IMPROVED ARRANGE- MENTS FOR REMOVING THE FUEL FROM STOVES OR GRATES, AND FOR FACILITATING THE EXTINGUISHING OF THE FIRES USED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to Benjamin Lile Burnett, of Teignmouth, in the County
of Devon, Wine Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR REMOVING THE FUEL FROM STOVES OR GRATES, AND FOR FACILITATING
THE EXTINGUISHING OF THE FIRES USED THEREIN."
Sealed the 26th February 1864, and dated the 31st August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Lile Burnett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st August 1863.
I, BENJAMIN LILE BURNETT, of Teignmouth, in the County of Devon,
Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR REMOVING THE FUEL FROM STOVES OR GRATES, AND
FOR FACILITATING THE EXTINGUISHING OF THE FIRES USED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in forming the open domestic fire grate or stove with
hinged or moveable bottom, to be supported when in use by a raised part, back,
ridge or rim of a sliding or moveable tray, which serves as the top of a close
fireproof box or receptacle formed or situate beneath the bottom of the fire-
grate, so that upon this tray being drawn out the bottom bars of the grate will
fall down and the whole contents of the fire-grate will be immediately discharged
into the fireproof box or receptacle, and exclude the air, by which means the
combustion of the fuel discharged into the said box will soon be caused to
cease. That part of the back of the tray which comes in contact with the fire-
grate bottom may be provided with rollers to facilitate motion. The front of

page_text: the box may be made moveable to facilitate the removal from time to time of
the ashes or unconsumed coal or fuel. To prevent the tray being drawn out
too far (when not desirable) I propose to have a small hinged ornament
attached to the front bars.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the-conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Lile Burnett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJANIN
LILE BURNETT, of Teignmouth, in the County of Devon, Wine Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Benjamin Lile Burnett, Her special licence that I, the said
Benjamin Lile Burnett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Benjamin Lile Burnett, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make,. use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR REMOVING THE FUEL FROM STOVES
OR GRATES, AND FOR FACILITATING THE EXTINGUISHING OF FIRES USED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Lile Burnett,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Lile Burnett, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof:-
This Invention consists in providing the open domestic fire-grate (or other
stove to which the arrangement can be usefully applied) with a hinged (or a

page_text: moveable) bottom supported, when in use, by a part of (or an adjunct to) the top
or cover of a fireproof box or receptacle formed or situate beneath the bottom
of the fire-grate, so that (when it is desired to extinguish the fire in the grate)
upon this top or cover being drawn out or removed, the bottom bars of the
grate will fall down or otherwise discharge all the burning fuel which may be
in the fire-grate into the said fireproof box or receptacle, and upon the cover
or tray being moved back again the same will effectually cover and close
the top of the fireproof box or receptacle, excluding the air therefrom, by which
means the combustion of the fuel discharged into the said fireproof box will
soon be caused to cease. That part of the back of the cover or tray which
comes into contact with the fire-grate bottom (or with the equivalent adjunct
thereof) may be provided with rollers to facilitate motion. The front of the
box may be made moveable, if desired, to allow of ashes or unconsumed coal
being from time to time removed. To prevent the tray being drawn or
removed too far when not desirable, I provide a small self-acting top or hinged
ornament, and attach the same to the under bar in front of the grate.
By means of the above-mentioned arrangements I obtain safety in regard to
extinguishing fires in stoves and grates; I also secure additional protection to
life and property, and a saving of fuel by means of its rapid extinction, as
where the said arrangements are adopted it will not be necessary in order to
extinguish the fire to resort to the dangerous practice of raking out the burning
fuel or use any other means than to put these arrangements in action as above-
mentioned and thus discharge the contents of the grate into the fireproof box
or extinguisher below and then close the same, whereby the dissemination of
coal dust and other disagreeable or deleteriums products of combustion will
be avoided, and the evolution of many unpleasant vapours or gases during the
raking out prevented. Moreover, a further saving of fuel will be attained by.
adopting my Invention, rather than having resort to the hazardous plan
pursued by many persons allowing the fire to burn itself out.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention, I will
now proceed to particularly describe in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, which I shall do by referring to the accompanying Drawings, (viz.)
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, elevation; Fig. 2, vertical section taken through the middle of the
stove.
A denotes the hearth; B, the fireproof fire-extinguishing box herein-before-
referred to; C, the sliding or moveable cover of the said box (B); D, a self-
acting stop or catch, which on its end being depressed is prevented from

page_text: forming any obstruction to the sliding or moveable cover (C), being wholly
removed when described; such stop or catch (D) when not thus depressed is
pendant from the bottom of the under bar in front of the grate, and should
take the form of or be covered by an ornament, as for instance, a lion's head
or other device, according as taste may demand; E is a lever catch for tempo-
rarily supporting the bottom of the grate while the servant is cleansing out the
fire-box and placing fresh fuel in the grate; F is a bracket at the side of the
stove near the bottom of the grate, this bracket forming a support for the
ordinary poker which can be placed on the bracket, and thus made to act as a
lever for surpperting the under part of the bottom of the grate until the sliding
cover of the fire-box is sufficiently removed to let the lever catch E fall forward
as a temporary support to the bottom; this arrangement thus readily admits
of the removal of the fire-box cover, which receives the cinders and ashes (as
they fall from the fire) so that it can be taken out at pleasure and empted of
its contents without a particle of dust being made in the apartment, or if its
non-removeal be preferred, the cinders can be taken up with the lately intro-.
duced cinder pan (size of a fire-pan) or any other convenient instrument, and
cast into the fire' in the ordinary way. G, the front of the fireproof for
extinguishing box, which may be made of stout sheet iron, and removeable by
reason of its being secured by being dropped into grooves at *, *.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that I claim the use of mechanical arrangements for removing the fuel and
extinguishing the fires used in stoves or grates, whereby the bottom or other
part of the grate can be made to fall down, or to move so as to discharge the
fuel thereon or therein into a fire-extinguishing box, receptacle, or place, and
facilitate the extinguishing of fires in stoves or grates.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Lile Burnett, have hereunto:
set my hand and seal, this 27th day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
. JAMES LYON WIDGERS,
Teignmouth, Draper.
BENJAMIN LILE BURNETT.. (L.S.)