Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887.
I, THOMAS KIRKWOOD, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
My invention relates particularly to that class of grates for furnaces known as
shaking grates.
The object of my invention is to construct a grate which will not be liable to be
injured, nor have its operation impeded by reason of contraction or expansion of the
metal, and provided with bars suitable for properly holding the fuel yet not interfering
with each other when moved and oscillated, and having bearings and connections
whereby the fuel bars may be conveniently and easily oscillated or rocked and tilted
without danger of disconnection and without involving material loss of air from the
blast.
To accomplish this object I form the end bars of the grate in separate parts or
pieces, which parts are preferable cast with series of fuel bars upon their inner sides,
and I connect these parts in such a manner as to allow their moving slightly to and
from each other as they expand and contract in heating and cooling. The said end
bars are preferably provided with trunnions which rest in U shaped bearings in the
side frame and also in similar bearings in the central supporting bar when such bar is
used, in order that the fuel bars cast upon the pieces forming the end bars may be
oscillated in the same manner as the fuel bars of intermediary sections. When not
intended to oscillate the end bars are best secured to the side frames by dovetailed
joints or sockets. The side frames or bars are further provided with circular flanged
bearings in which are placed independent trunnions formed with collars. There are
openings above the bearings and the trunnions are slotted to receive the cross bars
which bars may also pass through slotted trunnions having circular bearings in a
central supporting bar. The cross bars have lever arms connecting with a general
oscillating bar and upon the cross bars are placed or secured the grate or fuel bars
proper which are provided with short intermediary projections tapering downward so
that as the bars of adjacent sections alternate and interlap the points may be brought
close together and the effect of continuous bars secured for supporting the fuel while
077

page_text: space is allowed for oscillation of the sections without interference. The tapering
projections are also formed upon the wedges used for filling in the sections, some of
which wedges are cast integrally with the slotted trunnions.
The general oscillating bar extends through an opening in the front of the grate
and is operated by a lever with brackets providing different positions for the shaker
handle. The opening in the front being sealed by a movable plate having an aperture
just sufficient to admit of the passage of the bar.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a grate embodying my
improvements. Fig. 3. is a plan view of a portion of the same but without the central
supporting bar and showing an end bar connected to the side frames by means of
dovetailed joints, and also with a part removed whereby a horizontal cross section of
trunnion and bearing for one of the cross bars is shown.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken through the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a
cross section taken through the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5. is a top view of one of the
collared trunnions or journals detached. Fig. 6 an end view of the same and Fig. 7,
a central section through the line q of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a like section of the same
when having a wedge cast therewith. Fig. 9. is a side view of one of the rocking
plates detached. Fig. 10 is a top view of fuel bars cast together with intermediary
projections and Fig. 11, is a section through such projections on line r r of Fig. 10,
and showing one of the fuel bars in side elevation.
A and A represent the side frames of the grate and B the central supporting bar.
C and C represent the end bars which are provided with trunnions c resting in suitable
bearings the parts forming said bars being connected by bolts c¹ to plates indicated
by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. The apertures to receive the bolts c¹ are not
shown but are slightly elongated and adapted to allow for the contraction and
expansion of the parts. The end bars C may also be secured to the side frames by
dovetailed joints a as shown in Fig. 3. When the bars C. are trunnioned as in Fig. 1
they are provided with arms which are connected by links u to the nearest rocking
plates K as shown in Fig. 2. The rocking plates K are secured to the cross bars D
in the ordinary manner and connected with the common oscillating bar L which bar
is connected by a link L' to the lever M, and is operated by means of the shaker
handle N which may be secured vertically in the bracket m or horizontally in the
bracket m¹ according to the position within most convenient reach of the fireman.
The plate o is provided with a slot or aperture fitting closely about the link L' and
moves up and down against the front plate of the furnace when the lever is operated,
being held in place by washers secured on each side by screws or bolts. The plate
may be held against the front of the grate by means of a spiral spring upon the
link L', or any practicable form of attachment may be used. The plate o thus
practically closes the opening in the front of the furnace through which the link L'
passes and in which it moves when the grate is being rocked.
0
The fuel bars E and wedges E' are secured upon the cross bars D by means of the
downward projections e best shown in Fig. 11.
The ends of the cross bars D rest in slots adapted to receive them in the trunnions
or journals G, and are further supported by trunnions 6 in central bar B. The
trunnions G shown in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are formed with collars g and are
secured in bearings in the side frames by the flanges & upon their outer sides and
upon their inner sides by the fuel bars or wedges E¹. The trunnions & are not
formed with collars and rest in plain circular bearings in the central supporting bar B,
being secured upon both sides of the central bar by the fuel bars or wedges.
The short intermediary projections e¹, provided as in shaking grates heretofore in
use for the purpose of filling in the spaces between bars of alternate sections, are
made tapering downwards as best seen in Fig. 11.
The various parts of the grate being put together and the shaker handle N inserted
in either of the brackets m or m¹ motion may be imparted to the lever M which by
the link L' communicates such motion to the oscillating bar L which bar causes the
plates K to act upon the cross bars D. The cross bars D being secured in the
trunnions G, such trunnions partially rotate in their bearings and the fuel bars are

page_text: thereby tilted, rocked. or turned according to the motion given to the shaker handle
without interference between the sections or danger of disconnection of the
cross bars.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a grate for furnaces end bars formed in sections adjustably connected together
whereby said sections are secured together and said end bars adapted to admit of
contraction and expansion substantially as described.
2. In a grate for furnaces the combination of side bars provided with flanged
bearings and independent trunnions or journals formed with collars and adapted to
rest in said bearings and to receive the ends of cross bars substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. In a grate for furnaces the combination of a central supporting bar provided
with bearings and independent trunnions or journals adapted to rest in said bearings
to support the cross bars and turn when said cross bars are rocked substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a grate for furnaces the combination of supporting cross bars and interlapping
fuel bars provided with tapering intermediary projections whereby said projections
and the interlapping ends of the fuel bars are brought into close proximety for
supporting the fuel without interference with the movement of adjacent sections
substantially as described.
5. In a grate for furnaces the combination of interlapping fuel bars supporting
cross bars and trunnions or journals resting in suitable bearings and to which said
cross bars are connected, said trunnions being provided with wedges formed integral
therewith said wedges being made to fill up the vacant spaces adjacent to said
trunnions substantially as described.
6. In a furnace provided with a rocking grate and an opening, a link or arm passing
through said opening and having connections for operating said grate, in combination
with a plate pressing against the wall of the furnace adjacent to said opening, said
plate being fitted to said link and adapted to move therewith substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
7. In a furnace provided with a rocking grate, connections for operating said grate
in combination with a lever provided with brackets adapted to allow of different
positions of the operating lever or shaker handle substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1887.