A NEW AND IMPROVED MOVEABLE ANGLED-FEATHER FURNACE-FIRE-BAR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James George Galley, of No. 30, St. Leonard's Terrace,
Upton, Forest Gate, in the County of Essex, Engineer, for an Invention of
"A NEW AND IMPROVED MOVEABLE ANGLED-FEATHER FURNACE-FIRE-BAR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James George Galley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1881.
JAMES GEORGE GALLEY, of No. 30, St. Leonard's Terrace, Upton, Forest
Gate, in the County of Essex, Engineer.."A NEW AND IMPROVED MOVEABLE
ANGLED-FEATHER FURNACE-FIRE-BAR."
This Invention relates to a new and improved moveable-angled-feather-furnace
fire bar of a peculiar section, possessing advantages over and above the furnace fire
bars now used as follows :—
1. Generation of steam with a smaller consumption of fuel.
2. Arrangement of air space that admits a larger quantity of oxygen for the
promotion of combustion without a waste of fuel.
3. Facility for immediately damping or checking furnace fires to any extent
required, and the prevention of smoke.
4. Clinker or any other obstruction is immediately and effectually removed by
the movable action of these bars.
5. Adaptability for burning anthracite coals.
6. Greater durability consequent upon the sectional form and improved mode of
fitting by which the furnace fire bars after agitation always return and remain in
their proper position, thereby presenting no points for destruction by the fires.
These furnace fire bars applicable to all steam boiler and other furnaces are laid
across the furnaces, in other words, from side to side, and can be fitted without
boring or perforating the boiler flues.
The peculiarity of section consists in the adoption of an angled feather combined
with a form of upper section of the furnace fire bars, which above the line of
furnace grate offers no impediment to the air courses.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James George Galley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1882.
JAMES GEORGE GALLEY, of 30, St. Leonard's Terrace, Upton, Forest Gate, in the
County of Essex, Engineer. "A NEW AND IMPROVED MOVEABLE ANGLED FEATHER
FURNACE FIRE-BAR."
My Invention relates to firebars used in the furnaces of steam boilers or for
other purposes, and it has for its object a new and improved method of constructing
and arranging such firebars so that where used for the generation of steam, complete
combustion of a smaller quantity of fuel is effected, the air spaces being arranged so
that a larger quantity of oxygen is admitted without waste of fuel than is ordinarily
the case; facility is afforded for readily damping or checking the furnace fire by
regulating the admission of air to any extent required and preventing smoke; clinker
or other obstruction can be immediately and effectually removed, anthracite coal can
be readily burned, and economy of space and great durability of the firebars are
obtained.
In order to put my Invention in operation, I will first suppose that it is to be
applied to a steam boiler having an internal flue of the usual construction.
In this flue I arrange a dead plate in the usual way inside the firedoor, and I
arrange and fix a longitudinal bar horizontal, or nearly so at each side of the flue,
extending from the deadplate to the firebridge at or about the level of the fire.
In these bars are formed notches or bearings, in which the ends of transverse fire-
bars of the form hereinafter described rest and can turn.
Each of such firebars consists of a transverse bar, preferably of cast iron, of
sufficient depth, and narrower in transverse section at the upper than at the lower
edge. The end of each bar has formed upon it a pivot fitting into the notches in
the longitudinal bars already described, the upper parts of such pivots being
preferably somewhat convex, and corresponding with the upper edge of the bars.
Upon the lower edge of each of the bars is formed a plate extending downward
and toward the front of the furnace, preferably reduced in thickness at their outer
or lower edge, and extending at one end to the pivot upon which the bar is supported,
and at the other end leaving sufficient space for the formation or attachment of a
.cylindrical pin at their lower edge and parallel with the pivots or bearings.
Upon these pins is fitted freely a longitudinal bar, having notches at its lower
edge which fit upon the pins upon the whole set of bars, and the front end of this
bar is jointed by a connecting link to a handle at the front of the furnace, by
moving which handle the whole of the bars simultaneously can be made to turn or
rock more or less upon their pivots in either direction. Upon the front and back
of the tapering bars which constitute the firebars I make a series of projections,
tapering both in their depth and thickness, those in front of the bars being
preferably arranged opposite to spaces left between those at the back of the bars;
and those upon each bar being arranged so as to fit into the spaces between those
upon the adjoining bars, a sufficient distance being left between them to admit the
requisite quantity of air to the burning fuel above.
'
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention. Figure 1 is a
sectional plan of a furnace, fitted with my improved bars; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section of the same, shewing the ends of the firebars and the method by which I
obtain their moveable action; Figure 3 is a transverse section of the furnace;
Figure 4 is an end view of the front of the furnace.
Figure 5 shews a transverse section of some of the firebars; Figure 6 is an end

page_text: view of some of the same firebars in proper position for firing; Figure 7 is an end
view of the same shewing the extent of their moveable action, and their position
when used as a damper; Figure 8 shews the same firebars turned into the proper
position for discharging clinker or other obstructions, and the extent of the
moveable action in the opposite direction to that shewn in Figure 7.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures.
a is the body of the firebars, wider in transverse section at their lower edgo than
at their upper edge; b, b, b, are pivots at the ends of the bars fitting into
corresponding notches in the longitudinal bars c, c', fixed in the flue d of the
boiler, and extending from the deadplate e to the bridge f of the furnace ;
g represents a plate extending at an angle forward and down from the bar a, each.
plate being provided at one end with a pin h which fits firmly into a
corresponding notch in a moveable bar i, the front end of which is jointed by the
link k to a handle 1, by moving which the whole of the bars can be turned as
desired into either of the positions shewn in Figures 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Projections p
of the shape shewn are formed upon the front and back of the bars a, those upon
each bar entering the spaces between those upon the adjoining bars, as shewn in
Figure 1.
The action of the apparatus is as follow:-When the bars a, a, a, are in the
position shewn in Figures 2, 5, and 6, fuel is supplied upon them and burns freely,
air entering between the plates 9 and passing up into the fire through the spaces r,
(Figure 1) the angular form of the bars a allowing additional spaces for. the
expanding air as it rises, and at the same time causing the ascending currents to
meet at a short distance above the bars (as shewn at 8, Figure 5) much more
readily than if the sides of the bars were parallel or tapering in the opposite
direction as in firebars as ordinarily constructed and used, and thus facilitating the
combustion of the fuel immediately above the bars.
When it is desired to damp the fire by reducing the admission of air, the whole
of the bars are turned more or less toward the position shewn in Figure 7, by
means of the handle & actuating the bar i until as shewn in Figure 7 the several
plates g meet each other if desired. When, on the other hand, it is desired to
remove clinkers or other obstructions, the bars a and plates g are turned in the
opposite direction to the position shewn in Figure 8, and the fuel can thus be
agitated by moving the handle Z backward and forward, and the clinkers removed
and dropped between the bars. The handle is shown provided with a spiral or
other spring t, by which after agitating the bars as described they are brought
back to their original position so that no points are presented which are liable to
destruction by the fire. A quadrant and screw or detent (not shown in the
Drawing) may be provided for the purpose of retaining the handle when desired
in any position other than that to which it is returned by the spring t. By the
use of my Invention as herein before described and shewn crossbearers are not
required, and an increased air space as compared with firebars as ordinarily used is
provided for each square foot of grate surface, and economy in the consumption of
fuel is thus effected; the firebars themselves can be used for the purpose of
damping or checking the fire to any required extent; by the novel form of section
described and shewn increased air space is provided, combustion is assisted, and
the bars are more durable, and clinker or other obstructions are easily and quickly
removed. The movement of the bars may be effected either by hand as shewn, or
automatically by apparatus arranged to operate at regular intervals, and their
movement may be varied according to the nature of the fuel used.
The additional air space provided enables the firegrate to be of less length than
is ordinarily the case, and the fire can thus be more readily properly attended to.
The angled plates or feathers may be attached to moveable firebars of any form or
section as well as to those herein before described and shown. My Invention may
be applied to furnaces of all kinds as well as to those used for the generation of
steam. I do not confine myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several
parts of the apparatus which may be varied to suit varying circumstances.

page_text: But having described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim,-
The novel form of the angled plate or feather attached to the lower edge of the
firebar, of the body of the firebar, and of the projections or teeth upon the firebar,
substantially as and for the purposes described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the method of damping or regulating the admission of air by means of the
angled plates or feathers attached to the lower edge of moveable firebars,
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the combination with moveable firebars actuated by a bar of a spring by
which such moveable firebars are alway returned to their proper position,.
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said James George Galley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty third day of February, in the year of our Lord
Eighteen hundred and eighty two.