Year: 1888

page_text: I, ALBERT ROST of Frankfort on Oder, in the Empire of Germany, Master
Chimney sweep, 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 present invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement
of chimney flues and its object is to enable the soot to be removed from a collecting
place arranged at the bottom, in an easy manner and without having to mount on
the roof of the building.
The invention consists firstly in the construction of double vertical flues one of
which serves to connect the fire-places, ovens or ranges with the flues, and the other
serves exclusively to conduct the products of combustion and the soot produced to
the collecting chamber situated at the bottom of the building, whence the soot can
easily be removed; and secondly in the means for connecting the fire-places or the
like with these flues and the means for thoroughly sweeping the latter.
Instead of having one flue to each one or at most two fire-places as has been the
custom up to the present and conducting this flue directly through the roof in the
present case all fire-places are connected with one flue S¹ of suitable size next to
which is arranged a second flue of equal size S² which conducts the smoke down
into a chamber R from whence it ascends a flue P of ordinary construction which
alone reaches through the roof and may be surmounted by a hood or cap K or
chimney pot.
The double flues S¹ S² reach vertically from the collecting chamber R at the
bottom of the building to the top under the roof where they are covered in such a
manner, that the covering may be removed for any necessary repairs. In the
accompanying drawings for instance the flues are covered with two thick fire-
tiles A B embedded in clay, see figs. 1 and 2, the lower one A of which is rounded out
and the upper one B formed with a recess. Both are surrounded with a double layer
of slates or tiles and the joints well closed. In the collecting chamber R (see fig. 9)
the flue S in which open all the communications from the different fire-places is

page_text: provided with a properly closing door, while the flue S always remains open. The
fire-places, ovens or ranges communicate with the flue S' preferably by cast iron
pipes M. (see figs. 3, 4, 6 and 6). These tubes are inserted in cast-iron boxes t of any
desired form but preferably in the form of an oblong rectangular parallelogram the
lower side n of which is slanting (fig. 6) for the sliding down of any soot and the
back g is open towards the flue S. To this back is pivotted at a plate & having
triangular side wings and which can be let out into the flue. These plates prevent
the entrance of any smoke ascending the flue from a lower floor and by their means
the draught is also regulated.
For the purpose of cleaning or sweeping the double flues S¹ S a cast iron
pulley 9, Figs. 1 and 2, is suitably journalled close under the above mentioned covering
tiles A B where the two flues communicate, and over this pulley is hung a wrought
iron endless chain which extends into the collecting chamber R.
To this chain is fastened the sweeping broom represented in Figs. 5 and 5ª, and
consisting of a wooden cone of the same section as the flue, and surmounted by a
horizontal brush m and a flexible conical brush p. The object of the wooden cone is
to close all the plates of the different fire-places when the broom is descending.
The horizontal bristles of the broom which are held between two iron plates of the
same form as the section of the flue clean or sweeptthe walls of the flue, while the
conical flexible brush cleans the pulley q and the bottom of the fire-tile A during its
passage over the pulley.
The sweeping of the chimneys is effected from the collecting chamber R into which
the operator enters by means of a manhole a, Fig. 8, and where he fastens the broom
to the chains preferably by means of hooks. When the broom is passed through the
flues it will close all the plates k which are afterwards opened again from the different
rooms by means of spindles o Figs. 4 and 6, if they do not fall back of their own accord.
This arrangement of flues is represented in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, of which fig. 7
represents a horizontal section through the ground floor of a building, 'Fig. 8 a
similar view of the basement and Fig. 9 a vertical section on line a b c d e f g h of the
preceding figures.
t is
In this arrangement for instance two flues P are employed which reach through
the roof, one for the front part of the house the other for the side and back part. The.
cross hatched parts in Fig. 8 represent the position of the collecting chambers.
the manhole which is provided with a trap door at the top and a lateral door y.at the
bottom. When these doors are opened the draught is increased. V are recesses in
front of the flues, in which the chimney sweep operates and W are partitions for
protecting the operator against the currents of smoke passing through the chamber
behind him.
The above described improvements have further the following advantages:
a, the loft is more roomy.
b, the roof is more compact and durable.
c, the danger of falling of the chimney sweep is entirely avoided.
d, any damage to the roofing through the chimney sweep walking thereon is
avoided.
e, the soot settling in the flues and especially in the collecting chamber, very little
soot will pass into the atmosphere.
f, the whole building will warm better through, as the wind cannot cool.the flues.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the construction of chimney flues the arrangement of vertical and adjacent
double flues such as S1, S2, one of which serves exclusively for the communication
with the different fire-places, ovens or ranges, while the other serves exclusively.for
conducting the products of combustion and the soot to the lower collecting chamber R
and which double flues are provided above their partition with a pulley which
carries a chain to which is fastened the broom for sweeping the said flues, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. For the purpose of connecting the different fire-places with one of the flues
described in the preceding claiming clause the employment of the boxes t (figs. 3, 4
and 6) to which are pivotted plates and the bottom sides n of which are slanting to
let the soot slide down thereon substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. For the purpose of sweeping the double flues described in the first claiming
clause the employment of the broom (figs. 5 and 5*) consisting of a horizontal brush
underneath which is arranged a wooden cone and above it a conical brush, all of
these parts being formed corresponding to the section of the said flues substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of October 1888.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.