IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR ECONOMISING FUEL IN STOVES, GRATES, AND FURNACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Smith, of the Firm of Robertson,
Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPLIANCES
FOR ECONOMISING FUEL IN STOVES, GRATES, AND FURNACES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by John Dewe, of Ottawa, in the Dominion of
Canada.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th May 1873.
I, THOMAS JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
5 Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPLIANCES
FOR ECONOMISING FUEL IN STOVES, GRATES, AND FURNACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture and employment of one or
more boxes or casings, each perforated or open worked on one, two, or

page_text: more sides, for the free circulation or passage of air from the inside to
the fuel above and surrounding the box and within the grate. The box
or boxes is or are of conical, semi-egg, or rounded shape, with a flat base
or edges to rest upon the bottom bars or grating of the stove, grate, or
furnace, in which it may be fitted permanently or not.
For domestic stoves the box is preferably of elongated shape, with
tapered ends, and is fitted on the bottom and crosswise of the grating, so
that the air can pass up from below to the interior, where it becomes
heated and spread over the inner area before it issues through the per-
forations or openings to the fuel, by which the box is surrounded. The
supply of air in streams or jets through the mass of fuel in this manner
greatly facilitates combustion, and produces much more heat from a
given quantity of fuel than is possible from existing stoves.
For what are known as close stoves the box is preferably of cylindrical
or nearly cylindrical shape, fitted vertically, with the top end rounded,
but perforated like the cylindrical portion for the passage of air to the
surrounding and covering fuel with which the stove is charged.
For furnaces and fire-boxes of locomotives the box is of elongated
shape, fitted lengthwise, and upon the ordinary bars or a number of
semi-cylindrical shaped perforated lengths can be attached by ribs or
fillets to form a box, and any number of these can be arranged side by
side, or as found convenient for the proper distribution of the air through
them to the fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas James Smith, Her special

page_text: Licence that I, the said Thomas James Smith, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas James Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter,
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL IN STOVES, GRATES, AND
FURNACES," communicated to me from abroad by John Dewe, of Ottawa,
in the Dominion of Canada, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas James Smith, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas James Smith, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture and employment of one or
more boxes or casings, each perforated or open worked, on one, two, or
more sides for the free circulation or passage of air from the inside to
the fuel above, and surrounding the box and within the grate. The box
or boxes is or are of conical, semi-egg, or rounded shape, with a flat base
or edges to rest upon the bottom bars or grating of the stove, grate, or
furnace in which it or they may be fitted permanently or not.
For domestic stoves the box is preferably of elongated shape, with
tapered ends, and is fitted on the bottom and crosswise of the grating,
so that the air can pass up from below to the interior, where it becomes
heated and spread over the inner area before it issues through the
perforations or openings to the fuel by which the box is surrounded.
The supply of air in streams or jets through the mass of fuel in this
manner greatly facilitates combustion, and produces much more heat
from a given quantity of fuel than is possible from existing stoves.

page_text: "
For what are known as close stoves the box is preferably of cylindrical
or nearly cylindrical shape, fitted vertically, with the top end rounded
but perforated like the cylindrical portion for the passage of air to the
surrounding and covering fuel with which the stove is charged.
For furnaces and fire-boxes of locomotives, also furnaces generally,
marine and others, the box is of elongated shape fitted lengthwise, and
upon the ordinary bars or a number of semi-cylindrical shaped perforated
lengths can be attached by ribs or fillets to form a box, and any number
of these can be arranged side by side, or as found convenient for the
proper distribution of the air through them to the fuel.
The Invention will be more particularly understood by referring to the
several Figures upon the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side and a top view of a box a of
elongated form, and perforated or formed with holes b, through which
air can pass when the box is placed upon the bottom bars or grating c of 1
a fire-place, say of a furnace as in Figure 3, where a number of such
boxes are shown side by side. These boxes are mere shells or skeletons,
with flat or level bases to lodge upon the bottom grate bars, and do not
rest with any of their upper portions against the backs, sides, or other
portions of the furnace proper, the isolated position of the box being the
novel feature of the Invention, as herein-before set forth.
Figure 4 shows a single box a within the fire basket or cradle of a
domestic stove, a clear space being left between the box and the fire-clay
or metal back thereof. This box is of semi-oval or semi-eliptic form
in cross section, and also in longitudinal section, and it is purposed to
make each box in two halves, and then to connect them by a bolt and
nut, small overlapping lugs being arranged upon the meeting edges to
ensure the fit.
Figures 5 and 6 show a portion of a marine boiler, with a series of
long boxes a upon the ordinary fire-bars c.
Figure 7 represents a locomotive boiler shell, with a portion of the fire-
box cut away, so that the fuel-saving appliances can be seen, these being
made with end pieces of rounded form and with central flat ended pieces,
the three pieces of cach box being either bolted together, or each piece
bolted down upon and to the fire-bars to prevent them shifting when
clinkers have to be removed, or when the fire is "trimmed" by the
stoker or fireman.

page_text: Figure 8 represents a plain perforated or holed box a of long form;
and Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, views of semi-barrelled appliances, which
stand on end, such as can be used for close stoves, as in Figure 13, this
being bolted or pinned down to the bars c, and standing up well above
the same, so that the air from below is distributed or broken up into fine
streams in passing through the holes 6 into and among the fuel with
which the vertical positioned box is surrounded.
Boxes with round holes only are shown, but the holes may be of any
shape and size, or arranged in any order as found best suited for the
particular stove, furnace, or fire-box into which the appliances (boxes)
have to be fitted.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, claim is made,-
Firstly. To the construction and employment of appliances (boxes)
perforated or open worked, by which a supply of air can be caused to
impinge and pass through fuel surrounding and covering such appliances,
as and for the purposes set forth.
Secondly. To the construction and employment of holed boxes, with
oval, cliptical, circular, or other similar shaped bases, to rest upon
the bottom bars of furnaces, stoves, and grates, whether such boxes
(appliances) are in one, two, or more pieces, as and for the purposes
described, and as shown in the several Figures on the Drawing
annexed.
In witness whereof. T. the said Thomas James Smith, have hereunto