Improvements in the Manufacture of Guards for Fire Places and other similar Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 188
Complete Left, 31st Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 4th May, 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Guards for Fire Places and
other similar Purposes.
We WILLIAM HENRY SPROSTON SAMUEL SPROSTON, and CHARLES SPROSTON, all
of Wellington Road, Dudley in the county of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby
declare the naturo of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of guards for fire places, and other places
of danger, and consists in making such guards after the manner and method of making
metallic bedsteads, that is to say, instead of building up such structures chiefly by
rivetting their parts together, as at present, wo should join such parts together by
means of cast"chills"; and further provide upon certain parts of such structures,
cast chill brackets or dovetails or projections to receive such other parts that may be
desired for useful or ornamental design, and insert and secure certain parts by screw
pins and terminal ornamental nut mounts, similar as in bedstead constructions.
For instance, in the case of a common kitchen fire guard, where there is a top and
bottom rail, having a number of upright rods from end to end between such rails.
We should provide a suitable frame wherein to lay the various rods and rails, having
moulds at their junctions, wherein the molten metal is run, uniting such parts together
when cold; such structures with their various parts to be afterwards variously finished
and completed similarly as are metallic bodsteads, or as otherwise desired.
We should generally make such guards in two or more parts jointed together, as
for instance in the case of a fire guard we might make one part about equal in width
to the said fire place, and further provide two shorter parts, and hinge or joint one to
either end, so that such parts may open out at right (or right) angles to the said main
part.
Where such joints are made of cast iron, we should make them upon the necessary
rails or rods, similar to the forming of the cast" chills," and either provide short hingo
rivots or pivots or provide a long joint rod running from top to bottom, through each
or any of such joints.
Further, where it is desired to carry any object, bracket, or othor structure from or
upon such guards, we should readily and easily provide for such, by casting upon

page_text: their rods or rails, such lumps, dovetails, or other formations, as may be necessary for
such purposes; for instance in the common kitchen fire guard it is often desirous to
so construct them, that there shall be a sliding plate or plates passing from side to
side; these are generally carried upon two or more slide bars rivetted to the frame
at each end. In our method of construction however we should provide cast chill
dovetails upon the frames at each end into which the ends of the slide bars may pass.
Thus it will be seen that with our method of construction, the whole structure may
be taken to pieces or folded up into a small bulk, and thus very much facilitate
transport.
We may use for such constructions, tubes or solid rods of any approved section;
and ornainent or embellish them with any kind of terminal or other mounts, or
metal panels, and introduce brass or other tubes or rods, according as the design may
require, and paint, japan, gild &c. as desired.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
4, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: The ends or wings of the guard, aro constructed in a similar manner to the front,
having however one hinge joint only, which is connected to the corresponding hinge
joint upon the front.
Upon the upright rods in the ends or wings and at each end of the guard, we cast a
chill m, having formed therein a dovetail or its equivalent, as seen in Figs. 3, 4 & 5.
We then form two slide rods n, n, and unite their ends together by the junction
cast chills o, o, having a dovetail corresponding to and fitting in the clulls m, m.
Upon these two slide rods we mount a sliding trivet plate p which latter is of ordinary
construction.
Again. We are enabled by this our improved method of construction easily and
economically to provide means for carrying brackets &c., at any other desirablo part
of the structure as for instance ;-At we may cast upon the rods a, the chills r
having dovetails to receive the bracket plate s, or other useful or ornamental
appendage upon which is provided a dovetail to correspond with the dovetail in the
cast chill r.
The ornamental metallic mounts t, t, or other similar mounts, are fixed in their
respective places in the usual manner, either by being passed on to the rods, before
the chills are cast, or where admissable from their shape or position, they are preferably
secured after such chills are cast.
The attachment of the bar, and the mounts e, e, will be clearly seen by reference
to detail Fig. 7.
In Fig. 8 we have illustrated a guard made according to our invention in its
simplest form, having no metallic ornamental mounts, and further shown in a folded
position.
It will be seen that by this our improved method of manufacture, wo are enabled
to make guards in a very simple and economical manner, having provisions for
detachable useful or ornamental appendages, such parts being readily removed, and
the guard itself folded up into a compact form for transit or storage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improved method of manufacturing fire guards, as herein described and
illustrated upon the drawings, that is to say; the securing of the rods or tubes forming
the guards, together at their junctions, by means of the cast iron chills, substantially
as set forth.
2. In the manufacture of fire guards the combination with the fronts and ends of
such guards, of the cast chill hinge joints y, y, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the fronts and ends of fire guards, of the cast chills,
having dovetails or their equivalents for securing and supporting useful or ornamental
appendages, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 29th day of March 1888.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants' Agent.