IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOWERS AND HEAT REGULATORS FOR FIRE PLACES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, NIELS POULSON, manufacturer, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings,
in the state of New-York one of the United States of America do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOWERS AND HEAT
REGULATORS FOR FIRE PLACES" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention consists of a folding combined blower and heat regulator con-
structed on the lazy-tongs principle, the blower being combined with a lever or
levers in such a manner that when properly attached to a fire-place frame or
mantel it will be counter-balanced by the said lever or levers and so guided
thereby in 'unfolding that it may project at various angles, to act as a heat
regulator or screen, or shut down close against the fire place frame, to act as
a blower.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have illustrated in
the annexed drawings, and will proceed to describe a practical form thereof.
Fig 1 is a front elevation of a fire-place provided with my improved blower and
heat regulator.
Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof, the position of the blower when acting as
a heat regulator or screen, or when folded up and out of service being indicated
by dotted lines.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the blower and heat regulator as it appears when
viewed from the rear of a fire-place front.
The same letters of reference indicate identical parts in all the figures.
The body of the blower illustrated consists of a number of sheet metal plates A
having end flanges c c across their respective ends, which flanges form, in con-
junction with levers B & C a pair of lazy tongs by which the plates of the blower
may be folded up or unfolded. The plates also have longitudinal flanges d and e,
projecting in opposite directions. When the blower is wholly unfolded the flange d
of one plate laps the flange e of the adjacent plate, and the two flanges practically
close the space between the two plates. One arm of a lever D is pivoted to one
end of one of the end flanges c of one of the plates A, and the corresponding arm
of a similar lever may be pivoted to the corresponding end of the other flange c-of
said plate. The other. arms of these levers D are suitably weighted. A plate or
curtain F is pivotally suspended from the outer edge of the lowest plate A of the
blower, and provided with a suitable handle f.

page_text: In applying this blower to a fire-place the top plate A is pivoted at its ends and
near. its outer edge, as at a, figs 2 & 3 to the frame of the fire-place, preferably in
a suitable recess Ğ therein, and the levers D are also pivoted to said frame at such
points as at a figs 2 and 3, that the plates A can be folded up close against each
other in the said recess when not in use, and made to close the opening of the
frame down to the grate basket when wholly unfolded. The levers D project into
the fire-place, and are so weighted as to counterbalance the plates and lazy-tongs,
so that the blower may be projected and sustained at various, angles, to act as a
heat regulator or screen as well. The blower can be readily adjusted to any
required position by taking hold of the handle on curtain plate F. This pendant
curtain is a little longer than the plates A, and should be made fully as wide, so
that it will cover the levers B and C as well as the plate A when the plate is
folded up into its recess.."
This blower may be quite plain, or ornamented to any degree to correspond
with the design of the fire-place. One of the levers D may be omitted and
replaced by a link H for connecting one of the intermediate plates of the blower
to the fire-place frame (as shown in fig. 3). The end flanges cc of the plates, if
too thin, may be reinforced by suitable bars.
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
1st A folding blower composed of a number of plates, a pair of lazy-tongs, and
a counter-balancing lever, substantially as before set forth.
2nd A folding blower composed of a number of plates, a pair of lazy-tongs,
a pendant curtain, and a counter-balancing lever, substantially as before set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1884.
BRANDON & SONS,
Agents for Applicant,
1, Rue Laffitte, Paris.