IMPROVEMENTS IN MOVEABLE FIRE-BARS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewis, of Preston, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, Richard Alston, of the same Place, Manager,
and Edward Alston, of the same Place, Pawnbroker, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOVEABLE FIRE-BARS."
Sealed the 24th July 1868, and dated the 4th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewis, Richard
Alston, and Edward Alston at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th February 1868.
We, JOHN LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
RICHARD ALSTON, of the same Place, Manager, and EDWARD ALSTON,
of the same Place, Pawnbroker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOVEABLE FIRE-BARS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention consists in constructing furnaces with moveable fire-
bars in the following manner:-We construct a frame consisting of a
dead plate, two side bars, and a back plate which we bolt together, the
whole of which is secured to the furnace front by bolts; on the inside
of each side bar we screw or cast on three pedestals to carry three

page_text: rocking shafts, one in the centre and one at each end; on the centre
rocking shaft every alternate bar is fixed, which bars extend the
whole length of the furnace; the other bars are made in two lengths,
one of which is secured to each end rocking shaft, the other ends meet
in the centre and rest when level on the centre rocking shaft; on the
under side of each long bar is cast or fixed a stud half way between
the centre and end rocking shafts, at the front end of each long bar
is cast a slot into which another rocker works, but of a lever shape,
through which said rocker a sliding lever is passed by which motion
is given to the whole of the bars, by means of the studs underneath
on the long bars projecting under the short bars, thus giving an alternate
motion at each end to all the bars, enabling the fireman by a motion
of the aforesaid lever to shake the consumed dust from the bars before
it has time to clinker, or if clinkered to break such clinker up giving
a free admission to the oxygen between the bars, which having to pass
through the fire becomes candent, a state so necessary to a free and
perfect combustion, thereby consuming the smoke and saving a
considerable per-centage of fuel and a great amount of labour.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lewis, Richard Alston, and Edward Alston
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, RICHARD
ALSTON, of the same Place, Manager, and EDWARD ALSTON, of the same
Place, Pawnbroker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston and Edward Alston,
Her special licence that we, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston and
Edward Alston, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston and Edward Alston, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during

page_text: 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 MOVEABLE FIRE-BARS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston, and Edward
Alston, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston, and
Edward Alston, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in constructing furnaces with moveable
fire-bars in order to break up the fire to shake out the consumed
dust before it has time to clinker, and if clinkered to break up such
clinker.
The first part of our object is to get a clear fire free from dust and
clinker so as to admit the oxygen freely from underneath and between
the bars and through the fire, that by such passage it becomes candescent
when it meets the carbon evolved from the coals at the top of the fire,
thereby promoting combustion.
The second part is to do so without the necessity of opening the
fire door to admit the cold air over the fire, which has the effect of
condensing the evolved carbon instead of consuming it as it will by
passing from underneath and through the fire, becoming as before
stated candescent when it meets the carbon from the coals.
Fig. 1 in the said Drawings is a side elevation of our improved fire-
bars with the back bars raised, as will be seen, by the lever A being
lifted up in the front; a similar result is obtained with the front bars by
pressing down the said lever A; thus by lifting and pressing the lever,
a simultanious action is obtained on all the bars alternatly breaking
up as before stated the whole of the fire and rocking out the consumed

page_text: matter, and breaking up any clinker that may have formed, and making
a clear passage for the atmosphere from underneath and between such
bars.
Fig. 2 is a plan of bars and framcing complete with bars in a state of
rest, similar parts in such Figures are marked with similar letters of
reference.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the lever A lifted.
Fig. 4 is a back elevation of bridge plate with the bars in a state
of rest.
Figs. 5 is a side elevation and plan of long moveable bar.
Figs. 6 same views of short bars, the studs B, B, on Figs. 5 are for
lifting the short bars, and work under such short bars in the hooks C, C,
such hooks being formed that the studs B, B, by the alternate motion
of the lever A shall bring the short bars down if they incline to stick
up so as to keep them all level on the top when in a state of rest.
In the centre of bar Figs. 5 is a slott D formed to fit on to a centre
bearer, Figs. 8 being a plan and elevation of same; this centre bearer
goes across the frame resting at cach end in a pedestal (in which it
works) cast inside the two side bars E, E, at the parts so marked in
Fig. 2. The ends a, a, are rounded so as to work freely in such pedestals,
this centre bearer forms the fulcrum by which the short bars are worked.
At the end of short bars Figs. 6 is a slott formed b, b, which fits on to
a front and back bearer, Figs. 7, this bearer is in every respect the same
as Figs. 8 at the ends and body, but underneath and near each end is
a hook hanger d, d; these bearers go across the frame working in a
pedestal formed inside the side bars E, E, at each end, and shown
by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and 2, these two bearers carry the two
outer ends of short bars Figs. 6 at b, b, the other or inside ends are
supported while at rest by the centre bearer Figs. 8 between the long
bars Figs. 5.
Figs. 9 is a fulcrum rocker on which is a box e; in this box e the
lever A is made to slide in and out, as when required to work the bars
it is drawn out, and when at rost pushed in out of the way of the fireman;
the ends of this rocker f, f, work in the hook hangers d, d, the front
bar g is made to work in the ends of long bars at h, as shewn in Fig. 1
and 5. It will thus be seen that by the motion of this rocker created
by the lever A through the fulcrum f to the front bar g acting in the

page_text: ends of long bars at h, as shown in Figs. 5, gives motion to the whole
of the bars, the short bars being set in motion by the studs B, B, in
Figs. 5, acting under such short bars at C, C, the weight of these short
bars bearing on to the studs B, B, keep the whole level when at rest.
Figs. 10 is a balance rocker on which the back ends of long bars at i
rest, forming a support for that end, while at rest such support being
made by the balance weight;; this rocker is the same in every respect
as front fulcrum rocker in its working parts except the balance weight
before mentioned.
In Fig. 3 is shewn a stretcher rod o, o, going across the front between
the two side bars E, E, having at each end lock nuts to keep the side
bars in place.
By the Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, it will be seen a frame is made by the
two side bars E, E, dead plate F, and bridge plate G bolted together
as at 1, 1, 1, 1, and to back plate H as at m, m, m, m, such back plate
may be made any other shape to suit the furnace as at lines n, n, n, n.
These bars may be fixed into or under any boiler, puddling or other
furnace, without the necessity of drilling the boiler or disturbing the
furnace, being secured alone to the door frame.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into practical effect, we may observe
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details or arrangements
we have had occasion to describe or refer to as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of our Invention, but what we consider novel and original and therefore
claim is,―
First. The general arrangement and construction of moveable fire-bars
as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, the combination of parts described and represented for
giving a rocking motion to all the fire-bars, which has the combined
effect of breaking up the fire and shakeing out the consumed dust before
it has time to clinker (and if clinkered to break up such clinker), and
this without the necessity of opening the fire-door.
Second. The system or mode of constructing such fire-bars that by the
leverage obtained from the ends of the long bars, the short bars are
moved up and down alternatly.

page_text: Third. The construction of every alternate bar into two lengths joining
in the centre, and being worked alternately at each end by means of the
long bars and studs as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lewis, Richard Alston and
Edward Alston, have hereunto set our hands and scals, the
Thirty-first day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
JOHN LEWIS.
(L.S.)
RICHIP. ALSTON.
(L.S.)
EDWARD ALSTON.
(L.S.)