IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Fox, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar, near
Sheffield, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Fox at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd February 1878. -
SAMUEL FOX, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar, near Sheffield.. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FURNACES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in furnaces, and relates to that
class of furnace in which the fire-bars are arranged in a series of steps, one below
the other, and form an inclined. fire-bed, descending downwards from the front to
the back of the fire-place. In such furnaces flat plates have also been carried on a
level with and in front of each step or set of bars, and the fresh fuel has been placed
on to these plates to be pushed forward on to the bars as required. To support these
plates and fire-bars cross bearers passing from one side plate to the other of the
furnace have been used; but unless a free current of air is passing constantly to the
fire these supports.become so heated that they are unable to support the weight of
the bars and fuel resting thereon, and the fire-bars drop down and the furnace is
destroyed. Such furnaces therefore cannot now be used for heating steel and other
heating purposes where the furnace has frequently to be closed to retain it in a
heated condition without the combustion of further fuel. To prevent this I form
the transverse bearers or supports hollow and keep a current of water flowing
through them; the water after being passed through the hollow bearers may be fed
into a steam boiler, either heated by the same or by a separate furnace, or might be
allowed to pass to waste.
By the above means the bearers or supports of the fire-bars and plates may be
made to last for a long time, and the furnaces are rendered suitable for many uses to
which before they could not be applied. '

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August
1878.
SAMUEL FOX, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar, near Sheffield.
MENTS IN FURNACES."
" IMPROVE-
This Invention has for its object improvements in furnaces, and relates to that
class of furnace in which the fire-bars are arranged in a series of steps, one below
the other, and form an inclined fire-bed, descending downwards from the front to
the back of the fire-place.. In such furnaces flat plates have also been carried on a
level with and in front of each step or set of bars, and the fresh fuel has been placed
on to these plates to be pushed forward on to the bars as required. To support
these plates and fire-bars cross bearers passing from one side plate to the other of
the furnace have been used, but unless a free current of air is passing constantly to
the fire these supports become so heated that they are unable to support the weight
of the bars and fuel resting thereon, and the fire-bars drop down and the furnace is
destroyed. Such furnaces therefore cannot now be used for heating steel and other
heating purposes where the furnace has frequently to be closed to retain it in a
heated condition without the combustion of further fuel. To prevent this I form
the transverse bearers or supports hollow and keep a current of water flowing
through them; the water after being passed through the hollow bearers may be fed
into a steam, boiler, either heated by the same or by a separate furnace, or might be
allowed to pass to waste.
By the above means the bearers or supports of the fire-bars and plates may be
made to last for a long time, and the furnaces are rendered suitable for many uses
to which before they could not be applied.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal and vertical section of a
furnace grate in which the fire-bars are arranged in steps, and, in which plates to
receive the fresh fuel are arranged in front of each step or set of bars.
The Drawing also illustrates my improvements in such furnaces which relate to
the cooling of the bearers or supports for sustaining the fire-bars, and also the
plates.
Furnaces of this class wherever they are applied to uses such as heating steel and
other heating purposes where a high heat is required, and where it is necessary from
time to time to check the draft by closing the damper, are liable to frequent
failure from the bearers being overheated. The fuel below as well as that over the
bearers imparts heat to these, which renders them very liable to become overheated,
and when the bearers from being overheated fail, the furnace is rendered unworkable
until it has been repaired, and this cannot be done when the furnace is hot. By
overcoming these difficulties I render furnaces of this class suitable for many uses for
which they are as heretofore constructed unfit.
A, A, A, are the fire-bars; B,B, are the feed plates; and C, C, C¹, C¹, are the
bearers. The bearers C and C¹ I form hollow, as is more clearly seen in Figures 2
Each bearer at
and 3, which show to a larger scale sections of these bar bearers.
its ends has a length of wrought-iron pipe adapted to it forming a continuation of
the cavity within it. These pipes, when the bearers are set in their places, project
through the side walls of the furnace, and are coupled up together so that a con-
tinuous flow of water may be maintained through the bearers from an elevated
cistern or in other convenient way, such supply of water entering the series of
bearers at one end of the series and escaping at the other end. The flow is regulated
so as on the one hand to prevent waste of water, and on the other to prevent the

page_text: water being raised to a boiling temperature. It is obvious that the inner bearers C, C,
are much more exposed to beat than the outer bearers C¹, C¹, which are beneath the
plates. Nevertheless I prefer to supply both witli water, as described, although in-
respect to the bearers C¹ it may be omitted without very serious inconvenience.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it under-
stood that my claim is strictly confined to furnaces in which the bars are arranged
in steps, and in which in front of such bars there are plates to receive the fresh fuel,
and in such furnaces I claim the application and use of bearers cooled by the passage
of water through them to support the fire-bars and the feed plates, or either of
them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Fox, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
SAM FOX. (L.S.)