US1786358A - Grate - Google Patents

Description

H. K. MILNER Dec. 23, 1930.

GRATE Original Filed June 14, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l \0 INVENTOR ,9; H.H.Mazner ATTORNEYS WITNESS a4. aja u'm F K H. K. MILNER Dec. 23, 1930.

GRATE s sheets-sheet 2 Original Filed June 14, 192

INVENTOR H. H. M7, inc?" ATTORNEYS WITNESS Jw a.

H. K. MILNER Dec. 23, 1930.

GRATE ow WN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I: {I Illllllll Original Filed June 14, 1925 llll lNvENToR H11. Mz-Zner' WITNESS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 23,1930 7 HENRY KEY MILNER, or

- 7 l Y on onennrsron,

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGN O R T MORTON KIRK MOORE, SOUTH CAROLINA snare Application fil ed June 14, 1926, Serial No.115,928. Renewed November 7, 1930.

My invention relates to-improvements in grates for furnaces using coal or other'similarfuel, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

Anobject of the invention is the provision in a grate construction of a novel grate bar which will be relatively strong when madegof a given amount of a given'material. f

A'furtherobject is a grate bar which includes a plurality of interchangeable quickly and easily and cheaply replaceable members of small size and light weightforsupporting fuel within a furnace. '15 A further object of the invention is the provision in a grate construction of a grate Afurther objectof the invention is the provision of agrate construction which per-- nuts practically unobstructed clrculation of am underneath the fuel support ng elements of the grate, thus keeping them comparatively cool and assuring relatively long-life, and" also permits flow of air upwardly between the fuel supporting members of 1 the grate into thefuelhed on the grate. V

A further object of the invention is the provision in'a grate of a novel grate bar hav.

7 ing a'plurality off-fuel supportin'gmembers supported on a rockingly supported bar and interlocked so that all air spaces between the sections willv have a predetermined constant width and so that all the fuel supportlng members on the bar Wlll move with the bar as a unit and each of'said fuel supporting-members willheretained in place on the rocking bar should such fuel supporting member be V c porting side bars 4 which are adapted to exbroken; a V 1 A still further ob ect of the invention is the provision in a grate of thecharacter described of a novel operating mechanism for rocking;

the grate bars inunison andnormally preventing-from dumping theburmngflfuel on the grate bars through the grate to a space below the grate.

A still further object of the invention is the provision in a grate ofmeans to cooperate with the grate bar operating mechanism to releasably holdthe grate bar in position to maintain the gratesurfacelevel and to prevent the ends of the grate sections from projecting upward into the fire.

c Other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the casing of a furnace equipped with a grate con struction embodying the invention, the grate construction being shown in plan, 7 r V Figure 2 is a longitudinalverticalsection through the grate construction and through the adjacent portions of the furnace casing, Figure 3 is a section along theline 3 -3 of Figure 1,

Figure l of Figure 1, I V c Figure 5' is asection along the line 5'5 of Figure l, 7 V

Figures 6, 9 and 11 ar similar fragmentary plan views of modifieu forms of fuel supporting members, of structions embodying the invention,

Figures 7, 10 and 12 respectively are end views of the structures shown in Figures 6, 9' and 11, respectively, and

isa section along the line 4-4 Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-Sof Figure 6.

In Figures furnace casing having vertical side walls 1 and vertical front and rear walls 2 and 3 respectively. The furnace casing per se forms no part of the present invention and may vary considerably in configuration and size from that illustrated in the drawings.

A. grate construction embodyingthe invention includes a pair of stationary suptend along the innerfaces of the side walls of thenassociate'd furnace-casing between grate bars used in con 1 and 2, I show a portion of a The upper edge of each of the side bars 4 is solid. continuous and unbroken and is substantially horizontal throughout its length and the lower edge of each side bar 4 has upwardly otl'set end portions as indicated at la. Each side bar 1 may have the lower edge portion thereof strengthened by a longitudinally extending rib 5 which is continuous with the lower ed e portion of the side bar. T 1e side bars 4 may be supported at their nds on masonry or other supports (not shown) or on the side walls 1 of the associated furnace casing by bracket hooks or lugs (not shown) which may be carried by the side walls of the furnace casing and engaged with transverse notches or holes (not shown) at any points along the length of a side bar 4. A pair of stationary end cross bars dead plates 8 is provided. Each cross bar 8 has plurality of transversely spaced tongue extensions So at its opposite ends adapted to fit in transverse notches 9 in the upper edges of the end portions the side bars 4. The end cross bars 8 may be retained in place on the end portions of the associated side bars 4- by rod-like fastening devices 6 having upper end QOItlOllS extending through vertical notches 10 in the end portions of the end cross bars 8 and bent onto the side bars such fastening devices including hook-like lower end portions engaged with transverse notches 7 in the lower edges of the end portions of the side bars at, whereby the ends of the cross bars will be securely tied or bound to the ends of the side bar".

A series of rocking grate bars is supported by the side bars 4 between the end cross bars 8. Each rocking grate bar comprises a supporting cross member of bar-like formation having a body 12 which is substantially rectangular in cross sectional configuration and which is pr vided at its opposite ends adjacent to its lower face with integral aligned trunnions 123. The body 12 of the supporting member of each rocking grate bar spans the space between the side bars 4 and the trunnions 13 are rockingly supported on the r.unded bottom portions 14 of vertical slots .vhich extend transversely through the side bars at intermediate the upper and lower or ges of said ide bars. it

of course will be understood that the vertical slots are provided at regularly spaced intervals along each side bar l and that corresponding slots 15 of the two side bars 1 are in ali unent with each other transversely of the furnace casing. Each vertical slot 15 is enlarged laterally in opposite directions its upper end, thus producing the branch slots 16 which er end longitudinally of the side bar a in whichthey are former. The supporting member 12 of each rocking grate bar is placed in position to be supported by the cross bars by placing the trunnion 13 a one end of said supporting member in the corresponding slot 15 in one of the side bars and then tilti g the supporting member until the trunnion 1?) at the opposite end of said supporting member can be moved from one of the lateral branch slots 16 into the associated slot 15 and then down "ardly to position to rest on the portion 14 of said vertical slot, at which time said supporting member of the rocking grate bar assen'ibly will be horizontal.

The side bars 41 are formed with pairs of intergral 111 's 17 on their inner faces, the respective lugs 17 of each pair being located adjacent to and at opposite sides of the lower end portion of a slot 15, there being a pair of the lugs 17 for each slot 15. The lugs 17 of each pair constitute stops for limiting the rocking movements of the supporting members of the grate bars about the axial lines of the trunnions 13 and the upper faces of the lugs 17 are inclined outwardly and upwardly with respect to the associated slots 15 so that a side face of the supporting member 12 will rest fiatwise on the upper face of an adjacent lug 17 when said supporting member has been rocked in either of opposite directions about the axial line of its trunnions 13.

Each of the supporting members 12 is provided at regularly spaced intervals along its length with vertical sockets 18 which are non-circular in cross section and may be rectangular in cross section as shown. The sockets 18 are adapted for the reception of correspondingly configured shanks 19 of replaceable and interchangeable fuel supporting members which include the fuel supporting head portions 20 at the upper ends of the shanks 19. The fuel supporting heads 20 are substantially elliptic in elevation with slightly extended end portions at the opposite ends of the elliptical transverse openings 21 which thus are produced in the heads 20. Each of the opposite ends of each fuel sup porting head 20 is provided with oppositely extending lugs and 81 respectively. The lug 80 is provided with a vertical notch 80a in its extremity and the lug 81 is provided with an extending tongue portion 81a at its extremity adapted to enter and engage with the notch 80a at the corresponding end of the adjacent head member 20, whereby the interlocking engagement of the lugs on adj acent head members of the fuel sup 'iorting members will assure proper positioning of the fuel supporting members at all times and the air spaces between the fuel supporting members will have a constant predetermined width. The fuel supporting heads 20 thus have relatively great strength when formed of a given amount of a given material and permit complete circulation of air around every part of each fuel supporting head so that it v ll be kept cool and its life thus prolonged. The shanks 19 depend from the central per-- tions of the heads 20. As hereinbefore iii stated, the lower face of each of the supportmg cross members 12 of a rockinggrate bar assembly is inclined downwardly from its opposite ends toward its transverse median line and since each of the members'12 has thelspaced vertical sockets 18 formed therein to extend vertically therethrough, the-supporting cross member of e'achrocking grate bar may be said tobe of double trussed design and thereforewillbe relatively strong for the amount of a given material that is used in its construction.

A pair of shaker hooks 22 is'provided for each of the rocking grate bar assemblies. As shown to advantage in Fig. 5, the respective hooks 22 of each pairhave their shanks disposed vertically at opposite sides of the member 12 of the associated rocking grate bar so i that the bill portions'22a of the hooks will extend transversely across the upperface of the associated member 12 from opposite of hooks 22 will be firmly clamped to the associated member 12 between ad acent fuel supporting heads 20-when the lower end portions of the shanks ofthehooks,'which over-1 lap underneath the longitudinal median line of the associated member-:12 as indicated .at

24 in Fig. '5, are connected by a transverse fastening element 25 which extends through aligned openings? in the lapped'lower' end portions of the shanks of the hook members 22. 1A shaking bar is connected with the lapped lower end portionslof the ishanksof the shaker hooks andtmay comprise a pair.

of'bar like sections 26whichstraddlethe lapped lower en'dportions of the shanks of the shaker hooks and are pivotally attached to said shaker hooks and thus connected with each other bythe same fastening element 25.

that is used to connect-the lower: end fportions, of the shanks oflthej pair l of shaker V l1ooks=.: The shakerbar sections 2 6.'are of sufficient 1 length to [straddle the connected to-' gether portions of the pairsofshakerhooks for all the rocking grate bar assemblies. A

couplingmember'27;extends through an aper- I ture 28 which maybe the ash door opening in thefront wall 2 of the furnace casing.beloiv the usual fuel feed .opening not shown; fiThe inner end portion of the coupling {member 27 is straddled by the forward end portions of the sections of the. shaker bar and iscon nected with the sections of the shaker bar byv a horizontal pivot element 29 which'may be theshank of abolt thatis. retameclin place in aligned transverse openingsin the lapped portions of the sections of the barand the coupling member by means of a nut 30. The

outer end portion of the coupling member 27 is formed to produce 'a pair of vertically spaced forks 31,-thusdefining a horizontal slot 32 for the receptionofan endportion of an arm 33 of ahorizontally disposed substantially right angular bell crank lever 34. The lapped portions of the bell-crank lever arm 33 and theforks 31 of the coupling member 27 are connected by a vertical pivot element35. The bell-crank lever 34 includes an 7 arm 36 and ahub portion 37 at the juncture of the arms 33 and 36 of the bell-crank lever. A bracket 38 may be attached to the front wall 2 of the furnace casingat either side of the usual ash door opening without any change or reversal of any kind by rivets39' or like fastening'devices, and has a pair of forwardly extending vertically spaced hori- V zontal arms 40 and 41 respectively between which the hub 37 of 'the bell-crank lever is disposed and to which the hub of the bellcrank lever-is connected by means of a vertical pivot element 42. v The bell crank lever may be used at either. side of .the ash door. opening simply by turning the bell crank lever so that the arm that'is to be connected the shaker bar will extend eithertothe right or tothe left of the. bracket, this being determined by the location of the bracket relatively tothe ash door opening. As clearly shown in Figure 4, the lateral edge portions of the bracket arm 41 extend beyond the lateral edges of the bracket arm 40, thus producing horizontal ledges 'at43 and providing a bearingsurface of relatively great area for the top-of the.

bell-crank lever. ,The ledges 43 also have anotherfunction to be presentlydescribed. The

extremity of the arm 36 of .the bell-crank is convexly' curvedl in vertical section as indicated at 43. An operatingorshaker handle bar 44-hasan undercut longitudinally extend,

ing slot45 in its inner end portion for the;

reception of the outer end portion of the-bellcrank lever arm 36. A horizontal pivot ele-,,

ment 46 extends through the sidewalls of the slot 45'and' through the outer end portion of the bell-crank lever arm 36, whereby the handle 44 .will be connected with the arm 36 no i of the bell-crank lever so that the handle 44.

may swing fromthe dottedline position of Figure 3 tothe out-of-the-way position shown by the full lines of Figure 3. When the han dle44 is inthe position shown by the dotted lines in Figures 3 and 5, bodily movement of" the handle 44 in a horizontal plane will cause the bell-crank 34 to, be rocked horizontally about the axis of the pivot element 42, and

motion will be transmitted from the bellcrank lever through the" coupling member 27 to theshaker bar and thence to all the rocking grate bar assemblies which will be rocket simultaneousl The bell-crank lever may.

be locked to the bracket 38 to prevent accidental rocking of the rocking grate bar assemblies when such assemblies are in position to maintain a level bed of fuel thereon. This locking of the bell-crank lever to the bracket may be effected by placing a latching pin 47 in a vertical aperture 48 in the arm 36 of the bell-crank lever so that the end portions of the pin 47 will enter and engage with vertically aligned notches 49 and 50 in the ends of the bracket arms 40 and 41, respectively.

The extent of rocking movement of the bell-crank 34 about the axis of the pivot ele ment 42 and therefore the extent of rocking movement of the rocking grate bar assemblies may be limited by stop shoulders 51 and 52, respectively in the edge of the hub portion 37 of the bell-crank lever adjacent to and at opposite sides of the body of the bracket 38. \Vhen the rocking grate bar assemblies are in position to maintain a level grate surface in the fire box of the furnace, the bell-crank lever will be in the position shown in Figure 1 and it will be observed'that the stop shoulder 51 on the bell-crank is nearer to the adjacent side wall of the body of the bracket '38 than the shoulder 52 to the other side wall of the bracket 38. In order to prevent rocking of the rocking grate bars from the positions shown in Figure 1 to the positions to dump the fuel bed through the spaces between adjacent grate bars, the invention provides a substantially right angular latch bar 53 which includes a relatively long arm attached by a horizontal pivot element 54 to the front wall of the furnace casing at one side of the bracket 38 so that the other and shorter arm of the latch bar may be swung about the axis of the pivot element 54 to and from position to rest on the adjacent ledge 43 of the bracket between the front wall of the furnace casing and the shoulder 52 on the bell-crank. The shoulder 52 then will engage with the end of the shorter arm of the latch bar 53 or the shoulder 51 will engage with the adjacent side wall of the body of the bracket 38 for the bell-crank lever can be rocked about the axis of the pivot element 42 to an extent sufiicient to cause the fuel on the rocking grate bars to be dumped through the spaces between adjacent rocking grate bars. However, the rocking of the grate bars when the latch 53 is in operative position will be sufficient to permit desirable shaking of the fuel bed. Vhen it is desired to dumpthe fuel bed through the grate assembly, the latch 53 is swung upwardly from the position of Figure 1 and the full line position of'Figure 4 as indicated by the dot-ted line position of Figure 4 and the bell crank lever then may be rocked until the shoulder 52 strikes the adjacent side wall of the body of the bracket 38 and the rocking grate bars may be rocked about the axial lines of the trunnions 13 until thesupporting member 12. of each grate bar is in contact with one of the lugs 17 and as required to cause the fuel bed to be dumped through the grate.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. ,VVhen the fuel supporting members shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 are used, the vertical sockets 18 in the bodies of the supporting cross bars of the rocking bar assemblies are all used for the reception of shanks of fuel supporting head members. Adjacent sockets 18 are spaced apart at such a distance that the side faces of adjacent fuel supporting heads of the grate bar assemblies will be adjacent each other. It will be observed that a space is provided underneath the fuel bed supporting heads for the circulation of air so that the parts of the grate bar assemblies which are in contact with supporting members will not be unduly heated and the grate bar assemblies therefore will not be likely to be broken or to require replacement frequently. It will be observed that the direction of length of the fuel bed supporting head members of the grate bar assemblies is substantially parallel with the side walls of the furnace casing and at right angles or substantially at right angles with the front wall of the furnace casing so that these head members will not be damaged or broken by the impact of a poker or like tool that may be used to break up the fuel bed.

If desired, I may make use of fuel supporting members in the grate bar assemblies of the type which embraces all the forms of fuel supporting head members shown in F igures 6 to 12 inclusive. It will be observed that the form of fuel supporting head member shown in Figures 6 and 7 includes a shank 19a which is identical in essential respects with the shank 19 of the fuel supporting head member shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. The head portion of the fuel supporting member shown in Figures 6 and 7 is indicated at 20a and has the same general configuration in longitudinal vertical section as the head member shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. However, the head 20a of the member shown in Figures 6 and 7 has a width approximately twice that of the head 20 of the fuel supporting members shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 and is provided at opposite sides of each end portion thereof with an extending lug having a tongue portion and a lug having a vertical notch 61. The respective tongue portions 60 and the notches 61 at opposite ends of the head portion 20a of the fuel supporting head member shown in Figures 6 and 7 are at opposite sides of the head portion 20a of that fuel supporting head member and each tongue 60 or notch 61 is adapted to engage with the notch 61 or tongue 60 of the adjacent fuel supporting head member no matter how these grate sections and the interlocking connections on IOU them are dropped into place. The respective 7 only every other socket 18 in the supporting cross member 12 of a rocking grate bar assembly is used for the reception of a shank 19a of each of the fuel supporting members 20a and the fuel supporting members 20a on one of the members 12 will be locked to one another so as to form a substantially rigid construction by reason of the engagement of the tongues on each fuel supporting head member with the notches 61 inthe adjacent fuel supporting head members. In addition, the head portion of each of the fuel supporting members 20a may be provided with a longitudinally extending vertical aperture 62 in the crown portions thereof, which as hereinbefore stated, is substantially twlce as wide as the crown portion of the fuel supporting head member shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5.

The fuel supporting head member shown in Figs. 9 and 10 has the shank 19b and a head portion 206 which difiers from the head portion 20a of the form of fuel supporting member shown in Figures 6 and 7 only in that the head portion 20?) has three relatively narrow parallel slots 62a in the crown portion thereof. The fuel supporting head member shown in Figures 11 and 12 has a shank 190 and a head portion 200 which differs from the head portions 20a and 206 only in the number of longitudinal slots which are formed in the crown portion thereof, there being two longitudinal slots indicated at 625 in the crown portion of the head member shown in Figures 11 and 12.

The fuel supporting headmembers shown in Figures 6, 9 and 11 may be used interchangeably and the fuel supporting head members shown in Figures 6, 9 and 11 may be substituted for the fuel supporting head members shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. The' fuel supporting members shown in Figures 6, 9 and 11 have exactly the same number of square inches of grate surface and fit in exactly the same manner into the sockets of a rocking cross member, the only difference being that the head member shown in Figure 9 has an air space wide, the head member shown in Figure 11 has an air space wide, and the head member shown in Figure 6 has an air space A! wide. This variation in the width of the opening for draft or air adapts the grate forthe use'of coal of ordinary size, very small size, or slack coal. At the same time, the diflerent fuel supporting members are interchangeable with one another'an'd in an emergency can be mixed indiscriminately in the same grate assembly. This is an important advantage in the practical operation of the grate. It thus will be observed that I have standardized the parts of the improved grate, construction which are next to the fire and which are the only parts of the grate construction that are likely to require replacement as a result of the requirements of ordi- V nary service. All. parts of the improved grate construction are relatively strong and light in weight and can be manufactured at relatively low cost, thus making for economy in the cost of installation and maintenance.

I claim:

1. In a fuel supporting element for grates,

an elliptical shaped head having a transverse opening extending entirely therethrough and a vertically disposed slot extending substantially the length of the head and stopping short of the ends of the latterand communicating with the transverse opening, a horizontal support, and a shank projecting from the under face of the head for supporting the latter on said horizontal support.

2. In a fuel supporting element for grates, a substantially elliptical shaped head having a transverse passage which opens at the opposite vertical faces of the head and further provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face having communication with the transverse passage, a horizontal support providing a socket, and a shank depending from the under face of the head to be received in the socket of said horizontal support.

3. Ina fuel supporting element for grates, a substantially elliptical shaped head having a transverse passa e which opens at the opposite vertical facesof the head and further provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face having communication with the trans verse passage, a horizontal support providing a socket, and a shank depending from the under face of the head to be received in the socket of saidhorizontal support, and oppositely extending V-shaped lugs formed on the opposite ends'of the head adapted for interlocking engagement with similar lugs of an identical fuel supporting element whereby to hold two adjacent fuel supporting elements against relative longitudinal shifting.

HENRY KEY MILNER.

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