Improvements in or relating to Mantelpieces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Mantelpieces.
I ALFRED JOHN BEWICK WARD of 148 Palace Chambers in the City of
Westminster Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :---
In many houses it is desirable to provide a mantlepiece which can be put in place
without the necessity for removing a mantlepiece already in place and in addition
it may be desirable to provide a shield which will conceal or in part conceal the
fireplace or grate and this latter is especially the case where gas stoves are placed
in front of ordinary fireplaces.
According to my invention, I provide a mantlepiece which is hollow so that it can
be placed over or receive and be inade to conceal a mantlepiece already in place.
In order that the mantlepiece made according to my invention may be adapted
to existing mantlepieces of various sizes within moderate limits I may make the
parts thereof which lie one behind the other so that they can be moved relatively
to each other before being fixed together so as to vary the height or width or both
beight and width as required. With a mantlepiece thus made I may combine a
fire place screen or fire grate screen which will cover, in whole or in part the fire
place or grate for instance when the screen is to be used with a gas stove placed in
front of a fireplace I place it behind the said stove and I may make it with only an
opening sufficient for the passage of the vent pipe from the said stove.
In order that my invention and the manner in which it can be performed may be
well understood I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings an
arrangement according thereto.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 is a transverse section shewing a
mantlepiece constructed according to my invention Figure 2 shewing the mantle-
piece A in position over an existing mantlepiece B already in place. The mantle-
piece A is made hollow so as to accommodate within it the mantlepiece B. The
said mantlepiece may be made of any suitable material cut or moulded into the
required shape. I have shewn one which may be made of wood and I have shewn
the parts at so that they can be moved relatively to the parts at d for adjusting
the width and the parts at e so that they can be moved relatively to the parts at f
for varying the height. G represents a screen for concealing the fireplace or fire
grate or a part thereof. It may be made so as to cover any part of the said space
or of the stove. In the drawing I have shewn a gas stove H and the screen G is
made to cover the whole of the fireplace or the portion thereof which would other-
wise be visible around and behind the stove there being an opening in the screen
for the passage of the vent tube h of the stove. The screen may be secured in
place
in any suitable way for instance it may be slightly larger than the opening
feft by the mantlepiece and be kept in place by the mantlepiece abutting against it.
The said screen may be of any suitable material such as iron brass copper or wood
painted with fireproof paint and it and the mantlepiece may be coloured or
ornamented in any desired way to suit the room in which it is to be placed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mantlepiece made hollow to allow of its being placed over or receiving a
mantlepiece already in position.
2. A mantlepiece made hollow to allow of its being placed over or receiving a
mantlepicce already in position and with its parts made capable of adjustment

page_text: relatively to each other to vary the width or height or both substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. A mantlepiece made hollow to allow of its being placed over or receiving a
mantlepiece already in position in combination with a screen for concealing or partly
concealing the fireplace or grate substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 19th day of December 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.