IMPROVEMENTS IN CHINNEYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jobn Billing, of Abingdon Street, Westminster, in
the County of Middlesex, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CHINNEYS."
Sealed the 24th April 1857, and dated the 15th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Billing at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1856.
I, JOHN BILLING, of Abingdon Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEYS," to be as follows:-
In constructing a stack of chimneys I make the top of each chimney of a
conical or pyramidal form, of straight or curved contour, with or without a level
or inclined base or surface on each side of the top of the stack. A vertical
partition is placed between each chimney top to prevent the smoke from one
chimney descending into an adjoining one. The edges of these partitions may
be bevilled and their sides hollowed so as to direct or conduct the wind in the
required direction. The chimney top, with its corresponding portions of the
aforesaid inclined surfaces, may be made of a single piece of stone or terra
cotta, or it may be made of any suitable material. I prefer to bring the flue
or passage for the smoke to a circular form at the opening at the top, whose
dimensions should be proportioned according to the height or length of the flue
or chimney, and the size of the fire-place in connection with it. The part of

page_text: the flue immediately below the top may be formed by a pipe built into the
chimney, or it may be formed at once in the masonry or brickwork. A single
chimney top may be constructed in a similar manner. In some cases one or
more conical or pyramidal caps may be placed over the aforesaid conical or
pyramidal top.
The Invention is applicable to chimneys used for fires, and also for chimneys
or flues used for ventilation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Billing in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
14th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, Jonn
BILLING, of Abingdon Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Billing, Her special licence that I, tho said John Billing, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Billing, 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 term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHIMNEYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Billing,
my executors or adminstrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Billing, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: In constructing a stack of chimneys I make the top of each chimney of a
conical or pyramidal form, of straight or curved contour, with or without a
level or inclined base or surface on each side of the top of the stack. A vertical
partition is placed between each chimney top to prevent the smoke from one
chimney descending into an adjoining one.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an end view, and Figure 2 is a
front view, of a portion of a stack of chimneys constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 3 is a plan of the same; and Figure 4 is a transverse
section on the line x, y, in Figure 3. The same letters indicate similar parts
in each figure.
A is the stack of flues; B, B, are the conical tops, one of which is placed
over each flue; C, C, are the vertical partitions or screens, which may be
advantageously made with bevilled edges, as shewn in the Drawing. The
conical tops B are made flat at the sides where they come in contact with the
vertical partitions or screens C. When, however, the partitions or screens C
can be placed sufficiently far apart the sides of the cones are not flattened, or
are only slightly flattened, as shewn in elevation in Figure 5, and in plan in
Figure 6; or the same conical top as that shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 may
be used, with side pieces D, D, which continue the form of the cone, as shewn
in Figures 5 and 6. The sides of the screens C_may be flat, or they may be
hollowed, as indicated by dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3. I make the cones B
of terra cotta or baked clay, and I make them hollow, as shewn in Figure 4, or
they may consist of a solid block with a vertical perforation therein; they are
made with openings of different sizes, as shewn in section in Figure 7, to adapt
them to different sizes of fire-places; but in all cases they are so proportioned
and arranged that the opening or outlet is below the level of the top of the
partitions or screens C. The conical top may be simply placed or set over the
flue; or the flue, if of the ordinary square or rectangular form, may be brought
into a circular or octagonal form at the upper part, or may have a piece of
earthenware or other pipe built into the top, as shewn at E, in Figure 4. The
screens or partitions C are separate pieces or tiles of terra cotta. The partitions
and the conical tops may, however, be made of stone or other suitable material,
and the partitions may be made in one piece with the cone, and other similar
modifications in the details of construction may be made. In lieu of a cone, a
square or quadrangular or polygonal pyramid may be employed, although I
consider the conical form to be preferable. A single chimney top may be
constructed in a similar manner by placing one of the aforesaid conical or
pyramidal tops on the termination of the flue, with a vertical screen or par-
tition on each side. One or more hollow conical or pyramidal caps may be

page_text: placed above the aforesaid conical or pyramidal chimney tops, as shown at FJF,
in Figure 8, so as the more effectually to prevent gusts; of-wind from blowing
down the chimney; these additional caps are, however, seldom required. The
conical or pyramidal form of the tops B, in combination with the more lofty
partitions or screens C, causes the currents of air or gusts of wind to be so
deflected and directed as to prevent them from blowing down the chimney
or impeding the ascent of the smoke or air, and the smoke from one fluo is
also prevented from descending the adjoining flues. These chimney tops aro
applicable to chimneys used for fires, and also to chimneys or flues used for
ventilation.
•
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim gene-
rally tho constructing chimneys with conical or pyramidal tops, nor do I claim
generally the constructing chimneys with partitions between their outlets; but
what I claim is, constructing chimneys with conical or pyramidal tops in com-
bination with partitions or screens rising above them, in manner herein-beforo
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Billing, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
CHARLES COWPER,
20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London.
JNO. BILLING. (L.B.)
J