A NOISELESS COAL-SCUTTLE
Year: 1877

page_text: ⚫LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Nelson Willoughby, of Westow Street, Upper
Norwood, in the County of Surrey, Licensed Valuer, for the Invention of
"A NOISELESS COAL-SCUTTLE."
Sealed the 10th August 1877, and dated the 12th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Nelson Willoughby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1877.
THOMAS NELSON WILLOUGHBY, of Westow Street, Upper Norwood, in the County
of Surrey, Licensed Valuer. "A NOISELESS COAL-SCUTTLE."
The principal of this coal-scuttle is that it shall consist of any number, but
generally four, six, or eight compartments, each compartment being distinct and
fitted with a scoop with handle, holding a small or large quantity of coal as may be
desired; after emptying the scoop it can be returned to the compartiment, and at
that time or when another scoop is required the scuttle is revolved, and another
compartment comes round to the opening in one side of the outer shell or case with
another scoop already filled. The compartments are all joined and connected and
the scoops are fitted to the same. The whole interior can be lifted bodily out of the
case and taken away to be refilled, and then returned to the case; this interior
arrangement with its scoops is revolved on a centre pin, spindle, or pivot with or
without small wheels or rollers at bottom; in some cases the wheels or rollers at
bottom alone being adopted. It is intended that the external case shall be
of any shape and will usually accord with the number of compartments, and made
of any material, with a doorway or opening in same to get at the scoops, the top in
some cases will open so as to allow the interior case to be taken out and replaced;
or in case of adapting to furniture, the doorway or opening will be sufficiently large
to allow of the interior being taken out.
Design. For sick or any other rooms can be made of any shape, of metal, wood,
or any other substance, can be easily adapted to most pieces of furniture, but more
readily to ottomans, cabinets, sideboards, and cheffioneers.
The partitions seperating scoops to be lined or not as may be required, scoops to
be made of metal, wood, gutta percha, leather, or any other substance, and lined

page_text: with any noiseless substance, particularly india-rubber, kamptulicon, or gutta
percna.
The principal advantages claimed for the Invention are perfect adsence of noise,
capacity to contain a large quantity of coal in least possible space, ornamental in
appearance, ease of carriage, and facility for refilling or replenishing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Nelson Willoughby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1877.
THOMAS NELSON WILLOUGHBY, of Westow Street, Upper Norwood, in the County
of-Surrey, Licensed. Valuer. "A NOISELESS COAL-SCUTTLE."
This Invention relates to so constructing scuttles or like receptacles for coal, that
a quantity sufficient for a fire can be removed from the receptacle placed within a
room, and the coal be shot on to the fire without noise, an object of great importance
in a sick chamber.
The Invention also facilitates the removal of a quantity of coal from the scuttle
without disturbing the particles, thereby preventing dust. The area of the scuttle
is very little interfered with, and from the arrangements arising from the shape of
the supporting frame or of an outer casing which may be of circular, square, or
convenient shape, and of plain exterior or ornamented by paint, mountings, or other
means of embellishment, a highly decorative piece of furniture can be devised to
match other furniture in a room, and be en suite therewith. The upper part of the
receptacle may also form a cushion, giving the appearance of an "ottoman" or fire-
side settee.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of a receptacle of simple form. In this case
it is composed of a base plate a of wood or metal work or other suitable material,
from the centre of which is an upright rod terminated by a handle 6 by which it
can be carried or be moved about. c, c, c, c, are four coal receivers or scoops of
triangular form in cross section as is more particularly shown in Figure 2, they may
however be of other shape. One of the sides of each receiver or scoop has a hand
hold or loop d by which it can be removed from the base plate a on which the
required number can be arranged as desired. These scoops c, c, c, c, may be of
metal lined with a soft-yielding or sound-subduing material, or they may be made
of ebonite, vulcanized, or cured rubber of the compound kind, or other material
having the property of preventing noise.
In practice I prefer to fix uprights or wings as rays from centre rod as divisions
between the scoops, but these may be as ribs only to ensure the scoops being kept
apart, and to prevent the scoops tilting over or striking against each other, while
the scuttle is being moved.
Figure 3 represents a scuttle provided with six scoops c, c, on a base plate a,
Figure 4, showing a scuttle with six scoops, and Figure 5, one with eight scoops
upon a circular shelf e, the under face of which is provided with rollers ff, as in the
sectional view, Figure 6, in order that the scoops with the shelf can be rotated on
the base plate a guided by the central pin g fixed thereon. In the Figure first
described the apparatus has to be lifted, and then turned to bring fresh or full
scoops round to enable them to be lifted with ease, but in the after views one has
only to give twisting action to the rod handle to turn them bodily upon the
centre pin.
Figures 7 and 8 represent an apparatus or scuttle, as an ottoman or fireside seat
of hexagonal shape with ornamental panels h, h, one of which j is hinged and serves
as a door provided with a spring catch or fastener. This door enables by rotating
the shelf-with the scoops upon it a fresh full scoop to be brought to the opening for

page_text: removal for the coals to be shot or placed upon a fire, as occasion requires, and as will
be understood. The top k of this apparatus is cushioned, but it may be plain, and
is made to open like a lid to enable the shelf with the series of scoops to be removed
for the scoops to be refilled. The exterior casing may be dispensed with and a cover
only be used attached to the central upright in order that the coals may be hidden
from view.
Instead of the shelf being provided with friction rollers, the base may have them
on the upper surface for the shelf to run upon; or the under side of the base may
have the rollers fitted, as in Figure 9, which shows a six scoop apparatus or scuttle
without an exterior cusing; and Figure 10, a similar view with one of the scoops
removed and the division or partition plates 1, 1, exposed.
I have shown loop handles on each of the scoops, but other form or shape of
handle may be provided as desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as a noiseless coal scuttle, an
apparatus (substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings) composed of a series of
scoops or coal receivers capable of being removed singly from a stand or support for
the discharge of the coal therefrom, whether said scoops or coal receivers be carried
on a rotating shelf or not; also whether they be enclosed in an outer casing or not,
as described, for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Nelson Willoughby, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
THOMAS NELSON WILLOUGHBY. (LS.)