IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACE BARS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Charles Richardson, of Henlow, in
the County of Bedford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACE BARS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Charles
Richardson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st May 1875.
I, FREDERICK CHARLES RICHARDSON, of Henlow, in the County of
Bedford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACE BARS," to be as follows:-
:-
The improvements constituting this Invention are applicable in and
to the construction of the fire-bars of locomotive, marine, stationary, and
other furnaces.
The principal features of novelty in these improvements, the utility of
which will be plainly apparent to those cognizant of the practical
requisites, are as follows:--In carrying my Invention into effect I form

page_text: on the opposite sides of the furnace bars bevilled projections and
grooves which I arrange alternately and at an inclination to or obliquely
with the top of the bars. The projections of the consecutive bars fit
between each other, and so form winding openings flush with the top of
the bars, through which a free and more uniform supply of air can be
admitted to the furnace, and with the object of keeping these projections
at their proper distances apart I make on the opposite faces of the
shoulders of the bars at one end a rabbit and tongue or groove and
fillet, which thus prevents displacement of the bars. The other or
middle end or shoulders of the bars I bevil to prevent them locking,
and by which so soon as the bars get hot and expand much the top bars
will be caused to rise instead of becoming fixed as hitherto; the
shoulders at the middle ends also where there are two sets in the
furnace I form with air spaces through them, and the cross or bearing
bar I also form to fit the ends of the bars, and correspondingly to allow
the air having free access thereto and through them. I thus cut up the
disadvantageous dead surface in the middle of the furnace. I also
provide the bars centrally or nearer the ends with stays to keep them
from buckling. The side projections of the bars may be either of about
half the depth thereof, and this arrangement (with which the alternating
grooves may be either of a single inclination or partly inclined and
partly vertical) I prefer for Cornish or fixed furnaces. Or the pro-
jections may be of the entire depth of the bars, and this arrangement
(with which the grooves must necessarily run at an inclination corre-
sponding with that of the projections) I prefer for marine and locomotive
furnaces, as it imparts greater strength to the bars. The outer bars are
formed with external lugs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Oharles Richardson in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 30th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
CHARLES RICHARDSON, of Henlow, in the County of Bedford, send
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
CHARLES RICHARDSON, of Henlow, in the County of Bedford, send
Cantina

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
cighth year. of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Charles Richardson, Her
special licence, that I, the said Frederick Charles Richardson, my exe-
5 cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick
Charles Richardson, my executors, administatrors, 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
0 Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACE BARS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Charles
Richardson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
5 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 Frederick Charles Richardson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, and in reference being
had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-
The improvements constituting this Invention are applicable in and
to the construction of the fire-bars of the furnaces of locomotive, marine,
stationary, and other engines.
The features of novelty in these improvements, the utility of which
will be plainly apparent to those cognizant of the practical requisites,
are as follows:-On the opposite sides of the furnace bars 1 I make or
form at an inclination to or obliquity with the top surface of the bars
bevelled or tapering projections 2, which I arrange alternately on the
opposite sides of the bars, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, and between
these projections, and in the substance of the depending webs 3 of the
bars I further make grooves 4. The projections 2 and grooves 4 on
cach side of each bar thus alternate. These projections 2 may be either
of about one-half the depth of the bars, see Figures 4 to 7, and this

page_text: arrangement (with which the alternating grooves 4 may be either of a
single inclination, see Figure 5, or partly inclined and partly vertical,
see Figure 7) I prefer for Cornish or fixed furnaces; or the said pro-
jections may be of about three-quarters, or nearly the entire depth of
the bars, see Figures 8 and 9, and this arrangement (with which the
alternating grooves 4 must necessarily run at an inclination correspond-
ing with that of the projections) I prefer for marine and locomotive
furnaces, as it imparts greater strength to the bars.
Upon experiment I do not find any better results accrue from making
the said projections of any greater depth than about three-quarters that
of the bars.
The projections of the adjoining bars when in position fit between
cach other, see Figures 1 and 3, and thus between each adjoining two
bars there is left a winding or serpentine opening opening into the
furnace flush with the top surface of the bars, and this enables a free,
fuller, and more uniform supply of air to be admitted to the furnace.
To keep this serpentine opening of a uniform width at all parts I make
on the opposite faces of the fore shoulders 5 of the bars a rabbit and
tongue 6, or a groove and fillet 7 (see Figure 3) or a V or an inverted
V projection and recess 8 (see Figures 2, 4, 5, and 10) or a half V pro-
jection and recess 9 (see Figures 11 and 12) by which means longitudinal
displacement of the bars 1 is prevented. I also, where there are two or
more sets of bars in the length of the furnace (see Figure 13) bevil the
adjoining ends of the bars, as shown at 10, which prevents them locking,
and allows the top bars to rise instead of becoming fixed when the bars
become hot and expand much, and allows obstructions to fall through
instead of getting jammed between the bar ends; and these adjoining
ends I also provide or make with air passages or openings 11 (sec
Figures 1 to 5, 7 to 9, and 14), and the cross or bearing bar 12 I also
form to fit these adjoining ends, and correspondingly (see Figures 13, 15,
and 16) to allow the air to have free access to and through the said
passages 11; I thus cut up the usual disadvantageous dead surface in
the middle of the furnace and supply the same with a sufficiency of air.
I further also provide the fore shoulders 5 of the bars with air passages
or openings 12 (see Figures 1 to 5) suitable provision being made in the
usual supports of the bars at this end to allow of a supply of air
thereto. This bevilling of the ends of the bars is applicable to, and

page_text: I also provide the bars in the grooves 4 and between adjoining pro-
jections 2 with stays, supports, or smaller projections 13 (see Figures 1
to 5); these, when the bars are in position, give support to the adjoining
bars and prevent the same from buckling or from receiving transverse
displacement.
The outer bars I also provide with external lugs 14 arranged in an
oblique direction (see Figures 1, 3, and 13).
I would remark that I can also form the projections 2 of the bars
opposite each other, and inclining in the same direction; the grooves 4
would thus also be opposite each other, and that on opposite sides of the
bars, whether the projections and grooves are respectively opposite each
other or alternate, as shown on the annexed Drawings. I can also
incline the projections and grooves in opposite, contrary, or different
directions, but the inclinations of the facing parts of adjoining bars must
necessarily agree in direction and otherwise so as to fit properly between
cach other.
Figures 13, 15, and 16, are drawn to half the scale of the remaining
Figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
objects of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the construct-
ing furnace bars with bevilled or tapering projections and intermediate
inclined or combined inclined and vertical grooves arranged at an
inclination to or obliquity with the top surface of the bars, and extend-
ing from the said top surface to about one-half or three-quarters the
depth of the bars, and the various described modifications of arranging
the same, also the means described of preventing longitudinal displace.
ment of the bars and the combination therewith, and the provision of
stays to prevent transverse displacement or buckling of the bars and the
bevilling the adjoining ends of double or multiple sets of bars, and the
improved cross or bearing bar supporting and admitting air to the same,
and its adaptability to and use with other kinds of furnace bars, also the
provision of external oblique or inclined lugs to the outer bars, and the

page_text: provision of air passages at the fore and middle ends of the bars, all
substantially as and for the purposes respectively herein-above described
and as illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Charles Richardson,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.