Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 30th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 1st Nov., 1887
I JOHN ALEXANDER MACMEIKAN of Short Street Finsbury Pavement London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In constructing a Fire-Guard I hinge the same near the bottom on the hooks by
which it is fixed on the grate, so that it can be let down from a vertical to a horizontal
position or even lower, supported by chains rods or suitable means. It thus acts as a
tray or Dutch oven for toasting heating or drying and when let down is practically
removed from before the fire without further trouble. I preferably place the hinge
about half way up the grate and carry down the guard as a loose hanging grating
below the hinge this may be bent back as a stand for the guard when removed from
the fire the upper portion of the Guard may be in the shape of a double door closing
above the part which hangs down and hinged vertically, or the guard can be divided
horizontally into two parts both letting down in the same manner one above the
other.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fireguards.
I JOHN ALEXANDER MACMEIKAN of Short Street Finsbury Pavement London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In constructing a fire-guard I hinge the same near the bottom on the hooks by
which it is fixed on the grate, so that it can be let down from a vertical to a
horizontal position or even lower, supported by chains rods or suitable means, it thus
acts as a tray or Dutch oven for toasting heating or drying, and when let down is
practically removed from before the fire without further trouble. I preferably place the
hinge about half way up the grate and carry down the card as a loose hanging grating
below the hinge & this may be bent back as a stand for the guard when removed from the
fire the upper portion of the guard may be in the shape of a double door closing above
the part which hangs down and hinged vertically, or the guard can be divided
horizontally into two parts both letting down in the same manner one above the other.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9, shew the Fire-guard in various forms &
positions in section.
:
Fig. 1 shows it in the form of a flat fire-guard to hook on the grate bars, in a
vertical position i.e. in the position it assumes when used as a fireguard simply.
Fig. 2, shews it in the same form-viz. to hook on the grate-bars, but in a hori-
zontal position when pulled down to be used as a tray or Dutch oven for toasting
heating, or drying or for the purpose of being temporarily out of the way in order
to poke the fire or put coals on.
The guard is supported when down in a horizontal position by chains fixed at the
upper ends to loops or eyes on the hooks or frame of the guard and at the lowor
ends to a rod, and the chains are threaded through meshes of the guard before
being fixed at both ends so that the rod. falls down to the lowest point when the
guard is up (as shewn by the letter A in Fig. 1.) and when the guard is down
the rod is drawn up tight against the lower side of the guard (as shewn by the
letter A in Fig. 2,) thus extending across the guard on the lower side and furnishing
in combination with a firm platform for supporting any weight which may be placed
upon it.
When the guard is up (as in Fig. 1,) or is lifted off the fire the weight of the
rod prevents the guard falling down.
.
Two balls may be used instead of the rod but do not form so rigid a platform
when down.
The letter B in Figs. 1 & 2 denotes the curtain or that part of the guard which
is constructed as a loose hanging grating below the hinges and is so formed that
it constitutes a stand for the guard (as shewn in Fig. 3) the clean side (away from
the fire) being brought into contact with the floor.

page_text: Fig. 4, shews the guard in a standard or upright form to stand on the hearth,
having folding side pieces or wings and fitted with my arrangements for providing
a tray or Dutch oven as before.
The letter A denotes the rod at its lowest position when the tray is up, and letter A
Fig. 5, denotes the same supporting the tray when down.
If preferred the chain may be fastened to the outer edge of the tray and threaded
through meshes of the guard itself, and the rod may thus pass down on the side of
the guard furthest from the fire.
Figs. & 7, shew another form of the guard in which weights or counterpoises
(denoted by the letter E) are fixed on arins turned up at right angles on each
end of that side of the tray which is next the hinges so that their weight operates to keep
the tray up when vertical, as they stand out on the side furthest from the fire) but
does not affect it when down.
In this case the tray when down is supported on suitable knobs, arms, or brackets
provided on the wings or side pieces which are brought in at right angles with the
guard for this purpose, or chains or a chain may be used as supports.
Instead of weights or counterpoises a suitable catch may be provided to hold the
tray up in a vertical position.
Fig. 8, shews a form of standard or upright guard for standing on the hearth when
no wings or side picces are used.
In this case I provide the stand of the guard with two vertical rods C C on which
slide two rings D. D, on these rings the guard is pivoted so that when slightly raised
it will turn round to a horizontal position and the rings D. D slide down the vertical
rods CC till the guard reposes horizontally on the stand as in Fig. 9.
The weight of anything placed on the guard when down is thus taken by the stand;
and in this case a groove or recess is provided in the frame for the guard to stand in
when upright.
In the case of guards which hook on the grate bars the chains and rod or balls may
be dispensed with by providing a suitable stop to keep the guard in a horizontal positon
and also a catch on the hooks or frame to hold it in a vertical position, or weights or
counterpoises may be used as already described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The construction of a Fire-Guard in such a manner that it can form a tray or
Dutch oven in combination with its ordinary junctions, as herein before is described.
2. The arrangement of a curtain or loose swinging portion forming a stand for the
hanging Fire-Guard when off the fire in manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 30th day of September 1887.