IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE PRO
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Cyrus Engert, of 3, Mills Lane, Bromley-by-Bow,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Cyrus Engert at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November
1880.
ADAM CYRUS ENGERT, of 3, Mills Lane, Bromley-by-Bow, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE GRATES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire grates.
In order to prevent the formation of smoke I cause the coal to be heated in a
partially closed chamber before it is brought into the open grate to be burnt.
I provide such a chamber at the back of the grate, in the position which in
domestic fire grates is usually occupied by a fire lump. The chamber is closed at
the top and bottom, back and sides, but is open in front into the grate. The fresh
coal is placed in this chamber at the back of the fire, and here, where it is not
exposed to the upward draft of the fire, it becomes gradually heated. By suitable
appliances the fuel can be drawn forward out of the chamber to supply the fire in
the grate when this has burnt low.
Any vapour which may be liberated by the coal whilst in the chamber passes
amongst the glowing fuel in front lying in the fire grate, and is so consumed. When
the fuel is drawn forward into the fire grate, it having become thoroughly heated
in the chamber, will burn without admitting that cloud of smoke which is evolved
from fresh coal placed on the top of a glowing fire.
In cases where the fire grate is enclosed, as in a locomotive fire box, the fuel
chamber may in some cases be at the front of the grate in place of at the back.

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical section from front to back of an open fire grate, constructed
in accordance with my Invention, and adapted for domestic use.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken on the line 1, 1,
in Figure 1.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, are the front bars, and b, b, are the bottom bars of the
grate, both much in the usual position; c, c, are the side cheeks, and d is a register
door by which the chimney can be closed when the fire place is out of use; all
these are ordinary and well known parts; e is the chamber or coking box which I
provide at the back of the grate in the position usually occupied by a fire lump.
It is a box forming a backward continuation of the space in which the fire is
contained. The bottom of this box is a dead plate, which extends so far to the
front that the bottom grating b; b, is rendered thereby somewhat narrower than
usual from front to back. Within the chamber or coking box e there is a moveable
back plate f, which is capable of being moved within the chamber or coking box
from front to back, and vice versa, by means of the bent bars g, g, which are
attached to it and serve as handles.
gl is a plate fixed to the two bars g in front; it has in it holes g*,g*. The
purpose which it serves is to enable the bars g to be readily drawn forward when
it is wished to push the fuel out of the chamber e into the open fire place. The
poker is used in this operation; it is held in a nearly vertical position, and its end
is inserted into one of the holes g*. It is then pressed against the front bars a of
the grate, and so the bars gare prised forward. The poker is shifted from hole to

page_text: hole until the plate f has been brought to the front of the chamber e; or other means
may be resorted to for drawing the bars g, g, forward. The bars g, g, pass through
holes in the back of the chamber or coking box e, and also through other holes in
the curved plate h underneath the bottom bars of the fire place. The bars g, g, are
thus controlled in their movements; when they are drawn forward they bring with
them the moveable back plate f, and the fuel in the chamber or coking box e in
front of this plate is pushed out into the open fire place. When the plate f is caused
to return to the back of the chamber or coking box e, the chamber or coking box
will be empty or nearly so, and it should be at once filled with fresh coal.
There will be sufficient space over the top of the fire in the grate to permit of
coal being filled into the chamber, or coking box e without difficulty. The curved
plate / below the fire bars also serves to direct the draft approaching the fire, and
cause it to pass briskly upwards between the bottom bars b, b, so that the front of
the fire may be kept bright. I is another curved plate hinged at the front of the
register d, and which, when the fire is well alight, is moved forward into the
position in which it is represented in Figure 1; it also aids in keeping the bright
fire and flame to the front of the grate, so that very little air finds its way amongst
the fuel at the back of the grate or into the chamber or coking box e. Consequently
the fuel in this chamber or coking box emits little or no smoke, but it becomes
heated and prepared to be burnt in the fire grate, and such gases as it evolves pass
in great part amongst the ignited fuel and are consumed.
The arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 is applicable also to kitcheners,
ranges, stoves, vertical boilers, and locomotives, with the difference that the
chamber or coking box e is filled with coal from the top, an opening with a flap
being made for that purpose.
Figure 3 shows the chamber or coking box e at the back or sides of a stove or
vertical boiler.
Figure 4 shews the chamber or coking box under the foot plate of a locomotive.
In the locomotive the chamber or coking box should be of the full width of the
fire box. The pushing plate ƒ may be actuated either as shown or in the manner
described in respect to Figures 1 and 2. Or in place of the holes g* represented in
these Figures there may be pins set into a bar fixed to the back of the pusher
plate.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim my improvements
in open domestic fire grates, kitcheners, ranges, stoves, vertical boilers, and loco-
motives, consisting in providing a chamber or coking box e, opening into the fire
place, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Cyrus Engert, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one
A. C. ENGERT. (L.S.)