AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAFETY HEARTH
Year: 1831

page_text: WALLACE, Brazier, in Leith, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of March, in the first year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Wallace, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Wallace, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Wallace, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAFETY
HEARTH;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
John Wallace, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Wallace, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thercon (that is to say):
-
My improvement or improvements in the safety heath consists, first, in
applying a smoke jack in the flue or chimney of a safety hearth, and by means
of certain other additions hereafter shown and described; forming a ship's
safety hearth capable of roasting meat by the power derived from such smoke
jack.
Secondly, in suspending or placing safety hearths on a fixed stand or frame,
such framing forming a curved railway, whereby the safety hearth will by its
gravity always keep its perpendicular position, even at the time of the ship's
heeling.
Thirdly, in a particular application of a damper for the purpose of changing
the direction of the heated air and frame.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a front view of a safety hearth, having my improvements
applied thereto, and being the principal Figuro in the Drawing referred to, I
shall be the more particular in the description of it. It consists of the frame,
boilers, and cooking apparatus attached thereto, also a smoke jack for roasting,
which jack, although in itself it forms no part of my Invention, I deem it
necessary to explain as connected with my safety hearth, in so far as I have
introduced it for this purpose. And I have substituted figures instead of
letters to denote the particular parts of it, as follows:-In Figure 1, which as
well as Figure 3 is supposed to have part of the bulb or cylinder composing the
upper part of the flue or chimney removed, in order to shew more clearly the
internal construction of the smoke jack. 1, 1, 1, &c., is a horizontal fau,
composed of six or more vanes or leaves, attached to an upright axis 2; it
occupies the whole internal diameter of the bulb or cylinder, and about one-
fourth of the depth of the straight part of it; 2, the upright axis which runs up
in the centre of the cylinder, and is driven round by the smoke acting upon
the inclined vanes of the fan in its ascent up the flue from the furnace; 3 is a
spiral or endless screw cut upon the upright axis 2, which drives a brass cog-
wheel consisting of about forty teeth, seen in Figure 3; 4 is the axis of this
brass wheel, having a pulley near its end, for receiving a chain to turn the
spit, and runs in a centre made in the bar 5, which I call the pivot rest,
drawn separately in Figure 21; 6 is an iron arm, on which several parts of

page_text: the jack are fixed, more clearly seen in the bird's-eye view, Figure 20; and in
this Figure the pivot rest 5 is attached at its extreme end to keep it in its
place; 7 is an oil box, the end of which is only seen in this Figure resting
upon the bar 6, but it is best seen in Figure 3. Figure 3 is an end view, in
which 6 is still farther explained; it is here seen lengthways, and is turned
down at each end, and secured to the cylinder by two screw bolts, as indicated
by the Drawing 7, the oil box, already referred to; it is made of cast iron or
other suitable material, and is supposed to have the side next the observer
removed, in order to shew how the upright axis moves in the bottom of it in a'
centre; it is introduced into the side of the cylinder by a holo cut for it, and
projects out from the side, and it also projects at the other end a little beyond
the centre of the cylinder, for the purpose of fixing a piece of metal 13,
through which the upright axis descends; and this piece of metal 13 acts as a
guide in case (if by any accident) the axis should come out of the centre.
8 is the wheel acted upon by the endless screw 3, and having at the end of its
axis or pulley, best seen in Fig. 1; opposite this wheel the pivot rest is
best seen, being fixed obliquely that the chain may not be interrupted, which it
would be if placed perpendicularly; 9 is another oil box, of a cylindrical form,
to contain oil to lessen the friction on the axis; 10 is an arm for the upright
axis to work in; it is bent down a little into the oil box to come in contact
with the oil, and is fixed on another arm 11 by a screw nut; 11 is 'an upright
arm, attached to the oil box by a screw bolt or other means; 12'is another
arm for fixing the other end of the arm 10, and it is also fixed to the oil box
in the same manner as 11. Fig. 20 is a bird's-eye view of the cylinder, in
which the position of the wheel 8 is seen fixed on its axis; this axis is
passed through a hole in the side of the cylinder, and the other end moves
in a piece of iron fixed on the inside of the oil box 7; 2 is the centre of
the upright axis; the relative position of the iron arm 6, the axis 4, and
the pivot rest 5, and the pulley, are here seen. Fig. 21 is the pivot rest,
having a square hole at the one end for taking on to the bar 6, and a round
hole at the other end for the axis 4 to move in. In this Figure the arm 6 is
also represented as passed through the cylinder by a hole made for the purpose;
it is made strong for holding the pivot rest firmly. I may here state
that I occasionally use a cover for the brass wheel and spiral or endless screw,
which cover rests upon or is attached to the oil box; I have also a cover,
which is applied over the projecting end of the oil box, with a space between
the said cover and the oil box for the admission of cool air into the jack
apparatus to prevent it as much as possible from being dirtied and injured by

page_text: the hot vapour and smoke, which impel it in its ascent up the flue; althoug
this is not absolutely necessary, yet I would recommend the use of such
covers to the jack, particularly in distant voyages, and where there is a large
ship's company. Figure 4 is a side section of the ship's hearth, and Figure
is a front section, having the cover or upper part of the flue or chimney
removed in order to admit the smoke jack being put into its place; Figuro
is a plan with some of the parts removed, whereby the construction will more
readily be seen. In all these Figures the same letters of reference indicate
similar parts, and such is also the case with reference to the other Figures
shown in the Drawing.
On the cylinder, Figures 1 and 3, there is a pulley affixed for receiving and
driving an endless chain A for turning the spit B, which is formed similarly to
those commonly employed; G is a pulley affixed to one end of the spit, which
receives motion and is actuated by the endless chain A; D, D, are the two
side plates, which have gaps or slits E cut into them for the purpose of
receiving the spit; F, F, are the hooks by which they are affixed in thei
proper places, and are supported and retained by the bars or rods G. These
side plates are seen separately in Figure 7, and in their places in Figures 2, 3,
and 4. The bars or rods G and rods II are affixed to the front plate I, and
slide in holes J, Figure 5, cut into the framing of the ship's hearth. The rods
G support the side plates D, D, and the rods II support the dripping pan K
which dripping pan is shown separately in Figures 8, and in its place in Figure 5.
Figure 9, L is a cover which rests on the front plate 1, and on the front on
the fire place, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 8. The object of the rods or
bars G, I, sliding into the holes J is that the side plates D, D, the spit B,
dripping pan K, and cover L may be removed, and the front plate I shut
against the bars of the grate or fire-place when roasting is not going on;
previous to which, a metal plate, Figure 22, is put over the frout grate to
prevent the cold air from passing between the top of the fire; this metal
plate is fixed by two pieces of iron, as represented thereon, by two holes made
in the frame to receive them, and it slips out and in at pleasure; it has also
two handles to left it by. M are the front bars or grating of the fire-place,
which I prefer to be in nearly a vertical position; they are seen in Figures
4 and 5, and the bottom grating or fire-bars N are shown in Figures 4 and 6;
O, Figures 2 and 4, is the ash-pit, and P is a pan or trough to receive tho
ashes from the ash-pit, such pan being shown separately at Figure 10;
Q, Figure 2, is the door for, feeding the fire with fuel; Figure 11 shows an
inside view of the front plate I, and also a side view of the same separately;

page_text: R is the oven which runs from side to side, having a door at each end, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3; S, S, are two boilers, one of which is shown in
section, and in plan, separately at Figure 12, together with a section of the
steaming vessels T, but such steaming vessels being well understood, and forming
no part of my Invention, and as their shapes are clearly shown in the Figures
of the Drawing, no further description will be necessary. a, a, are two boilers,
which are placed over the fire place and on the top or hot plate b, in which
there are two openings cut for the purpose of putting in a saucepan when
the boilers are not on the top; these openings are covered at other times with
the circular plates c; one of the boilers a, a, is shown separately at Figure 13,
having its steaming apparatus T at top; but when steaming is not required
the covers are made to fit the boiler a, and the steaming apparatus may be
removed; Figure 14 shows two plans at the bottom of the steaming appa-
ratus T, d, d, d, d, being the openings formed in the corners for the steam to
pass through; and e, e, e, e, are the top to turn the steam downwards in the
direction of the arrows. Figure 15 shows a plan of the boiler a having a
perforated plate or strainer for taking out fish or other substances boiled in the
boiler a.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the safety hearth is shown as placed on a
curved stand or frame, which forms a railway upon which the hearth can
move from side to side in case of the heeling of the ship or vessel, and whereby
the hearth will be kept in its perpendicular position; the construction of this
frame will be clearly understood by an examination of Figure 16, in which
Figure, as well as in the other Figures above named, frepresents the frame or
rails on which the hearth is placed, the frame or rails f being strongly fixed to
the deck or flooring of the ship or vessel by bolts or screws (as is shown in
Figure 6); g. 9, are friction rollers affixed to the part of the framing, which
is attached to the under side of the safety hearth; the form of this part h will
be clearly understood by examining Figure 16, and also Figure 17, which is a
cross section, and Figure 18, which is a view of the under side of the parts h
and the friction rollers g, g; the upper parts of the frame or rails f have pro-
jecting edges i, i, see Figure 17, and the under parts j of h are turned inwards,
and this prevents the safety hearth being thrown off the framing or rails f;
k.is a bar passing around the boilers a to retain them in their places; m, n,
Figure 4, are the flues passing from the fire to the chimney U, m being the
flue under the boilers S, S, and n being the flue which passes over the over;
these flues m and n are divided by an iron plate o.
p is a damper which may be made to turn on its axis by the handle q,"
Figures 1 and 2, and retained in any position by the sliding catch r entering

page_text: into a notch cut in a wheel affixed on the axis of the damper p, as shown in
the Drawing, and by this means the fire may be damped off from the boiler or
the oven, or by placing it horizontally the fire may be made to act on the top
of the oven and at the bottom of the boilers; V, Figure 2, is a holo cut
through the side of the heath for the admission of air, which passes into the
chamber W at the back of the firo-place, and thereby becomes heated; from
thence it passes under the front of the oven at Y into the space which is
beneath the perforated plate X, which extends the whole length of the oven;
and under this perforated plate X the space is filled with sand, so that the
hoated air from the chamber W mixes therewith and heats it, and thus I am
enabled to get a bottom heat to the oven.
Having now described the various parts represented in the Drawing, I
would have it understood, that although I have shown and described various
parts which are well known aud in use, yet I do not claim them as any part of
my Invention; what I claim is,-
First, the application of a smoke jack to the chimney or flue of a safety
hearth, and the other additions whereby such safety hearth is made capable of
roasting by means of the power derived from such smoke jack.
Secondly, I claim the placing or mounting of a safety hearth on a carved
railway, whereby it will be kept in its perpendicular position in case of the
heeling of the ship or vessel.
Thirdly, I claim the application of the damper p and double flue, whereby
the fire and flame may bo shut of from the boilers or ovens when not in use,
whether they be applied separately or together in a ship's hearth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wallace, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
JUHN (L.B.) WALLACE.
Taken and acknowledged by John Wallaco
(party hereto), at Leith, the Twenty-first
day of September 1831, before me,
JA WISHURT, J. P.
This is the Specification referred to in the Affidavit sworn before me, the
26th day of September 1831, at the Public Office,
G. B. ROUPELL.
CHARLES VERTUE, of Adam Court, Old Broad Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, maketh oath, and saith that he is acquainted with the hand-
writing of James Wishurt, of Leith; and this deponent further saith, that

page_text: the signature to the acknowledgement of John Wallace's Specification is in
the handwriting of the said James Wishurt, and that he was to the best of his
knowledge and belief a Justice of the Peace at the time of taking such
acknowledgement.
Inrolled the Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.