AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE GRATES AND STOVES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN BATE of Holborn Viaduct in the City of London Machinery Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE
GRATES AND STOVES to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to economise fuel in domestic fire-grates and
stoves by enabling small coal, cinders and even coal dust or refuse to be effectually
consumed without deadening the fire when first thrown on and without being
liable to fall out unconsumed through the grate bars, a cheerful open fire being
always maintained.
According to my Invention I divide the fire grate by a grating or grated
partition so disposed as to cut off from the main body of the grate a hopper or
other shaped space or receptacle located preferably at the back or at the sides of
the fire into which all small coal, cinders, dust and refuse are placed whilst the
main body of the fuel is placed in front thereof.
This hopper like or other space may extend any desired portion of the depth
height and width of the fire, and may or may not be open at bottom or extend
down to the botton grating.
The grate or stove may be cast with this grating or partition in situ or
preferably with guides into which the grating would slide or be otherwise fixed.
In any case the grating or partition is a casting having apertures small enough
to retain the small fuel but sufficient to allow of its ignition from the main body of
the fire.
When this receptacle is fitted with fully incandescent fuel it tends to consume
the smoke from the other part of the fire.
Instead of the grating being inclined it may be placed horizontally and
immediately over the fire place the small fuel in that case being placed above.
.
T
1004

page_text: I JOHN BATE of Holborn Viaduct in the City of London, Machinery Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-
GRATES AND STOVES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-—
My Invention has for its object to economise fuel in domestic fire grates and 5
stoves by enabling small coal cinders and even coal dust and refuse to be effectually
consumed without deadening the fire when first thrown on and without being
liable to fall out unconsumed through the grate bars, a cheerful open fire being
always maintained.
According to my Invention I divide the fire grate by a vertical inclined or other 1
grating so disposed as to cut off from the main body of the grate a hopper or other
shaped space or receptacle located preferably at the back or at the sides of the fire
into which all small coal, cinders, dust and refuse are placed whilst the main body
of the fuel is placed in front thereof.
This hopper like or other. space may extend any desired portion of the depth
height and width of the fire and may or may not be open at bottom or extend
down to the bottom of the fire.
The grate or stove may be cast with this grating or partition in situ or
preferably with guides into which the grating would slide or be otherwise fixed.
Or the grating or partition can be made with feet or other supports so that it will
stand inside the grate or stove independent of any attachments thereto; this
would be especially adapted for grates and stoves already in use.
The grating or partition is preferably a casting or it may be of wrought metal or
fire clay, and in any case I should prefer to make it with apertures small enough
to retain the small fuel but sufficient to allow of its ignition from the main body of
the fire but it could be made solid with an open space left between it and the
bottom or sides of the fire grate to permit of the ignition of the small coal or refuse
by contact with the main body of the fire.
As a rule the hopper or other shaped space or receptacle would be enclosed by
the back or sides of the grate on the one hand and by the grating or partition on
the other, but if desired the grating or partition could be made in the form of a
fire-basket with back, sides, and bottom complete in itself, the space thus enclosed
in either case constituting but a portion of the total fire space in the grate so as to
leave sufficient room outside the grating for the combustion of ordinary fuel
forming the main bulk of the fire. A portion of anthracite coal or coke may
sometime be advantageously mixed with the smaller fuel and the whole when fully
incandescent would tend to consume the smoke from the main body of the fire the
result would be the same if anthracite coal or coke were used alone in the
receptacle, and a quick burning fuel in the other portion of the fire place.
Instead of the grating being inclined or vertical it may be placed horizontally or
nearly so on the top of, or in the midst of an open or close fire; this would be the
best position if required for burning small or large coke or anthracite coal. It
would however be necessary to have the lower fire well alight before the upper
portion is put on.
In the heat of summer or at other times when it is desired to economise fuel by
having a very small fire it could be lighted in the receptacle only, or the receptacle
could be kept empty and the fire lit in the other portion of the grate. If more
heat is required than is afforded by this limited body of fire, whichever part was
empty could be filled with fuel which would be quickly ignited by the incandescent
fuel in the other part.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective front view and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross sectional
views of ordinary open grates provided with a grated partition the form of which
is slightly different in the various Figures. Figures 5 and 6 are plan views of
grates in which the space or spaces for small fuel is or are principally at the rear
corners of the grate. Figure 7 is a cross section representing the partition in the
form of a fire basket standing in the grate and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a
similar fire basket adapted to hang on the hobs of old fashioned grates or on the
sides of ranges. Figure 9 is a cross sectional view of a close kitchen range and
Figure 10 is a section of a closed stove also provided with the partition, the
arrangements shown in the Drawing being those I prefer.
a is the ordinary fire place and 6 is the receptacle for cinders &c. at the back or
Bides separated therefrom by the grating or partition c which may be placed prefer-
ably in a forwardly inclined position as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 9 or which
may be vertical as in Figure 3. There should be sufficient space between its upper
edge and the front bars e to allow of moderate sized lumps of coal being placed in.
the fire place a and its lower edge may either meet the back of the stove as in
Figures 2 and 4 or extend down to the ordinary bottom grating d as in Figure 9.
In vertical section the grating c may either be flat as in Figures 2, 3, 5 and 6 or
curved as in Figure 4, and it may either be straight or curved in the direction of
its length according as the bars e of the grate in which it is fitted are straight or
curved so as to preserve the same depth from back to front for the fire place a at
the middle and sides of the fire. In Figure 1 the bars e are curved and the
grating c is curved to correspond and in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 9 the bars e are
supposed to be straight and the grating to be straight also. In Figures 5 and
on the other hand it will be seen that the fire space a is of the ordinary depth or
nearly so at the middle and that the space cut off for small fuel is principally at
the rear corners a pair of gratings c (Figure 5) or a single grating curved the
reverse way to the grating in Figure 1 being used (Figure 6). In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4
and 9 the grating is supposed to be held in place by fitting between lugs or
guides g cast on the sides of the grate but it may be secured in any other
convenient manner which will admit of its ready removal for cleaning out the
grate. As shown in Figure 3 more than one pair of guides may be provided so
that the relative areas of the spaces a and b may be varied.
Instead of being a mere flat or curved grating the partition may constitute the
front side of a complete fire-basket adapted to stand or hang in the grate as
represented in Figures 7 and 8 the back and sides being either solid or grated as
preferred. In this form the removal of the partition for cleaning out the grate is
rendered more practicable the grated front side acting as a partition as in the other
modifications whilst the grated back and sides afford a more ready access of air to
the fuel and thus promote combustion. As shown in Figure 7 the fire-basket
occupies only a portion of the grate corresponding to that cut off by the partition
in the other modifications ample space being left for the main body of the fire at
the front of the fire basket.
It will be evident however that the form and position of the grating may be
varied according to circumstances the essential feature of the Invention being a
receptacle or space preferably at the back, sides, in the midst, or at the top of the
fire place, separated by a grating or other division, which while dividing the fuel
placed in the receptacle from the main body of the fire will allow it to be ignited
and its combustion made more perfect by the heat from the latter passing partly or
wholly through it, before reaching the chimney.
The
Figure 10 represents a pipe stove wherein the grating c extends from front to
back of the stove and is in an inclined position but it might be horizontal.
same letters indicate the same parts as in the other Figures which need no further
description.

page_text: The stove has separate apertures f g (closed by doors) at which the different
descriptions of fuel are introduced. The partition might even be vertical if a fire
door is provided at the back, at a¹ a² is a grating to allow the ashes to fall through
into the ash pan.
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 A fire-grate or stove having its fire space divided by a grating or partition
in such manner as to separate therefrom a space or receptacle for small coal or
refuse the grating or partition being so constructed or arranged as to permit the
ready ignition of the contents of the said receptacle from the main body of the fire
substantially as herein described and shown.
2nd The respective arrangements or forms of partition dividing the fire-space as
herein shown and described in combination witli a fire grate or stove substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
3rd An open fire-grate or closed stove having a divisional grating fixed in an
inclined or horizontal position wholly above its principal fire space and dividing
the upper from the lower part of the fire grate or stove substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 30th day of Anaust AD 1001