IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES."-A communication
from abroad by Frédéric Marie Piret, and Eugène Michel, Engineers,
both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 6th November 1866, and dated the 16th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
May 1866.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES AND OTHER FIRE-PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved fire-grate conducing to the con-
sumption of smoke, applicable to furnaces and domestic fire-places. As will
be seen by the Drawing the apparatus is of simple arrangement, and consists
of a movable frame sliding horizontally, and provided for one half of its
length with a plate having a movable bottom, the other half being furnished
with a series of bars which may be changed at will.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a steam boiler furnace arranged
according to this Invention; Figure 2, a transverse section, taken through
the fire-bars; while Figure 3 shows an exterior view of the furnace.
| A, A, fire-bars placed at each side of the furnace; between these two rows
of bars is a rectangular frame B, having two lugs at the back carrying friction
rollers C, C, on which and on two other similar rollers fitted in front in the
brickwork or front plate of the furnace a frame D slides, having vertical
sides E, between which works a cast-iron plate F, moved by a hand lever G
jointed to its under part; or any other lever arrangement may be adopted for
raising plate F. On the frame D at back of the bottom plate F are ranged
a certain number of bars H resting in spaces made for their reception.
The method of working this apparatus is very simple, the fuel is placed in
the rectangular space or box occupying the front part of the furnace, so as to
entirely fill the said box, then by the aid of lever G the whole is pushed
forward, whereby the fuel in the box F is brought gradually underneath the
fire until the bars II disappear; on arriving at the end of its course the
plate F is raised by the lever G, which has previously served to produce its
backward movement, in order to introduce into the furnace the fuel contained
in the receptacle. After this operation, the bottom plate F being in the same
plane as the bars H, the frame D is then withdrawn, and the bars return to
their original position, so as to support the fuel contained in the furnace,
which will then be the same as in ordinary.
Figures 5 and 6 represent longitudinal and transverse sections of a
locomotive fire-box furnished with a box for the supply of fuel and retaining
bars, the arrangement is the same as that for the furnaces of stationary
engines, the only modification consisting in the method of imparting the
horizontal to-and-fro and vertical motions to the bottom plate of the fuel
receptacle. In this arrangement the motion is produced by means of two
levers acting the one on the other; thus by means of the lever I the fuel
receptacle is pushed forwards, and the fire-bars consequently withdrawn ;
when once in position the lever J raises the lever I, thus producing the
elevation of the bottom plate of the fuel receptacle. This latter it is necessary
from the construction of the locomotive to place below the foot plate where it
is supplied with fuel by means of a suitable channel. This Invention is also
applicable to domestic fire-places by 'altering the form of the parts to suit the
stove to which it is to be applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the-
15th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, ny
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 OTHER FIRE-PLACES," a communication to me from abroad by
Frédéric Marie Piret and Eugène Michel, Engineers, both of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Clark, 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 manneṛ
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 Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures.marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improved fire-grate conducing to the con-
sumption of smoke, applicable to furnaces and domestic fire-places. As will
be seen by the Drawing the apparatus is of simple arrangement, and consists
of a movable frame sliding horizontally, and provided for one half of its
length with a plate having a movable bottom, the other half being furnished
with a series of fire-bars which may be changed at will.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a steam boiler furnace fitted with

page_text: the improvements according to this Invention; Figure 2, a transverse section
taken through the fire-bars; while Figure 3 shows an exterior view of the
furnace.
A, A, fire-bars placed at each side of the furnace; between these two rows
of bars is a rectangular frame B, having two lugs at the back carrying friction
rollers C, C, on which, and on two other similar rollers fitted in front in the
brickwork or front plate of the furnace, a frame D slides, having vertical
sides E, between which works a cast-iron plate F moved by a hand lever G
jointed to its under part; or any other lever arrangement may be adopted for
raising plate F. On the frame D at the back of the bottom plate Fare
ranged a certain number of bars H fitting in spaces made for their reception.
The method of working this apparatus is very simple, the fuel is placed in
the rectangular space or box occupying the front part of the furnace, so as to
entirely fill the said box, then by the aid of the lever G the whole is pushed
backward, whereby the fuel in the box F is brought gradually underneath the
fire until the bars H disappear; on arriving at the end of its course the
plate F is raised by the lever G, which has previously served to produce its
backward movement in order to introduce into the furnace the fresh fuel con-
tained in the receptacle. After this operation the bottom plate F being in
the same plane as the bars H, the frame D is withdrawn, and the bars return
to their original position, so as to support the fuel contained in the furnace,
which will then be the same as in ordinary.
Figures 4 and 5 represent longitudinal and transverse sections of a
locomotive fire-box furnished with a box for the supply of fuel and retaining
bars; the arrangement is the same as that for the furnaces of stationary
engines, the only modification consisting in the method of imparting the
horizontal to-and-fro and vertical motions to the bottom plate of the fuel
receptacle. In this arrangement the motion is produced by means of two
levers acting the one on the other; thus by means of the lever I the fuel
receptacle is pushed forwards, and the fire-bars consequently withdrawn, and
when in position the lever J raises the lever I for producing the elevation of
the bottom plate of the fuel receptacle. This latter it is necessary from the
construction of the locomotive to place under the foot plate, where it is
supplied with fuel by means of a suitable channel. The movable frame
forming a fuel receptacle at the front of the furnace, and a grate at the back
may be made of the whole area of the furnace, and form the support for the
fuel, being in this case the same as an ordinary furnace grate, except that it
is made movable.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-

page_text: forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved
smoke-consuming furnace grate, described and represented in the Drawings,
which is also applicable to domestic fire-places, the chief feature being the
movable frame sliding horizontally, and provided for one half of its length
with a false bottom plate, and at the other half with a series of fire-bars,
which may be readily removed when desired, as also the movements imparted
to the said false bottom plate, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (LS.)