US655930A - Grate. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug; 14, I900. w. c. mesms.

G B A T E (Applicafion filed Mar. 28, 1898.)

(No Model'.)

mm: ran,

WITNESSES Arron/15 H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVERTER O. HIGGINS, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent 0. 655,930, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed March 28, 1898. Serial No. 675,468. (N0 m0del-) To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WERTER C. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Norwich, in the county of New London'and State of Connecticut, have invented certain'new heaters; and the particular object of my said invention is to provide in a simple and effective manner for the crushing and removal of clinkers and also for the ready removal of the entire grate whenever it is necessary to inspect or repair the same.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ash-pit section of a furnace, showing my new'form ofgrate partly drawn out therefrom; and Fig. 2 isa'longitudinal vertical sectional view taken near the center of said grate. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one of the sides of the ash-pit frame in which the grate is supported, this view illustrating also a portion of one of the grate-bars and the manner of removably sup porting the grate. Fig. 4 shows an elevation, a plan, and a cross-section of aportion of the frame in which the grate-bar ends are supported; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view online 5 5 of Fig. 3.

My invention is inthe class of grates composed of amultiple of bars that are journaled in suitable supports, certain of the bars being connected by a rod that is common to all, by means of which they may be rocked in unison by simply operatingthe said connecting-rod.

In the annexed drawings the reference-letter a indicates the ash-pit or base-section ofa furnace, said section being here illustrated as of rectangular box form and preferably provided with an inwardly-projecting flange a or'overhanging portion; 4 Secured to the inner face of the opposite sides of the section a are angle irons'or. plates 12, in which are journaled small wheels or pulleys c, said wheels being arranged at a stated distance apart along both sides of the ash-pit casing a, near the top of the latter. Loosely supported on the wheels 0 is a frame d, whose sides are preferably at a slight distance from 5 5' the sides of the ash-pit to permit of the passage of any coal or clinkers that might accidental ly get between the edge of the frame and the sides of the ash-pit when the frame is being moved longitudinally within the pit. The sides may also be curved or grooved, as

at d, at the points where the frame rests upon the wheels, the grooves df being provided (as tracks or guards) to prevent the accidental dis placement of frame at when the latter is being drawn out from or pulled into the casing a. The sides of frame at extend downward, as at d and are formed with alternating depressions or sockets d d, the former of which are semicircular at the bottom, while the latter, d, are angular at the bottom, as most clearly explained by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. By forming the grate-bearings in this manner each of them is open at the sides, except at the top, where the flat or main portion of the frame forms a retaining-wall, against which the end of the grate rests to prevent its longitudinal movement in the bearings. The open bearing prevents the accumulation of ashes within the bearing and thus avoids the necessity of a block in the bearing above the grate-journal; but to prevent the accidental displacement of the journal from this open-topped bearing,when it is being rocked it is'necessary that the flange Z) be located so close to the flange a that the distance between the top of the grate-frame and the flange be less than the diameter of the grate-journal. In this manner the grate cannot get out of its bearing while within the 0 ash-pit, but can be lifted outwithout removing any blocks when the frame has been removed from the pit.

Within the angular depressions d are placed non-rocking grate-bars e, the ends of which are shaped to fit the said angular depressions. (See Fig. 2.) Within the semicircular depressions d are journaled the circular ends of grate-bars g, and each of said bars g is provided with a downwardly-extend- 10o ing arm h, and all the arms h of any desired series of grate-bars are pivoted at their lower or free ends with a rod 1', extending along the side of the ash-pit and projecting outward from the front thereof a distance sufficient to I05 allow a lever is to be attached to said rod '5. Lever 7c is fulcrumed in a bracket m, secured to or formed as a part of the ash-pit casing,

and it will now be understood that when the free end of lever is grasped and rocked, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2, its lower end will impart longitudinal movement to rod 2', and the several arms h and their grate-bars g will be simultaneously rocked. The entire number of rocking grate-bars g may be connected to a single rod 1', and thus all may be rocked in unison; but I prefer to connect a part of them-for example, those nearest the front of the furnace-to a rod i on one side of the ash-pit, while the remaining bars g'(at the rear of the furnace) are connected to a similar rod 1', located at the opposite side of 'the furnace, for the reason that this duplex arrangement makes it possible to rock the front and rear grate-bars independently of each other, which is often desirable, or they may be rocked in unison by simply operating both of the levers 70 at the same time. It will now be understood that only the alternate grate-bars are adapted to be rocked, the intermediate bars 6 being prevented from rocking by their described angular supports at each end.

Having thus described the general construction, arrangement, and operation of the grate-bars, I wish now to refer to the particular and novel shape of said grate-bars, as said shape forms an important and valuable feature of my present invention. Each gratebar, whether of the fixed series 6 or of the rocking series g, is formed with narrow lateral wings e g, that alternate with each otherthat is to say, the wings g of the rocking grate-bars g enter the spaces between the wings a of the next adjacent fixed grate-bar e, causing the wings of said adjacent bars to overlap each other, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, thus providing a substantially-solid upper surface to the entire grate when its bars are in theirnormal positions. Projecting upward from the center of each of the grate-bars e g are spurs or lugs 9 whose sides are vertical and whose tops terminate in angles that pitch each way from the center, as best seen in Fig. 2. When the grate is loaded with clinkers and ashes, the described angular sides of the lugs e g cause such clinkers, &c., to slide down said angular sides into the open spaces between the adjacent grate-bar lugs. The ashes pass downward through the cracks and interstices between the wings e g (during the operation of rocking'the bars 9) and the clinkers are caught and crushed between the lugs e 9 said lugs acting then as powerful jaws, one of which, e is fiXed and the other, 9 is movable. The extent of the rocking movement of grate-bars g should be so limited that the ends of the wings g will never rise above the level of the top of the wings e. If otherwise, openings would be provided into which clinkers or coals would fall, and thus clog the grate; but when the grate-bars are constructed and operated as I have described clinkers or other hard substances will be crushed to powder when they drop between the lugs g e and may then sift downward be tween the wings g e into the ash-pit.

, At each end of the frame d, in which the grate-bars are supported, I provide tooth-like projections (1 that fill the otherwise open spaces between the wings on the bars at the front and rear of the grate.

It will now be understood that the complete grate is mounted in the frame d and that said frame is supported at each side on the wheels 0 in such manner that whenever it becomes necessary to inspect or repair the grate the latter may be easily and quickly withdrawn from the ash-pit, it being only necessary to first remove the front of the ash-pit section. Having thus withdrawn the grate, the bars e g (or any one of them) may be disconnected from rod 't' and lifted from their supports in the frame d.

At the front end of the grate I prefer to connect the side walls with a transverse strip or connector a which is curved upwardly at its ends to permit the passage of the gratebar frame below it. Thisconstruction will hold the walls in place without interfering with the operation of the grates or the frame. I also prefer to curve the ends of the arms h outward, so that the bars c will lie close to the side walls a and directly under the flange b at one side of the grate, thereby giving more room for access to the ash-pit for cleaning it out or any other purpose.

My invention is particularly valuable for use in large furnaces, in which the grate-bars are of considerable size and weight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a furnace, the combination with the side walls, each of whichis provided with an inwardly-projecting flange, of rollers journaled therein, a grate-frame, each end of which is provided with tooth-like projections, and each side is grooved longitudinally to engage with the rollers, and is provided with a downward extension, said extension being provided with journal-bearings, and a series of grates journaled in the furnace, each of which is provided with wings, a portion of the wings of the end grates fitting betweenthe projections of the frame.

2. In a furnace, the combination, with the side walls, the top of each of which is provided with two inwardly-projecting flanges, of roll ers journaled in the lower flange, a grate- ,frame of a less width than the distance be- WERTER O. HIGGINS.

WVitnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO M. LUTHER.

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