CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHIMNEYS AND FLUES, AND IN FURNACES, STOVES, GRATES, OR FIRE-PLACES GENERALLY
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, GENERAL
GEORGE WILSON, of Cross Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters ***** under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July, (One thousand eight hundred
and forty-four) in the eighth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said General George Wilson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said General George Wilson, my exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said General
George Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time-
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the continuance of the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of Her said Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderny,
Sark, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF CHIMNEYS AND FLUES, AND IN FURNACES, STOVES, GRATES, OR FIRE-PLACES
GENERALLY;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,

page_text: the said General George Wilson, to particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same
be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had, will more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
General George Wilson, do hereby declare the nature of
my
said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be fully described and set
forth in and by the following statement and Specification thereof, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings (which I declare to be and to form
part of this my statement and Specification), by the letters and numeral
figures marked thereon for the purpose of such reference (that is to say): -
My Invention consists in and has reference to the principles of construction
and the modes of arrangement of the mechanical parts, and also the several
combinations of the same, as such several matters are herein-after described
and set forth, as regards my application of the same to the objects set forth
and referred to in and by the title of the Letters Patent granted unto me, the
said General George Wilson, as herein-before recited. The particular nature
and intention of my said Invention I declare to consist in forming and con-
structing apparatus or machinery for the improvement in the action and
practical effect of chimneys and flues, and of furnaces, stoves, grates, and fire-
places. I declare that I carry such the particular nature and intention of my
said Invention into practical effect by the mechanical constructions and the
arrangements of mechanical parts with the combinations of the same with and
among each other, as the same are described and set forth in the following
detailed Specification therof; that is to say, in the Drawing No. 1 the
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective, as seen in front, of a stove of the
register or ordinary construction and form; in this Figure A*, A, A, A, mark
the portion forming the grate, and B, B, the bottom or fire bars of the same;
C, C, shews the application and position of a metal tubular passage with side
or wing plates C*, C*, which is set in a suitable aperture or cavity formed for
that purpose at the farther or hinder side of the bottom or fire bars B, B, and
by its own form and bulk, together with its side or wing plates C*, C*, occu-
pies the entire back of the body of the grate or fire-place. The tubular
passage C, C, is constructed open at its upper and lower ends, and is placed in
an upright position, as shewn in the Figure. It is perforated with apertures
of about three eighths of an inch in their diameter, and those with regard to

page_text: the symmetry of their appearance and their action, for the purpose for which
they are provided, I place equi-distant from each other and at about two inches
apart. The tubular passage itself I make in its transverse section either of
circular form, of elliptical, or of any polygonal figure, and I make it either
tapering from one of its extremities to the other, or I make it of equal diameter
entirely through its length, and dispose the apertures herein-before described in
such manner as may be found best suited to the circumstances of the figure in
question. I set such tubular passage in or upon the bottom or fire bars B, B,
so that its upper end or termination shall stand at about three or four inches
above the level of the upper bar A*, A*, of the front of the grate A*, A*, A, A,
and its lower end or termination, either level with or a few inches, say one or
two inches, below the level or bottom of the fire bars B, B; D and D in the
same Figure of the Drawing shew the sides or wings of the stove, and E the
hearth and lower part of it; G, G, shews the front of the lower edge of a
canopy, of tapering or pyramidical form, which is fixed in the opening or breast
of the chimney flue by its front part, and occupying the entire passage thereto,
from the whole stove and the external surrounding space, by making its hinder
sides and parts conform to and fit closely and perfectly to the chimney walls;
H, 1, shows the gradually tapering or pyramidical form of the funnel or
passage, of which G, G, forms the lower edge of its mouth or opening. The
portion H, H, is continued in an upward direction until it reaches the throat
of the chimney fluc, where it becomes contracted to the figure shewn at I, I,
in the Figure, where the aperture has a diameter of about five or six inches;
the precise dimension of the diameter of this contraction or neck, or the pro-
portion it bears to the lower and larger opening of the tapering or pyramidical
passage at G, G, is determined and regulated by the general circumstances of
dimension of the stove as regards its capacity for fuel, and the quantity of
smoke, heated air, and gases emitted therefrom, the aggregate formation and
production of which, from the combustion in the grate, is of necessity required
to pass through such passage in its way to the chimney flue for its final exit to
the outer air at its top. From and at the contraction or neck of the tapering or
pyramidical passage at I, I, the passage is continued by the portion which is
shewn immediately next and above it in the Drawing, and marked by the letter
of reference K. This portion forms the termination or upper opening of the
said passage GG, HI II, and II, above described. In practice I make the
portion K of cylindrical form, and of about eight inches in diameter, and of
about fifteen inches in length, but it may be made slightly conical in form, in
an inverted position, or widening gradually towards and at its upper extremity

page_text: or opening, or its diametral dimension may be slightly varied without mate-
rially altering the operative effect of the arrangement, it being understood that
the dimensions and circumstances herein stated being such as in practice I
find to effect the required purpose with the most efficacy and certainty of due
action. The action or mode of operation of the construction and arrange-
ment of parts above described is as follows: fire being kindled in the
grate A*, A*, A, A, B, B, in the usual manner, the requisite supply of atmo-
spheric air to maintain combustion is furnished, as in all arrangements and
constructions of fire-places and grates, on its front by the spaces between the
front bars, and by the spaces between the fire bars B, B, of the bottom of the
grate, the lower termination of the passage C being open to the outer air; a
supply of such air is also furnished to the fuel in combustion through the
apertures in the passage C, and at the same time an upward current of air,
of considerable velocity or upward draught, is established through the pas-
sage C. The smoke, heated air, and gases pass upwards into the mouth or
area of the tapering pyramidical canopy at G, G, and thence by the gradually
contracting passage of the same 1, II, to the neck or contraction thereof
at I, I, through which they pass with a volocity increased by the gra-
dually decreased space through the upward direction of the passage H, H,
and pass through the portion K of the continued passage, thence entering the
chimney shaft and therein continuing their upward course to its top or upper
termination. The Figure 2 of Drawing N° 1 represents another modification
of construction of the passage marked C, C, in the Figure 1. This is shewn
as an example of the means of preserving the same principle of action in cases
when it may be judged necessary to vary the ornamental character of construc-
tion of the passage in order to harmonise with the ornamental character of
construction of the stove itself. In this modification the tubular passage C, C,
is made of a cylindrical form in its horizontal section, is open at its top or upper
extremity, and also at its lower extremity, but at the point F, near the lower
extremity, the passage is gradually contracted in its diameter to about two thirds
of the diameter of its upper portion; it is set on the bottom B, B, of the stove
to which it is required to be attached, as herein-before described for the Figure 1.
The wings or sides of the tubular passage C*, C, project from its opposite
sides, as in the tubular passage C, C, shewn in the Figure 1. It should here
be stated that the tubular passage here described, of whatsoever form it is
made, is composed of two pieces, each of which is of semi-cylindrical form, if
the entire form be cylindrical in its convex portion, and has two wings or sides;
when two such semi-cylindrical portions being placed together, having their

page_text: stove.
concave sides respectively placed inwards, they are attached and hold together
by their wings or sides, by countersunk headed screws, in the usual manner
of putting the general flat work of stoves together; one-half of the tubular
passage when thus made entire, projecting into the fire-grate, so as to be
surrounded by the burning combustible, whilst the other half thereof projects
into a cavity formed for its reception in the back wall or back of the chimney
or of the stove; the entire of the said passage is attached to the back of the
The Figure 3 of the Drawing No. 1 shews the two portions of such
tubular passage in cross section, as they appear when attached to each other, as
above described. The Figure 4 of Drawing No. 1 represents a vertical section
of the entire opening of the fire-place shewn in the Figure 1, with the tapering
or pyramidical canopy G, G, H, I, I, I, K, such section being taken
through the vertical line X, X, of the Figure 1, at right angles to the front of
the stove. The Figure 5 represents a horizontal or plan view of the bottom or
fire bars of the fire grate of the stove, shewn in the Figure 1. The Figure 6
represents a vertical section of the hood or canopy, with its portion of exit K
into the chimney, such section being taken through its centre and in a direction
parallel to the front of the stove.. The Figure 7 represents a view in per-
spective as seen in front of a stove of the same general construction as the stove
shown in the Figure 1, but of a different modification as regards the shape of
its fire grate and its minor and subordinate parts, and also having the tubular
passage described as affixed to the stove, shewn in the Figure 1, at C, C; but
such tubular passage of that Figure is in the Figure 7 formed of a different
horizontal sectional figure. In this example such section is of circular figure,
producing the tubular passage itself of cylindrical form. Figure 8 represents
a horizontal or plan view of the bottom or fire bars of the fire grate shewn in
the stove, Figure 7. In the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively of
the Drawing No 1 the same parts are marked with the same letters of refer-
ence as far as such several parts can be seen in each of such Figures respec-
tively. In the Drawing No 2, Eigure 1 represents a perspective view as seen
in the front of a fire-place and the lower portion of its chimney flue of an upper
or attic chamber, in which A, A, A, is a fire-place; B, B, the curved or con-
verging sides of the same, becoming closer until they arrive at the point C, where
the metal tubular passage D, having a contracted neck C*, is set. This metal
passage D forms the base or lower extremity of the chimney flue E, which, in
order to aid the general action of the chimney, I make of somewhat greater
diameter at its upper extremity F than at its lower extremity. The Figure 2
of Drawing No. 2 represents a vertical section through the Figure 1, such

page_text: section being taken through the dotted line X, X, of Figure 1. In this
Figure the same parts are respectively marked with the same letters of
reference as in the Figure 1. Figure 3 represents the application of the metal
double tubular passage shewn at D in the Figures 1 and 2, as a ventilating
apparatus, as between the inner and the outer sides of a building, or as between
two contiguous apartments; A, B, being the metal passage as set in the wall or
partition C, C. Figure 4, represents the application of the same metal venti-
lating passage as made to the ceilings and floors of different apartments of a
building; A, B, being the metal ventilator; C, C, a portion of the flooring boards
of one apartment; and D, D, the floor joist; and E, E, the lathing of the ceiling
of the other. In the case of a building consisting of one large apartment, then
the extremity of the ventilating passage, which in this Figure passes through
the flooring boards C, C, will be made to pass through the roof of the building
to the open air. Figure 5 represents the mode of applying the metallic
ventilating passage to the chimney shafts of the furnaces of steam boilers
and similar erections. As an example of this, A, A, represents a steam boiler,
and B, B, a portion of its setting and brickwork, and C the termination of the
flue, and D, E, the place and mode of applying the metal passage, which in
such cases as this which I now describe is modified in its construction and
figure in having its upper portion E of greater length than the lower portion D,
the relative proportions of those portions depending on and being governed by
the requirements and general circumstances of the furnace and its chimney as
regards their scale or dimensions of parts, the rate of working, and other varying
contingencies.
Having now herein set forth the nature and intention of my said Invention,
and also the manner in which the same is to be carried into practical effect, I
now declare that I claim as of my Invention therein the several constructions
of mechanical parts with and as regards their combination with each other, and
the application of the same to the purposes of improving the construction of
chimneys and flues, and in furnaces, stoves, grates, and fire-places, by encreasing
and facilitating the practical action and the general effect of combustion, and
of heating in such and by means of such said constructions, and this as I have
herein set forth, described, and specified them.
In witness whereof, I, the said General George Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
GENERAL GEORGE (L.S.) WILSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of January,
in the eighth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said
General George Wilson came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chan-
cery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and everything
therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instru-
ment aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-five.