AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF GRATE BARS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF GRATE BARS."-A
communication from abroad by Jonathan Cone, of Bristol, State of
Pennsylvania, and John M° Eldery, of Jersey City, State of New
Jersey, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th May 1870.
.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF GRATE
BARS," a communication from abroad by Jonathan Cone, of Bristol,
State of Pennsylvania, and John M°Eldery, of Jersey City, State of New
Jersey, United States of America, to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
grate bars, the upper portion of which is of an oval, elliptical, or irregular

page_text: sectional form.
The bar is strengthened beneath by a rib, which
however is discontinued near each end where the bar rests on bearers.
In the portion of the bar which overhangs the strengthening rib, and on
cach side of the latter are arranged a series of elongated holes, these
holes being of less dimensions above than below, the back bearer is
situated between lips on the bars and the rear ends of the strengthening
ribs, so that while the longitudinal displacement of the bars is prevented
they are at liberty to expand and contract by the varying heat to which
they are subjected, the outer end of each bar overhangs the front bearer,
and is provided with a projection of a square or other suitable form
adapted to a handle or crank by which the bar can be agitated. Both
front and back bearers are provided with recesses or sockets for the
reception of the bars, each recess having opposite vertical sides united
to a horizontal base by two inclined planes, the latter and the base being
so formed that the elliptical bar when at rest will bear upon both of the
inclined portions and the base, but will be clear of the vertical sides of
the recess.
By thus making the bars of an elliptical or oval form where
they rest on the bearers, and by making the sockets of this peculiar shape
a solid bearing is afforded for the bars, at the same time the latter can be
readily agitated, and when agitation has ceased will of themselves resume
their proper position in the sockets of the bearers. The main advantage
of making the bars of an eliptical form where they rest on the bearers is
that when one of the bars is agitated it is rocked in the sockets of its
bearers, and the greater the inclination assumed by the bar during this
rocking process the greater will be the distance between the rocked bar
and the adjacent stationary bars. By this action the ashes are dis-
charged from the bars, and any clinkers that may have got between
them will be crushed and got rid of, and the accumulation of such
clinkers and aslies will be prevented.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date. the Twelfth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF GRATE BARS," a communication
to me from abroad by Jonathan Cone, of Bristol, State of Pennsylvania,
and John M'Eldery, of Jersey City, State of New Jersey, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement; reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement
of grate bars, the upper portion of which is of oval, elliptical, or irregular
sectional form.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a side elevation, partly in section, of the
improved grate bar; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a

page_text: transverse section taken along the line 1-2 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a
perspective view of the bar shewing a modification of or addition to the
same in dotted lines; Figure 5 is a view (drawn full size) shewing a
front view of one of the bearers and the ends of three of the bars
in transverse section; Figure 6 is a plan view of part of a wider
bar; Figure 7 is a transverse section taken along the line 3-4 in
Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a full-sized transverse section of a modified
form of bar.
The bar is strengthened beneath by a rib a, which, however, is
discontinued near each end where the bar rests on bearers b, b¹. In the
portion of the bar which overhangs the strengthening rib a, and on each
side of the latter, are arranged a series of elongated holes d in the
manner shewn in Figure 2, these holes being of less dimensions above
than below, as shewn in Figure 1, and in the transverse section,
Figure 3. The back bearer 6' is situated between the lips e on the bars
and the rear ends of the strengthening ribs, so that while the longitudinal
displacement of the bars is prevented they are at liberty to expand and
contract by the varying heat to which they are subjected. The outer
end of each bar overhangs the front bearer b and is provided with a
projection of a square or other suitable form adapted to a handle or
crank by which the bar can be agitated. Both front and back bearers
6 and 6¹ are provided with recesses, notches, or sockets for the reception
of the overhanging ends of the bars, as seen in Figure 5, each recess
having opposite vertical sides x, x, united to a horizontal base y by the
two inclined planes t, t, the latter and the base being so formed that the
elliptical bar when at rest will bear upon both of the inclined portions
and the base, but will be clear of the vertical sides x, x, of the recess.
By thus making the bars of an elliptical or oval form where they rest on
the bearers, and by making the sockets of the peculiar shape represented
in the Drawings, a solid bearing is afforded for the bars, whilst at the
same time the latter can be readily agitated, and when agitation has
ccased will of themselves resume their proper position in the sockets of
the bearers.
The main advantage, however, of making the bars of an elliptical form,
where they rest on the bearers, is that when one of the bars is agitated,
as, for instance, the central bar in Figure 5, it is rocked in the sockets of
its bearers, and the greater the inclination assumed by the bar during
this rocking process the greater will be the distance between the edges

page_text: of the rocked bar and the adjacent stationary bars, hence the free
discharge of the ashes when a bar is agitated, and the free disposal of
whatever clinkers may gain access to the spaces between the bars, these
clinkers being crushed between the rocked bar and the stationary
adjacent bar, and thus passing freely to the ash-pit below. The
accumulation of clinkers however in the fuel on the improved bar is
comparatively small and unimportant, owing to the fact that the holes in
the bars and the spaces between the bars afford an unusually large area
through which air can gain access to support combustion. The
clearance of the grate from ashes when the bars are agitated is
facilitated by the elliptical or rounded upper surface of the bars, this
shape tending to cause the ashes to seek the spaces between the bars.
In some cases also, that is, when the fire-doors are so situated that the
square projection at the outer end of the bar cannot be used for
agitating purposes it may be discarded, and the elbow-like projection
shown by dotted lines in Figure 4 employed in its place as a medium
through which the bar may be rocked.
Although bars of an elliptical or oval form have been referred to
throughout it is not absolutely essential that these Figures should be
adhered to on all occasions as the heads of the bars may be simply
rounded on their upper and under surfaces, or may be otherwise shaped,
as shewn in Figure 8.
When extra wide bars are required they may be made as shewn in
Figures 6 and 7, which will be readily understood without explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am aware
that rocking bars have heretofore been proposed, and that bars having
perforations made therein have also been proposed, and therefore I lay
no claim thereto; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction and use of fire-bars having heads of an oval,
elliptical, or other equivalent form, with or without perforations, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second. The combination with fire-bars of the forms above referred to
of bearers having recesses, notches, or sockets made therein of the form

page_text: shewn in Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, for the purpose
herein-before described.
Third. The imparting a rocking motion to fire-bars when constructed
and mounted in the manner herein-before described for the purposes
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of
November One thousand eight hundred and seventy.