An Improved Ashes-tidy and Automatic Cinder Sifter.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1898
Complete Specification Inst
001
1000
2000
An Improved Ashes-tidy and Automatic Cinder Sifter.
I, HENRY HARPER WOOD, of Chapeltown, near Sheffield, in the County of York,
Stove Grate Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:―
This invention relates to the ash-pans which are commonly used below the fire-
places of kitchen ranges and other firegrates, and in which the cinders and uncon-
sumed or partly consumed fuel are automatically separated from the waste ashes.
It has for its object a novel method of construction and arrangement by which
the grating through which the ashes are sifted is made of such form that the
sifting is quickly and completely effected automatically, the said grating being
pivotted so that when in use it is in the proper position for the sifting to be effected,
whilst it can be readily raised out of the way for the purpose of removing, when
necessary, the ash-pan containing the ashes.
Supposing that the invention is to be applied to a moveable ash-pan arranged
below the firegrate of an ordinary kitchen range, I make the improved ashes-
tidy and cinder sifter with a cast iron front, which may be made as ornamental
as desired, fitting over the front space below the firegrate, and having a sheet iron
pan attached occupying the full width and depth of the space under the grate and
at the back of the front opening, such as is commonly used below the fire-grates
of ordinary kitchen ranges.
I fit in the upper part of this pan, a grating pivotted horizontally at its back edge
to the back of the top of the pan, this grating being of the full width of the
inside of the pan, and of such depth from back to front that when lowered to the
most suitable angle for the proper sifting of the cinders and ashes falling upon it,
its front edge rests upon the bottom of a drawer fitted in, and sliding in and out
of, the upper part of the ash-pan described. The inclined grate does not, however,
reach to the front of the drawer, but rests upon the latter at a sufficient distance
from the front for the cinders and consumed fuel falling down upon the grate to
pass through an opening in the bottom of the drawer, between the front of the
latter and the front edge of the grate, and to fall into a second drawer arranged
below the first, upon the bottom of the ash-pan, and also capable of being drawn
in and out by knobs or handles. In order that the sifting may he thoroughly and
automatically accomplished, I make the openings through it in the form of waved
or sinuous parallel slots, of sufficient width and distance apart, and extending from
near the top pivotted edge of the grating nearly to its bottom edge. And in order
that it may be possible to withdraw the upper drawer when necessary, I hinge to
the front edge of the grating a curved bar, the upper end of which passes through
a hole in the upper part of the cast iron front first described, so that by it the grating
can be raised up sufficiently to allow the upper drawer to be withdrawn, or can
be lowered until its edge rests upon the bottom of the drawer as already described.
A catch upon the bar enables the grating to be retained in its raised position. A
fixed transverse inclined plate directs towards the middle of the grating any ashes
and cinders falling from the front part of the fire.

page_text: In order that more space may be provided for the ashes in the upper drawer, I
prefer to make the bottom of the latter incline down backward from the edge of
the opening in the bottom upon which the grating rests as described, to the lower
back edge of the ashpan, the lower drawer being made of a corresponding shape
so as to fit into the space beneath the upper drawer. It will be, of course, under-
stood that the bottom of the upper drawer has no openings through it except at
the part in front of the edge of the grating which rests upon it; whilst the lower
drawer is entirely open at the top.
The invention is applicable to firegrates of all kinds, and I do not confine myself
to the precise details of form and arrangement, which may be varied more or less
to suit different circumstances.
By my improved ashes-tidy and automatic cinder sifter, with a moveable grating
having sinuous openings as described, the sifting is quite automatic, and it is
unnecessary to move the drawer backward and forward to get the cinders clear.
The improved apparatus does its work with very little attention, and sifts the
cinders very clean.
Dated thi. 19th ... of Tu1.. 1000
An Improved washes- truy atu automatic Cinder Sifter.
I, HENRY HARPER WOOD, of Chapeltown, near Sheffield, in the County of York,
Stove Grate Foreman, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is
to say:-
My invention relates to the ash-pans which are commonly used below the fire-
places of kitchen ranges and other firegrates, and in which the cinders and uncon-
sumed or partly consumed fuel are automatically separated from the waste ashes.
It has for its object a novel method of construction and arrangement by which
the grating through which the ashes are sifted is made of such form that the
sifting is quickly and completely effected automatically, the said grating being
pivotted so that when in use it is in the proper position for the sifting to be
effected, whilst it can be readily raised out of the way for the purpose of removing,
when necessary, the ash-pan containing the ashes.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of the invention, Figure 1
is a front view, Figure 2 is a transverse section, and Figure 3 a plan from above
of the improved apparatus, in which the invention is shown applied to a moveable
ash-pan arranged below the firegrate of an ordinary kitchen range. I make the
improved ashes-tidy and cinder sifter with a cast iron front a, which may be made
as ornamental as desired, fitting over the front space below the firegrate, and
having a sheet iron pan b attached occupying the full width and depth of the space
under the grate and at the back of the front opening, such as is commonly used
below the firegrates of ordinary kitchen ranges.
G
I fit in the upper part of this pan a grating pivotted horizontally at its back
edge at d to the back of the top of the ash-pan b, this grating e being of the
full width of the inside of the pan, and of such depth from back to front that when
lowered to the most suitable angle for the proper sifting of the cinders and ashes
falling upon it, as shown in Figure 2, its front edge at a rests upon the bottom
of a drawer f fitted into the upper part of the ash-pan b described, in and out of

page_text: which it can be drawn by means of knobs or handles m. The inclined grate c
does not, however, reach to the front of the drawer f, but rests upon the latter at
a sufficient distance from the front for the cinders and unconsumed fuel falling
down upon the grate to pass through an opening g in the bottom of the drawer f,
between the front of the latter and the front edge of the grate, and to fall into a
second drawer arranged below the first one f, upon the bottom of the ash-pan,
and also capable of being drawn in and out by knobs or handles i.
In order that the sifting may be thoroughly and automatically accomplished,
I make the openings through the grating e in the form of waved or sinuous parallel
slots, as shown in plan in Figure 3, of sufficient width and distance apart, and
extending from near the top pivotted edge of the grating nearly to its bottom
edge. And in order that it may be possible to withdraw the upper drawer f
when necessary, I hingo to the front edge of the grating e a curved bar k, the
upper end of which passes through a hole in the upper part of the cast iron front a
first described, so that by means of the handle the grating c can be raised up
sufficiently to allow the upper drawer f to be withdrawn, (as shown in dotted lines
in Figure 2), or can be lowered until its edge rests upon the bottom of the drawer
as already described and shown. A catch upon the bar k enables the grating to
be retained in its raised position. A fixed transverse inclined plate n directs
towards the middle of the grating any ashes and cinders falling from the front
part of the fire.
In order that more space may be provided for the ashes in the upper drawer f,
I prefer to make the bottom of the latter incline down backward, as shown, from
the edge of the opening g in the bottom upon which the grating c rests as described,
to the lower back edge of the ashpan, the lower drawer being made of a corre-
sponding shape so as to fit into the space beneath the upper drawer. It will be,
of course, understood that the bottom of the upper drawer f has no openings
through it except at g at the part in front of the edge of the grating which rests
upon it: whilst the lower drawer h may be entirely open at the top.
Any larger cinders and unconsumed fuel falling from the fire roll down the
inclined grating e and drop forward through the opening into the lower drawer h,
thus making the process of sifting perfectly automatic. The ashes pass through
the waved or sinuous slots in the grating c and fall into the pan f. To remove
the sifted ashes, the lever k must be drawn forward by the handle 1, which will
raise the grating e, after which the ashes and drawer f can be drawn out.
The invention is applicable to fire-grates of all kinds, and I do not confine
myself to the precise details of form and arrangement, which may be varied more
or less to suit different circumstances.
By my improved ashes-tidy and automatic cinder sifter with a moveable grating
having sinuous openings as described, the sifting is quite automatic, and it is
unnecessary to move the drawer backward and forward to get the cinders clear.
The improved apparatus does its work with very little attention, and sifts
the cinders very clean. It may be applied to firegrates of different kinds, and
used for different purposes.
I am aware that ashpans have been used in which the unconsumed fuel and
cinders are separated from the ashes; but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The grating e, turning upon its upper back edge at d, and supported above
the sliding ash-drawer f, at its lower edge at e at the proper angle for separating
the unconsumed fuel and cinders from the ashes, substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. The waved or sinuous slots forming the grating c, substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated.

page_text: 3. In combination with the pivotted grating c having waved or sinuous slots
through it, the bark and handle l, substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated.
4. In combination with the pivotted grating c, and sliding ash drawer f, the
lower sliding drawer h for unconsumed fuel and cinders, and the opening g
through the bottom of the drawer f, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1898.
EDWARDS AND Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.