AN IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING FIRES
Year: 1867

page_text: Scaled the 26th July 1867, and dated the 30th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fretcheville Dykes
Donnelly at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th January 1867.
I, JOHN FRETCHEVILLE DYKES DONNELLY, of South Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Captain in the Royal Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
LIGHTING FIRES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of an improved means of and apparatus for lighting fires
consists in adapting to a fire-grate an arrangement of burner or burners to be
supplied with ordinary gas, which when ignited and brought into contact with
the fuel will ignite the same without the use of the paper and wood usually
employed for the purpose.
In carrying out my Invention I make use of a suitable burner or burners
which may be made fixtures, or they may be jointed to some convenient part of
the grate, so that when the coal in the fire-place has been ignited the burners
may be withdrawn, or they may be fitted to a moveable stand removable at
Price 8d1

page_text: will and supplied with gas through a flexible tube. The object of the Inven-
tion being to ignite the coal or fuel by the flame of gas instead of by burning
wood and paper, as is now the case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent, filed
by the said John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FRETCHEVILLE DYKES DONNELLY, of South Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain in the Royal Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly, Her special licence that I, the said
John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING FIRES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Fretcheville Dykes
Donnelly, 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 John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly, do
hereby 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "An Improved Means of and Apparatus for Lighting
Fires" consists in adapting to a fire-grate an arrangement of burner or
burners to be supplied with ordinary gas, which when ignited and brought

page_text: into contact with the fuel will ignite the same without the use of the paper
and wood usually employed for the purpose.
In carrying out my Invention I make use of a suitable burner or burners
which may be made fixtures, or they may be jointed to some convenient part
of the grate, so that when the coal in the fire-place has been ignited the
burners may be withdrawn, or they may be fitted to a moveable stand
moveable at will and supplied with gas through a flexible tube, the object of
the Invention being to ignite the coal or fuel by the flame of gas instead of by
burning wood and paper, as is now the case.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Figure 1 an arrangement
suitable for effecting the object of the Invention.
a, a, a, a, are the front bars of a common domestic stove or grate. The
fuel (that is, the coal and cinders) are placed in the grate in the ordinary
manner, and instead of lighting the fire by means of paper and wood as usual,
the flame of gas from a burner b is made to pass between the front bars of
the grate and impinge upon the fuel placed therein, and which will therefore
soon become ignited.
I do not confine myself to any particular form of burner, but the burner I
have found to be most applicable for the intended purpose is that shewn in the
Drawing at Fig. 2, which is a longitudinal section of this burner, and which
it will be seen is constructed upon the well-known principle of the Bunsen
burner. is the gas jet, which is enclosed within a cylindrical case or
jacket d perforated at its base. The object of this jacket is to allow air to
mix with the gas, and by making the combustion more perfect raise its
temperature, acting in fact as a blow pipe. The mixed air and gas passes
through an opening at the top of the case d, from which it issues in a body of
flame at a high temperature, which flame is made to impinge upon the fuel, as
shewn in the Drawing. If desired this burner or more than one may be made
a fixture below the fire-bars of the grate, and so arranged as to cause the
flame (when it issues from the burner) to pass between the fire-bars and
impinge on the fuel, but it will be found most convenient to joint the Bunseu
burner or burners to the side of the fire-place, so that they may be brought
forward to play on the fuel between the front bars of the grate, and folded
back again at pleasure, or to adopt the arrangement shewn in the Drawing,
in which it will be seen that the Bunsen burner is adapted to a moveable
stand, and is supplied with gas by the flexible india-rubber tube g, so that
when the fire is properly ignited the burner and stand may be altogether
removed.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Means of and

page_text: Apparatus for Lighting Fires," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I would observe that I am aware it has been proposed to
adapt gas burners to a fire-grate in such a manner as to cause the flame to
impinge upon and heat or ignite solid substances placed therein, but this has
heretofore been done in an inconvenient manner, and the apparatus has been
liable to derangement from the heat of the fire, I do not therefore claim as
new the broad principle of igniting fuel by means of a flame of gas; but that
which I consider to be new, and therefore desire to claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is, the mode of and apparatus
herein set forth for lighting fires by means of a flame of gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fretcheville Dykes Donnelly,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven.
Witness,
GEORGE C. T. BARTLEY,
Ealing, W.
J. F. D. DONNELLY. (L.s.)
Cap. R.E.,
29.7.67.