Improvements in Fire-grates or Stovės:
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left; 15th Nov., 1895 Accented; 21st Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL STEPIGWLTONY
Improvements in Fire-grates or Stovės:
I, HENRY WILCKE, of 70 Brainerd Street, Tue Brook, Liverpool,- in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :=
This invention has reference to improvements in fife-grates or stoves of the type
set forth in the Specification of former Letters: Patent of mine No: 9984 of 1898,
that is to say, to fire-grates or stoves comprising in combination the qualities and
advantages or characteristics possessed by or attending an ordinary open fire-place
and those possessed by or attending ordinary closed stoves; ie., such as are
commonly used on the Continent, and by which all the known advantages of the
two systems are had in one apparatus by the mere action of the parts, as herein-
after described.
According to the present invention, the fire grate or stove consists of or
comprises a central vessel or grate proper with front bars, in which the fuel is
contained and burns; and on either side is a descetiding passage separated from the
grate by a wall or partition, and down which passages the gases of combustion are
led after passing from the grate proper to the upper part of the stove. From these
side passages the gases are led away into the chimney or flue, the fire-place or
space within which the store or fire place stands being solely an air space or
spaces, and disconnected from the said chimney or flue. The shell fire grate
or stove will be mostly made of metal, containing within it throughout, thick fire
brick by which the heat is absorbed and then given out in a pleasant form and
degree.
In the application to an ordinary fire-place, the stove or fire-grate will-be adapted
to fit in or largely within, the space between the jambs; its depth being relatively
small:
According to a further part of the invention, the fire-grate or stove, and parts
connected with it, are constructed and adapted to act as means of heating and
circulating the air, by utilizing the back or back and side surface thereof as an air
heater, the air to be heated enters in at the bottom, and passes up over the back
and sides of the grate or stove, and then out through passages or apertures
provided in a lintel plate, or the like-in some cases movable above or at the
upper part of the stove.
In front of the fire-place there is provided a door which slides up and down in
grooves or guides at each side, and which covers in or closes the grate or stove, or
opens it and exposes the fire and flames; accordingly as it is either down or up.
This door is provided with wedges or inclines, which work in connection with
corresponding inclines in or on the guides or slides or frame in which it works;
and by which, when it is lowered, it is pressed up to the frame on a face and-makes
an air tight joint therewith, whereby when the door is down the required tightness
of closure, as in ordinary Continental stoves, is afforded. The sliding door is
balanced by a suitable balance weight working by a chain over pullies at the back,
or at the side and front; or, according to a modification, it is worked up and down
by a rack and pinion worked by hand from the front or side, the rack being. on the
door; and the pinion on a shaft supported or carried in the frame or grate:
Below this door and the grate proper, a suitable hinged ashpit door is provided,

page_text: with a book orzadjusting device on it for holding it more or less open, or allowing
it to close.
A
By providing a movable lintel or part (usually under the mantel shelf) which in
some cases is the outlet for the hot air from behind the stove, the connection
between the gas outlet pipes and the chimney of an ordinary grate or fire-place can
be made, and when the chimney requires sweeping the joints are disconnected and
the stovė or grate, being on wheels, can be drawn out of the fire place.
In some cases the gases of combustion are led from the fire-grate or stove by a
pipe up through the room and, if desired, the room, or rooms, above it; and this
pipe is enclosed in metal openwork grating, by which the air is let in and out and
becomes heated and circulated. By this arrangement extra heating surface and
warmth is provided both in the room in which the fire-grate or stove is placed,
and that above. In such cases, and in some other cases, or in cases where the fire-
grate or stove will not fit into the existing fire-place, it will be constructed as a
complete external fire-grate or stove; and in cases where an ordinary fire-grate
exists and cannot be moved, this. grate can be closed by a plate, and the firo-place
.or stove herein described connected up with it.
·
I, HENRY WILCKE, of 70 Brainerd Street, Tue Brook, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in fire grates or stoves of the type
set forth in the Specification of former Letters Patent of mine No. 9984 of 1893,
that is to say, to fire-grates or stoves comprising in combination the qualities. and
advantages or characteristics possessed by or attending an ordinary open fire-place,
and those possessed by or attending ordinary closed. stoves, i.e., such as are
commonly used on the Continent, and by which all the known advantages of the
two systems are bad in one apparatus by the mere action of the parts, as hereinafter
described.
-
:
" According to the present invention, the fire-grate or stove consists of or
-comprises a central vessel or grate proper with front bars, in which the fuel is
contained and burns, and on either side is a descending passage separated from the
grate by a wall or partition and down which passage the gases of combustion are
led after passing from the grate proper to the upper part of the stove. From
these side passages the gases are led away into the chimney or flue, the fire-place
or space within which the stove or fire place stands being solely an air space or
spaces, and disconnected from the said chimney or flue. The shell of the fire-grate
or stove will be mostly made of metal, containing within it throughout, thick fire
brick by which the heat is absorbed and then given out in a pleasant form and
degree.
:
In the application to an ordinary fire-place, the stove or fire-grate will be adapted
to fit in or largely within, the space between the jambs, its depth being relatively
-small.
According to a further part of the invention, the fire-grate or stove, and parts
connected with it, are constructed and adapted to act as means of heating and
circulating the air, by utilizing the back or back and side surface thereof as an air
heater. The air to be heated enters in at the bottom; and passes up over the back

page_text: elevation, and Figure 24 is a sectional plan of a dog grate according to this
invention, without a chimney brest or wall excess.
Figure 25 is a front elevation, Figure 26 is a plan, and Figure 27 is a side
elevation shewing grates of the type illustrated in Figures 19 to 24, arranged on
the different floors of a house.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1 to 6, a is a space in the chimney
brest b, in which the grate is disposed, this space being, say the ordinary space.in
which the ordinary grates are placed, o heing the chimney.
The grate consists of a wrought iron or thin metal casing d lined with brick-
work d, having at the bottom an ash box e with a hinged closing door e, and
wheels &², on which the whole grate is supported; a grate proper fabove the ash
box e; a roof g closing the upper part of the fire-grate chamber fl; and a brick-
work wall and a metal partition forming sides of the grate into passages.
is the vertical sliding door for closing the fire-grate opening j, said door being
adapted to slide in a groove at each side formed between and by the angle bar k,
fitting against the front plate of the grate, and a bar k', forming part of, or fitted
opto and fastened to the frame k, and balanced by the balance weight at the back
of the grate, the door and weight being connected by chains 1, which run over
pullies,,op the top of the grate. The upper space or passage gl communicates
with chimney by a short tube g², and a vertically sliding tube m, which moves.
up and down in a cast iron ring m. The tube m being held up out of connection
with the tube 9, when the grate is to be removed from or placed in position in
the space a, it being held up by lugs m², which rest at such times on projecting
parts m³ on m², the ring m being turned when placed on or moved from the pro-
jections mn is the ordinary chimney or metal-piece. o is a plate with apertures o¹
in it, through which the outflow of hot air takes place, said plate being adapted to
be placed in position and taken away readily whenever desired. P is a front
enclosing plate, filling the space between the jambs or side parts g of the fire-place
and the perforated plate o, said plate being provided with an opening opposite the
opening, and adapted to be faced with ornamental tiles, or otherwise suitably
ornamented, and forming a front to the whole grate; this plate, in some cases, has
apertures p' for the admission of air to the inner side of it.
The door i, as stated, moves up and down in grooves, formed by the frame
bars, and it is pressed onto the face or edge of the frame when in its lower
and closed position, by inclined faced projections on the door i, the inclined faces
of which come in contact with the inclined parts 2 on the inside edges of the bars k
the action being, that as the door i reaches the lowermost position, the parts i¹
come in contact with the inclined parts, and force the face of the door up to the
face of the frame k, and so make a tight joint therewith.
The door is raised and lowered by any suitable means, as by a handle, or any other
suitable device.
As a modification, if desired, instead of taking the gases up the outer passage h³
and through g', a single passage 2 is used at each side, and the gases are taken
from the bottom of these passages to the chimney by outlet tubes glx.
In operation, the gases given off from the fire pass up into the chamber f¹, then
down the passages h between hand h, then up to passages between ¹ and the
sides of the grate, to the outlet g; and thence to the chimney c, and heat in such
passage the brickwork of the grate, which absorbs the heat. The grate having so
become heated, air is caused to circulate up round its outer surfaces within the
space a, and passes out beated through the apertures in the front plate o. When
the grate is thus hot, and the door i, as well as the door e³, closed; that is, when
the grate is being used as a closed stove and is shut up, as for instance, at night, the
body of heat in the brickwork is given out to the air surrounding it, and this
air circulating into the room as described, the room is maintained at a genial
warmth with a very small consumption of coal; and even when the door is opened,
or the fire is in full combustion, the consumption of fuel, owing to the economical
method of utilizing the heat of the gases given off, is relatively small.

page_text: It will be plain that when the door i is moved up, it will be out of sight, and the
grate has then the appearance of an ordinary open fire grate to the full extent;
while when it is closed, it possesses the full characteristics of a closed Continental
grate.
through
The modification-shewn in Figure 7, consists in making the passages
the brickwork. of the grate of zig-zag form; the bridge or roof g above the fire
grate chamber f¹ being in the form of a solid block. And as regards the modifi-
cations in Figures 8 and 9, and Figure 10, respectively, in the first of these, the
passage through the brickwork d passes out of the grate at right angles to it, by
a horizontal outlet tube g, to a flue or chimney behind it; and, in the second case,
the passage h passes directly vertically through the brickwork d to the outlet g³.
One form or means of mechanically raising and lowering the closing door, is
illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, and consists of pullies 12-mounted on a hollow
shaft carried partly by the perforated front board o, and partly by the outlet
tube g of the grate, such pullies being connected with the door i and weight 1, by
chains, and so arranged, that by rotating the shaft by the wheel, in either
direction, the door i will be raised and the weight lowered, and vice versa, the
weight thus acting as a counter-balance. There is also shewn combined with this
mechanism, a damper s worked by a shaft s¹ disposed within the tube "", this tube
being separated within the passage 92, and its ends connected together by a ring r³.
As seen by the drawings, the damper s does not fill the tube g³, but is smaller, and
works within the ring ³.
"
l
Referring now to the dog-grate according to this invention, illustrated in
Figures 13 to 16, it will be seen that the main body of the grate, and the flues or
passages through it, lie within the recess proper a, while the fire-grate f and
chamber f¹ stand in front of or outwards of the body, while the part a' of the recess
in which the grate is placed, is open and visible, and susceptible of being ornamented,
or receiving ornamentation, in the ordinary way. In this grate, the construction
by which the door i is closed, and a tight closure effected, is modified, the shape of
the door also being modified to suit. The door i, instead of being practically flat,
as in the former case, bas side parts 2, the edges of which run in a groove between
the frame bark and the bar k similarly to the grate first described; and in
addition to these, there is an upper ledge all round the top of the door, which
makes a closing joint with the bar j; while at the bottom, a further closing joint
is made by providing a seat upon the upper edge of the ashbox e, at the front and
sides of the grate f, and some distance from it, onto which the lower edge 4 of the
door i rests. This seat is preferably bevelled as shewn, so as to prevent the
lodging of ashes or the like upon it; aud the ashes which may fall out of the grate,
are free to fall down between the grate and the seat . The edges of this door
have inclined planes for making joint with the edges of the door frame, and act
in connection with the frame k, as in the first grate described. Outside the
portion of the body of the grate which stands above the grate proper f, and
forms a roof to the chamber f¹, there is a metal shield between which, and the
part g, the door i slides or moves. In other respects this grate is similar to that first
described.
The modification shewn in Figures 17 and 18, illustrates a construction by which
the flues, and the chimney above the grate can be swept without moving the
grate out of its recess a. This modification consists in providing through the
block a passage 9, and above it a valve t, which is adapted to lift when
the sweeping brush is pushed up, and to fall by its own weight after it is
removed. This same feature can be applied in niany of the cases and modifications
herein described.
The modifications now to be described are those where grates of the kind herein
referred to are arranged and adapted to be used in cases where there is no chimney
brest, or recess for the fire-places.
Figures 19 to 21 shew one modification under this part of the invention. This
grate is, generally, of the type set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5, and is

page_text: placed against a plain wall a². The body of the grate is enclosed at the front and
sides by a front casing p,. with the side portions pl, which portions are provided in
some cases with perforations at p³ for the circulation of air to and from the space a
within the casing. Then at the top, is the front board o (which may be perforated
if desired), and above that the mantel-piece n; while the jambs q are at the sides.
The chimney pipe c (which in some cases is, if desired, of glazed earthenware
pipes), and the parts connected with the connecting pipe of the stove, are
supported by a metal plate or bracket c set in the wall a²; and outside this
chimney pipe and said parts, is the perforated casing u which. encloses the chimney,
said casing being preferably of an ornamental perforated type to give a pleasing
appearance. In this case, and in others where convenient or desired, instead of
having an enclosing plate.p, such as described, provided with tiles or ornamentations,
as described, the face or face and sides of the grate itself may be tiled or ornamented
in any suitable way.
Figures 22 to 24 shew a dog-grate of the type set forth with reference to
Figures 13 to 16, but modified according to the arrangement and characteristics of
the grate set forth with reference to Figures 19 to 21; that is, it is set against a
plain wall a² and is provided with a casing p, mantel-piece, etcetera; and a casing u
about the chimney pipe c.above the mantel-piece.
The
Referring now to Figures 25 to 27, in these figures, grates according to the type
described with reference to and shewn in Figures 19 to 24, are shewn arranged on
a number of floors of a house, and worked in connection with each other.
chimney pipe c of the lowermost grate passes through the space a at one side of
the casing p of the grate on the floor above; while the chimney pipe c of this
grate, as well as that of the lower grate, pass up on either side of and through
the space within the casing p of the grate above. From this grate they may pass
altogether (through a single enclosing perforated casing, if desired) to the ceiling
above..
.A. modified means of making the closure of the doors i with their facings, is
shewn in Figure 5ª; and it consists of a bar and screw stud working through
the centre of said bar, and adapted to press on the door i when screwed up; and
two of such bars k are preferably provided, one being at the top and one at the
bottom of the frame of the opening j.
In the different modifications of grates shewn, the same letters and figures of
reference are used to denote the same or corresponding parts wherever they occur
in such modifications; and therefore, where, in the different arrangements and
modifications, the whole of the parts are not specifically referred to or described,
the nature and construction of such parts must be taken as known, as from the
description of the parts referred to by such letter, given in the first instance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A domestic or like fire-grate, comprising a fire-grate proper, and a body or
walls of brickwork or like material, with a passage or passages or flues through it,
through which the 'gases from the fire pass; an opening above and about the fire-
grate; and a sliding door adapted to close and uncover said opening at will;
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A domestic or like fire-grate, comprising a fire-grate proper, and a body or
walls of brickwork or like material, with a passage or passages or flues through it,
through which the gases from the fire pass; an opening. above and about the
fire-grate; and a sliding door adapted to close and uncover said opening at will;
und an ash-box below said grate proper with a closing door thereon; the grate
being so constructed and adapted as to be capable of being disposed in the space in
a chimney brest; substantially as set forth.
3: In a grate and chimney brest arrangement, a grate comprising a fire-grate
proper, brickwork walls or brickwork with passages or flues through it through.

page_text: which the gases pass, an opening above and about said fire-grate proper, and a
door adapted to close and uncover said opening at will, and having in connection.
with it apertures or an opening at the bottom for the inlet of air to such chamber,
and at the upper part an upper moveable plate with apertures or openings for the
outlet of air from such chamber; substantially for the purposes described.
4. In a grate and chimney brest arrangement, a grate comprising a fire-grate
proper; brickwork walls or brickwork with passages or flues through it, through
which the gases from the fire pass; an opening above and about said fire-grate
proper; a door adapted to close and uncover said opening at will; and a chimney
pipe c and an outer enclosing casing t, arranged or adapted to be arranged against
a surface a², without chimney brest and setting space; substantially as and for the-
purposes set forth.
5. In a grate and chimney brest arrangement, a grate comprising a fire-grate
proper; brickwork walls or brickwork with passages or flues through it, through
which the gases from the fire pass; an opening above and about said fire-grate-
proper; a door adapted to close and uncover said opening at will; an enclosing
casing as p, and mantel-piece, constituting a chamber within which the grate is.
set; and a chimney pipe c and enclosing perforated casing t; arranged and operating
as and for the purposes described.
6. In a fire-grate of the kind herein referred to, a sliding door i, constructed
and adapted to automatically make a tight closing with the frame or part in
connection with which it works; in the manner substantially as herein set forth.
7. In a grate of the kind berein referred to, the door i and its guiding and closing
mechanism or means as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figures 1 to 6,
and Figures 13 to 16, respectively.
8. In a fire-grate of the kind herein referred to, the combination of front sliding
door i; pullies 2 and chains, and weight at the back of the grate; arranged and
operating as set forth with reference to the drawings.
9. The particular arrangement of grates of the kind herein described, enclosing
casings, chimney pipes, and chimney pipe enclosing perforated casings, as set forth
with reference to and shewn in Figures 25 to 27 of the drawings.
10. The several modifications of grates as set forth particularly with reference
to and shewn in Figures 1 to 4; Figure 7; Figures 8 and 9; Figure 10;
Figures 13 to 16; Figures 17 and 18; Figures 19 to 21; and Figures 22 to 24,
respectively, of the drawings.
Dated this 14th day of November 1895.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.