IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WARMING ROOMS OR BUILDINGS."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Bult Verrier, of Bridport, in the County of
Dorset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR WARMING ROOMS OR BUILDINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Bult Verrier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th February 1873.
I, ALFRED BULT VERRIER, of Bridport, in the County of Dorset, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WARMING ROOMS OR BUILDINGS," to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to utilize a considerable proportion of the
heat which with the ordinary modes of constructing and fitting domestic
fire-places, stoves, and kitchen ranges passes up the chimney unutilized;
and my Invention chiefly consists of certain arrangements of air passages
and chambers so situated with regard to the said fire-places, stoves, or
ranges that the air which enters and travels through the said passages

page_text: and chambers becomes heated therein, and this heated air is then allowed
to issue into the room or building so as to assist in warming the same.
The manner in which I carry my Invention into effect is as follows:-
I make the bottom of the grate or fire-place proper with passages therein
leading from front to back; these passages may be conveniently formed
by making the said bottom of corrugated firc-clay, or metal slabs resting
upon a flat metal plate, or of hollow slabs. I also make the fire-clay or
other back of the grate with corresponding passages leading from tho
bottom to the upper part; these passages communicate at their lower
end with the passages in the grate bottom, while their upper ends open
into a hot air chamber constructed at the back and sides (or back only)
of the stove or fire-place. In the said hot air chamber I construct a
fire-box or smoke box of metal or other suitable material, into which one
or more openings in the fire-clay or other back of the fire-place lead, so
that some of the smoke and gases evolved by the fuel may pass into this
box and be then burnt or consumed. A pipe leads from this fire-box
into the chimney, but this pipe may be closed by a valvo when required.
Above the said opening or openings in the back of the fire-place is the
usual opening, which is provided with a damper or register, and which
leads through the hot air chamber into the chimney.
It will readily be understood that the currents of air which pass
through the passages in the bottom and back of the grate will become
considerably warmed before reaching the hot air chamber, and that they
become further heated by the heat of the fire-box which is situated in
the said hot air chamber.
The hot air chamber or grate is provided with one or more openings
at any desired position in order to allow the hot air to issue there-
from into the room; or pipes may be led from the hot air chamber or
grate to any desired part of the room, or to any other room or part of
the building, for the purpose of conveying and distributing heated air to
the same, and these pipes may be fitted with cocks so as to shut off
the supply or discharge of the heated air as required.
If preferred the air for the hot air pipes and chamber may be brought
from the external atmosphere by means of pipes laid under the floor or
in the walls.
In some cases I fit upon the hearth so as to project further into the
room than the orate a metal on firm alex her into which I
3

page_text: pipe the heat and gases from the fire-box or from the openings in the
back of the grate. This pipe terminates in the metal or fire-clay box,
while another pipe leads from the said box into the chimney; the metal
or fire-clay box thus becomes heated, and the heat being radiated assists
in warming the room. The metal or fire-clay box should be protected
by a grating. Slides or doors should also be provided in order to allow
any accumulation of soot in the metal or fire-clay box or in the pipes to
be removed.
I also construct ordinary domestic fire-places or register stoves
with the grate or fire-place proper projecting into the room instead of
being almost immediately under the chimney as heretofore, that is to
say, I construct the grate entirely in front of the ordinary front plate of
the fire-place so that much less heat passes up the chimney. And in
order in this case to produce a sufficient draught I fit a projecting hood
over the opening which leads into the chimney, and this hood may be
mado to slide on vertical guides so as to regulate the draught as required,
or it may for the same purpose be hung on pins at each end so that it
can be pushed back into the air chamber or brought forward as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Bult Verrier in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BULT VERRIER, of Bridport, in the County of Dorset, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Bult Verrier, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Bult Verrier, my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Bult
Verrier, 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, exercisc, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WARMING ROOMS OR BUILDINGS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Bult Verrier,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Alfred Bult Verrier, do hereby 1
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
1. The object of my Invention is to utilize a considerable proportion of 1
the heat which with the ordinary modes of constructing and fitting
domestic fire-places, stoves, and kitchen ranges passes up the chimney
unutilized; and my Invention chiefly consists of certain arrangemonts
of air passages and chambers so situated with regard to the said fire-
places, stoves, or ranges that the air which enters and travels through 2
the said passages and chambers becomes heated therein, and this heated
air is then allowed to issue into the room or building so as to assist in
warming the same.
'
-
The manner in which I carry my Invention into effect is as follows :-
I make the bottom of the grate or fire-place proper with passages therein 2
leading from front to back. These passages may be conveniently formed
by making the said bottom of corrugated fire-clay or metal slabs resting
upon a flat metal plate, or of hollow slabs. I also make the firc-clay or
other back of the grate with corresponding passages leading from the
bottom to the upper part. These passages communicate at their lower a
end with the passages in the grate bottom, while their upper ends open
into a hot air chamber constructed at the back and sides (or back only)
of the stove or fire-place. In the said hot air chamber I construct a
fire-box or smoke-box of metal or other suitable material, into which.
one or more openings in the fire-clay or other back of the fire-place lead, 8
so that some of the smoke and gases evolved by the fuel may pass into
this box and be there burnt or consumed. A pipe leads from this fire-.

page_text: box into the chimney, but this pipe may be closed by a valve when
required. Above the said opening or openings in the back of the fire-
place is the usual opening, which is provided with a damper or register,
and which leads through the hot air chamber into the chimney.
It will readily be understood that the currents of air which pass
through the passages in the bottom and back of the grate will become
considerably warmed before reaching the hot air chamber, and that they
become further heated by the heat of the fire-box which is situated in
the said hot air chamber.
The hot air chamber or grato is provided with one or more openings
at any desired position in order to allow the hot air to issue therefrom:
into the room; or pipes may be led from the hot air chamber or grate
to any desired part of the room or to any other room or part of the
building for the purpose of conveying or distributing heated air to the
, same, and these pipes may be fitted with cocks so as to shut off the
supply or discharge of the heated air as required..
If preferred the air for the hot air pipes and chamber may be brought
from the external atmosphere by means of pipes laid under the floor or
in the walls..
In some cases I fit upon the hearth so as to project further into the
room than the grate a metal or fire-clay box, into which I convey by a
pipe the heat and gases from the fire-box or from the openings in the
back of the grate. This pipe terminates in the metal or fire-clay box,
while another pipe leads from the said box into the chimney. The
metal or fire-clay box thus becomes heated, and the heat being radiated
assists. in warming the room. The metal or fire-clay box should be.
protected by a grating. Slides or doors should also be provided in order
to allow any accumulation of soot in the metal or firc-clay box or in the
pipes to be.removed..
I also construct ordinary domestic fire-places or "register" stoves with
the grate or fire-place proper projecting into the room instead of being
almost immediately under the chimney as heretofore, that is to say, I
construct the grate entirely in front of the ordinary front plate of the
fire-place, so. that much less heat passes up the chimney, and in order in.
this case to produce a sufficient draught I fit a projecting, hood over the

page_text: opening which leads into the chimney, and this hood may be made to
slide on vertical guides so as to regulate the draught as required, or it
may for the same purpose be hung on pins at each end so that it can be
pushed back into the air chamber or brought forward as required.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a front elevation, and Figure 2
a central transverse section of a stove or firc-place constructed according
to my Invention.
The bottom of the grate or fire-place proper is formed of hollow
corrugated firc-clay or iron slabs a with passages b, b, leading from front
to back. The back of the grate is also formed of corrugated slabs c,
with vertical passages (indicated by dotted lines at c¹ in Figure 2).
These passages c¹ communicate at their lower ends with the passages b,
while their upper ends open into a hot air chamber d at the back of the
stove. This chamber d may either be formed by enclosing a suitable
spaco behind the stove by means of metal plates, or as shewn in the
Drawing the sides, back, and bottom may be formed by the brickwork
or masonry of the building, while the top is shut in by metal plates e
which surround the fluc or chimney f; g is a fire-box or smoke-box
constructed in the hot air chamber d; an opening & in the fire-clay back
of the grate leads into this box, and a pipe i leads from the box into the
chimney f; k is the usual opening leading into the chimney f, and 1 is a
damper or register. The currents of air which pass through the
passages b and c become considerably warmed before reaching the hot
air chamber d, and they become still further heated by the heat of the
fire-box g. This heated air may be allowed to escape into the room a
through openings in the front plate m at n or at other suitable position;
or pipes fitted with cocks may be led from the hot air chamber d to any
desired part of the room or to any other room or part of the building to
convey and distribute heated air thereto.
As before mentioned the air for the passages b and hot air chamber d
may be brought from the external atmosphere by means of pipes. As
the opening interferes with the central vertical passage c¹ this passage
is made to communicate by branch passages with the other vertical
passages. The bottom of the smoke box g, can be taken off to allow of the
soot in the box being removed. For this purpose there is an opening; 3
at the bottom of the front plate m, as shown. This opening should be
provided with a door.

page_text: Figure 3 is a front elevation and Fig. 4 a central transverse section of
a stove or fire-place in which there is a metal or fire-clay box o pro-
jecting into the room as herein-before described. In this stove the smoke
and gases which pass through the opening at the back of the stove pass
down the pipe p which leads them into the box o. After circulating.
within and heating this box they enter the pipe q which conducts them
to the chimney f. The heat radiated by the box o assists in warming the
room; r is a grating to cover and protect the box. This grating as well
as the top of the box may be removed when necessary in order to allow
accumulations of soot in the box o, and in the pipes p and ġ, to be
removed.
In some cases I form small openings at the part marked w in Figure 4,
between the top of the box o and the grating r to admit more air to tho
hot air chamber d; this air would be warmed before reaching tho
chamber.
$
It will be observed more particularly in Figures 2 and 4 that the grate
or fire-place proper projects into the room as herein-before mentioned
instead of being almost immediately under the chimney as is the case
with ordinary "register" stoves; 8 (in all the Figures) is the hood
herein-before mentioned which I use to produce sufficient draught with
these projecting grates. This hood is free to slide up and down on
vertical guides t, t, for the purpose of regulating the draught as required.
I also prefer to make the hood in folds or sections as shown. Also to
divide it vertically by plates u so that the fire and smoke on their way
to the chimney pass through the divisions and consequently heat tho
hood, this heat being radiated into the room. The hood has openings in
the back corresponding with the opening or openings k, into the chimney.
When a fire-box is used as in Figures 1 and 2, the hood may be made
with a plain back so as when drawn down to close the openings k, all the
smoke and gases will then enter the fire-box. In some cases I fit the
grate directly upon the box o or upon the hearth, a fender may then be
dispensed with.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
"Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Warming Rooms or
Buildings."
1st. Constructing a fire-box or smoke box in a chamber at the back
and sides or back only of domestic fire-places, stoves, or kitchen ranges,

page_text: in order to heat the air in the said chamber, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
2nd. Constructing the grates of domestic fire-places, stoves, or kitchen
ranges with air passages in the bottom and back thereof leading to a
hot air chamber, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before 5
described.
3rd. The construction and employment in connection with domestic
fire-places, stoves, or kitchen ranges of a projecting box upon the hearth,
into which box the heat and gases from the fire (or some of them) are
conducted, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described: 1
4th. The construction and employment of an adjustable hood sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
5th. In combination with a hood I claim making the grate or fire-
place proper of domestic fire-places, or register stoves project into the
room, that is to say, entirely in front of the ordinary front plate, sub- 1
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Bult Verrier, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 14th day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
ATTA