A MACHINE OR INSTRU- MENT TO BE APPLIED TO STOVES OR GRATES FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS BY FIRE, AND WHEREBY THE FIRES IN STOVES OR GRATES MAY BE PUT OUT AND EXTINGUISHED WITH SAFETY AND FACILITY
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAME
YOUNIE, of Theobalds Road, in the County of Middlesex, Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the forty-ninth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Younic, His special licence, that I, the said James
Younie, my executors, administrators, or assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Younie, my executors, administrators, 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 expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE OR INSTRU-
MENT TO BE APPLIED TO STOVES OR GRATES FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS BY
FIRE, AND WHEREBY THE FIRES IN STOVES OR GRATES MAY BE PUT OUT AND
EXTINGUISHED WITH SAFETY AND FACILITY;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said James Younie, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Younie, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
The said machine or instrument doth consist of the following parts, connected
together as herein-after described, that is to say, the fire guard is composed of
two frames, which respectively recede from the front of the grate into a groove
at each side of the grate, and pass behind the grate, where they are out of
view, or advance to cover the fire when wanted, the two meeting against each
other in front of the fire. These frames are respectively composed of two arms,
made of iron or any other fit metal, framed together with upright standards,
and are joined to each other behind the middle of the back of the grate in such
a manner that the top and bottom arms of each meet each other respectively
at the middle of the back, but they are not joined at the place where they first
meet, but are each bent outwards from, and at nearly a right angle to, the
back, and then coupled to each other at four or six inches from the back by a
pivot at the top and one at the lower end of an upright rod, employed as the
axis or pin of the joint. The said pivots are received into two horizontal
plates fastened behind the back of the grate, and move in a slit or groove in
the said plates at right angles to the back. In each of the said horizontal plates,
nearly close to the back, and in a direction parallel with the back, there are
two other slits or grooves, which each receive a pin fastened into the frames at
top and bottom at that part where the arms are bent, and at nearly a
right angle, as above mentioned, that is to say, at each of the said angles (of
which of course there are four, namely, two at top and two at bottom, there
is a perpendicular pin fastened, which, being confined in the top and bottom
slits or grooves, before mentioned, parallel to the back, are compelled to travel
in the said grooves, but those of each frame in directions opposite to that of
those in the other frame, while the two pivots are at the same time obliged to
travel in the upper and lower slit or groove, which stands at right angles
to the back, as mentioned above, giving to each of the said frames when put
in motion upon their pivots an excentric or trammel motion, by which the fire
guard is rendered capable of being mado a portion of an ellipsic, thereby
projecting a less space from the grate than if the motion were concentric. To
the said arms are attached wirework, small iron bars or perforated metal
plates of such dimensions as to cover the fire, and prevent any live coals from
being exploded from the fire into the room. To one of the lower arms of
either of the aforesaid frames I do comect a bar or leaver, or any suitable
contrivance, to act upon the ash-pit back of the grate by the motion of the fire

page_text: guard (the under edge of which ash-pit back being hung on two pivots or
centres), which motion moves forward the top of the said ash-pit back, and at
the same time admits the back edge of the bottom of the grate to descend, the
front edge being prevented from descending by a joint or joints, hinge or
hinges, by which coming forward of the ash-pit back, and descending of the
bottom of the grate, the fire is permitted to slide down into an iron box or
other fit receptacle placed in the back of the grate, whence the smoke and
dust may be conveyed up the chimney. To prevent the said ash-pit back from
being acted upon by the motion of the fire guard in the day-time, or when
not wanted to be acted upon, a bolt, catch, or other contrivance is applied and
kept in its place till withdrawn, for the purpose of lodging the fire in the
aforesaid box or receptacle.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Younie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand
JAMES (L.S.) YOUNIE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twentieth day of April,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Younie came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statuto in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twentieth day of April, in the year above written.