Improvements in and relating to Fire Grates.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept.. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fire Grates.
We, DANIEL BIRKETT of 1 Park Terrace Silloth Cumberland Architect and
RICHARD KIRKPATRICK HowAT of Mabie near Dumfries, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to fire grates and objects
of our invention are to cause the smoke to be practically wholly consumed, the
room to be well ventilated and to enable almost the whole of the heat generated
by the fire to be used in warming the room so as to prevent the great waste of fuel
which takes place in fire grates of the hitherto ordinary construction which allow
a large amount of heat to escape up the chimney.
In order that our invention may be readily understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings wherein like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout
both figures, and in which:
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of our improved fire grate and Fig. 2 shows a front
elevation thereof.
In carrying our invention into practice we construct a fire grate A the front of
which under the fire bars B is closed by means of a plate C the chamber or the
like D under the fire bars being in communication with pipes E which communicate
with a part of the room more or less near the ceiling of the room so that when the
fire is burning the more or less vitiated air will be drawn from near the ceiling and
the room thereby ventilated.
For the purpose of causing the greater part if not the whole of the smoke to be
consunied we divide our improved fire grate into two parts a a¹ by means of a
removable and preferably hollow bar or equivalent a². The part a' of the grate is
in communication through suitable openings in the back and bottom A2 of the
grate with a bot chamber F which latter, by means of a fluc or the like f, is in
communication with the main chimney flue G. The front lower opening of said
chimney G is almost closed by means of a suitable plate H a pipe h being provided
which pipe communicates with the chamber F. We also provide a radiator J
the lower part of which is hingedly attached to the upper part so as to be capable
of being more or less opened about as shown in dotted lines."
The action of our improved fire grate is as follows:-
The fire in the front part a of our improved fire grate is supplied with the
requisite air in the usual manner through or between the bars B, but the products
of combustion from said fire together with the smoke and also fresh air-instead
of passing directly up the chimney as hitherto-are compelled to pass through the
fire in the part a¹ of our grate, by reason of the up-draught in the chimney G being
in communication with the rear and under part of said part a. By this arrange-
ment the greater part if not the whole of said smoke from the fire in a is consumed
when passing through the fire in a. The chamber F is preferably built of fire
clay or other suitable heat retaining material and we prefer also to provide one or
more preferably perforated bricks A' so that when said chamber and bricks have
become sufficiently heated the smoke which passes therethrough from the fire grate
is consumed.
By means of our improved fire grate the greater part if not the whole of the
smoke is consumed also nearly the whole of the heat is utilized in warming the

page_text: room in which our improved fire grate is situated and by means of the pipes E
the room or chamber is thoroughly ventilated.
Any little smoke or hot gases which may not have been caused to travel through
the fire in a' as described is drawn either down through the pipe h into the hot
chamber F or through the small opening m into the main chimney flue G.
For the purpose of converting our improved grate into a slow combustion grate
we may provide a suitably adjustable and perforated fire brick K which to a
suitable extent closes up the opening from the grate to the hot chamber.
We prefer to allow a sufficient space between the bottom of the dividing bar a
and the fire bars about as shown to allow a draught thereunder. We also prefer
to make the fire bars A at the back and bottom of the grate comparatively heavy
so as to retain considerable heat and thereby assist in the smoke consumption.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A fire grate divided into two parts such as a a' the rear and lower parts of
said grate being formed or provided with openings or perforations to allow the
passage therethrongh of the smoke, gases, and other products of combustion
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination of a fire grate A divided into two parts a a' the rear of said
grate A communicating with a hot chamber F which hot chamber communicates
by means of a flue with the main chimney flue G and a plate Call for the
purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The combination of a fire grate A divided into two parts a al a plate C a hot
chamber F containing a perforated brick A' flues f and G, a plate H, pipes h
and E and a radiator J all for the purposes and substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 25th day of July 1896.
DANIEL BIRKETT,
RICHARD K. HOWAT,
By their Agents, Horn, Son & Co.,
151 Strand, London, W.C.