Improvements in Stoves or Fire Places.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 30th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoves or Fire Places.
I, MICHEL PERRET, of 7 Place d'Jéna, Paris in the Republic of France
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
In stoves or fire places for heating purposes as heretofore constructed only
the heat radiated from the grate is utilised the heat of the gaseous products of
combustion being totally wasted in the flues or passages provided for the escape
of the smoke.
I am aware that it has been proposed to remedy this by causing the hot gases
to circulate in pipes around which the air passes as in an ordinary stove or hot
air apparatus and also by heating the air by causing it to circulate in specially
constructed passages and delivering it at suitably arranged openings but none of
these arrangements have given satisfaction in practice.
The object of my present invention is to utilise the greater part of the heat of
these escaping gases or products of combustion without the disadvantages attending
the arrangements heretofore proposed. For this purpose I utilise all the front of
the fire place which I convert into one large heating or radiating surface.
With this object I construct the front preferably entirely of metal and I cause
the products of combustion to circulate behind this front under peculiar conditions
by means of flues or passages suitably arranged at the sides of the fire place as
hereinafter explained.
In a fire place arranged with a heat radiating front according to my invention
the hot gases from the grate ascend in the first place in the part above the grate
and then descend lateral down cast flues in contact with the back or inner surface
of the metal front which thus becomes highly heated after which they pass into
and ascend the chimney or outlet passage.
1
By these means the whole of the front is heated and immediately gives out or
radiates the heat with which it is constantly supplied. The heat being abstracted
under most advantageous conditions from the gases which after ascending from
the combustion chamber fill the down cast passage owing to the descending motion.
This heating front may be advantageously combined with the improved arrange-
ment of slabs or blocks of refractory or fire proof materials employed in the
improved stove or heating apparatus described in the Specification annexed to
Letters Patent granted to John Henry Johnson and dated January 6th 1882
No. 76.
This arrangement owing to the small space which it occupies enables the heat
radiating front to be made of larger area and gives more room for the construction
of the flues or passages for the circulation of the hot gases.
The construction hereinafter described gives good results but I do not limit
myself as to the details.
The opening of the fire place is surrounded by the cast iron front or facing.
At the back or behind this facing on each side of the fire place there are two
down cast and two up cast flues or passages in which the gases or products of
combustion circulate. These gases on ascending from the combustion chamber
ascend behind the upper part of the front and then divide into two streams
flowing downwards in the down cast passages in contact with the inner surface
of the metal cheeks or facing at the sides of the fire place. Arrived at the
lower end of these side passages the gases ascend the two upcast passages whence
they escape into the chimney.
The combustion chamber or grate may be surrounded with slabs of fire proof
materials and be provided at the top with a slab projecting forwards and forming

page_text: at the front the passage provided for the ascent of the gases before they pass into
the lateral passages and which is separated from the chimney by another slab
arranged vertically or on edge.
Any other description of grate or combustion chamber may be employed. In
like manner the arrangement of the passages for the circulation of the gases may
be modified according to circumstances.
The metal front may be extended at the sides and take the place of the upright
supports and part of the sides of the chimney or mantel. On this plan the whole
of the fire place including the chimney piece may be made of metal in the form of
an ordinary chimney piece or an ordinary marble mantel shelf of suitable form may
be.employed.
The heating front may if required be provided with ribs mouldings or other
decoration whereby it may be ornamented and caused to present a larger heating
surface. Doors or hand holes are provided at the lower part for the purpose of
cleaning out the passages.
The slab provided over the fire in the improved arrangement hereinbefore
referred to enables the main chimney to be readily cleaned as the lower end of the
chimney can be exposed by simply turning back the slab.
An ordinary apron may be placed between the fire place or fuel chamber and the
upper part of the front or a blower may be provided which is placed in position
when lighting the fire or when it is necessary to accelerate the rate of com-
bustion.
My invention also relates to constructing these improved stoves or heating
apparatus in such a manner as to enable them to be introduced in one piece into
an existing chimney or fire place of ordinary construction so as to impart to the
latter all the advantages connected with the radiating front.
According to this arrangement I construct a 'box or case of sheet or cast metal
of a size to fit an ordinary fire place and arrange therein a combustion chamber
with the improved arrangement of slabs herein before referred to being provided
with a back slab and a top or cover projecting forwards but leaving a passage or
opening for the escape of the products,of.combustion at the back of the front plate,
the sides or cheeks of the combustion or fuel chamber being constructed with
ribbed or corrugated cast iron or of plates with a fire proof lining.
The dimensions, of this fuel chamber are such as to form a space ou cach side
and at the upper part closed in front by a heat radiating front plate which is
utilised for heating by causing the products of combustion to circulate behind it.
The gases ascending at the front.descend the downcast flues,at the sides and
pass away under vertical partitions and through lateral upcast flues into the
chimney which communicates with the casing through an opening in the latter.
These flues may be combined with passages for the circulation of air which is
heated and discharged into the apartment at a suitable temperature.
Dated this 30th day of March 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & CO.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoves or Fire Places.
I MICHEL PERRET of 7 Place d'Jena, Paris, in the Republic of France
Engineer 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 :-
In stoves or fire places for heating purposes as heretofore constructed the heat
radiated directly from the fuel in the grate is alone utilised and the heat of the
gaseous, products of combustion which is more considerable is wasted in the flues or
passages provided for the escape of the smoke.

page_text: Attempts have been made to remedy this defect by causing the hot gases to
circulate in pipes around which the air passes as in an ordinary stove or hot air
apparatus and also by heating air by causing it to circulate in specially constructed
passages and delivering it at suitably arranged openings but none of these arrange-
ments have given satisfaction in practice.
The last mentioned arrangement in particular presents the disadvantage of being
of complicated and costly construction and the passages being entirely surrounded
by flame injure the quality of the air owing to the high temperature of the metal
of which they are composed and also become permeated with carbonic oxide so that
they are rapidly destroyed.
The object of my present invention is to utilise the greater part of the heat of
these escaping gases or products of combustion without the disadvantages which
attend the arrangements heretofore proposed. For this purpose I utilise the entire
front or facing of the fireplace which I convert into one large heating or radiating
surface as hereinafter explained.
With this object I construct the front preferably entirely of metal and I cause
the products of combustion to circulate behind this front. under peculiar conditions
by means of flues or passages formed at the sides of the fire place.
In a fire place provided with a heat radiating front and flues or passages arranged
according to my invention the hot gases from the grate ascend in the first place in
the part above the grate and then descend lateral downcast flues in contact with
the back or inner surface of the metal front which thus becomes highly heated
after which they pass into and ascend the chimney or outlet passage. Notwith-
standing the length of the heating passage, the gases although cooled considerably
retain sufficient heat to obtain the necessary draught.
By these means the whole of the front or facing of the fire place is heated and
gives out or radiates into the apartment the heat with which it is constantly supplied,
the heat being abstracted under most advantageous conditions from the gases which
after ascending from the combustion chamber or grate completely fill the downcast
passage owing to their descending motion.
This heating front may be advantageously combined with the improved arrange-
ment of slabs or blocks of refractory or fire proof materials employed in the
improved stove or heating apparatus described in the Specification annexed to
Letters Patent granted to J. H. Johnson and dated January 6th 1882 No. 76.
This arrangement, owing to the small space which it occupies, enables the heat
radiating front forming the object of my present invention to be made of larger
area and gives more room for the construction of the flues or passages for the
circulation of the hot gases.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in front elevation an improved
stove or fire place arranged according to my invention part of the front being
represented as being broken away in order to expose the flue.
Figure 2 represents the fire place in horizontal section on the line 1, 2, 3, 4,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents the fire place in vertical section on the line 5-6 Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents the fire place in vertical section on the line 7-8 Figure 1
passing through the side or cheek of the fire place and through the passages for the
circulation of the gases.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate in vertical section front elevation and horizontal
section respectively a modified arrangement herein after described.
The opening of the fire place as represented in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings
is surrounded by the cast iron front or facing B. At the back or behind this facing
on each side of the fire place there are two down cast flues or passages C C and

page_text: two upcast flues C' C' in which the gases or products of combustion from the grate
or combustion chamber A circulate. These gases firstly enter a passage over the
front of the grate at the upper part of the fire place indicated at a Figures 2 and 3
in which they ascend behind the front plate or curtain at the upper part of the
front and then divide into two streams flowing downwards in the two downcast
passages CC in contact with the inner surface of the metal cheeks or facing at
the sides of the fire place. Arrived at the lower end of these side passages C the
gases pass through openings c and ascend in the two upcast passages CC whence
they escape into the chimney at D.
The combustion chamber or grate A is represented as being surrounded with
slabs d (Figure 2) of fire proof or refractory materials and having at the top a
slab e projecting forwards and forming at the front the passage provided at a for
the ascent of the gases before they pass into the lateral passages C and which is
separated from the chimney by a slab arranged vertically or on edge.
This arrangement of the grate or combustion chamber presents amongst other
advantages that of occupying an extremely small space so as to allow of the
extension of the facing B and thus greatly increasing the heating surface of the
said facing at the same time leaving ample room for the circulating or lateral flues
this being a point of considerable importance.
The particular form of fire place or grate represented in the drawing is not
essential and it is evident that other descriptions of grates or combustion chambers
may be employed being capable of discharging the gases into the circulating flues
or passages arranged at the sides so as to heat the front of the fireplace and fully
utilise the heating power of the fuel. In like manner the arrangement of the
passages for the circulation of the gases may be modified according to circumstances
the arrangement illustrated being merely selected as an example which is found to
give good results.
The heat radiating metal front B may be extended at the sides and take the
place of the upright supports and part of the sides of the chimney or mantel. On
this plan the whole of the fire place including the chimney piece may be made of
metal in the form of an ordinary chimney piece or an ordinary marble mantel
shelf of suitable form may be employed as the shelf does not require to be heated.
The heating front may if required be provided with ribs, mouldings or other
suitable decorations whereby it may be rendered ornamental and at the same time
caused to present a larger heating surface. Doors or hand holes are provided at
the lower part for the purpose of cleaning out the passages. The slab e provided
over the fire in the improved arrangement herein before referred to enables the
main chimney D to be readily cleaned as the lower end of the chimney can be
exposed by simply turning back this slab.
The central upper portion of the front is heated by the gases escaping at a and
which descending in the lateral downcast flues C C fill the latter completely so as
to uniformly heat every part.
The upper parts of the downcast passages C and upcast passages C₁ are suitably
separated from the mantelshelf so as to avoid exposing the latter to the action of
the heat.
An ordinary curtain or apron may be placed between the fire place or fuel
chamber A and the upper part of the front. In the class of fire place illustrated
in the accompanying drawing such apron is unnecessary and may be advantageously
replaced by a blower which is placed in position when lighting the fire or when it
is necessary to accelerate the rate of combustion.
In any case the improved heating front according to any invention whilst enabling
the heat to be radiated into the apartment and enabling the air from the latter to
pass readily to the combustion chamber utilises the greater part of the heat of the
gases and imparts to the fire placé advantages which it cannot possess with the
ordinary fronts separated from the combustion chamber.
These improved stoves or heating apparatus may be constructed in such a

page_text: manner as to enable them to be introduced in one piece into the recess of an
existing chimney or fire place of ordinary construction so as to impart to the latter
all the advantages connected with the radiating front.
An example of an arrangement of this description is illustrated in the Figures 5, 6,
and 7 hereinbefore referred to.
According to this arrangement I construct a box or case m of sheet or cast
metal of a suitable size to fit into the recess of an ordinary fire place and arrange
therein a combustion chamber provided with the improved arrangement of slabs
herein before referred to being provided with a back slab d and a top or cover e
projecting forwards but leaving a passage or opening at a for the escape of the
products of combustion at the back of the front plate B the sides or cheeks of the
combustion or fuel chamber being constructed with ribbed or corrugated cast iron
or of flat plates with a fire proof lining.
The dimensions of this fuel chamber are such as to form a space at each side
and at the upper part closed in front by the facing plate B which may be orna-
mented in any suitable manner and which is utilised for heating by radiation by
causing the products of combustion to circulate behind it or by directly heating air
which may be caused to flow in contact therewith.
The gases ascending behind the front plate B descend the flues C at the sides
and pass away under vertical partitions c¹ c¹ and ascend through other lateral
flues Cinto the chimney D which communicates with the casing through an
opening in the latter (Figure 5). The partitions c' extending below the cover
slab e guide the gases in the required direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement of the front or facing of a stove or fire place enabling the
greater part of the heat of the gases or products of combustion to be utilised by
constructing the said facing of metal and combining it with an arrangement of
flues which causes the hot gases to circulate at the back of the facing and heat it
throughout its entire extent so as to convert the front or facing of the fireplace
into one large heat radiating surface substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In connection with this arrangement of the facings of fireplaces enabling
them to act as heating surfaces, the arrangement of the cast iron front B in com-
bination with the flues C and C' which compel the gases, proceeding from the upper
central part of the fire place, to descend and occupy the space behind the facing
which is thereby enabled to take up practically the whole of their heat and to
throw it off by radiation in the required direction substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of the metallic heat radiating facing B and the flues C
and C with the combustion chamber A constructed with refractory slabs the said
combination having the effect of increasing the dimensions of the facing and
consequently increasing the heating surface and providing more room for the flues
at the same time causing the combustion to take place under more favourable
conditions substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
4. The fireplace with radiating front or facing comprising a grate or combustion
chamber A constructed with refractory slabs and a cover e, a metal facing B with
or without extensions forming lateral pilasters and flues C and C¹ for the circulation
of the gases, the said fireplace utilising the greater part of the heat of the gases
or products of combustion and being at the same time readily constructed and
complying with the conditions required in a hygienic heating apparatus.
5. The arrangements enabling the improved grate or fireplace with radiating
front to be readily combined with ordinary chimneys or fireplace recesses
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements
in stoves or fire places substantially as herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th der of December 1900
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.