IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Curtze at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1875.
I, JOHN CURTZE, of Sydenham, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES,"
to be as follows :—
My Invention relates to improvements in open stoves or fire-grates,
and has for its object to prevent the waste of heat, and to economize
fuel.
My Invention relates, first, to constructing the stove with an air
heating chamber at the back and sides, through which the air of the
apartment circulates and becomes heated. This chamber completely
isolates the stove from the brickwork of the chimney breast, and is

page_text: disposed in the following manner:-The stove or fire-grate proper is
much the same as usual, except that it is set further forward into the
apartment than usual. Instead of being recessed into the brickwork of the
chimney breast it is fitted in or forms part of the front of the air heating
chamber, which is constructed of cast iron or other suitable material,
and provided with perforations in the front and side for a free circulation
of air. This air chamber extends at back and on either side of the stove,
as before mentioned, and it also projects out from the wall, being rather
less in depth and width than the mantel shelf. A flue leads through the
-back-of-the-air-heating-chamber-into-the-chimney,-and-suitable-openings
are provided for cleaning the chimney. Ovens or hot closets may be
provided in this air heating chamber, if desired.
Another improvement, which is also applicable to other fire-grates,
consists in providing a tray having a wire cloth or perforated metal
bottom fitted beneath to catch the cinders or unburnt fuel, and separato
them from the dust which falls through the interstices or perforations of
the tray. A projecting shelf or ledge is also provided in front of the
lower bar of the grate with the same object.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
•
filed by the said John Curtze in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CURTZE, of Sydenham, in the County of Kent, 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 seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign,-did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
*cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Curtze, Her special
'licence, that I, the said John Curtze, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as- I, the said John Curtze, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Curtze, 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 John Curtze, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
My Invention of improvements in open stoves or fire-grates has for
its object to prevent the waste of heat and to economise fuel, and it
consists in constructing the stove with an air heating chamber at the
back and sides, through which the air of the apartment circulates freely.
This chamber completcly isolates the stove from the brickwork of the
chimney breast, and is disposed in the following manner:-The stove or
fire-grate proper, which is much the same as usual, except that it projects
from the front of chimney breast, instead of being recessed into the
brickwork, is fitted in or forms part of the front of the air heating
chamber, which is constructed of cast iron or other suitable material.
This chamber may however be constructed of a framework of iron, to
which slabs of marble, slate, or carthenware tiles are bolted or otherwise
fixed. In any case it is provided with perforations or apertures in the
front and sides for a free circulation of air. This air chamber extends
at back and on either side of the stove, and is preferably rather less in
depth and width than the mantel shelf. A flue leads through the back
of the air heating chamber into the chimney, and suitable openings are
provided for cleaning the chimney. Ovens or hot closets may be provided
in the air heating chamber, if desired.
Another improvement, which is also applicable to other firc-grates,
consists in providing a tray having a wire cloth or perforated metal
bottom, which tray is fitted beneath the fire-basket to catch and separate
the cinders or unburnt fuel from the dust which falls through the
interstices or. perforations of the tray. A projecting shelf or ledge is

page_text: Figure 1 shows a front a front elevation in perspective of my improved
stove; and Figure 2, a horizontal section of same on line 1-1, Figure 1; {
Figure 3 shows a vertical section ou line 2-2, Figure 1.
a is the ordinary open stove or grate, and b, b¹, the front and sides of
-the air heating chamber; cis the brickwork of the chimney breast. As
will be seen in Figure 3 the stove a stands out into the apartment,
and is completely isolated from the breast c by the air space con- 1
tained within the chamber, so that little or no heat can be absorbed
by the brickwork. e, Figure 3, is the flue leading from the fire-grate
into the chimney d, as shown. The chimney flue d extends downwards
to the level of the hearth behind the air heating chamber, from which it
is separated by a sheet-iron plate f, which forms the back of the chamber. 1
g is a door for removing soot. The front and sides b, b', are of cast iron,
with apertures in any ornamental pattern or design to allow the air of
the apartment. to circulate freely through, the cold air entering at an
aperture ½ provided beneath the grate for the purpose, and at the
apertures in the lower part of the air heating chamber, and after 2
becoming warmed escaping at the upper part of the front and sides, as
indicated by the arrows. i is an oven or hot closet, of which one may
be similarly contrived at cither side of the fire-place; k is a mantel shelf
of any suitable material,
Figure 5 shows a plan of the grating and the tray, which is fitted 2
beneath the fire-basket. The bottom of this tray m is of wirework or
perforated metal, so that the dust may pass through, leaving the cinders
in the tray; n is a projecting ledge in front of the lower bar; it is
provided with an opening which is closed by a shutter n¹ hinged loosely
and held in the horizontal position by the raised or projecting portion o 3
of the tray. The tray is fitted to slide in guides beneath the grate, and on
being withdrawn the shutter_n_will_fall_down,_so_that_the_cinders-
resting-on-the-grating-may-be-raked-forward through the opening into

page_text: a framework, to which the slabs or tiles are bolted by screw bolts
cemented or fixed at back thereof, passing through corresponding holes
in framework I, and secured by screw nuts. Other means of fastening
the slabs or tiles may be adopted, as preferred. These slabs or tiles may
be plain or of an ornamental character, and may also be perforated for
the circulation of the air, as before described.
A great advantage of this stove is that it may be removed without
difficulty when required, and to facilitate its removal (see Figure 2) a
metal frame ม built into the brickwork receives the back portion of the
stove, being connected thereto by screws or other suitable fastenings.
By removing these screws the whole stove may be readily taken away.
With the same object the sides b', both of the construction of stove shown
in Figure 1, and that shown in Figure 4, may be connected to the front
and back by hook shaped lugs & on the sides b' received in slots ≈ in the
front and back, as shown, or any equivalent means of fastening may be
used which will admit of the parts being readily put together, or taken
to pieces.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination with an open stove of an air heating chamber
interposed between the stove and the brickwork, having apertures for
the circulation of the air of the apartment through the same, the whole
constructed and arranged as and for the purpose herein described and
shown in the Drawings.
2nd. The tray or receptacle m fitted beneath the grate, as and for the
purpose specified.
3rd. Constructing the air heating chamber of a framework of angle
iron, to which slabs or tiles are bolted, as shown and described.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Curtze, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-six.
2nd. The tray or receptacle m fitted beneath the grate, as and for the
purpose specified.
3rd. Constructing the air heating chamber of a framework of angle
iron, to which slabs or tiles are bolted, as shown and described.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Curtze, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-six.