An Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Draft in Fire-places.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 24th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Draft in Fire-places.
I, CARL WALTER, of Malchow, Mecklenburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for regulating the draft in fire-places.
The apparatus constructed according to the said invention is connected with the
register in the chimney and acts in such a manner that the register, opened after
charging the fire-place with fresh fuel, will be automatically closed to a definite
extent such as is necessary for keeping up the fire. With the regulating apparatus
heretofore used for this purpose this closing is effected at a uniform rate, which
does not correspond to the rate of combustion, whilst the quantity of air necessary
for the combustion is properly regulated only if the register moves slowly first and
then by degrees more quickly. This is effected by the improved regulator herein-
after described, the fundamental principle of which consists in that the register is
held by a piston with a water column bearing thereon, and that this water column
becomes gradually lower, thereby decreasing the pressure upon the piston so that
the register will move with gradually increasing velocity to the closing position.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a cylinder with a piston
connected by a downwardly extending piston rod with a stirrup for enabling the
attendant to move the piston to its lowest position with his foot. By rods and
chains or ropes or other suitable means the said piston is connected with the
register. The upper part of the cylinder communicates through channels with a
water receptacle. Between two of the channels is arranged a valve which acts in
such a manner that in the downward movement of the piston water will be drawn
from the receptacle to the top of the piston, whilst the said valve will be closed in
the opposite movement of the piston. One of the above mentioned channels
maintains a constant communication between the cylinder and the water receptacle,
and an adjustable valve regulates the sectional area of the opening, which must be
sufficiently small for the water to pass but slowly from the receptacle into the
cylinder or vice versa.
After the piston has been moved down, the weight of the register causes the
piston to rise slowly and force back the water through the channel into the
receptacle. On the piston bears, as a counterweight for the register, a water
column the height of which is determined by the distance of the level of the water
in the receptacle from the piston. As the water receptacle is however considerably
wider than the cylinder the height of the water column gradually decreases in the
upward movement of the pistons, the counterweight therefore becomes smaller by
degrees, so that the register will move down the more quickly the higher it has
drawn the piston. Now the receptacle may be made of such a size that the register
will ultimately move double as quickly as at the beginning.
The valve herein before referred to may be adjusted according to the charge of
the fire-place, so that the passage of the water will take place more quickly or
more slowly and the register will also be closed quickly or slowly so as to leave the
small opening which is necessary for keeping up the fire. The time of the operation
generally varies in use between about four and twenty-one minutes. It is expedient
to connect with the regulating apparatus a signalling device which may be placed
in a box, for indicating to the attendant that the closing of the register has been
effected.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Draft in Fire-places.
1, CARL WALTER, of Malchow, Mecklenburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to apparatus for regulating the draft in fire-places.
The apparatus constructed according to the said invention is connected with
the register in the chimney and acts in such a manner that the register which is
opened after charging the fire-place with fresh fuel, will be automatically closed to
a definite extent such as is necessary for keeping up the fire.
With the regulating apparatus heretofore used for this purpose this closing is
effected at a uniform rate, which does not correspond to the rate of combustion,
whilst the quantity of air necessary for the combustion is properly regulated only.
if the register moves slowly first and then by degrees more quickly.
This is effected by the improved regulator hereinafter described, the fundamental
principle of which consists in that the register is held by a piston with a water
column bearing thereon, and that this water column becomes gradually lower, thereby
decreasing the pressure upon the piston so that the register will move with gradually
increasing velocity to the closing position.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the same.
b
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a cylinder having a piston
connected by a downwardly extending piston rod with a stirrup e for enabling the
attendant to move the piston to its lowest position with his foot. By rods d and
chains or ropes e or other suitable means the said piston is connected with the
register f. The upper part of the cylinder a communicates through channels g, h, i
with a water receptacle m. Between the channels g and his arranged a valve k
which acts in such a manner that in the downward movement of the piston 6 water
will be drawn from the receptacle m to the top of the piston b, whilst the said valve
will be closed in the opposite movement of the piston. The channel i forms a constant
communication between the cylinder and the water receptacle m, and an adjustable
valve and spindle regulates the sectional area of the opening, which must be
sufficiently small for the water to pass but slowly from the receptacle m into the
cylinder or vice versa.
After the piston 6 has been moved down, the weight of the register causes the
said piston to rise slowly and force back the water through the channel into the
receptacle m A water column bears on the piston as a counterweight for
the registerf, the height of which column is determined by the distance of the
level of the water in the receptacle m from the piston. As the water receptacle
is however considerably wider than the cylinder a the height of the water column
gradually decreases in the upward movement of the piston the counterweight
therefore becomes smaller by degrees, so that the register f will move down the
more quickly the higher it has drawn the piston b. Now the receptacle m may be
made of such a size that the register will ultimately move double as quickly as at
the beginning.
The valve may be adjusted according to the charge of the fire-place so that
the passage of the water will take place more quickly or more slowly, and the
register will also be closed quickly or slowly so as to leave the smaller opening
which is necessary for keeping up the fire. The time of the operation generally
varies in use between about four and twenty-one minutes. It is expedient to
connect with the regulating apparatus a signalling device which may be placed

page_text: in a box, for indicating to the attendant that the closing of the register has been
effected.
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:
First. A draft regulating apparatus in which a weighted piston terminates its
stroke more or less rapidly by forcing a liquid enclosed in a cylinder through an
adjustable outlet orifice, the velocity of the piston increasing in consequence of the
decrease in the height of the column of the liquid.
Second. A draft regulator with a register operated by a water column,
characterized by the arrangement of a water receptacle m above the water
cylinder a the said water receptacle having a greater sectional area than the
water cylinder so that in the upward movement of the piston b the height of the
water column resting thereon gradually decreases thereby causing an increasingly
rapid closing of the register to take place, the time of the movement of the
register being regulated by an adjustable valve between the cylinder a and the
receptacle m.
Dated this 15th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.