IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-BARS FOR THE BOILERS OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND FOR FIRE-BOXES AND FURNACES GENERALLY
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams Box, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-BARS FOR THE BOILERS OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND FOR
FIRE-BOXES AND FURNACES GENERALLY."
Sealed the 10th June 1864, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams Box
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th December 1863.
I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS Box, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-BARS FOR THE BOILERS OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER ENGINES, AND FOR
FIRE-BOXES AND FURNACES GENERALLY," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to fire-bars for locomotive and other_boilers, and
consists in forming the said bars as explained in my Provisional Specification
dated the 15th of June 1863, No. 1491, or in the manner now described:
I make the said bars in transverse section of an oval or egg shape, and place
the small part downwards. I also make them hollow, and the ends cylin-
drical; upon the cylindrical ends I cut screw threads to screw into angular or
curved junctions or couplings, which are also hollow, and are made to screw and
unscrew at the return. In this manner I join any required number of bars formed
as above or in any other suitable shape together, so as to form a "grate" or
"set" of furnace bars of the required dimensions. By this mode of con-

page_text: struction I obtain a water passage through the entire length of bars. I
admit the water by suitable means at one corner of the grate, and it then bas
to flow through the first bar to the opposite end, return through the next bar,
and so on backward and forward through all the bars, and finally out again
through the bar at the opposite end of the grate, having passed through every
bar thereof.
Another improvement consists in mounting the said hollow bars upon a
skeleton cross frame, hinged at one end, and raised and lowered with the bars
by a lever or levers and balance weight. This frame gives support to the
ends of the bars in order to keep the said bars charged with water. I make
the binge or joint upon which they rise and fall also hollow and water-tight
like a hollow plug of a tap, and from this hollow plug at one end I carry a
pipe to the supply tank or to a small feed cistern specially provided, and from
the hollow plug at the other end another pipe into the boiler; upon these
pipes I place suitable stop-cocks for regulating the flow of water and keeping
the bars constantly charged, and in this way the fire-bars become steam
generators or water heaters, while the water is made their preserving medium
from the destructive action of the fire. The tipping frame enables the fire
to be instantly shot out of the grate or furnace in case of need.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said William Williams
Box in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILLIAMS Box, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Williams Box, Her special licence that I, the said
William Williams Box, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Williams Box, 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, aud. Isle of Man, an Invention

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-BARS FOR. THE BOILERS OF LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER
ENGINES, AND FOR FIRE-BOXES AND FURNACES GENERALLY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Williams Box, 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 William Williamis Box, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement; that is to say:-
This Invention relates to fire-bars for locomotive and other boilers, and
consists in forming the said bars as explained in my Provisional Specification
dated 15th June 1863, No. 1491, or in the manner now described. I make
the said bars in transverse section of an oval or egg-shape, and place the small
part downwards. I also make them hollow; and the ends cylindrical; upon
the cylindrical ends I cut screw threads to screw into angular or curved junc-
tions or couplings, which are also hollow, and are made to screw or unscrew at
the return. In this manner I join any required number of bars formed as
above or in any other suitable shape together, so as to form a "grate" or set
of furnace bars of the required dimensions. By this mode of construction I
obtain a water passage through the entire length of bars. I admit the water
by suitable means at one corner of the grate, and it then has to flow through
the first bar to the opposite end, return through the next bar, and so on back-
wards and forwards through all the bars; and finally out again from the bar
at the opposite end of the grate, having passed through every bar thereof.
Another improvement consists in mounting the said hollow bars upon a
skeleton cross frame hinged at one end, and raised and lowered (with the
bars) by a lever and balance weight. This frame gives support to the ends
of the bars. In order to keep the said bars charged with water I make the
hinge or joint upon which they rise and fall also hollow and water-tight like a
hollow plug at one end I carry a pipe to the supply tank, or to a small feed
cistern specially provided; and from the hollow plug at the other end another
pipe to the feed pump, and thence or otherwise into the boiler. Upon these
pipes I place suitable stop-cocks for regulating the flow of water and keeping
the bars constantly charged, and in this way the fire-bars become either part
of the boiler or act as steam generators or water heaters, while the water is

page_text: wie pre,
made their preserving medium from the destructive action of
tipping frame enables the fire to be instantly shut out of the grate or furnace
in case of need.
The accompanying Drawing shews the forms of the bars and modes of
fitting and mounting the same.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a muffle or furnace, shewing the appli-
cation of the wrought-iron fire-bar and water cistern; Fig. 2 is a sectional
plan of the same, shewing the arrangement of bars; Fig. 3 is a sectional side
elevation of a locomotive fire-box, shewing the application of the wrought-iron
fire-bars; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 5 is a sectional eleva-
tion of the application of the fire-bars to an ordinary cylindrical steam boiler,
which requires no dead plate.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the hollow wrought-iron fire-bar fixed on bearers
Band B, and arranged to be raised or lowered by lever C, which is moved by
ratchet and hand wheel D;.the bearer B¹ sliding in cast-iron frame E vertically,
and bearer B sliding horizontally in frame F to allow for vibration; G is a
cistern of water supplying the fire-bars A with a continuous flow and circu-
lation of water through the feed and return pipes H; a sliding joint and
socket I is provided to allow for raising and lowering the bar, and fitted to
the pipe H. Figs. 3 and 4, A, A, is the hollow wrought-iron fire-bar to be
raised or lowered by levers and connections B, B; C is the water cistern, and
D the feed and return pipes connected at the ends of the fire-bar with a
tumbler joint or flexible tube at E, E. Fig. 5, A is the hollow wrought-iron
fire-bar fixed on bearers B, B; C is the feed and return pipe connected with
cistern D; E is an ordinary fire-door frame and door; F is a moveable cast-
iron screen bar made to lie at a convenient angle, and fixed at any required
position on the surface of the fire-bar to regulate the supply of cold air over
the fire, and thereby to act as a smoke consumer.
By the substitution of these hollow wrought-iron fire-bars for the solid cast-
iron ones formed in the ordinary way I obtain greater durability and less
weight of grate, effect a considerable saving of fuel by making the grate a
water heater or part of the boiler, and by the improved mode of fitting and
mounting the grate (especially when applied to locomotive engine boilers a
facile and simple means for instantly drawing the fire in case of need.
By the foregoing statement and description, together with the accompanying
Drawings and explanation thereof herein contained, the nature and object of
my said Invention and the means to be employed for carrying it into effect in

page_text: practice will be readily understood. Various modifications in the details,
however, may be made without departing from the improved mode of con-
struction thus described and illustrated. I therefore wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to use only the precise forms of bars described and
delineated; but that which I more particularly claim is,―
1st, the endless hollow wrought-iron fire-bar grate.
2ndly, the oval, round, egg, and other similar shapes for the said bars.
3rdly, the external and internal angular junctions or elbows, screwed,
ground, or otherwise fitted for forming the said endless water way.
4thly, the arrangement for raising and lowering the bars.
5thly, the arrangement for attaching the grate or bars to the feed pump,
so as to heat the water supplied to or in connection with the boiler.
6thly, the application of the said improvements to Cornish, marine, and
other boilers, and the using in connection therewith of a cast-iron screen bar
fixed on the surface of the bars (instead of the ordinary dead plate) for
admitting cold air over the surface of the fire, and thus to cause the improved
grate and screen to more perfectly consume the smoke.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Williams Box, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS BOX. (L.S.)