Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Heating Sad Irons and for Heating Purposes Generally.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification. Accepted, 4th May, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Heating Sad Irons and for
Heating Purposes Generally.
I FRANCIS SMYTHE of the Solihull Sanitary Authority, Solihull, near Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to moulding fire clay or other cement into square or other
shape having a hole or holes therein, part of which is flanged to enable sad irons to
be placed and so to speak pocketed to enable said sad irons to be heated by means of
a lamp flame or gas jets the heat being pocketed within the side walls of the brick
and the surface of the sad iron which forms for the time being a covering so that all
the heat is either imparted to the sad iron or partly to the sad iron and partly to the
fire or cement brick which will in its turn give off its heat to the iron.
The holes, apertures, or pockets in the fire brick may have cross bars or be
otherwise arranged and when the firebrick is set within a casing it may be packed
with asbestos or other fire resisting agent, the lamp being placed underneath the
bottom plate so that the heat from the flame passing through said bottom plate has
full play within the brick.
In lieu of a lamp being placed under the fire brick a ring or other form of gas jets
or atmospheric burner may be temporarilly or permanently arranged with the hollow
of the firebrick or in such a manner that the jet flames play upon the sad iron or upon
any culinary article placed within or upon the firebrick.
I prefer that the firebrick be moulded to shape to suit the articles intended to be
heated but this may be varied to suit circumstances but when the apparatus is to be
used for warming or ventilating purposes I prefer to arrange the firebrick of square
or other shape, box form, with an open retort placed transversely within it so that the
flame from the lamp or gas burners may impinge upon the bottom of the retort and
circulate around it, the fumes and beat escaping through apertures formed in the top
of the box. The retort is open at both ends and air has free play through it the

page_text: apparatus being so arranged that the heat is first taken up and absorbed by the fire
brick box (which may have recesses in the upper part as in the first described
apparatus) and then given off from it for general warming purposes.
purpose fitting these fire brick boxes or appliances in an outer casing lined with
asbestos to prevent undue radiation, but when the apparatus is used for warming only
the lining can be dispened with and the casing he made rack shape for free escape of
heat from the fire brick.
Datel this 18th dox of Inle 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Heating Sad-irons and for
Heating Purposes Generally.
I, FRANCIS SMYTHE Surveyor to The Solihull Sanitary Authority, Solihull, near
Birmingham, Warwickshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 moulding fire clay, or other cement alone or admixed with
Asbestos into square or other shape, having a hole or holes therein, part of which is
flanged to enable sad irons to be placed and so to speak, pocketed to for said sad irons
to be heated by means of a lamp flame, or gas jets, the heat being pocketed within
the side walls of the brick and the surface of the sad iron which forms, for the time
being, a covering so that all the heat is either imparted to the sad iron or partly to
the sad iron and partly to the fire or cement brick, which will in its turn, give off its
heat to the iron.
The holes, apertures, or pockets in the fire brick may have cross bars or bo
otherwise arranged and when the fire brick is set within a casing, it may be packed
with asbestos, or other fire resisting agent, the lamp being placed underneath the
bottom plate, so that the heat from the flame passing through said bottom plate has
full play within the brick.
In lieu of a lamp being placed under the fire brick, a ring or other form of gas jets
or atmospheric burner may be temporarily or permanently arranged within the
hollow of the fire brick, or in such a manner that the jet flames play upon the sad iron,
or upon any culinary article placed within or upon the fire brick.
I prefer that the fire brick be moulded to shape to suit the articles intended to be
heated but this may be varied to suit circumstances but when the apparatus is to be
used for warming or ventilating purposes, I prefer to arrange the fire brick of square,
or other shape, box form, with an open retort or rectangular metal tube placed
transversely within it, so that the flame from the lamp or gas burners may impinge
upon the bottom of the retort or rectangular metal tube and circulate around it, the
fumes and beat escaping through apertures formed in the top of the box. The retort
or rectangular metal tube is open at both ends and air has free play through it, the
apparatus being so arranged that the heat is first taken up or absorbed by the fire
brick box (which may have recesses in the upper part as in the first described
apparatus) and then given off from it for general warming purposes.
purpose fitting these fire brick boxes or appliances in an outer casing lined with
asbestos to prevent undue radiation but when the apparatus is used for warming only,
the lining can be dispensed with and the casing be made rack shape for free escape of
heat from the fire brick.
My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire brick block A with two openings B, B, said
openings having shoulders or ribs, upon which sad irons can rest to be heated by a

page_text: lamp or gas jet placed underneath, the space between the iron and the fire clay block
being sufficient to allow the fumes to escape. This shape of block may be fitted in a
casing and surrounded with asbestos or other non-conductor of heat, so that the block
or iron placed therein may absorb all the heat given off from a lamp or it may be a
gas jet.
Figures 2 and 3 are sectional and plan views of another form of fire brick block
for the reception of two irons which rest upon a curved inner bottom flange for the
heat of the lamp to impinge against both irons at the same time, the sad irons in this
case are recessed in the block and the fumes from a lamp or gas jet escape through
the apertures D, D.
Figure 4 shows an apparatus that can be used for heating sad irons or for warming
purposes generally as desired. The upper part of this stove is formed with pockets
into which irons can be placed when the shutters E, E, are slid sideways to open the
central passage, said shutters then closing aperturos F, F, which otherwise form the
fumes escape apertures.
This stove can be built up of many forms of fire clay or asbestos blocks to the
desired height but I prefer it to be made in the form indicated and supported by
feet G to enable a lamp H, or gas jet to be placed under it, air entering through the
bottom plate I to feed the flame which first impinges against a baffle I, the heat then
travelling toward the centre through an aperture in the partition J, then around a
block K, this having an aperture L through it for the circulation of air which in
passing through, is warmed and disseminated in the apartment in which the stove is
fitted. The heat imparted to the stove from the lamp is absorbed into the side
walls M, M, these being surrounded with asbestos and encased in an iron casing to
prevent undue radiation, such as when heating of irons is being carried on.
The stove, Figure 4, for ornamentation may have a cover N, as indicated at
Figure 5, and in lieu of the apertures F, F, the central top pocket B may be
utilized for holding a pan of water to moisten the escaping fumes to obviate dry or
burnt air.
The interior of the stove, Figure 5, is slightly modified from that shown in Figure 4
by having three air distributing passages L, L, L, but should this stove be required
for heating sad irons, the cover N and the water pan can be removed and irons placed
in the top pocket B to be heated as explained with reference to Figure 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction and employment of apparatus shown at Figures 1, 2, and 3 as
an article for holding sad irons to be heated by lamp or gas flame, as set forth.
2. The construction and employment of stoves of fire brick and such as I show at
Figures 4 and 5 on or in the top of which sad irons can be heated by a lamp or gas
flame or be used for heating purposes generally, as described.
3. The construction of stoves for warming purposes substantially of the form shown
at Figures 4 and 5, through which heat from a lamp or gas flame may circulate, said
stove baving the openings L for circulation of air which becomes warmed in its
passage for distribution in an apartment in which the stove is fitted, as described.
Dated this 4th day of April 1889.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Francis Smythe.