Year: 1886

page_text: I, EDWARD BOUTCHER of 91 West Street, Neckinger, Bermondsey in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of improvements in steam boiler or other furnaces and
relates to the construction and mounting of hollow fire bars; to means of collecting
and carrying away the water that is caused to flow through hollow fire bars and to
means of rocking the bars.
.I cast hollow fire bars each in one piece of cylindrical or other form with a
series of triangular projections at right angles thereto. The projections on the
several bars are so arranged relatively to each other that those on one bar take
between those on the bars or bar next adjoining the series constituting the grate.
Each of the three sides of the bar is capable of being used as the bearing or grate
surface, so that when one side of a bar becomes worn the bar can be moved on its
axis to bring another side to the top. I mount or fit hollow fire bars so that they
rest at front on a notched bearing bar and at back on a similar bar which is in the
form of a trough or collector; this trough or collector receives all the water that is
caused to pass through the hollow bars for the purpose of cooling the same, and in
connection with the trough is a pipe by which the water is conveyed away to be sent
into the boiler or otherwise; the fire bars may thus form a feed water heater. Instead
of passing water through the fire bars I may force steam or air through them.
I sometimes form holes in the upper part of the hollow bars so that some of the
steam or air that is passing through them, or some of the steam evaporated from
the water when such is employed may find its way into the fuel.
For the purpose of rocking the fire bars I employ one or more transverse notched
bars which bear against the underside of the fire bars and have connected to them
a lever or other suitable appliance by means of which a to and fro motion can be
given to them when required. This to and fro motion of the transverse bar or bars
imparts a rocking motion to the fire bars.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Boller or other Furnaces.
I EDWARD BOUTCHER, of 91 West Street, Neckinger, Bermondsey, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer 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 consists of improvements in steam boiler or other furnaces.and
relates to the construction and mounting of hollow fire bars; to means of collecting
* and carrying away the water that is caused to flow through hollow fire bars and to
means of rocking the bars.
I cast hollow fire bars of cylindrical or other suitable form in a piece with a series
of projections preferably triangular at right angles thereto. The projections on
the several bars are so arranged relatively to each other that those on each bar
take between those on the bars or bar next adjoining, the series constituting the
grate. Each of the three sides of the bar is capable of being used as a portion of
the bearing or grate surface so that when one side of a bar becomes worn the bar
can be moved on its axis to bring another side to the top.
I mount or fit hollow fire bars so that they rest at front on a notched bearing
bar which is preferably in the form of a trough and at back on a similar bar in the
form of a trough or collector; this trough or collector receives the water that
passes through the hollow bars for the purpose of cooling the same and in con-
nection with the trough is a pipe by which the heated water is conveyed away to
be sent into the boiler or otherwise; the fire bars may thus form a feed water
heater. Instead of passing water through the fire bars I may force steam or air
through them. I sometimes form holes in the hollow bars, preferably in their.
upper part, so that some of the steam or air that is passing through them, or some
of the steam evaporated from the water when such is employed, may find its way
into the furnace.
For the purpose of rocking the fire bars I employ one or more transverse notched
bars which bear against the underside of the fire bars and have connected to them
a lever or other suitable appliance by means of which a to and fro motion can be
given to them when required. This to and fro motion of the transverse bar or bars
imparts a rocking motion to the fire bars.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a
transverse section and Figure 3 a sectional plan illustrating my improvements
applied to an externally fired boiler. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 5 a transverse section showing them applied to a Cornish or other internally
fired boiler. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
a, a are the hollow fire bars which may be either cylindrical, as shown, or of other
desired form. Each of them is cast with a number of projections a¹, a¹ which are
preferably triangular. The projections a¹, a¹ on the, several bars, as is clearly seen
in Figure 3, are so arranged relatively to each other that those on each bar take
between those on the bars or bar next adjoining, the series thereby constituting the
grate. Each of the sides of every bar a is capable of being used as a portion of
the bearing or grate surface so that when one side of a bar becomes worn the bar
can be moved on its axis to bring another side to the top. 6 is the main supply
pipe for supplying the hollow bars a, a with water, or with steam or air, or a
mixture of these, and 61, 6¹ are small branch pipes projecting from the main pipe b

page_text: into the hollow bars a, a to supply the same. c is the front bearing bar which is
notched to receive the front ends of the fire bars a, a; it is preferably provided or
formed with a trough c¹ for holding water, and in this case there is a pipe c³ for
carrying away surplus water from the trough. d is the back bearing bar which is
similarly notched to receive the back ends of the fire bars; it is formed with a
trough, as shown, for collecting the water that has passed through the hollow
bars a, a.
When thought desirable the bearing bar d and its trough are formed in
a piece with the bridge k, as seen in Figure 4, or the trough d can be dispensed
with in which case the bars a, a would be connected directly to the bridge k, which
would constitute the trough and back bearing bar. The bridge may be faced with
bricks or tiles l. is a pipe for carrying away water from the trough d; this
water is utilized as boiler feed water or otherwise; the pipe c* when used is
preferably connected to the pipe d', as shown. is a door or cover to the
trough d for the purpose of allowing it to be cleaned when necessary..e is a cover
plate which prevents ash or clinker getting into the trough d and also supports the
facing of the bridge.
ff are bars formed with notches or projections to engage with the pro-
jections a¹ on the fire bars a for the purpose of moving or rocking the latter; the
bars f, f¹ are maintained by supports fand have studs or pins ffs to engage
with holes, or recesses, in a lever g which is pivoted on a stud h¹ on a bracket h.
A horizontal vibrating movement given to the lever g, either by hand or by
suitable mechanism, imparts a corresponding movement to the bars f, f¹, and
therefore a rocking movement to the fire-bars a, a. Although it is preferred to
use two transverse bars f, f¹, one bar will answer the purpose but not so efficiently.
i, i, Figures 4 and 5, are bars or rods connecting the front bearing bar c to the
back bearing bar d, so that, when required, the whole grate and its supports can be
withdrawn from the furnace together.
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 furnace, a grate composed entirely of a number of movable hollow fire-
bars each of which has cast in a piece with it a number of projections, the pro-
jections on the several bars being so situated relatively to each other that those
on each bar take between those on the bars or bar next adjoining, the series
constituting the grate, substantially as described.
2. In a furnace, the combination with hollow fire bars of notched bearing bars
at front and back, the back bearing bar, or both the back and front bearing bars,
being in the form of a trough, or collector, to convey away water, substantially as
described.
3. In a furnace, the combination with hollow fire-bars, and with a notched back
bearing bar in the form of a trough, of a bridge preferably formed in a piece with
said trough, substantially as described.
4. In a furnace, one or more transverse bars fitted with a device for giving them
a vibrating motion, the said bar or bars engaging with the underside of the fire-
bars so that when vibrated they give a rocking motion to the fire-bars, substantially
as described.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.