IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC Din D DLOLVAS FERNW
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Jennings, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC
Din D
DLOLVAS
FERNW"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Jennings at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1880.
AUGUSTUS JENNINGS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC FIRE PLACES OR GRATES, AND FITTINGS CONNECTED
THEREWITU."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of domestic fire places or grates, and in fittings connected therewith, specially
designed to economise fuel, and to utilise a large proportion of the heat, which
with the ordinary fire-places or grates in use, is allowed to escape into the chimney..
The improvements also comprise an efficient means of creating a strong draught
through the fire, of consuming a maximum proportion of the smoke, and of
preventing blow down or back draught from the chimney, while thorough heating
and ventilation of the apartment is also secured.
Under one improvement the bottom and back of the fire place are made of one
or more fire-bricks curved or inclined in semicircular form, to project outwards at
the upper edge, and perforated or cut when preferred to form ribs or bars beneath.
Ordinary ribs or bars are provided in front to retain the fuel which burns in the
hollow of the fire-brick, and heats it to incandescence, not only immediately under
and behind, but also all round to the top by the flame impinging on it, a large
proportion of the heat of the flame being radiated outwards by the fire brick. The
products of combustion passing over the upper edge of the fire brick, flow back-
wards into a short sheet-metal flue pipe fitted inside the chimney with its lower
end kneed and opening to the fire gases, nearly on a level with and a short way
behind the upper edge of the fire brick. This flue pipe is fitted with a curved
plate over its upper end at a distance from it, sufficient to allow of the escape of
the smoke, but curved downwards to deflect and prevent any blow down or back
draught entering or affecting the draught of the flue, the force of the blow down'
being spent in the free space of the chimney surrounding the pipe. A damper is

page_text: also provided inside this flue pipe, operated by a handle or knob passing out to
the front of the grate.
By a further improvement the upper part of the grate immediately over and
surrounding the fire place is double cased or formed with a jacket either of thin
cast iron or sheet metal, and the lower end of this casing communicates by a pipe
with the air outside the apartment or building. A second pipe or tube leads from
the upper part of the casing into the apartment, preferably through an ornamental
grating at some height over the fire-place.
By this arrangement the cold outer air enters the casing of the grate, is warmed
therein by radiant heat from the fire, and discharged into the apartment. A double
casing is also provided under the fire place, into which air enters from the apartment,
is therein heated, and allowed to escape through perforations or a grating above
into the back part of the fire, with the object of causing more complete combustion
of the smoke.
The hot vitiated air of the apartment is carried off near the roof by a small pipe
or tube entering through the wall into the chimney, and carried up separately by
this pipe to the top of the chimney, instead of being discharged into the chimney.
In this way the air in the tube is heated by the smoke and waste fire gases in the
chimney, and a good draught is obtained for ventilating the room.
For the purpose of creating a good draught through the fire when desired, as in
kindling, a revolving metallic shutter or screen is provided and fitted in the upper
part of the grate vertically over the front ribs. This shutter or screen passes down
when in use through a groove cut or left for it in casting the grate. This screen
is preferably made self-closing by a spring, and is held down by friction or by
ratchet stops when required.
The vitiated air of the apartment may, when preferred, be led down from near
the ceiling by a pipe passing inside the chimney, and carried down to the jacketed
air space beneath the fire, whence the air is led into the fire to assist the combustion
of the fuel and smoke.
The improved fire places or grates are also suitable for use on ship-board as well
as in dwelling houses or other buildings on land.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Augustus Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May
1881.
66
AUGUSTUS JENNINGS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC FIRE-PLACES OR GRATES, AND FITTINGS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of domestic fire-places or grates, and in fittings connected therewith,
specially designed to economise fuel, and to utilise a large proportion of the heat,

page_text: which, with the ordinary fire-places or grates in use, is allowed to escape into the
chimney.
The improvements also comprise an efficient means of creating a strong draught
through the fire, of consuming a maximum proportion of the smoke, and of
preventing blow down or back draught from the chimney with thorough heating
and ventilation of the apartment is also secured.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that
purpose a Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and
representing a modification of my improved fire-grate and fittings. In these
Drawings the same reference letters are used to indicate the same parts in the
different views.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire-place, showing the improved grate in
perspective; Figure 2 is a horizontal section, and Figure 3 is a vertical section of
the same..
The improved fire-grate is very similar in external appearance to those of
ordinary construction, and is shown fitted within an ordinary fire-place.
Under one modification of the improvements, the bottom and back of the fire-
place are made of one or more fire-bricks curved or inclined in semicircular form to
project outwards at the upper edge, and perforated or cut when preferred to form
ribs or bars beneath. Ordinary ribs or bars B are provided in front to retain the
fuel which burns in the hollow of the fire-brick, and heats it to incandesance, not
only immediately under and behind, but also all round to the top by the flame
inpinging on it, a large proportion of the flame being radiated outwards by the
fire-brick. The products of combustion passing over the upper edge of the fire-
brick, flow backwards into a short sheet metal flue pipe fitted inside the chimney,
with its lower end kneed, and opening to the fire gases nearly on a level with and
a short way behind the upper edge of the fire-brick.
In the modification of the improvements shown in the Drawings, the fire-grate
itself is not materially different from existing grates, the bottom of the grate being
formed with the usual open perforated plate A or bars, and the fuel being retained
by ordinary front bars B. The back A¹ is however made of fire-brick carried up
a considerable distance, or with an upper fire-brick A" when the usual damper is
fitted in registered grates, for the purpose of taking up and reflecting or radiating
the heat of the ascending flame. The grate is also formed with close sides and
back plates A² up to the top, which is also enclosed by a plate A³, and the hot
gases or products of combustion enter through a side opening or openings C¹, as
indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, into a horizontal flue C, through which they
pass round baffle plates C", and escape by a vertical outlet C2 to the chimney D.
A sliding vertical plate C³ of about the breadth of the outlet C2, and of the full
depth of the flue C, is fitted at the outlet to act as a damper, and is provided with
a rod c passing out through the front of the grate, and terminating in a knob or
handle c¹ outside, by which it is operated.
By withdrawing or pulling the handle outwards, the damper plate may be made
to close up against flanged edges c on the baffle plate C¹¹ to close the outlet, or it
may be moved to any intermediate position to regulate the draught or upward
passage of the hot gases from the fire beneath.
The upper part of the grate over or surrounding the fire-place, and immediately
under the flue C is double cased, or formed with a jacket chamber E, either of thin
cast iron or sheet metal, and one end of this casing communicates by a pipe e
coupled to it, and leading down to an opening e¹ in the metal of the grate, or if
preferred, this pipe may communicate with the air outside the apartment or
building. A second pipe or tube e² coupled to the opposite side of the chamber or
air-box E leads therefrom into the apartment, preferably through an ornamental
grating es at the side, or at some height over the fire-place. By this arrangement
the cold outer air, or the cold air near the floor of the apartment enters the
casing E, which is between the fire and the flue C, is warmed therein by radiant

page_text: heat from the fire, and from the hot gases passing up behind it at A* and through
the flue C, and discharged into the apartment.
A double casing may also be provided under the fire-place, into which air may
enter from the apartment, be therein heated, and then allowed to escape through
perforations or a grating above into the back part of the fire, with the object of
causing more complete combustion of the smoke. The hot vitiated air of the
apartment may be carried off near the roof by a small pipe or tube entering
through the wall into the chimney, and carried up separately by this pipe to the
top of the chimney, instead of being discharged into the chimney.
:
In this way the air in the tube would be heated by the smoke and waste fire
gases in the chimney, and a good draught would be obtained for ventilating the
room. For the purpose of creating a good draught through the fire when desired,
as in kindling, a revolving metallic shutter or screen, though not shown, may be
provided and fitted in the upper part of the grate vertically over the front ribs.
This shutter or screen passes down when in use through a groove cut or left for it
in casting the grate.
This screen might be made self-closing by a spring, and be held down by friction
or by ratchet stops when required. The improved fire-places or grates are also
suitable for use on ship-board, as well as in dwelling houses or other buildings on
land, without material alteration of the construction and arrangement of the
parts.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of a fire-
grate and fittings, in which the hot products of combustion are diverted from their
direct upward course to the chimney, and made to heat air traversing a casing or
chamber over the fire, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In open fire-places or grates, the construction and use of an air heating
casing or chamber for supplying warm air to apartments, fitted directly over the
fire, and heated by the ascending hot gases passing below and round or over it,
substantially as herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Jennings, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Glasgow.
AUGUSTUS JENNINGS. (L.S.)