IMPROVE- MENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS OR FLUES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lister, of Scotswood, in the County
of Northumberland, Brick Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS OR FLUES."
Scaled the 17th December 1853, and dated the 17th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lister at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th June 1853.
J, ROBERT LISTER, of Scotswood, in the County of Northumberland,
Brick Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS OR FLUES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates essentially to the arrangement and construc-
tion of chimney tops or flue passages with tubular thoroughfares, so
contrived as to aid the chimney draught and ventilation, and prevent
down draughts. These tubes may be applied either inside or out.
When outside, the tubes are disposed with their open lower ends near
the base of the chimney top or can; these open ends forming a ring
round the main shell. Starting from this point, each tube is wound
spirally round the outside of the shell, and terminates by entering

page_text: the shell near the top. In this way the open top contains an annular
series of open ended tubes, which entirely prevent down draught by
furnishing a strong and steady up draught. Straight tubes may also
be adopted in place of the spiral ones, but the latter are preferable.
Or, instead of these tubes, the chimney top may be made double, so
as to leave an annular air passage between the two. This space
is open round the chimney top, and its bottom is closed up in the
interier of the shell, but communicates with the external atmosphere
by a ring of apertures in the outer shell..
Such general arrangements are applicable to various classes of flues
or smoke discharging thoroughfares, especially to the chimneys of
locomotive engines, where they increase the draught, partially remove
the noise, dispensing with the necessity of the present system of blast,
and preventing the fire-box from burning; and also to the ventilation
of public rooms, warehouses, steam-boat engine chimneys, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 17th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT LISTER, of Scotswood, in the County of Northumberland,
Brick Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Lister, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert Lister, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Robert Lister, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-

page_text: cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS OR FLUES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Lister, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Lister, do hereby de-
clare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
My said Invention relates essentially to the arrangement and con-
struction of chimney tops or flue passages with tubular thoroughfares,
so contrived as to aid the chimney draught and ventilation, and prevent
down draughts. These tubes may be applied either inside or out.
When outside, the tubes are disposed with their open lower ends near
the base of the chimney top or can; these open ends forming a ring
round the main shell. Starting from this point, each tube is wound
spirally round the outside of the shell, and terminates by entering the
shell near the top. In this way the open top contains an annularly
disposed series of open ended tubes, which entirely prevent down
draught by furnishing a strong and steady up draught. Straight tubes
may also be adopted in place of the spiral ones, but the latter are
preferable. Or, instead of these tubes, the chimney top may be made
double, so as to leave an annular air passage between the two shells.
This space is open round the chimney top, and its bottom is closed up
in the interior of the shell, but communicates with the external atmo-
sphere by a ring of apertures in the outer shell.
Such general arrangements are applicable to various classes of
flues or smoke discharging thoroughfares, especially to the chimneys
of locomotive engines, where they increase the draught, partially

page_text: remove the noise, dispensing with the necessity of the present
system of blast, and preventing the fire-box from burning. The im-
proved arrangements are also applicable to the ventilation of public
rooms, warehouses, steam-boat engine chimneys, and other situations.
Figure 1, on my Sheet of Drawings, is an external elevation of a
chimney top, having spiral draught tubes formed upon its exterior
surface, according to one modification of my Invention. Figure 2, is
a similar view of a chimney top, in which the draught tubes are
straight and parallel with the axis of the chimney top; and Figure 3,
is a view of a chimney top which is made double, so as to form an
annular air or draught passage. Any general ornamental design may
be adopted in the construction of these chimney tops. In the present
instance a simple neat shape has been chosen in illustration of my
Invention. The chimney top, Figure 1, consists of a square base A,
immediately above which is a torus or annular and rounded mould-
ing B, joined by a small fillet C, to the main cylindrical or slightly
tapered body D, of the chimney top. It is around this last-men-
tioned portion of the chimney that the draught tubes E, are disposed.
Their lower ends are immediately above the narrow fillet C; these
ends are open to the external air, and may be formed in any manner
that may be deemed best for receiving or catching any current of air.
Thus, they may be formed with openings of the same diameter as
the body of the tube, or they may be formed with trumpet shaped
mouths, so as to catch external air currents, and direct them
up the
bodies of the conducting tubes. These tubes E, are made cylindrical
throughout, from mouth to mouth, and they may either be made of
clay or other plastic material, or of metal, of wood, or of stone
or slate. In the example, Figure 1, their lower receiving mouths are
turned with a slight curve outwards, and from this point each tube
winds spirally round the chimney shell or top, and then passes into the
interior of the top, through a suitable aperture in the thickness of
the shell, at a point just beneath the head or annular moulding F.
After passing through the shell's thickness, each tube bends sharply
upwards, as at G; the whole of the tubes are arranged in a precisely
similar manner, and, after this internal return bend, each passes up to

page_text: the level of the line a, b, so as to form a ring of tubes rather less in
diameter than the internal diameter of the chimney top, and stopping
somewhat short of the top of the ornamental capital H, of the chimney
top.
In Figure 2, the same general form of chimney top is preserved, but
the external dranght tubes A, with their lower mouths B, are disposed
so as to run in lines parallel with the axis of the main shell. Each
tube bends inwards at C, and passes into the shell just beneath the
moulding D, and the annular series then passes up inside the capital,
as at E.
In the example, Figure 3, the internal dotted lines A, represent the
exterior of an internal cylinder or shell, which forms the actual flue
passage for the smoke. An annular space B, is left between this
surface and the interior surface of the main shell C, and a ring of
lateral openings D, are made in the outer shell, just above the
moulding E, to form a communication between the external atmo-
sphere and the space B. The internal shell being carried up to the
level a, b, a direct annular air passage is thus formed between the
bottom mouths D, and the upper part of the internal passage B.
With chimney tops arranged according to this general principle
all side currents will be directed more or less up some of the external
tubes or along the internal annular passage, so as, on escaping near
the head of the capital, the ascending air stratum inside the top will
act upon the passing smoke and gasses, and greatly improve the
chimney draught. At the same time if a "blow down" is threatened,
these tubes or passages will afford material aid in preventing the down
flow of the smoke by carrying off the deranging air current clear of
the chimney current.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of chimney tops or
flues, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use in chimney tops and flues of external
air tubes or passages for improving the flue currents, as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of constructing chimney tops and flues
with tubes or passages forming communications between the open
external atmosphere surrounding the chimney top and the interior of
the upper portion of such top.
Fourth, the system or mode of constructing chimney tops and flues
with an external annular passage for the purposes hercin-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Lister, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ROBERT LISTER.
(L.S.)