Improvements in Automatic Dampers for Fire Stoves, Ranges, and Furnaces.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 3rd May, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Dampers for Fire Stoves, Ranges,
and Furnaces.
HENRY STAFFORD Tyndale Biscoe Holton Cottage Weatley near Oxford Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To prevent waste of Fuel in Fire Stoves Ranges and all Furnaces where fuel is
consumed. In carrying out my Invention I employ one or more Rams consisting of
a Cylinder and piston or plunger, connected to a damper (which is placed in a suitable
position in the flue or flues of the range or furnace) by suitable gearing, such as rods
or levers or gear wheels, the Cylinder is fed with water from a tank, and the supply
of water is regulated by means of Stop cocks or valves, worked either by a float or by
the plunger of the Cylinder itself; the Cylinder may be placed either in the flue or
(in the case of a range where a hot water Boiler and tank is fitted to it) the Cylinder
may be in the Boiler or tank, or it may be placed in any other convenient position;
the piston of the Cylinder when at rest is at its normal position, and the Cylinder is
partly filled with water (or I may employ mercury instead of water) or any other
liquid. When the fire becomes fierce the water in the Cylinder is expanded and owing
to this expansion the piston is driven along the Cylinder, and partly or wholly closes
the damper, which causes the fire to slack down and the water in the Cylinder to cool ;
and so allows the damper to come out giving a good draught to the fire, any excess of
which will set the piston again in motion and so regulate the fire to a nicity. I may
employ instead of water or any other liquid hot air or Steam generated by the excess of
heat; or I may create a vacuum in the Cylinder 'by condensing the Steam when
formed and so actuating the piston and damper.
Dated the 25th day of June 1886.
ROBERT ABRAM LEE,
76, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agent for Applicant.

page_text: HENRY STAFFORD TYNDALE BISCOE of Holton Cottage Wheatley Oxfordshire,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
To prevent waste of fuel in fire stoves Ranges and all furnaces where fuel is
consumed.
In carrying out my Invention I employ one or more rams consisting of a Cylinder
and piston.or plunger, connected to a damper (which is placed in a suitable position in
the flue or flues of the range or furnace) by suitable gearing such as rods or levers or
gear wheels; the Cylinder is fed with water from a tank and the supply of water is
regulated by means of stop cocks or valves worked either by a float or by the plunger
of the Cylinder itself, the Cylinder may be placed either in the flue or in the case case
of a range where a hot water Boiler and tank is fitted to it) the cylinder may he in
the boiler or tank or it may be placed in any convenient position, the piston of the
cylinder when at rest is at its normal position, and the cylinder is partly filled with
water (or I may employ mercury instead of water) or any other liquid; when the fire
becomes fierce the water in the cylinder is expanded and owing to this expansion,
the piston is driven along the cylinder and partly or wholly closes the damper, and
causes the fire to slack down and the water in the cylinder to cool; and so allows the
damper to come out giving a good draught to the lire, any excess of which draught
will set the piston again in motion and so regulate the fire to a nicety. I may employ
instead of water or any other liquid, hot air or steam generated by the excess of heat
or I may create a vacuum in the cylinder by condensing the steam when formed and
so actuating the piston and damper.
I find in practice that the piston in the cylinder allows some of the water to pass it,
owing to the difficulty of making the piston fit the cylinder (even when packed with
rings or hemp) quite water tight, I therefore prefer to substitute a flattened tube spring
(the sectional shape and elevation of which is shown in the drawings figure 6 curved
lengthwise to form about three fourths of a circle, this tube is secured at one end to a
pipe which is connected to an expansion chamber, this chamber is preferably made
globe shape, and fixed in the hot tank or boiler, the expansion chamber, pipe and tube,
are filled with water or any other liquid and the end is connected by a lever to a
circular rack which gears with a pinion, the pinion being connected to the damper ;
the action is as follows, when the water in the tank gets near to, or at boiling point,
the water in the chamber expands and forces the tube spring out, so that it forms a
part of a larger circle, as shown by the dotted lines in drawing figure 6 this movement
of the spring causes the rack to describe part of a circle and so moves the pinion and
damper, the spring and the other gearing returning to its starting point when the

page_text: water in the tank and expansion chamber cools down, and the damper at that time is
fully out.
When I employ mercury I fit a cylinder or holder for the mercury into the hot tank
and in this cylinder fit a float connected by means of a wire or rope to the rack the
expansion of the mercury having the same action on the gearing as described in the
spring arrangement.
Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a hot water cistern A. B, B¹
are supply pipes to tank and boiler, C is the expansion chamber C¹is the connecting
pipe to the tubular spring K, Figure 6.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the hot cistern. E is the cylinder containing
mercury. F is the float connected to the lever G which is carried by the bracket H,
B and B are supply pipes also shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the end of hot cistern A showing the man hole D, with
the pipe C, from the expansion chamber to connect to the spring K Figure 6.
Figure 4 M is the back of a kitchen range. I is a circular rack gearing with the
pinion J which is fixed to the damper. It is a wire connection between the lever G
and the circular rack I.
Figure 5 is a section of the spring tube K of Figure 6.
Figure 6, M is alback of a range with the tubular spring K connected to the lever L
which is fixed to the circular rack I and which circular rack gears to the pinion J.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination of an expansion chamber with a spring tube to actuate a
damper for regulating the draught of a fire stove or range.
Second. The combination of a cylinder or holder containing mercury with a float to
actuate a damper substantially as described.
Third. The general combination forming my improved automatic damper for fire
stove or ranges substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of March 1887..
ROBERT ABRAM LEE,
76, High Holborn, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.