IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE DRAFT IN CHIMNIES OR FLUES
Year: 1852

page_text: WEBSTER'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WEBSTER, of Manthorpe, in the County of Lincoln, Wheelwright, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the fifteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Webster, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Henry Webster, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Henry Webster, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING THE
DRAFT IN CHIMNIES OR FLUES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said Henry Webster, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Henry Webster, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :--
This Invention is intended, firstly, to prevent the downward draft in chimnies
occasioned by the setting of the wind in a particular quarter, or by the defec-
tive construction of chimnies; and, secondly, to regulate the draft of fire-places
so as to effect a quicker or slower combustion as may be desired.
When applying my Invention to the ordinary construction of chimney for
preventing the downward draft or the return of the smoke and gases which have
passed upwards from the fire-place, I contract the bottom of the flue, either by
the insertion therein of metal cheeks or plates, or by building up brickwork
into the sides of the flue; I then apply to the flue a hinged plate or swing
damper, the breadth of which is about equal to the breadth of the flue, and
which is otherwise of sufficient size to close the opening of the flue when
required. This damper is of such a form or is so mounted as to intercept any
downward current, and it is furnished with an adjusting screw or other
analogous contrivance, whereby it may be set to any desired angle, so as to
contract or enlarge the vent for the escape of the gaseous products of combus-
tion, and thus regulate the draft of the chimney. The mode of effecting this
object will be better understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in
which Fig. 1 is a front view of a kitchen fire-place fitted according to my
Invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1. In this instance
the flue is contracted by side plates a, a, set apart at a distance about equal to
the width of the fire surface, and reaching down to the grate; but it is not
essential that they should descend below the bottom of the flue. Affixed to
these side plates is a cross piece b, which is fitted on its inner face with a ledge
or projection to carry the damper c. Instead of merely resting on a ledge the
damper may be provided with socket pins on which to rock, the pins being
supported in suitable sockets formed on the inner face of the cross piece b.
The damper takes a zig-zag form at its upper part, and attached to and pro-
jecting from the back of the flue is a piece of sheet metal d forming a shoulder
to receive the damper when depressed, and constituting with the damper a
zig-zag channel e (when the damper is raised) for the passage upwards of the
gaseous products of combustion. The adjustment of the position of this damper
is effected by means of a screw f, which passes through the cross piece b, and

page_text: takes into a nut affixed to the damper. It will be obvious, however, that the
same object may be attained in a variety of ways equally efficient, though not
perhaps more economical. Fig. 4 represents in vertical section a modified
arrangement of my Invention; and Fig. 5 is a front sectional diagram shewing
the flue contracted by brickwork. In this arrangement the damper c is shewn
as a flat plate, and supported by a ledge or by bearings at the upper edge of
the stove. It is supported in its position by means of an adjusting screw f,
and a shoulder of brickwork is provided for it to rest upon at g, when the flue
is required to be closed. The damper it will be seen consists of a flat plate,
but by its inclination and by the shoulder of brickwork an inclined passage will
be formed for the passage upwards of the smoke and gases of combustion, and
that a vertical downward current of wind would be wholly or in great part
deflected by the damper. When however it may be thought desirable, I apply
to the top of the chimney or to the chimney pot the contrivance shewn at
Fig. 6, whereby the ventilation of chimnies and flues will be greatly assisted
during gales of wind or while shifting currents prevail.
The peculiarity of this construction of wind guard is that while it offers.no
interruption to the free passage upwards of the smoke it will allow the wind to
enter at any point of the compass, mingle with the smoke, and carry it off
through side openings or up the central channel, and thereby effect a partial
vacuum in the chimney. As this improved wind guard possesses no moveable
parts it will not be liable to get out of order by rust or decay. It is composed
simply of two funnel mouth tubes a, b, the one inverted over the other, and
forming together an annular recess in the guard. The funnel mouth of the
lower tube is pierced with holes c, c, to allow of the passage through the
guard of currents of air, which are guided into these openings by means of the
overhanging lip of the tube a. If, therefore, air enters the wind guard it will
have a free vent out at the side, and by thus passing across the top of the
chimney an accelerated tendency will be given to the smoke to rise and make
its exit from the chimney.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as of my improvements in
regulating the draft in chimnies or flues,-
First, the mode herein-before described of forming a channel (the capacity
of which may be increased or diminished at pleasure) for the escape of the
ascending smoke and gases of combustion, and of providing for the deflection
of any current of air that may pass down the chimney or flue, and by that
means preventing the egress of the air into the apartment.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the construction of wind guard as above described for
preventing the currents of wind from interfering with the escape of the gaseous
products of combustion from the chimney or flue.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Webster, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Henry Webster came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.