AN IMPROVEMENT IN STOVES AND FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Leslie, of Conduit Street, Regent Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN STOVES
AND FIRE-PLACES."
Sealed the 5tli June 1857, and dated the 6th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Leslie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th December
1856.
I, JOHN LESLIE, of Conduit Street, Regent Street, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN STOVES AND FIRE-PLACES," to bo as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in stoves and fire-places.
For this purpose a stove or fire-place is made with a solid bottom, as is
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me. The front
is formed with a grating or fire bars; the back is made by preference of fire-
brick or fire clay. The outlet or flue into the chimney is just above the
bottom of the stove or fire-place, so that the air entering in front passes to
the flue through the fire. That part of the air which enters the fire above the
flue, together with the smoke and products of combustion from the fresh fuel,
passes downwards through the well ignited fuel near the bottom, and tho
smoke and products become ignited and consumed. At the top of the fire-
place or stove, over the fire, is a moveable cover of fire clay, which closes the
fire at top. In front of the fire are air tubes, communicating with the outer
atmosphere, by which air is conducted to the fire near the bottom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Leslie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June
1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOпN
LESLIE, of Conduit Street, Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Leslic, Her special licence that I, the said John Leslie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Leslie, 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 IMPROVEMENT IN STOVES AND
FIRE-PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Leslie,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 tho said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Leslie, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object an improvement in stoves and fire-places.
For this purpose a stove or fire-place is made with a solid bottom, as is
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me. The front
is formed with a grating or fire bars; the back is made by preference of fire
brick.or fire clay. The outlet or flue into the chimney is just above the
bottom of the stove or fire-place, so that the air entering in front passes to
the flue through the fire. That part of the air which enters the fire above the
flue, together with the smoke and products of combustion from the fresh fuel,
passes downwards through the well-ignited fuel near the bottom, and the
smoke and products become ignited and consumed. At the top of the fire-

page_text: place or stove, over the fire, is a moveable cover of fire clay, which closes in
the fire at top. In front of the fire are air tubes, communicating with the
outer atmosphere, by which air is conducted to the fire near the bottom.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In some cases the bottom of a fire-place for supporting the fire may be
above the hearth; in others, the back part of the hearth itself may constitute
the bottom of the fire-place, there being no grating or fire bars used under
the fire when constructing fire-places or stoves according to this Invention,
and in this respect a fire-place or stove made according to my present Inven-
tion is similar to those made under a previous Patent granted to me. But
according to the present Invention, the only opening into the chimney or flue
for the products of combustion to pass away from the fire is formed just above
the bottom of the fire-place, which it is preferred to form of fire clay, and
such opening is made at the back of the firo-place, and about two or three
inches high, two to three inches in depth from front to back, and as wide or
nearly as wide as it is wished to make the fire in front of such opening. The
bottom or hearth of the fire-place on which the burning fuel rests proceeds
back or extends to the back of the flue or chimney, and the front part of the
flue or chimney, which is directly above the hearth or bottom of the fire-place,
is by preference made of fire clay, as it is here that the most intense heat is
produced, and such part I prefer to be about two or three inches thick at its
under edge. The fuel for the time being used in the fire-place may be
retained from spreading over the front of the hearth or bottom by firo bars,
fixed at a distance from and in front of the passage or opening into the
chimney; but it is not essential to have any fire bars in front, as the fuel may,
when preferred, simply be made up in a heap in front of the opening or
passage into the flue or chimney, and so as to partly enter such passage or
opening into the flue or chimney; and when desired, a slab or cover of firo
clay may be applied above the opening into the flue or chimney, the parts in
front of the chimney being made suitable for supporting such cover or slab
above the fire, and above the opening into the fluo or chimney. The sides of
the recess constituting the fire-place (above the bottom or hearth on which
the fire lies) are by preference made of fire clay, and of such form or
according to such device as may be dictated by taste. In front of such fire-
places air tubes are applied, which rise up through the hearth, and they are
bent over or incline, and have their open ends towards the fuel. The air tubes
are arranged to pass out from under the hearth to the open air outside of the
building, or they pass into a chamber or recess below the hearth, which is

page_text: open to the outer atmosphere. It is preferred that such tubes should be
suitably arranged with valves or slides, to regulate the quantity of air allowed
to pass through them to the fire. In using fire-places or stoves constructed
as above explained, the coal is placed on the bottom or hearth in. a heap
(circumscribed or not in front by fire bars, as the case may be,) in front of
the opening into the chimney or flue, and so that part of the fuel lies within
the passage into the chimney or flue. The most intense burning of the fuel
will bo on the upper surface of the heap, and the speed of burning may be
regulated by having a damper or throttle valve in the chimney. As the fuel
burns away, the more ignited parts are pushed back towards the entrance into
the flue or chimney, and the fresh fuel is to be applied in front of the heap.
By thus constructing stoves or fire places, as the fresh coal becomes heated
and gives off products, such products, together with atmospheric air, will, by
the draft into the chimney, be induced or caused to pass over the more highly
heated fuel, and under the highly heated fire clay passage into the chimney,
by which such products will become well ignited, and the fuel will be burned
without evolving so much smoke as heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Leslie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
HENRY LESLIE.
JOHN LESLIE. (L.S.)