CHIMNEY PIECES."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1881.
JOHN THOMAS, of Bangor, in the County of Carnarvon.
CHIMNEY PIECES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to construct a chimney piece which will be
readily, easily, and cheaply enamelled, and at the same time one which will be
durable and light.
Chimney pieces are at present made of cast iron (cast either whole or in about
three pieces) and of slate, and difficulty is found in enamelling either of these
descriptions. When cast, as described, it is almost impossible to enamel the
receding angles.
When made of slate, which is largely used, the slate is very liable to crack with
the heat of the enamelling oven, the more especially where the work is elaborate,
the operation of the chisel, or rather the effect of the knocking, increasing the
tendency of the slate to crack when heated, and if slate or other substance be not
heated hot enough it is well known that the enamel will not stick to it but
peel off.
Slate chimney pieces are also very liable to chip and crack at the edges and
corners, especially on the splitting face, and thus be spoiled by being knocked by
a poker or other hard instrument.
In making chimney pieces I take metal, such as steel, wrought iron, or cast
iron, preferably the latter, and form it into such shapes or parts of a chimney
piece, being principally delineated by straight lines and having no receding angles.
These pieces are then rubbed, filed, or ground on emery wheel or grind stone to a
smooth face and enamelled. They are then fastened together in their respective
places by cramps, screws, bolts, and nuts, or other suitable means.
It is sometimes desirable to use steel or wrought iron for making chimney
pieces, and this I am enabled to do by the means afore described, the steel or

page_text: wrought iron being in sheets or angles. Or I may build up a chimney piece of
either two or three of these metals as required, constructing the different parts of
the chimney piece of the metal most suitable, or as may be specified in the plans of
the architect.
I prefer to make my chimney pieces of the following parts in separate pieces.
The block, the jamb, the beads, the mouldings, the mantles, the shelves (in one,
two, or more pieces), all arches and keys, etcetera; but of course I do not bind
myself to the parts specified, as they may be made in any number of pieces.
Iron or other metal chimney pieces can thus be enamelled without incurring a
very great expense, and the metal can be heated up to the required temperature
to give the best results in enamelling without danger of cracking; and as it is
much harder and can be brought to a smoother surface than slate, a better polish
can be given to the enamel, slate being often too soft to take a polish without
three or four coats of enamel, and the fewer coats of enamel it is practicable to do
with the better, as it gets harder the nearer it is to the body underneath.
These chimney pieces are cheaper, are stronger, and harder, and consequently
less liable to break, or chip, and are lighter, and will be easier of transit than
those of enamelled slate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th April
1882.
JOHN THOMAS, of Bangor, in the County of Carnarvon.
CHIMNEY-PIECES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to construct a chimney piece which will be
readily, easily, and cheaply enamelled, and at the same time one which will be
durable and light. Chimney pieces are at present made of cast iron (cast either
whole or in about three pieces) and of slate, and difficulty is found in enamelling
either of these descriptions. When cast, as described, it is almost impossible to
enamel the receding angles.
When made of slate, which is largely used, the slate is very liable to crack with
the heat of the enamelling oven, the more especially where the work is elaborate,
the operation of the chisel, or rather the effect of the knocking, increasing the
tendency of the slate to crack when heated, and if slate or other substance be not
heated to a sufficiently high temperature it is well known that the enamel will not
stick to it but peel off.
Slate chimney pieces are also very liable to chip and crack at the edges and
corners, especially on the splitting face, and thus be spoiled by being knocked by a
poker or other hard instrument.
In making chimney pieces I take metal, such as steel, wrought iron, or cast iron,
preferably the latter, and form it into such shapes or parts of a chimney piece,
being principally delineated by straight lines and having no receding angles.
These pieces are then rubbed, filed, or ground on emery wheel or grindstone to a
smooth face and enamelled. They are then fastened together in their respective
places by cramps, screws, bolts, and nuts or other suitable means.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 shows in perspective an elevation of a plain
chimney piece (the shelf being shown raised above its normal position in readiness
for adjusting); Fig. 2, similar view of moulded chimney piece; and Fig. 3, section
on line x, y, Fig. 2. When made of cast iron, the several parts of the chimney
piece are cast separately, such as the mantle or shelf A, the block B, the jamb C,
the mouldings D, and all arches, keys, etcetera, which may be used to ornament
or complete the structure, and any of these may be made in two or more parts if
required, and lugs are cast on the inside of the several pieces at suitable positious,
by means of which the whole structure is fastened tightly and securely together
by bolts or screws.
When making the chimney pieces of iron, steel, or other wrought metal, sheets
of the metal are preferably used. These are bent to the required shape in straight
or circular form to show the proper thickness of the particular part, flanges being
left on the inside through which the bolts or screws pass. The jambs and block
are thus made. The shelves also are thus bent to shape, and the top and bottom
may be formed of two pieces fitting one into the other and the ends soldered
together, as shown at a, Fig. 1. This kind of work may be applied in any plan or
to any form of mouldings. A cast iron moulding of any shape or pattern may be
attached to the ends of the shelf, and in this case the cast iron end will stand
about one eighth of an inch above the top of the shelf, and the end of the shelf
pass in under it and be there supported by screw or bolt as may be found
convenient.
It is sometimes desirable to build up a chimney piece of either two or three of
these metals, constructing the different parts of the chimney piece of the metal
most suitable, or as may be specified in the plans of the architect.

page_text: Iron or other metal chimney pieces made thus can be enamelled without
incurring a very great expense, and the metal can be heated up to the required
temperature to give the best results in enamelling without danger of cracking, and
as it is much harder and can be brought to a smaller surface than slate a better
polish can be given to the enamel. Slate is often too soft to take a polish without
three or four coats of enamel, and the fewer coats of enamel it is practicable to use
to obtain the required finish the better, as it is found to set harder the nearer it is
to the body underneath.
On the jambs and mantles may be cast, in the case of cast metal, or stamped
with suitable die in the case of wrought metal, scroll work device of any desired
pattern. This may afterwards be painted or gilded according to the situation in
which it has to be placed.
These chimney pieces are cheaper, are stronger and harder, and consequently
less liable to break or chip, and are lighter, and will be easier of transit than those
of enamelled slate.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. An enamelled metal chimney piece manufactured in separate parts so as
to avoid re-entering angles in these parts, and then those parts built up into the
required structure.
Second. The manufacture of enamelled metallic chimney pieces, substantially as
described in the foregoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas, have hereunto_set-my hand
and seal, this Twenty eighth day of April,-in-the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JOHN THOMAS. (L.S.)