AN IMPROVED FIRE-PLACE with Turning GRATE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abel Duvernois, of 29, Boulevart St.. Martin, Paris,
Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FIRE-PLACE with Turning
GRATE."
Sealed the 20th February 1866; and dated' the 7th September. 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said Abel Duvernois at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 7th
September 1865.
I,. ABEL DUVERNOIS, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FIRE-PLACE
WITH TURNING GRATE," to be as follows:-
n
My. Invention relates to an improved fire-place with revolving grate.
This stove is of very simple construction and may be used for. burning coal,
peat, or coke, which is consumed in such manner as. to impart the greatest.
possible amount of heat..
This improved fire-grate is represented in the accompanying Drawing.i.
Fig. 1 being a transverse section on line C, D, of plan, Fig. 2. The same:
letters apply to both. Figures:

page_text: The stove is composed of two principal parts formed of cast iron, the
plate A, B, having a space at its centre in which turns the second part or
revolving grate E, F, of an oblate spheroidal form having about a quarter of its
circumference cut away; the upper half of the sphere forms the deflector
while the lower part is provided with long slits radiating from a centre so as
to form the bars of a hemispherical grate. This sphere turns in pivots cast
thereon in the space in the front plate before mentioned, the said pivots
being mounted in bearings fixed and bolted thereto. The space in the plate
is necessarily a little larger than the sphere in order to provide for any
expansion of the latter by heat. In order to light a fire in this improved stove
I first fill the grate in the ordinary way, the open part being turned-to_the_
front as seen in section, Fig. 1; this being done I then turn the sphere so
that the spherical part shall be presented to the apartment-while the other part
will be open to the chimney; the fire is then lighted, the upper closed part of the
'sphere serving to create a perfect draught, and in a few moments the coke or
coal will become incandescent. The grate is then turned to its original position,
the beat being radiated in the apartment with the greater intensity according as
the necessary draught created by the form of the hollow sphere diminishes, and
which is then 'forced to pass through the fuel from 'the under part of the grate
Which is in the chimney. The front plate of this improved 'stove may be
either plain or suitably ornamented, and is further provided with a flange or
moulding on, its three sides which fits on the brickwork of the fire-place
without being required to be otherwise fixed further than by means of a
small key placed at points G, Fig. 1, by turning which the apparatus is readily
fixed firmly to the upper part of the brickwork. The stove may be further
furnished with a movable ash box of 'sheet iron for receiving any particles
falling from that part of the grate projecting beyond the front 'plate. The
hollow grate may also be ornamented as desired, while the lower part may
be provided with movable bars so as to facilitate their renewal at any time.
This improved system of 'stove consists' especially in the arrangement of the
grate which is a revolving sphere, and in the combination of the closed and
open parts of same, which with the fixed plate, readily creates the. necessary
draught for lighting the fire without, the use of a, blower.
These improvements may be readily adapted to domestic fire places, the
apparatus being extremely simple, portable, and capable of being fixed in
position and withdrawn at pleasure, in order to clean the flues for for.sifting the
oinders; without requiring any plastering or workmanship, at the same time that
it is firmly fixed in position in the manner described; to all these advantages

page_text: I may be.added that of obtaining the greatest possible amount of heat from the
coal, coke, or peat, while it has the further recommendation of cheapness in
construction; this stove may also be used for burning wood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abel Duvernois in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABEL
DUVERNOIS, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris (France), Merchant, send
greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me,
the said Abel Duvernois, Her special licence that I, the said Abel Duvernois,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Abel
Duvernois, 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 expréssed; 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 "AN IMPROVED FIRE-
PLACE WITH TURNING GRATE," upon the condition.(amongst others) that I, the said
Abel Duvernois, my executors or administrators, 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 Abel Duvernois, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention refers to an improved fire-place with rotating grate. This
fire-place is made the plainest possible with regard to both its construction
and use, and will produce with either coal, peat, or coke in a room chimney
the greatest amount possible of heat.

page_text: I have represented my improved fire-place in the annexed Sheet of
*Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a transverse section on line C, D, Figs. 2 & 3;
Fig. 2 a plan on line E, F, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3.a front view of the apparatus.
In these three Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
This fire-place consists of two main cast-iron pieces which by themselves
-constitute and complete the whole apparatus, viz., the plate A, B, C, D, cast
with a central hole wherein the grate rotates, and the grate E, F, of spherical
ovoid form, the quarter part, about, of the area thereof has been cut off, the
remaining half of the upper part forming a hood or cap, and the lower part
being made-with-slot. holes extending from the equator to the lower pole of
the sphere, so as to constitute the bars of a semi-spherical-grate. The sphere.
is made to rotate in the central hole formed in the plate round two journals.
or poles cast with the sphere and working within two: small grooves in the
plate, being supported by two small cushions bolted thereon. The hole in the
plate is of somewhat larger diameter than the sphere so as to compensate for
the expansion produced on the latter by heat.
I will now describe the working of the apparatus. First, the grate is charged
in the usual manner, the open part being in front or facing the apartment as
shown at Fig. 1; this loading being effected, the sphere is caused, to rotate so
as to present its solid face towards the apartment whilst the open space-looks
towards the chimney. The fire is set on and under the action of the semi
-cap, the draft is quickly established, and in a few instants the fuel is incan-
descent. The grate is now. rotated back to its former position, and the heat
will radiate to the apartment, the more intensely as the hood. or cap will
diminish the draft which is forced through the fuel from beneath and through
that part of the same grate which is inside the chimney. The plate may be
made plain or ornamented as desired, but in either case it is to be cast with
a wide edge on three sides thereof, so as to rest fittingly against the three
faces of the common. Rumford without its being. necessary to otherwise
secure it than by means of a small button or other fastening fitted at point G.
By turning this fastening the apparatus will be locked in a pretty substantial
manner to the upper part of the Rumford. The apparatus may be completed
by a moveable, sheet iron ash box for: receiving the ash and cinders dropping
from-that part of the grate which passes the plate. This grate or shell as it
may be called is also: liable to assume various forms and ornaments, and its
lower parts may be diversely combined, and be made partly of moveable bars,
so as to be replaced when required. The foregoing Specification will suffice
to make the Invention understood.

page_text: The part which is novel in this my system of fire-place principally consists
in the new arrangement of the grate, a turning or rotating sphere, and the
combination of the solid and the cut off parts of the same with the stationary
plate or combination, which is. an advantageous substitute for the moving
apron so necessary for the lighting purposes.
"The best fire-places which have been contrived heretofore are those which
assume the form of a niche, such as that so called "Mousseron," but the
moveable apron is objectionable as this indispensable blowing organ is not
easily fitted & still less easily removed and put out of sight in an apartment.
The fire-place of my Invention presents all desirable advantages.in addition
to those possessed by the best fire-places actually in use. It is of very easy
working, and can be made either very plain or richly ornamented; it can be
kept easily in a good state of cleanliness, and is applicable to heating the
most sumptuous apartments. This application can be made to all room
chimneys, the more readily as the apparatus is very plain and moveable, and
can be fitted, removed, and refitted for sweeping, cleaning, or other purposes
without its being necessary to employ a bricklayer, and still keep perfectly
stable. In addition to these advantages my system has that very important
one of producing as much radiating heat as can possibly yield coal, coke and
peat, besides the no less important advantage of being of cheap construction.
The application of the revolving grate or shell to the inside of fire-places
bas in practice given rise to certain objections, which have been removed.
The draft being established at the lower part of the grate a large amount of
heat carried away by the draft passed up the chimney; to obviate this the
inside rotating grate should have an additional cast iron shell fitted thereto;
the flame which escapes from beneath the grate enters the chamber formed by
said additional shell, and heat the air contained therein, which air is conveyed
into the appartment through suitable openings formed either in the apparatus
or in the mantel piece jambs. Some slight modifications in the form of the
grate or shell will render the apparatus fit for burning wood.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that without limiting myself to the strict forms of the apparatus as specified
and represented, which forms may be varied without departing from my
principle, what I claim is the new or improved fire-place with rotating grate
as described, chiefly distinguished by the arrangement of the spherical'grate
and the combination of the solid parts and the cut off parts thereof with the
stationary plate A, B, C, D, a combination advantageously substituted for

page_text: the blowing moveable apron as made use of for the lighting purpose, said
grate or grated shell being. liable to assume various forms and ornaments
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abel Duvernois, have-hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
A. DUVERNOIS. (L.S.)