IMPROVE- MENTS IN STOVES OR FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander William Williamson, of University College,
Gower Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STOVES OR FIRE-PLACES."
Sealed the 24th August 1855, and dated the 26th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander William
Williamson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th March 1855.
I, ALEXANDER WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of University College, Gower Street,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR FIRE-PLACES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar arrangement or combination of parts
of a stove or fire-place, to ensure a satisfactory draught into the chimney.
For this purpose the fire-place is made with fire bars in front as usual, and it.
may have fire bars at the bottom, or a close bottom of fire brick or fire clay.
At the back the stove or fire-place is formed with a grating of iron, or of fire
brick or fire clay. Behind the back of the fire-place or stove is a flue, which
communicates above with the chimney. To this flue there is a valve or
register, and there is also the ordinary valve or register over the fire-place;
hence, when the register or valve over the fire is nearly closed, and the valve
or register to the back flue is open, the draught will be from front to back and
downward through the fire; and this state of things may be varied, according
as the two valves or registers are more or less open.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander William Williamson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of University. College, Gower Street, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander William Williamson, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander William Williamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alexander William Williamson,. 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, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR FIRE-PLACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander William
Williamson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Alexander William Williamson, 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
=
This Invention consists of a peculiar arrangement or combination of parts
of a stove or fire-place to insure a satisfactory draft into the chimney. For
this purpose the fire-place is made with fire bars in front as usual, and it may
have fire bars at the bottom, or a close bottom of fire brick or fire clay. At
the back the stove or fire-place is formed with a grating of iron, or of fire
brick or fire clay. Behind the back of the fire-place or stove is a flue, which
communicates above with the chimney. To this flue there is a valve or
register, and there is also the ordinary valve or register over the fire-place;
hence, when the register or valve over the fire is nearly closed, and the valve
or register to the back flue is open, the draft will be from front to back and

page_text: downward through the fire; and this state of things may be varied, according
as the two valves or registers are more or less open.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed to
give a more detailed account thereof, and refer to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, in all the Figures of which the same letters indicate like parts
wheresoever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a front view, Figure 2 a transverse vertical section, and
Figure 3 a plan, of a stove or fire-place having my Invention applied thereto.
a is the fire-place; b is the ash-pit; c, c, are fire-clay bricks, placed at suitable
distances apart to allow of the passage of air from the fire-place to the back
flue; d is a door or valve hinged at d', d'; e is another door opening upwards,
it is hinged at e', and would generally be closed. The bottom a! of the fire-
place a is shown as formed of fire clay, but this may be varied as herein-before
mentioned. The door or valve d is caused to move to and fro on its hinges
d', d, by means of the screw f, which is caused to revolve in the front and
back plates g and h of the stove by means of a winch handle at i. There is
a nut k on the screw f with projections k', k', formed or affixed thereon, one
on either side, which enter the staples 1, 1, attached to the valve or door d, so
that as the screw fis turned in one or the other direction, so will the door
or valve d be caused to move backwards or forwards, thus causing the aperture
for the back draft to increase at the expense of the aperture n of the front or
ordinary draft, or "vice versa,' as circumstances require.
"
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the
combination herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander William Williamson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
FRED* HARRIS.
ALEXR W. WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)