IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR SUPPLYING FRESII AIR TO FIRE- PLACES, STOVES, FURNACES, ROOMS, KILNS, MINES, AND OTHER ENCLOSED SPACES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, FREDERICK HENRY SMITH of " Harefield" Winchmore Hill in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR SUPPLYING FRESII AIR TO FIRE-
PLACES, STOVES, FURNACES, ROOMS, KILNS, MINES, AND OTHER ENCLOSED SPACES,"
to be as follows:-
My present Invention relates more especially to certain improvements on the
means and appliances for supplying fresh air to and withdrawing vitiated air from
fireplaces, rooms and other enclosed spaces, described in the specification of a
Patent granted to me and bearing date the 22nd day of October 1881 No. 4538.
In the specification of the said Patent is described an appliance which may be
placed in the base of a chimney over the fireplace or in the ceiling of a room, or in
other position according to the nature of the enclosed space to be ventilated, and an
arrangement of inlet and outlet pipes or passages in connection with the said
appliance, whereby fresh air is drawn into the fireplace, room or other enclosed
space, and vitiated air drawn therefrom. The said appliance which I call an
aspirator, consists essentially of two discs, perforated in the centre for the passage
upwards of the warm or vitiated air, and placed a short distance apart, a current of
fresh air being admitted between them through an air pipe or through perforations
in a cover plate, the said current of air being induced by the upward current of
warm or vitiated air through the aspirator. According to my present invention
I place the pipe or passage through which the warm or vitiated air passes after
leaving the aspirator, inside the pipe or passage which conducts the fresh air to the
aspirator and to the fireplace, room or other enclosed space; by this means the
fresh air passing to the aspirator and to the fireplace, room or other enclosed space,
is warmed by contact with the pipe or passage through which the warm air is
escaping. When applying my present improvements to a fireplace with an
ordinary chimney for example, I place the pipe for conveying away the heated
products of combustion, inside the chimney, taking care to extend the said pipe a
short distance above the top of the said chimney and to cover it with a hood to
prevent down draft, the fresh air then passes down the chimney round the said
pipe and is delivered by suitable passages or openings to the aspirator, to the fire-
place, to the room or to all of them. The supply of fresh air to the aspirator may
be admitted thereto through perforations in its cover or preferably through an
annular jacket surrounding the warm air outlet pipe, a suitable damper being
however provided whereby the admission of fresh air to the aspirator can be cut off
when required, as for instance when the fire is first lighted, and when the maximum

page_text: draft is required to cause the fire to burn up quickly. The top of the chimney,
which is thus converted into a fresh air inlet, should be covered by louvres or
otherwise so as to exclude rain but to allow air to enter. The aspirator when
applied to a fireplace is preferably placed on the top of a truncated cone or other
suitably shaped casing of metal, fireclay or other suitable material surrounding the
fireplace which stands in the bottom of the said casing and is preferably so placed
that the fresh air coming down the chimney has free access to it all round and
below, this may be effected by allowing the said air to pass under the lower edge
of the casing (which for that purpose may be supported a short distance above the
hearth) or through perforations inade near the bottom of the said casing. An
opening may be left in the front of the casing when it is desired that the fireplace
shall be an open one and, when it is required to act as a stove or furnace the said
opening may be closed with a door in the usual way.
In some cases the aspirator may be dispensed with, the fresh air inlet pipe being
made to surround the warm air outlet pipe as before described, the other arrange-
ments remaining unaltered, an ordinary damper being employed for the regulation
of the draught in the outlet pipe.
It will be understood that the above described arrangements can be readily
modified to suit the various exigencies of their application to the ventilation of
mines or other closed spaces or to the supporting of combustion in furnaces, kilns
and other such like places.
F. H. SMITH.
Per W. H. Beck, Agent,
115, Cannon Street, London.
Improvements in Means and Appliances for Supplying Fresh
Air to Fireplaces, Stoves, Furnaces, Rooms, Kilns, Mines,
and other Enclosed Spaces.
I, FREDERICK HENRY SMITH of "Harefield" Winchmore Hill in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR SUPPLYING FRESH AIR TO FIREPLACES,
STOVES, FURNACES, ROOMS, KILNS, MINES AND OTHER ENCLOSED SPACES 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 accoin-
panying sheet of drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My present invention relates, more especially, to certain improvements on the
means and appliances for supplying fresh air to, and withdrawing vitiated air from,

page_text: fireplaces, rooms and other enclosed spaces, described in the specification of a patent
granted to me, and bearing date the 22nd day of October 1881 N° 4638. In the
specification of the said patent is described an appliance which may be placed in
the base of a chimney over the fireplace, or in the ceiling of a room, or in other
position according to the nature of the enclosed space to be ventilated, and an
arrangement of inlet and outlet pipes or passages in connection with the said
appliance, whereby fresh air is drawn into the fireplace, room, or other enclosed
space, and vitiated air drawn therefrom. The said appliance, which I call an
aspirator" is seen in section in Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed, and
consists essentially of two discs E and J, perforated in the centre for the passage
upwards of the warm or vitiated air, and placed a short distance apart; a current
of fresh air being admitted between them through an air pipe or through perfora-
tions or other suitable opening or openings in a cover plate J', the said current of
air being induced by the upward current of warm or vitiated air through the
aspirator," the direction of which current is indicated by the feathered arrows in
Figure 1 of the drawings.
"
"
In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a vertical section through a fire-
place with my improvements applied thereto, Figure 2 is a half vertical section on
line HB of Figure 1, and a half front elevation, and Figure 3 half plans on lines
CD and E F of Figure 2.
"
According to my present invention, I place the pipe or passage M, through which
the warm or vitiated air passes after leaving the "aspirator," inside the pipe or
passage U which conducts the fresh air to the "aspirator" and to the fireplace,
room or other enclosed space; by this means the fresh air passing to the "aspirator"
and to the fireplace, room or other enclosed space is warmed by contact with the
pipe or passage M, through which the warm air is escaping. When applying my
present improvements to a fireplace with an ordinary chimney for example, I place
the pipe M, for conveying away the heated products of combustion, inside the
chimney (as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings in which U represents the said
chimney) taking care to extend the said pipe M a short distance above the top of
the said chimney U, and to cover it with a hood or cap to prevent down draught;
the fresh air then passes down the chimney U round the said pipe M, as shown
by the plain arrows, and is delivered by suitable passages or openings to the
aspirator;" to the fireplace; to the room, or to all of them. The supply of fresh
air to the "aspirator" may be admitted thereto through an opening in its cover;
or preferably through an annular jacket U* surrounding the warm air outlet pipe M,
a suitable damper being however provided whereby the admission of fresh air to the
aspirator" can be cut off when required, as for instance when the fire is first
lighted, and when the maximum draft is required to cause the fire to burn up
quickly. The top of the chimney U, which chimney is thus converted into a
fresh air inlet, should be covered by louvres or otherwise so as to exclude rain, but
to allow air to enter. The "aspirator," when applied to a fireplace, is preferably
placed at the top of a truncated cone or p; ramid, or other suitably shaped casing
of metal, fireclay or other suitable material, surrounding the fireplace, stove, or
brazier D which stands at the bottom of the said casing, and is preferably so placed
that the fresh air coming down the chimney U has free access to it all round and
below through the pipes B which descend from the division plate C. This may be
effected by allowing the said air to pass under the lower edge of the casing Q
(which for that purpose may be supported a short distance above the hearth) or
through perforations made near the bottom of the said casing. An opening A may
be left in the front of the casing Q when it is desired that the fireplace shall be an
open one, and when it is required to act as a stove or furnace, the said opening
may be closed with a door in the usual way.
"
In some cases the "aspirator" may be dispensed with; the fresh air inlet pipe
being however made to surround the warm air outlet pipe as before described; the
other arrangements remaining unaltered, and an ordinary damper employed for the
regulation of the draught in the outlet pipe.

page_text: It will be understood that the above described arrangements can be readily
modified to suit the various exigencies of their application to the ventilation of
mines or other closed spaces, or to the supporting of combustion in furnaces, kilns
and other such like places.
Instead of that part of the warmed fresh air, which passes down the inlet channel
but does not return through the aspirator, being admitted directly to the fireplace,
stove, or brazier, it may be discharged through suitable pipes or passages into the
room for the purpose of warming and ventilating the same, and be then returned
to the fireplace to support combustion therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. Placing the pipe or passage through which the warm or vitiated air
escapes from the fireplace, furnace, room, or other enclosed space inside the pipe or
passage which conducts the fresh air to the "aspirator" and to the fireplace, room
or other enclosed space as herein before described, and illustrated in the drawings
hereto annexed.
Second. The truncated conical pyramidal or other suitably shaped casing con-
taining a fireplace, stove, or brazier, with or without the "aspirator" placed at the
top of the said casing and the vitiated air outlet pipe or passage placed within and
passing through the fresh air inlet pipe or passage, the whole arranged, combined,
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the
drawings hereto annexed.