IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FIRE-PLACES OR STOVES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Foulkes Shillington, of the Ann St. Ironworks,
Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN
AND RELATING TO FIRE-PLACES OR STOVES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR
DOMESTIC PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Foulkes Shillington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th May 1881.
THOMAS FOULKES SHILLINGTON, of the Ann St. Ironworks, Belfast, in the County
of Antrim, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FIRE-PLACES OR
STOVES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of open fire-places or
stoves of that class which are used for domestic purposes, and its chief objects are
to provide means for causing the smoke emanating from the fuel to be consumed to
a large extent or prevented from escaping as smoke; also means whereby the
fire-place or stove may receive, hold, and feed to the fire-space a supply of fuel
sufficient, say, for an entire day's consumption, thus obviating the necessity for
feeding the grate from time to time with a shovel according to the ordinary practice.
In constructing a stove or fire-place according to this Invention the back is so
made that it does not extend entirely to the bottom, and therefore an aperture or
opening is left which communicates directly with a fuel-chamber provided at the
rear, through which opening the stored fuel passes from the chamber to the
fire-place to be burned.
At or near the lower extremity of this grate-back I provide a downwardly-curved
lip or flange, partially overhanging or projecting over the fire-space, this lip or flange
being designed to retain the smoke in proximity to the fire until the former is
consumed;
this overhanging lip or flange extends not only along the back but
continues around the ends or side-cheeks of the fire-place. This lip or flange may
be made hollow and with perforations along the inside, and an opening at each
end to receive air from the room, thus providing means for supplying air for the
more perfect combustion of the smoke, and also for keeping the lip or flange cooler
Ruins C31

page_text: than it would otherwise be. Gas may be introduced through this hollow flange
for assisting in the lighting of the fire and burning the smoke. I also provide in
the grate-back and above this overhanging lip or flange a door through which the
fuel can be supplied to the aforesaid fuel-chamber. This door may be hinged or
made to slide in any suitable manner, but it is preferably hinged at one side, and is
made with a groove or rabbet all round so that it may prevent the escape of
smoke. Behind the grate-back or division-plate is placed the aforesaid fuel-
chamber which is made tapered or enlarged towards the bottom and towards the
front, so that the fuel may fall readily towards the bottom and thence into the
fire-place as the fuel therein burns away. The fire is lighted in the front part of
the grate in the usual manner, and the smoke and gas emanating from the fresh
fuel entering the fire-place at the back from the fuel-chamber have to pass through
the incandescent fuel and being retained also in contact with the same by means
of the said overhanging lip until they become properly mixed with air are
consumed, and the flame rises from the edge of the overhanging lip.
The front of the grate may be made in the usual manner with grate-bars placed
either horizontally or vertically, and the bottom may be made solid or with open
bars, or partly solid and partly open.
The said fuel-chamber may in some cases be so made as to be supplied with
fuel from the back thereof, or from a corridor outside the room in which the stove
or fire-place is placed or situated. The entire grate may also be encased with an
air chamber for the purpose of heating a supply of fresh air drawn from the
outside. The fuel-chamber may also in some cases be made without a feeding
door, but so arranged that it may be filled with fuel through the fire-place before
lighting the fire.
At or near the bottom of the fuel-chamber is placed a rocking bar to be worked
by a lever from the front of the grate so that the fuel may be easily brought
forward towards the front by operating the lever.
Above the front part of the grate I make grooves at each side to take a hinged
or louvred blower or curtain which can be drawn down to increase the draft when
required. This curtain is constructed of strips of sheet iron, brass, or other suitable
metal, say, about from two (2) inches to three (3) inches broad, hinged or jointed
to each other, and perforated in any design suitable to the building in which the
fire-place is situated, so that the light of the fire may show or be visible through
the perforations.
In some cases instead of placing a fuel-chamber at the back I may employ two
chambers, one at each side of the fire-place, and so arranged as to be supplied
through doors placed either at the sides presented to the fire-space of the grate or
on the other sides.
The fuel-chambers may if desired be made in any of the cases described herein
without doors for feeding, and the fuel will in such case be placed in the fuel-
chamber through the same opening at which it comes from the fuel-chamber but
before lighting the fire. Any slight modifications of construction rendered
necessary in this case will be readily understood without further description.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Foulkes Shillington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1881.
THOMAS FOULKES SHILLINGTON, of the Ann Street Ironworks, Belfast, in the
County of Antrim, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FIRE-PLACES
OR STOVES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of open fire-places or
stoves chiefly designed for domestic purposes, and its principal objects are to
provide the same with means for preventing the escape of smoke therefrom, and
with a receptacle for a supply of fuel (sufficient, say, for an entire day's consumption)
which may be caused to pass therefrom as required into the grate, thus obviating
the necessity for feeding the grate from time to time with a shovel according to
the ordinary practice.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire-place or stove embodying my
improvements.
Figure 2 in a vertical section, and
Figure 3, a horizontal section of the same.
Figure 4 is a vertical section shewing a modified construction of the said fire-
place or stove, and
Figures 5 and 6 are horizontal sections shewing further modifications in the
construction of the stove.
Figure 7 is a vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale of a portion of a fire-
place shewing the application thereto of an improved hinged or louvred curtain or
blower, and,
Figure 8 is a front view of a portion of the said blower.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
a represents the back or division plate of my improved fire-place or stove, which
back is so constructed that it does not extend entirely to the bottom of the said
stove but is so arranged that an aperture or opening b communicates directly with
the fuel receptacle or chamber c at the rear of the grate-back a; through this
opening the fuel stored in the chamber c passes to the grate or fire-space d to be
burned. The said fuel-chamber c is made sloping and of larger area at the bottom
than at the top, so that the fuel may readily descend in the said chamber and pass
from the same into the fire-space d as the fuel in the latter burns away.
At or near the lower extremity of the grate-back a I provide a downwardly-
curved lip or flange e, which partially overhangs or projects over the fire-spaced,
as clearly shewn in Figure 2. This lip or flange is designed to retain the smoke
in proximity to the fire until the former is consumed and extends not only along
the back of the fire-space but around the ends or side-cheeks f of the same, as
shewn.
In order to more effectually prevent the escape of the smoke I make the ends
or side-cheeks f of the fire-place hollow and provide them with a series of
perforations f¹ the spaces g in these hollow cheeks are open at their lower end to
the ash-pit of the fire-place, so that air from the room can enter the said spaces
and pass therefrom through the perforations to the fire. The air in passing
through the said perforations is diffused beneath the lipe and is heated by the
same and by the side cheeks prior to mixing with the smoke or products of
combustion.
To permit the fuel-chamber c to be readily supplied with fuel I provide in the
grate-back a and above the aforesaid overhanging lip or flange e a door h, through

page_text: which the fuel may be inserted. This door may be hinged to the said grate-back a
or may be arranged to slide thereon in any suitable manner; it is preferably
hinged, however, to the said grate-back at one side, as shewn in Figure 1. It will
be seen that the said door is arranged in such a position that any smoke which
might possibly escape from the chamber c will pass up the chimney and cannot
enter the room or apartment in which the fire-place is situated. Beneath the
bottom of the fire-space I arrange a rocking bar or shaft i, which is adapted to be
worked by a lever j arranged at one side of the front of the grate. Upon this
shaft I fix a pusher or piston k, which when the said lever is operated pushes the
fuel upward and forward towards the front of the grate; or I may employ instead
of the said pusher other devices suitable for the purpose. The front of the grate
may be made in the usual manner with grate-bars placed either horizontally, as
shewn, or vertically, and the bottom may be made solid or with open bars, or partly
solid and partly open.
The fire is lighted at the front of the grate in the usual manner, and the smoke
and gas emanating from the fresh fuel which enters the fire-place at the rear from
the fuel-chamber c have to pass through the incandescent fuel and are retained in
contact with the same by means of the aforesaid overhanging lip e; they thus
become properly mixed with the air entering through the apertures f' and are
consumed, the flame then rising from the edge of the overhanging lip.
Instead of forming a series of apertures in the side-cheeks f, as above described,
to admit air below the lip or flange e, I in some cases make the said lip or flange
hollow, as shown in Figure 4, and provide the same with perforations e' along the
inside and an opening 2 at each end to receive air from the room through a
suitably arranged hollow cheek; I thus provide means for supplying air for the
more perfect combustion of the smoke and also for keeping the lip or flange
cooler than it would otherwise be. Gas may be introduced through this hollow
flange for assisting in the lighting of the fire and burning or consuming the
smoke.
In some cases I dispense with the door in the grate-back a and construct the
fuel-chamber c, as shewn in Figure 4, so that it may be supplied through a hopper
or spout c' with fuel from the back thereof, or from a corridor outside the room in
which the stove or fire-place is situated. When the fuel chamber is thus constructed
I prefer to make the entire grate-back a hollow, so that it will serve as an
air-heating chamber. The entire area at the sides of the grate may in some
instances be encased by an air chamber for the purpose of heating a supply of
fresh air drawn from an exterior source. In this case the grate-back a is made
hollow for the purpose of increasing the heating surface of the stove, the air
entering and escaping from the said grate back through the perforations or
apertures a' in the same and passing into the air chambers and thence either into
the room through perforations m formed in the front of the stove or fire place, as
shewn in Figure 1, or into another room.
In some cases instead of placing the fuel chamber c at the back of the stove or
fire place I may employ two fuel chambers c, c, one at cach side of the said fire
place, as shewn in Figure 6, adapted to be supplied through doors placed either at
the sides adjacent to the fire-space, as shewn at 1, 1, in the same Figure or on the
outer or front side, as shewn at h².
In some instances I provide the upper part of the fire-place at each side with
grooves adapted to receive the ends of a hinged or louvred blower or curtain n,
which can be drawn down to increase the draught when required. This curtain is
preferably constructed of strips of sheet-iron, brass, or other suitable metal, say,
about from two (2) inches to three (3) inches broad, hinged or jointed to each other
and perforated according to any design suitable to the building in which the fire
place is situated, so that the light of the fire may be visible through the
perforations.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I am aware that domestic fire-places or stoves

page_text: have prior to the date of my Invention been constructed or provided with
reservoirs or receptacles for the fuel. I therefore make no claim to such construction
or provision broadly or irrespectively of the novel features or arrangements of the
same as above described, but I claim,-
First. The combination with the grate or space in which the fuel is burned of
the fuel receptacle or chamber provided with a door or doors in either of the
positions shewn in the Drawing and with an overhanging lip at the bottom,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Second. The means for ensuring a continuous supply of air to the space
immediately below the said curved overhanging lip in combination with the means
for heating the air, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with the said grate and fuel-chamber of the rocking-
shaft provided with the pusher at the bottom of the said fuel-chamber and with
a lever at the front of the fire-place, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fourth. A stove or fire-place embodying the above described improvements
relating to the fuel-receptacle, the means for causing the fuel to pass from the same
to the grate, and the means for heating the air and admitting the same to the
grate and for discharging hot air into the room, as set forth, with regard to either
of the forms or modifications illustrated in the Drawing or in a substantially similar
form or manner.
Fifth. The combination with the said stove or fire-place of the device
illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Foulkes Shillington, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
THUS. F. SHILLINGTON. (L.S.)