Improvements relating to Fireplaces and Register Grates.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Fireplaces and Register Grates.
I, DAVID GRAHAM PAUL of Erindale, Bridge Street Portadown in the County
of Armagh Ireland Manager of Works do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to fire places and register grates and has for its object to
furnish them with improved appliances for closing and opening the flue aperture
between the top of a register grate or fire-place and the chimney.
In carrying out this invention I construct and suspend, more or less vertically, a
flap, damper or "register door" above the fire basket of a register grate or fire
place, suitably for closing the flue aperture through which the smoke passes from
the grate into the chimney: the said aperture being in a somewhat forward,
vertical (and not in a horizontal or oblique) plane above the fire basket.
The said flap, damper or door is combined with, and operated behind, an
ornamenting canopy. This combined canopy and damper, when united suitably to
a fire place constitutes a flue box; the damper resting upon ledges, right and left,
inside or behind the canopy, and restrained at the upper part by means of pins or
other simple contrivances so that when the flap is pulled in a forward direction it
leaves uncovered an opening which affords access to the chimney and when it is
pushed backward it partially or wholly closes the said aperture.
As the said damper rests vertically, with its full weight, upon the right and left
ledges before named and can only be moved forward or backward radially by
manipulating the lower part of it, it remains rigidly in any position in which it is
placed, until it is moved again.
The pins or other restraining members at the upper part of the damper enable
its upper part to be moved slightly up or down, but not in any other direction, as
it is pushed backward or forward by the manipulation of its lower extremities.
When combining my improvements with an ordinary register grate of the
canopied type, the canopy is, by preference, made removeable from the grate,
nevertheless the said improvements are also designed for application to canopied
fire places where the canopy is not detachable from its surroundings.
The before named flue aperture is above the fire back and not in it or necessarily
formed by it, and, although, when the canopy is removed from its surroundings the
said aperture is seen to occupy a vertical plane and only capable then of being
closed by a flap or door placed vertically against it, yet, when a projecting canopy
is placed over it the aperture may be covered or controlled for flue purposes by
means of a flap or damper placed either vertically against the said aperture and
within or behind the canopy or in various other positions or attitudes within or
behind it, but I have, so far, found the vertical position most generally convenient.
Dated this 27th day of May 1892.
JOSEPH LOCKWOOD,
263, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Inventor.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements relating to Fireplaces and Register Grates.
I, DAVID GRAHAM PAUL, of Erindale, Bridge Street Portadown in the County
of Armagh Ireland, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 fire-places and register grates and has for its object to
furnish them with improved appliances for closing and opening the flue aperture
between the top of a register grate or fire-place and the chimney.
In carrying out this invention I construct and support, more or less vertically, a
flap, damper or "register door" above the fire basket of a register grate or fire
place, suitably for closing the flue aperture through which the smoke passes from
the grate into the chimney: the said aperture being formed preferably in a some-
what forward vertical (and not in a horizontal or oblique) plane above the fire
basket. These improved devices are capable of adaptation for closing the smoke
apertures which occupy either oblique or horizontal planes above the fire back or
basket. I do not therefore wish it to be understood that my improved devices
cannot be, and are not, adapted for closing oblique or horizontal apertures, but
rather that by preference I make the aperture, where I can, in an upright or vertical
plane and fit the damper in a position corresponding to it when the aperture is
closed.
The said flap, damper or door is combined with, and operated behind, an
ornamenting canopy. This combined canopy and damper, when united suitably to
a fire-place constitutes a flue box; the damper resting upon ledges, right and left,
inside or behind the canopy, and restrained at the upper part by means of pins or
other simple contrivances so that when the flap is pulled in a forward direction it
leaves uncovered an opening which affords access to the chimney and when it is
pushed backward it partially or wholly closes the said aperture.
As the said damper rests, when vertical, with its full weight upon the right and
left ledges before named and can only be moved forward or backward radially, by
manipulating and travelling the lower part of it, it remains rigidly in any position
in which it is placed until it is moved again.
The pins or other restraining members at the upper part of the damper enable its
upper part to move slightly up and down as the damper is pushed backward or
forward by the manipulation of its lower extremity.
These devices are chiefly adapted for parlour grates which have a square or
rectangular form above the fire place, rather than those which have a circular arch
there.
When combining my improvements with an ordinary register grate of the
canopied type, the canopy is, by preference, made removeable from the grate;
nevertheless the said improvements are also designed for application to canopied
fire places where the canopy is not detachable from its surroundings and where the
aperture for smoke occupies a horizontal plane.
The before named flue aperture is above the fire back and not in it or necessarily
formed by it, and, although when the before named ornamenting canopy is removed
from its surroundings the said aperture is seen to occupy a vertical plane and only
capable of then being closed by a flap or door placed vertically against or in it,
yet, when a projecting canopy is placed over it the aperture may be covered or
controlled for flue purposes by means of a flap or damper placed either vertically
against the said aperture and within or behind the canopy or in other positions or
attitudes within or behind it, but I have, so far, found the vertical position most
generally convenient.
The accompanying drawings will serve to make my invention better understood
and more easy to execute.

page_text: Fig. 1 and 2 are back views in perspective shewing the smoke apertures behind
certain register grates;
Figs. 3 and 4 are back views in elevation of canopies with upright dampers
resting upon ledges made according to my invention;
Figs. 5 and 7 are fragmentary views in elevation and section shewing my
improved flue damping appliances with removeable canopies combined with register
grates;
Figs. 6 and 8 are sectional views of the above named canopies and flue damping
devices, removed from the register grates;
Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary views of register grates in elevation and section
shewing my improved flue damping devices combined with immoveable canopies;
Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary views in elevation and section shewing my
improved flue damping devices and canopies fitted behind register grates.
Similar letters of reference and numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout
the drawings. The arrows shewn upon the drawings indicate the direction taken
by the smoke currents.
As shewn by the drawings, A, A, represents the "inner front" of a register
grate, B, an ornamental canopy attached, removeably or otherwise, thereto, C its
bevilled cheek, D its roof plate, E its front moulding, F its fire basket, G its fire
back, and H a canopy flue box attached above its fire back and behind its "inner
front." The opening J, Figs. 1 to 9, formed by the "inner front" A is closed by
means of the flap, damper or register door which rests upon the ledges 62 and is
operated at its lower edge in a backward and forward direction. The tabs
Figs. 3 to 12 are examples only of the simple devices which may be employed for
purposes of canopy attachment and damper manipulation.
68
Fig. 3 gives a back view of my combined canopy B and damper 6, the latter
resting upon ledges 62 having pins which prevent the upper part of the said
damper entering the opening J but allow the body of it to pass obliquely into the
opening as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The tabs 6, containing holes, adapt
the canopy B for being hooked, removeably, upon the "inner front" A, as shewn
in Figs. 5 and 7, and the tabs 6 can be used for moving the flap on its ledges. The
side strips 66 Figs. 4 to 12 prevent the flap 6' from being projected, unintentionally,
beyond the canopy.
By slightly angling the damper b' it can be easily removed from, or replaced
upon, its ledges.
In Figures 1. 5. 7 and 9 a type of register grate is shewn where the fire back G
is fitted in line with the inner front A, and in Figures 2, 10, 11, and 12 another
type is shewn where the fire back is fitted some distance away from the "inner
front."
Q
These differences in construction of the register grate necessitate modifications in
the smoke damping devices.
The canopy B, Figs. and 10, is cast (and not fitted removeably) upon the
"inner front" A.; in Fig 9 it is fitted with strips 63 and 6° as before described and
contains the damper 6'; in Fig. 10, the ends carrying the strips 6 and 6° are carried
back to meet the line of the fire back G, and the dotted lines indicate, in each
figure except 6 and 8 the position of the damper when the aperture is closed.
The types of register grates shewn in Figs. 11 and 12 differ from those shewn in
Figs. 1 to 10 as the former represent "Kinnaird" register grates which have no
smoke aperture J in the "inner front" A, and in order to adapt my upright damper
devices to this type of grate I attach a canopy H to the back part of the "inner
front" A, and form the vertical smoke aperture between the strips 66: the sloping
roof plate h¹ Fig. 12 and the inclined line of the damper when closed, as shewn by
dotted lines in Figs. 10 and 11, render these several smoke apertures inaccessible to
rain falling down the chimney.
The damper b' is not bound fast to the grate or fire place and its usefulness is
increased if the tab, or tongue piece b³ is made to protrude sufficiently below the
ledges for it to be easily seen.

page_text: I am aware that, prior to my invention, upright dampers, working radially upon
a bottom axis within a recess contained in a fire back and variously opening
vertical, oblique and horizontal apertures, also hinged flaps suspended vertically
behind canopies and operated by rods, and canopies moving radially upon a top
axis have been combined with fire places and register grates for opening and closing
the usual smoke apertures leading from the fire place into the chimney, it will
therefore be understood that I do not claim the combination of such an upright or
vertical damper with a fire place or register grate, broadly as my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
First. In a fire place or register grate, the union therewith of a combined canopy
and damper substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified;
'
Second. In a fire-place or register grate the combination therewith of an upright.
flap or damper b', supported and adapted for operation at its lower edge upon
ledges contained within a detachable canopy all substantially as herein described
and drawn or any mere modification thereof, for the purpose specified;
Third. In a fire place or register grate the combination therewith of an upright
flap or damper supported and adapted for operation at its lower edge upon
ledges located above the fire back; all substantially as herein described and
drawn or any mere modification thereof, for the purposes specified;
Fourth. In a fire-place or register grate the combination therewith of an upright
flap or damper b' supported, and adapted for being operated, at its lower edge upon.
ledges 62 located behind a canopy or curtain substantially as herein described and
drawn or any mere modification thereof for the purpose specified;
Fifth. In a fire-place or register grate the combination therewith of an upright
flap or damper adapted for being operated at its lower edge in a backward or
forward direction, substantiaily as herein described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 25th day of February 1893.
JOSEPH LOCKWOOD,
263, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Inventor.
JOSEPH
LOCKWOOD,
263, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Inventor.