IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC OPEN FIRE-GRATES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HUGO WESTMAN, of 35, Gough Road, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Patentee do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOMESTIC OPEN FIRE-GRATES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide suitable means for controlling the
draught of the chimney for an open fire-grate, for regulating the rate of combustion
of the fuel, for preventing the formation of smoke, for decreasing the draughtiness
of the room and for causing the heat from the fire to be more diffused and utilized
in the room than heretofore.
In the opening of the grate I insert a shell-formed body shield or partition
which I call the regulator and which may be made singly or double, wholly of.
conducting or of non-conducting material or partly of both. This partition recedes
from the front at the top backwards and downwards and is then at its lower part
turned straight down or bent a little forwards (or it may be formed with a gradual
curve all the way) thus leaving a passage behind it and the brickwork or back
part of the ironwork of the grate for the free escape of the smoke or products of
combustion, preventing, the present uncontrolled in-rush of a great quantity of cold
air passing over the top of the fire and escaping into the flue. The whole or
greater part of the fire is exposed to view and to radiation into the room, but as
the regulator shuts off the passage of air from the room to the flue no air can enter
the latter except by passing through the fuel and up behind the regulator or
between its double walls if so made. A very strong draught and rapid and
complete combustion of the fuel will thus be created. This draught is modified as
required by notching or scallopping out or otherwise cutting away the bottom edge
of the regulator (which may for this purpose have an adjustable part) proportionate
to the draught in the chimney and the area of the fire box. Should the draught
still be too strong it may be moderated by raising the catch at the back and near
the top of the regulator so as to throw the top part forward; or the whole
regulator may be shifted slightly forward or the passage between its double walls
may be contracted or opened. The air rushing out behind it will then relieve the
pressure of air from the front and decrease the draught. By regulating the area

page_text: of the removed portion of the bottom edge of the regulator the minimum quantity
of air only, necessary for feeding the fire will be admitted and allowed to escape
from the room.
The same arrangements which prevent the uncontrolled rush of
air or draught through the room and up the chimney also prevent the unduc
escape of heat up the flue causing it to be diffused more into the room. The air
withdrawn from the room is by the regulator compelled to descend on the fire and
escape together with the products of combustion and the flame through the same
opening near the fire where they are intimately mixed causing perfect combustion
of fuel and prevention of smoke.

page_text: I, HUGO WESTMAN of 35 Gough Road Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Patentee do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOMESTIC OPEN FIRE GRATES" 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 suitable means for controlling the
draught of the chimney for an open firegrate, for regulating the rate of combustion
of the fuel, for preventing the formation of smoke for decreasing the draughtiness
of the room and for causing the heat from the fire to be more diffused and equalized
in the room than heretofore.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention applied to a few
typical arrangements of domestic open firegrates but as the constructions of
firegrates nowadays vary so much it is evident that the invention sometimes will
be of different forms than those here shown while nevertheless fulfilling the objects
and conditions here stated.
Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 a vertical transverse section of a so called
tile grate Figures 3 and 4 are like views of a socalled register grate Figures 5
and 6 are like views of a socalled hob grate and Figures 7 and 8 like views of a
single form of open grate stove. The same letters of reference refer to like or
corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the fire opening of the grate I insert a shell-formed body, shield, or partition A
which I call the regulator and which may be made singly or double wholly of
conducting or of non-conducting material or partly of both. This partition recedes
from the front at the top backwards and downwards and is then at its lower part
turned straight down as shown at A¹ or bent a little forwards (or it may be formed
with a gradual curve all the way) thus leaving a passage D behind it and the
brick work or back part of the ironwork of the grate for the free escape of the
smoke or products of combustion, preventing the present uncontrolled in-rush of a
great quantity of cold air passing over the top of the fire and escaping into the
flue E. The regulator A may suitably at each side rest on the top bar as shown.
The whole or greater part of the fire is exposed to view and to radiation into the
room but as the regulator A shuts off the passage of air from the room to the fluo E
no air or no great amount of air can enter the latter except by passing down onto
and through the fuel and up behind the regulator or between its double walls if so
made. A very strong draught and rapid and complete combustion of the fuel will
thus be created. This draught is modified as required by notching or scalloping
out the bottom edge of the regulator shown or by otherwise cutting away the
bottom edge of the regulator (which may for this purpose have an adjustable part)
proportionate to the draught in the chimney and the area of the firebox or grate.
Should the draught still be too strong it may be moderated by raising the catch B
at the back and near the top of the regulator at the same time with the other
hand taking hold of the handle C so as to throw the top part of the regulator A
forward into a position for instance as shown in dotted lines in fig 4; or the whole
regulator may be shifted slightly forward, or the passage between its double walls

page_text: may be contracted or opened but I have not shown any such double wall
construction. In the forms shown on the drawings the weight of the regulator
itself keeps it in the backward inclined position, and the pressure of air against its
front increases its tendency to remain firm. But in the position shown in dotted
lines in fig. 4 the air rushing out behind it at C will relieve the pressure of air
from the front through the opening or throat D and decrease the draught. By
regulating the area of the removed portion of the bottom edge of the regulator the
minimum quantity of air only necessary for feeding the fire will be admitted and
allowed to escape from the room.
The same arrangements which prevent the uncontrolled rush of air or draught
through the room and up the chimney also prevent the undue escape of heat up
the flue causing it to be diffused more into the room. The air withdrawn from
the room is by the regulator compelled to descend on the fire and escape together
with the products of combustion and the flame through the same opening D near
the fire where they are intimately mixed causing perfect combustion and pre-
vention of smoke while the draught in the room is lessened.
I wish it to be understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the application
of my regulator to any particular construction of "grate," open grate stove, or open'
grate kitchener, or whether for burning coal, coke or gas, nor to the size shape or
material in which the regulator is made nor to size shape and position of the air
smoke passages therein.
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
The employment for an open domestic fire grate of a movable or removable
shield or partition for shutting off the communication between the room and the
flue substantially as and for the purposes set forth.