IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1874

page_text: $5
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A communication from abroad by Mark
Antony Cushing, of Aurora, Illinois, United States of America.
Sealed the 2nd October 1874, and dated the 22nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd April 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-places
which have a metallic fire-back for heating currents of air passing in
> contact therewith through a chamber at the back of the fireplace, the

page_text: i
heated volume of air being either discharged into the apartment in
which the grate is set or conducted to another above by a suitable
flue.
The said Invention consists, first, in a tubular combustion chamber,
which presents an enlarged heating surface to the currents of air passing
in contact therewith; secondly, in the combination with the ash-pit and
smoke flue of the said fire-place of a dust flue and damper arranged and
operating as herein set forth.
Behind the mantelpiece on the hearth is placed a plate, shaped to
constitute three sides of a parallelogram, and which forms the ash-pit.
In the lower part of the ash-pit back is an opening, across the ends of
the ash-pit a grate is hung by trunnions, to one of which is secured a
crank, to the latter is secured a rod passing through the face of the
mantel jamb, and by means of which the grate may be shaken or
damped. I place a series of bars across the opening of. the fire-place,
which bars with the grate form a basket for containing the fuel.
Cast-iron tubes rest on a flange projecting from the top of the ash-pit.
Each tube is provided with a rib at one side and a groove at the other,
which receives the rib of the contiguous tube. The combustion chamber
is built up of these tubes, upon the tops of which rests a diaphragm 2
plate having a throat across the front part for the passage of the smoke
and gases of combustion. Where the edges of the diaphragm plate rest
upon the said. tubes the former is perforated to allow a free passage of
air currents through them.
A smoke chamber is arranged on the top of the diaphragm plate a
inside the tube openings, and from its back issues a horizontal flue
leading into the chimney. A short flue leads from the opening in the
ash-pit into a vertical dust flue communicating with the smoke flue. In
the upper part of this short flue is a wing damper whose shaft is
journalled through the ends, one end of the said shaft having secured
to it an arm to which is connected a rod that passes through an aperture
in the mantle front, and by means of which the damper is operated to
open and close the dust flue.
A casing or shell preferably of sheet metal forms a chamber behind
the fire-place, and is supplied with fresh air by suitable openings. The 3
heated air may be discharged from said chamber by openings in the

page_text: chimney breast into the same apartment, or it may be conducted by
flues to one or more rooms above.
When shaking the grate the damper should be opened, when all dust
and ashes will be drawn through the dust flue into the chimney, thus
ensuring perfect cleanliness and great economy of fuel in the use of this
fire-place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 21st October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me; the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
a communication to me from abroad by Mark Antony Cushing,
of Aurora, Illinois, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 imme-.
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
وو

page_text: "
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accom.
panying Drawing, forming part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-places
which have a metallic fire-back for heating currents of air passing in
contact therewith through a chamber at the back of the fire-place, the
heated volume of air being either discharged into the apartment in
which the grate is set or conducted to another above by a suitable
flue.
The said Invention consists, first, in a tubulous combustion chamber,
which presents an enlarged heating surface to the currents of air passing
in contact therewith; secondly, in the combination with the ash-pit and
smoke flue of the said fire-place of a dust flue and damper, arranged and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section at x, x, Figure 4.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the right-hand end.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross section at y, y, Figure 2.
Figure is a transverse section of three tubes of the combustion
chamber drawn to an enlarged scale.
A represents the face of a fire-place mantel, behind which on the
hearth is placed a plate B shaped to constitute three sides of a parallelo-
gram, and which forms the ash-pit; in the lower part of the ash-pit
back is an opening a. Across the ends of the ash-pit a grate b is hung.
by its trunnions, to one of which is secured a crank c; to the latter is
secured a rod d passing through the face of the mantel jamb, and by.
means of which the grate may be shaken or dumped. 6' is a series of.
bars across the opening of the fire-place, and which with the grate form
a basket for containing the fuel. C is a series of cast-iron tubes resting.

page_text: on a flange projecting from the top of the ash-pit. Each tube is
provided with a rib e at one side, and a groove e¹ at the other, which
receives the. rib of the contiguous tube. The combustion chamber is
built up of these tubes, upon the tops of which rests a diaphragm
plate D having a throat facross the front part for the passage of the
smoke and gases of combustion. Where the edges of the diaphragm
plate rest upon the tubes the former is perforated to allow a free passage
of air currents through them. E is a smoke chamber on the top of the
diaphragm plate inside of the tube openings, and from its back issues a
horizontal flue F leading into the chimney. 9 is a short flue leading
from the opening a in the ash-pit into a vertical dust flue g¹, communi-
cating with the smoke flue F. In the upper part of the flue g¹ is a wing
damper h, whose shaft is journaled through the ends, one end of said
shaft having secured to it an arm i; to the latter is connected a rod j,
which passes through an aperture in the mantel front, and by means of
which the damper h is operated to open and close the dust fluc. G is a
casing or shell, preferably of sheet metal, forming a chamber behind the
fire-place, and supplied with fresh air by openings at k or elsewhere, as
may be desired. The heated air may be discharged from the said
chamber by openings in the chimney breast into tlie same apartment, or
it may be conducted by flues to a room or rooms above.
.
The advantages of this grate are that in addition to the heat radiated
from the flames and incandescent fuel a large volume of air passing
through the chamber formed by the casing G is also heated, not to a low
degree, as in the case where a plain fire-back has been used, but to a
higher temperature, owing to the increased heat radiating surface of
metal due to the tubulous form of the fire-back and ends of the grate.
The air passing into the chamber in part passes up in contact with the
outer walls of the tubes, while the remainder is drawn into and passes
up through the tubes, which discharge it in a heated state.
heated air may be discharged into the apartment or carried to another
apartment above.
The
In shaking the grate the damper / should be opened, when all dust
and ashes will be drawn through the dust flues g, g¹, into the chimney,
thus ensuring perfect cleanliness and great economy of fuel in the use
of this fire-place.

page_text: me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A fire-place composed of tubes C forming its back and sides,
secured between the ash-pit plate B and diaphragm D surmounted by a
smoke box E and enclosed in an air chamber G, as above described.
Second. The dust flues g, g¹, damper h, arm i, and rod j, in com-
bination with the ash-pit opening a and flue F of the fire-place, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
HY. JAMES NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE.
(L.S.)