IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSISTING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL IN GRATES AND IN PROMOTING THE DRAUGHT THEREIN AND IN THE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wear Davidson of Clapton in the County of
Middlesex and James Speir of Arthur Street East in the City of London
Merchant for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASSISTING THE COMBUSTION
OF FUEL IN GRATES AND IN PROMOTING THE DRAUGHT THEREIN AND IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wear Davidson and
James Speir at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th February 1883.
HENRY WEAR DAVIDSON of Clapton in the County of Middlesex and JAMES SPEIR
of Arthur Street East in the City of London Merchant "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ASSISTING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL IN GRATES AND IN PROMOTING THE DRAUGHT
THEREIN AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention has for its objects to promote draught, aid combustion stop down
draught and in the case of Bituminous Coal considerably reduce the quantity of
Smoke in and from fire grates and consists in the use as hereinafter described of
Asbestos paper or cloth or material consisting wholly or partially of Asbestos or of
textile or other fabrics or materials so treated as to render them incombustible or
partially incombustible
In carrying the Invention into practice there is used a screen or blower either
fixed or portable which may be applied to the Grate as follows:-
A rod or tube of metal or other suitable material having sliding rings upon it
may be fixed above the aperture of the grate running horizontally with the Mantel
piece. To these rings are attached two curtains of Asbestos paper or other
material herein before mentioned of sufficient length to reach below the first or
second bar of the grate and with hooks at bottom to fix to the bar-The curtains
thus arranged can be slidden backwards or forwards leaving the aperture open or
closed to the extent required. The said curtains would be provided with Asbestos
cords to festoon them as required

page_text: In special shapes of grates a sheet of Asbestos paper or other material herein-
before mentioned of the required size may be used it being arranged and fixed in a
similar manner to a Carriage blind the roller being a Cylinder of glass or other
suitable material worked by a spring or other convenient arrangement the whole
being attached and worked in slides like a carriage blind.
A simple and portable form according to this Invention may be made by
stretching a sheet of Asbestos paper or other material hereinbefore mentioned
between stiff wires or thin blades of iron steel or other suitable metal or material
having clutches at the lower extremities to fix on the upper fire bar.
Another convenient form may be made by stretching the Asbestos paper on
several thin blades of steel iron or other suitable metal or material with clutches
on the side blades and the whole arranged to fold up after the manner of a fan

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters: Patent filed by
the said Henry Wear Davidson and James Speir in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th August 1883.
HENRY WEAR DAVIDSON, of. Clapton in the County of Middlesex and JAMES SPEIR
of. Arthur Street East, in the City of London, Merchant "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ASSISTING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL IN GRATES AND. IN PROMOTING. THE DRAUGHT
THEREIN AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREIN
"
Our said Invention has for its object to promote 'draught, aid combustion, stop
down draught, and in the case of bituminous coal considerably reduce the quantity
of smoke in and from fire grates and consists in the use as hereinafter described of
asbestos paper or cloth or material consisting wholly or partially of asbestos or of
textile or other fabrics or materials so treated as' to render them incombustible or
partially incombustible.
In carrying the Invention into practice there is used a screen or blower either
fixed or portable which may be applied to the grate as follows:-
A rod or tube of metal or other suitable materiál having sliding rings upon it,
may be fixed above the aperture of the grate running horizontally with the
mantelpiece.
To these rings are attached two curtains of asbestos paper or other material
hereinbefore mentioned of sufficient' length to reach below the first or second bar of
the grate and with books at bottom to fix to the bar. The curtains thus arranged
can be slidden backwards or forwards leaving the aperture open or closed to the
extent required. The said curtains would be provided with asbestos.cords to
festoon them as required.
In special shapes of grates, a sheet of asbestos paper or other material herein-
before mentioned of the required size may be used it being arranged and fixed in
a similar manner to a carriage blind the roller being a cylinder of glass or other
suitable material worked by a spring or other convenient arrangement, the whole
being attached and worked in slides like a carriage blind.
A simple and portable form according to this Invention may be made by
stretching a Sheet of asbestos paper or other material hereinbefore mentioned
between stiff wires or thin blades of iron steel or other suitable métal or material
having clutches at the lower extremities to fix on the upper fire bar.
Another convenient form may be made by stretching the asbestos paper on
several thin blades of steel wire or other suitable metal or material with clutches
on the side blades and the whole arranged to fold up after the mauner of a fan.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system mode or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings and to the Letters and Figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
Figure 1, of the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, represents a front view of
the screen or blower applied to an ordinary fire place and constructed in
accordance with the first modification of our said Invention.
A rod or tube u, of metal or other suitable material having sliding rings a², upon
it, is fixed above the aperture of the grate, the said rod running horizontally with
the mantelpiece. To the rings à', are attached two curtains b, of asbestos paper or
other similar incombustible or partially incombustible material, the said curtains
being if sufficient depth to reach to the top or second bar of the grate or in
proximity thereto, the said curtains being provided with hooks a³, at the corners

page_text: .
thereof, if found necessary, and as shewn in the drawing, to keep the curtains in
the required position.
The curtains thus arranged can be slidden backwards or forwards so as to
present any desired aperture or apertures.--The said curtains may be provided
with asbestos cords b¹, as shewn to festoon the folds of the curtains.
In lieu of two curtains, one curtain only may be similarly used.
In Figure 2, being a front view, we have shewn a modification of our invention
operating after the manner of an ordinary carriage blind,-Figure 2*, being a side
elevation of the same.
A roller or barrel of tin or other suitable metal or material is mounted above
the grate and horizontally with the mantelpiece, the said barrel being provided
with a spring. Upon the barrel is wound by the aid of the spring a sheet b, of
asbestos paper, cloth, thin millboard or other similar material, and is so arranged
that by pulling down the roll of asbestos towards the fire bars the draught of air
may be increased to the required extent thus acting as a powerful blower.-Guide
rods d, are mounted at the sides of the grate upon which the eyes or hooks e, of a
horizontal rod e', attached to the bottom edge of the curtain, are allowed to slide.-
The curtain in its lowered position as shewn in the Drawing may be secured to
one of the bars if necessary and the curtain may also be held in any required
position by an ordinary "click" in connection with the top roller c.
Small pieces ac, of talc or similar material may be inserted as shewn, in the body
of the curtain to allow of the fire being seen while the blowers are being used.
In Figure 3, we have shewn a modification of our invention in which a Sheet b
of asbestos paper or other material as before mentioned is hung upon a cross wire
or rod f, at its top and the bottom of the curtain being provided with a wire or
rod h. The said rod h, rests against the side of the grate to allow the curtain b,
when pressed by the air to ccal-the aperture of the grate which it covers.-When
in use this form of screen is placed upright against the grate as shewn and used as
a blower until the coal is in an active state of combustion.-The two side wires
-may be folded parallel with the top cross wire f, and the paper rolled round the
three wires thus forming a simple and compact form of apparatus.
In Figure 4, the asbestos paper or other material is provided with wires or rods
2, i, at the top and bottom thereof and is provided with a sliding block i³, which
is free to move up and down upon a rod j, the said rod having several notches
Dear the top thereof for the sliding block i, to rest in.-The rod j, being placed
against the grate, the blind or blower is adjusted thereon at the height required.-
When not in use the sliding piece i³, may be brought down to the middle of the
rod j, and the sliding piece i³, having a swivel, the two horizontal wires i, i¹, can
be brought parallel with the rod j, and the blind rolled round the wires which are
thus brought into a compact body.
In Figure 5, is an arrangement in which the asbestos paper or other material b,
is capable of being mounted in front of the fire as a fan.-The end or handle
portion of the fan b, of asbestos, (the fan being of ordinary construction) is fixed
upon a pivot or hinge so as to be capable, when folded up, of being turned down
and laid within the parallel wires k, forming the arm of a handle k¹, the said wire
arm being bent at , as shewn more particularly in sectional side elevation
Figure 5, to catch the top and second bars of the grate.-The pivoted fan is also
BO mounted as to slide along the arms k. In Figure 5b, the fan and its mountings
are shewn detached from the grate, the fan being closed up within the arms and
ready to be stowed away or hung up when not required for use.
Figure 6, also represents our invention as applied to the grate after the manner
of a fan. The fan in this modification consists of three portions b', b², b³, pivoted
upon the pin e, the said pin being formed in a bracket e¹, forming the top or back
of the clip L, which as shewn clearly in the sectional side elevation Figure 6ª,
grips the top bar of the grate under the action of the spring -When not in use
the fan can be closed up as shewn in Figure 6), and hung up out of the way, by
the clip portion of the apparatus.

page_text: Our invention is capable of many further modifications to suit different varieties
of grates and we would observe that the blowers may be made ornamental and
used as summer screens by having various designs painted or otherwise shewn on
the asbestos, asbestos paper or other material.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and the system, mode or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect we would observe in conclusion that we
do not limit ourselves to the precise arrangement hereinbefore described and
shewn on the Drawings as the same may be varied in many ways without
departing from the essential features of our said Invention but what we consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
The employment of asbestos, asbestos paper, or cloth or other similar incom-
bustible or partially incombustible material for the purpose of assisting the
combustion of fuel in grates and promoting the draught therein and for other
analogous purposes substantially as and in the manner hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In Witness Whereof we, the said Henry Wear Davidson and James Speir have
hereunto set our hands and seals this fifteenth day of August in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.