fire-bars of a furnace; these blades are mounted at
one end on an axis or shaft, which, on being moved, causes the blades to rise up
between the fire-bars and to clear away or break up the clinkers and matters
on and between the firė-bars. In order to obtain a supply of heated air to pass
in divided streams over the fuel on the fire-bars of the furnace, a pipe is con-
ducted from the front end of the furnace, or other convenient position, into a
bridge composed of a series of bent pipes, between which the heat and products
of combustion pass from the fire, and by another pipe I conduct the air thus
heated to a hollow chamber, partly surrounding the door of the furnace, and
such hollow chamber is perforated with numerous holes on that side which
faces the fire, by which numerous jets of heated air are caused to flow over the
:

page_text: fuel on the fire-bars. The flow of air through the pipes may be accelerated by:
steam, or by a fan or other blower.
•
In constructing fire-bars, in order to get strength, and at the same time free
passage for air to all parts of the fuel, each bar is constructed with a thick
upper edge with a thinner web below the upper edge, forming what may be
called flanges or projections on either side of the bar, which, however, is not
new, but these flanges or projections are formed with inclined air grooves, the
inclined grooves on one side sloping in opposite directions to those on the other
side, and the inclined grooves on one side are intermediate of the inclined grooves
on the other side. In casting furnace bars I prefer that their upper surfaces
or parts should be chill cast, in order that such upper parts may be very hard.",
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully to:
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a transverse section of a furnace wherein the bars are placed:
transversely across the furnace, as has sometimes been the practice; but in the
arrangement shown the transverse fire-bars are peculiarly formed; and have
apparatus combined therewith by which the fire-bars have a to-and-fro motion;
communicated to some of them in the direction of their length, whilst others,
are arranged to have an up-and-down motion, as herein-after, explained.
Figure 2 shows a similar arrangement of transverse fire-bars, the upper
surfaces of which, however, differ from those shewn in Figure 1, the upper:
surfaces of those in Figure 2 being made with projecting flanges on each side,
and inclined air passages, as hereafter more particularly explained. . In.
Figures 1. and 2 the transverse fire-bars are at their under sides similarly con-.
structed, and they are combined with like apparatus for giving an up-and-down
motion as well as a to-and-fro motion transversely of the furnace.". a, b, c, are
three fire-bars. The fire-bar a is mounted at one of its ends on the shaft d, by.
which it and also all other of the bars which are similarly mounted on the shaft.
d can have an up-and-down motion communicated to their opposite ends. The
fire-bar c is mounted on the shaft e, by which it and all other of the fire-bars
which are similarly mounted on the shaft e can have an up-and-down motion
communicated to their opposite ends. The fire-bar 6 is arranged simply to have
a to-and-fro motion across the furnace. The fire-bar 6 is placed between the
fire-bars a and c; f is a shaft on which there is a projection f', which enters
between the lugs or projections formed on the under side of the bar b, by which
means that bar and all other of the bars which are similarly formed and acted
on by the shaft f will have a to-and-fro motion communicated to them when the

page_text: shaft f is caused to rock to and fro, and the bars a and c will, when their respec-
tive shafts & and e are rocked, be caused to rise and fall in opposite directions.
The shafts d, e, may be arranged to be moved separately, or they may be con-
nected together and moved simultaneously. Figure 3 shews a section of
another. furnace where the fire-bars are arranged transversely across the
furnace, and the fire-bars are arranged on shafts & and e, which at their.
ends are connected together by a connecting link or rod g, so that on giving:
motion to one of the shafts d, e, the other will simultaneously receive a like:
motion, and the arrangement is such that the two sets of fire-bars a, c, may be:
caused to descend to such an extent as to allow of the fuel thereon being.
deposited off the fire-bars into the ash-pit. Figures 4 and 5 show two longi->
tudinal sections of part of.a furnace, where the fire-bars run in a direction from
front to back of the furnace, and the fire-bars are arranged to have a to-and-fro
motion communicated to them in a similar manner to what has before been the
case; but in the arrangement shown in these Figures the fire-bars, in addition
to having a to-and-fro motion, are, together with the apparatus by which they
are actuated, arranged in such manner that the bars may receive an up-and-
down motion. i and j are the two shafts by which the alternate.fire-bars:
receive a to-and-fro.motion, in opposite directions. On the shaft i are arms k,:
which carry a rod Z, which when raised will act on all those fire-bars which are
formed with the additional descending part m; and in order that these fire-bars
may receive an up-and-down motion at the other end also, the shaft i is con-
nected by a connecting rod to an axis n, on which there is a projection n',.
which acts on the under side of the back ends of the alternate fire-bars so as to
lift the back ends thereof; this lifting of the ends of the alternate bars may be.
at both ends, or at one end only. Figure 6 shows the section of, a furnace
wherein blades are used on an axis o, which, being put in. motion, causes the.
blades p to rise up into and clear the spaces between the neighbouring fire-bars..
Figure 7 shows a plan of several of the fire-bárs of a furnace having blades
applied thereto. In order to supply streams of heated air so as to pass.from a
suitable chamber at the front of a furnace, I construct a bridge at the back end
of the furnace of tubes, so that the air entering on one side of the furnace shall
be caused to rise up and descend again and again in upright tubes connected
at top and bottom, and thence to a chamber over the door of the furnace, from
which the heated air passes through numerous holes into the furnace, and over.
the ignited fuel therein; and in constructing the bridge, spaces are left between
the neighbouring upright tubes, as well as over the upper ends and junctions,
for the products of combustion to pass from the furnace to the chimney.
Figures 8 and 9 show a plan and side view of a fire-bar formed with projecting

page_text: flanges at the upper edges, in which flanges there are inclined grooves, the
inclination of the grooves on the opposite side of the same bar being in opposite
directions, and at the same time the grooves on one side of a bar come
opposite to the solid spaces on the other side of the bar; and I would remark
that in Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the fire-bars are shown to be similarly con-
structed to those at Figures 8 and 9, which is what I prefer to be the case;
at the same time it is not essential that such should be the case, as the parts
my Invention previously described with reference to those Figures may be
used with other constructions of the upper surfaces of the fire-bars; and I would
further remark that whatever be the form of the upper surfaces of the fire-bars
used in a furnace, I prefer that the upper surfaces should be formed by chill
casting.
of
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately, but what I claim is,―
First, the combining fire-bars used transversely of a furnace with apparatus
for giving motion thereto, as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings.
Secondly, I claim the combination of fire-bars and apparatus described with
reference to Figure 3 of the Drawings.
Thirdly, I claim the combination of fire-bars and apparatus described with
reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
Fourthly, I claim the application of the apparatus to the fire-bars of furnaces
as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings.
Fifthly, I claim the arrangement of apparatus herein described for supplying
streams of heated air to the front ends of furnaces.
Sixthly, I claim the construction of fire-bars described with reference to
Figures. 8 and 9 of the Drawings.
Seventhly, I claim the forming of the upper surfaces of fire-bars by chill
casting the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Annan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
housand eight hundred and sixty-one.