Improvements in Gas Fires.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Gas Fires.
We ROBERT BAILLIE MAIN, and ARCHIBALD POLLOOK MAIN, both of the firm of
R. & A. Main. Gas Engineers, Argyle Works, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
and HARRY DARWIN, Manager to said firm, 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 relates to gas fires in which incandescence is produced by a
Bunsen or other gas flame playing upon a metallic fretwork or upon refractory
balls or lumps secured or held in position by such fretwork or upon both fretwork
and balls.
As represented in front elevation at figure 1 and in cross section at figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings the improved gas fire, under one modification, consists of
a vertical or approximately vertical fret work A of cast iron or other suitable material
and a perforated back plate B, between which is placed a number of perforated balls
or lumps of refractory material, the fret work and plate being secured in a
framing D or in a grate of ordinary construction and provided with the usual Bunsen
burners under the fretwork, a chimney connection over it and a heat reflecting fire
brick E at rear. The incandescing fret work and back plate which are shown
detached from the framing D at figures 3 and 4, are hinged or jointed together so
that they may conveniently be adapted to embrace and hold the balls or lumps in
position or to open apart to permit of renewal of the balls. In the present instanco
the jointing is effected by projections on a horizontal flange or plate B' at the
upper end of the back plate B passing into or through slits formed at the upper end
of the fret work A. The balls or lumps C are kept apart within the space between
the fret work and back plate in pockets formed by a number of inwardly pointing
open perforated conical or pyramidal prongs a produced in the formation of the fret-
work and which whilst serving the purpose of securing a suitable distribution of the
balls or lumps also offer a large irregular surface to be raised to incandescence by
the gus flame. At the ends and bottom of the fire the balls are retained in place by
pins or spikes a¹ formed on the fretwork and the balls or lumps being thus held in
place on the closing together of the fretwork and back plate the parts which are
raised to incandescence and constitute the gas fire are rendered portable and may be
conveniently removed and replaced when worn out.
In a modification represented at figures and the fretwork is formed with a
number of projecting spikes a² to separate and hold in place the refractory balls or
lumps the back plate being dispensed with; or the balls or lumps may be held
between the fret work and the brick back E by spikes or prongs formed on the latter
or on a back plate.
In a further modification represented at figures 7 and 8 the use of the refractory
balls or lumps is dispensed with and two fretwork plates A, A of metal or other
material and formed with projecting prongs or irregular perforated projecting cones
or pyramids a are placed vertically over the burners the contour of the irregular
surfaces of the frets being such that the projections a on one fit into cavities in the
other whilst only a narrow space is left between them up through which the gas
flame passes whilst impinging on the exposed surfaces of the metal and heating them
to incandescence. The horizontal plate B' at the upper end serves to deflect and retard
the outflow of the products of combustion.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. A gas fire constructed substantially as herein before described under several
modifications with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a gas fire a vertically disposed open fret or frets formed with lateral projections
or spikes, adapted to hold and suitably distribute refractory balls or lumps substantially
as described.
3. In a gas fire the combination of an open fretwork and back plate hinged or
jointed together and adapted to hold between them refractory balls or lumps substantially
as described.
4. In a gas fire the arrangement and combination of two or more vertically disposed
incandescing frets or perforated plates formed with open projections or prongs situated
in the flame way above the burners, substantially as described.
1000
Dated tins eighth day on August
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.