A Combined Hot Hearth with Fender.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Hot Hearth with Fender.
I WILLIAM ROBINSON 37 Southampton Street Strand W.C. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
This combined hot hearth with fender-consists of an inner hearth for
fireplace recess, an outer hearth to go in front of chimney piece & a fender
curb to go round outside of outer hearth. It may be made in one piece with
iron straps bolted on under side or in two or more pieces joined together. It
can be made any size or shape & to fit any fireplace. Any ornament monogram
crest or coat of arms may be put upon it & the fender can be of any section
or design. I specially claim that when a fire is burning in the recess (whether
upon the hearth itself, upon dog irons, or in a basket) the heat is absorbed,
conducted & radiated into room. Further any part of the hearth can be
utilized for cooking or warming.
Dated this 11th day of August 1893.
WILLIAM ROBINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Hot Hearth with Fender.
I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, of 63, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Editor, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide for the better utilization of the heat
from fires in fire-places in such a manner as to effect economy in the consumption
of fuel therein, whilst obviating the necessity for the use of a fender.
I accomplish this result by providing a device which I term a combined hot
hearth and fender. This device consists essentially of an inner hearth fitting into
the fire-place recess and adapted to support the fuel either directly, or indirectly
by means of fire-dogs or the like, and an outer hearth which extends to a suitable
distance in front of the grate or of the chimney-piece, and conveys the heat of the
fire into the room, and which may also serve, if desired, in place of a fender. The
said inner and outer hearths are formed of a single piece of cast metal or other
suitable material, or they are made of two or more pieces fitted or joined together
in any convenient manner. The outer hearth is, in some instances, provided around
its outer edge with a fender-curb of any desired section or design. My improved
device can be made of various sizes and shapes to suit any fire-place; and it may
have á monogram, crest, coat-of-arms or other ornament formed on or secured to its
front or outer part.
When a fire is burning in a fire-place provided with my combined hot hearth
and fender (whether the fuel rests upon the hearth itself, or upon dog-irons or fire-
dogs, or is contained.in a basket), the heat transmitted to the inner hearth from the
fire is conducted to the outer hearth and thereby radiated into the room. Any
available part of the hearth can, moreover, be used for cooking or for other heating
purposes.
The hot hearth is preferably arranged at a higher level than the floor of the
room, to more effectually ensure an adequate supply of air to the fire and to permit

page_text: the utilization of the underside of, and the space beneath the said hot hearth for
heating purposes. The space beneath the hot hearth is, in some instances, left
open in the front and at the sides; in other instances, it is enclosed by means of a
metal plate or in any other convenient manner. If desired, I provide a door or
doors to permit access to the space thus enclosed, in which case the said space can
be utilized as an oven or hot chamber for cooking or for warming or keeping warm
plates, dishes or other articles.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section, and
Figure 2 a horizontal section on the lineæ, æ, Figure 1, showing my hot hearth
applied to a fire-place in such a manner that it forms the bottom of the grate
thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section showing the application of my invention
to a fire-place in which fire-dogs are used for supporting the fuel.
Figure 4 is a transverse section illustrating another form or modification of my
Baid invention.
Figure 5 is a transverse section illustrating a further modification thereof.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hot hearth a is made hollow
and is supported beneath the grate G by means of brick-work b (or by being let
into the wall or in any other convenient manner), the front or outer part of the said
bearth being provided with suitable legs e for supporting it. The said hearth is
shown with a fender-curb a' around the edge of its front or outer part; this fender-
curb may, however, be dispensed with if desired. It will be seen that the front or
outer part of the hot hearth, whether made with or without the curb, serves very
efficiently in place of a fender. Moreover not only does it conduct the heat from
the fire and radiate it into the room, but the air circulating around and beneath it,.
and also through it if desired, becomes warmed, and thus the apartment can; in a
short space of time, be brought to the desired temperature and can be maintained at
an uniform temperature more easily than beretofore, and with a comparatively small
consumption of fuel. The hot hearth can also be conveniently used for warming:
the feet, by resting the feet thereon, or for drying boots, socks and other articles
upon or in the space beneath the same. Kettles and other cooking utensils or
other articles can also be placed upon the hot hearth for the purpose of warming
them or keeping them warm, or for cooking food or boiling water.
I sometimes form on the hot hearth a projections or ribs e which extend upward
therefrom into the grate G and facilitate the transmission of heat from the fire to
the said hot hearth.
In Figure 3, the front or outer part of the hot hearth a is made with an.
ornamental perforated flange a³ which rests upon the floor, and which encloses the
space beneath the said hot hearth in such a manner as to permit the circulation of
air through the said space for the purpose of warming the room.
In this arrange-
ment, fire-dogs d are placed upon the hot hearth a to receive logs of wood for
* burning thereon. It is evident, however, that, if desired, a basket for containing
the fuel may be substituted for the said fire-dogs.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the space beneath the hot hearth is
completely enclosed by means of a metal or other plate a extending around the
front and sides of the said hot hearth and secured thereto by rivets or otherwise.
One or more doors may, if desired, be provided in the metal plate a³ to permit
access to the said space.
According to another modification of my invention, I construct my hot hearth,
as shown for example in Figure 5, so that it can be used with a curb-fender for a
fender of any other suitable description.
According to a further modification of my said invention, I provide for causing
air from the exterior of the building to pass through the space beneath the bot
hearth and then through a pipe or passage behind or at either or both sides of the

page_text: fire into a recess or cavity in the front of the fire-place above the fire, from which
recess or cavity the air, previously heated in its passage beneath the hot hearth
and through the aforesaid pipe, is discharged in a series of jets or in the form of a
thin sheet or layer, for example through a slit or slits between the brick-work of
the chimney and the metal plate supporting the same. By this means I am enabled
to promote the draught and to cure smoky chimneys.
For this purpose, I enclose the space beneath the hot hearth and suitably
connect the said space with a pipe, passage or tunnel extending to the exterior of
the house or other building, and with another pipe or passage extending behind or
at one or both sides of the fire and communicating with the aforesaid recess or
cavity in front of and above the fire. The heated air is drawn upward through the
said passages, the cold air from the outside of the house or other building entering
the space beneath the hot hearth and getting warmed on its way.
It is evident that the construction and arrangement of my combined hot hearth
and fender may, if desired, be somewhat modified without departing from the
nature of my said invention, and that the said combined hot hearth and fender may
be used in combination with fire-places wherein gas or oil or other heating medium,
such as electricity, is used instead of coal, coke or other solid fuel.
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. A combined hot hearth and fender constructed substantially as herein-
Before described, for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination, with a fire-place, of a hot hearth which extends from
beneath the fire to a suitable distance in front of the grate or of the chimney-piece,
substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before described.
Third. The modification of my invention wherein I enclose the space beneath the
hot hearth, with or without providing a door or doors to permit access to the said
space, substantially as described.
Fourth. The modification of my invention wherein I provide for the heating of
air in the space beneath the hot hearth and for the discharge of the heated air into
the lower part of the chimney, for the purposes above specified.
Dated the Ninth day of June 1904
WILLIAM ROBINSON.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.