IMPROVING THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FULIGINOUS SMOKE FROM SHAFTS AND FLUES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Roberts, junior, of Whitechapel Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVING THE COMBUSTION OF
FUEL AND PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FULIGINOUS SMOKE FROM SHAFTS AND
FLUES."
Sealed the 5th February 1858, and dated the 10th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
August 1857.
I, JOHN ROBERTS, junior, of Whitechapel Road,in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVING THE COM-
BUSTION OF FUEL AND PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FULIGINOUS SMOKE FROM SHAFTS
AND FLUES," to be as follows (that is to say) :--
My Invention, which has reference to the construction of shafts and flues
with a view of preventing the carbonaceous properties of the smoke from
passing off unconsumed,consists in forming or fitting to the interior of the said
shafts or flues perforated plates or diaphragms, arranged in such manner as to
divide the lower portion of the shaft or flue into separate compartments,so that
the smoke may be conducted
be conducted through the same and sifted or purified in its
passage to the atmosphere, into which it escapes in a state of extreme tenuity
and deprived of its fuliginous particles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTS, junior, of Whitechapel Road, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven,in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Roberts,junior, Her special licence that I, the said John Roberts, junior,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Roberts, junior, 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 "IMPROVING THE COMBUSTION OF
FUEL AND PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FULIGINOUS SMOKE FROM SHAFTS AND
FLUES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Roberts,
junior, 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 Roberts, junior, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say):-
My Invention, which has reference to the construction of shafts and flues,
with a view of preventing the carbonaceous properties of the smoke from
passing off unconsumed, consists in forming or fitting to the interior of the
said shafts or flues perforated plates ordiaphragms arranged in such manner
as to divide the lower portion of the shaft or flue into separate compartments
so that the smoke may be conducted through the same and sifted or purified
on its passage to the atmosphere, into, which it escapes in a state of extreme
tenuity and deprived of its fuliginous particles.
But in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and

page_text: readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the lower portion of a circular shaft,
partly in section, showing my improvements attached; Fig. 2, a top or plan
view; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken through the dotted line in Fig. 1,
with the perforated diaphragms removed; Fig. 4, a view of one of the ‹lia-
phragms separately shown; Fig. 5, a side view of the lower portion of a
rectangular shaft, partly in section; Fig. 6, a top or plan view; Fig. 7, a
transverse section taken through the dotted line in Fig. 5; Fig. 8, a detached
view of one of the diaphragms; Fig. 9, a vertical front view, partly in section,
of a metallic flue or funnel for steamboats or otherwise; Fig. 10, a section
taken transversely through the same; Fig. 11,a view of one of the diaphragms
removed; Fig. 12, a front elevation of a fire-place and flue, showing the appli-
cation of my improvements thereto; Fig. 13, a sectional side elevation thereof
taken through the dotted line in Fig. 12; Fig. 14, a vertical front view of a
kitchen range with the flue, in section; Fig. 15, a front view of my improved
apparatus for purifying smoke as applied to stoves or fire-places; Fig. 16, a
top or plan view thereof, Fig. 17, a side elevation; Fig. 18, the base plate
separately shown; Fig. 19, a detached view of the metallic head or crown
containing the perforated plates; Fig. 20, a sectional front view of the appa-
ratus; and Fig. 21, a front view of a carriage lamp fitted with the perforated
crown or flue top. In each figure the same letters of reference denote similar
corresponding parts.
A, A, the shaft or flue; B, B, perforated plates or diaphragms of metal or
otherwise; C, C, bracket stays or shoulders upon which the said plates rest;
D, D, horizontal flue leading from the furnace; E, E, perforations through
which the smoke passes and is purified in its passage to the atmosphere; F,F,
stove or fire-place; G,G, chimney or flue; H, H, mantelpiece; I, I, metallic
head or crown containing the perforated plates as applied to stoves or fire-
places; I. 11, recess in which the same slides; J, J, base plate upon which
the same is mounted or secured; K, K, hand lever for opening or closing the
perforations in the lower plate, so as to increase or diminish the draught;
L, L, sliding groove joints formed in the base plate for removing or securing
the head or crown as required; M. M, carriage lamp; N, wick or burner.
In couclusion to the foregoing description I would here briefly remark that
the perforated plates or diaphragms may be formed or fitted to the interior of
shafts or flues in any convenient number, manner, or position, and contain
perforations decreasing in size from the lower to the upper ones, for which

page_text: open wirework or gauze may be substituted with similar advantages; and I
would further note, that in applying the said perforated plates to domestic
stoves or fire-places, it will be found desirable that the said plates should be
contained within a box or chamber, so as to be rendered portable and suitable
for being adjusted to the flue, as represented at Figs. 13 and 14, the said per-
forated plates in like manner being applicable for the heads of lamps for
carriages, or otherwise.
Having now fully described the nature of this my said Invention, and the
mauner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, I would
have it clearly understood that I do not intend to confine myself to the precise
details herein- before described, as the same might be varied without departing
from the general principle of these my said improvements; but that which I
do claim as new and of my said Invention is, the employment of perforated
plates or diaphragms within shafts or flues in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Roberts, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOHN ROBERTS, J. (L.S.)
Witness,
F. R. DARKIN CAMPBELL,
Clerk to Messrs Weatherdon & Co.,
77, Chancery Lane.