IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM BOILER FURNACES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Russell Crampton, of the Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCOMOTIVE
AND OTHER STEAM BOILER FURNACES."-A communication.
Sealed the 25th September 1855, and dated the 31st March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Russell Crampton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1855.
I,.THOMAS RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of the Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Loco-
MOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM BOILER FURNACES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of the parts of
the furnaces used for locomotive and other steam boilers; and the Inven-
tion consists of employing a series of flat bars, arranged transversely of a
furnace of a steam boiler, one bar below another, and somewhat forward of
each other, thus producing a shelving grating with spaces for the passage
of air horizontally between the bars; and at the lower part of such series of
shelving bars is a series of ordinary fire bars, which receive the well-ignited
fuel descending down the shelving bars, such grating of ordinary fire bars being
arranged to move on axes, to allow of the dropping of any fire thereon when

page_text: desired; this arrangement of the parts of a furnace rendering the use of a
blast unnecessary, at the same time the fuel will be more advantageously
burned, particularly when coal is employed, as the same may be consumed
without evolving smoke. The shelving bars may be made fixed or moveable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Russell Crampton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RUSSELL CRAMPTON, of the Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, 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 fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, 'for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Russell Crampton,. Her special licence, that I, the said
Thomas Russell Crampton, niy executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the. said.Thomas..Russell Crampton,.. my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER STEAM BOILER
FURNACES," a communication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Russell Crampton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand: and seal, 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 Thomas Russell Crampton, 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):-
This Invention has for its object a peculiar. combination of the parts of: the
furnaces used for locomotive and other steam boilers; and the Invention
consists of employing a series of flat bars, arranged transversely of a furnace
of a steam boiler, one bar below another, and somewhat forward of each other,

page_text: thus producing a shelving grating, with spaces for the passage of air horizontally
between the bars; and at the lower part of such series of shelving bars is a
series of ordinary fire bars, which receive the well-ignited fuel descending down
the shelving bars, such grating of ordinary fire bars being arranged to move on
axes, to allow of the dropping of any fire thereon when desired ;-.this arrange-
mentiof the parts of a furnace rendering the use of a blast unnecessary, at the
same time-the fuel will be more advantageously burned, particularly when coal
is employed, as the same may be consumed without evolving smoke. The.
shelving, bars may be made fixed or moveable am
L
..
Having thus, stated the nature, of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal vertical section of part of a locomotive steam
boiler furnace; Figure 2 shows a transverse section thereof; and Figure 3, a
plan in section. a, a, a, are a series of fire bars placed in a shelving direction,"
one below, yet extending beyond the other, leaving air spaces between them.
The bars are of considerable width, as shewn, thus forming a series of shelves
for supporting the fuel; but by reason of the inclination of the furnace, the
fuel will descend from bar to bar, and this will be quickened by the vibration
consequent on the motion of a locomotive engine when travelling; and with
respect to other or fixed steam engine boiler furnaces, a vibratory motion may,
if desired, be given to the whole set of bars. The fuel, however, by reason of
the declivity alone, will be found to descend from bar to bar when pressed on
from above, by fresh fuel being supplied on to the upper bars. 6, 6, 6, are
ordinary bars, also transverse of the furnace; these bars 6 are combined
together by a framing c, as shown, which is mounted on or carried by the axis
d, in such manner that the bars 6 may be tilted down, so as to discharge or
void the lower part of the fire of the dirt, clinker, or refuse part of the fire
resting thereon. The lever or arm d' is used for the movement of the bars b;
and e is a counterbalance weight to the frame of bars b. It will be seen that
there are spaces between the bars or horizontal shelves a, a, for the passage of
air to support combustion, as well also as between the bars b, and the air
passes to the fuel from the atmosphere without any blowing machinery. By
the use of such construction of furnaces it is found that coals, particularly
those which are not highly bituminous, may be burned without throwing off
smoke.
b
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would remark that I am aware that it has before been

page_text: proposed to employ a series of horizontal shelves or bars in a shelving or
inclined direction, in combination with numerous blast pipes for employing
artificial blast, without means of voiding clinkers or refuse matters from the
lower parts of a furnace. I mention this fact in order to state that I make no
claim thereto. But what I claim is, the mode of constructing or arranging
locomotive and other steam boiler furnaces herein described, with means
of voiding the lower parts of the fire when required, and so as not to require
artificial blast.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Russell Crampton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
T. R. CRAMPTON. (L.B.)