AN IMPROVED SMOKE SCREEN FOR FIREPLACES
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
I, WILLIAM KEITH, No. 76 and 78 Castle Street, in the Town and County of
Forfar, North Britain, Plumber and Gas Fitter do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for AN IMPROVED SMOKE SCREEN FOR FIREPLACES to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to an improved Smoke Screen for fireplaces, is more
especially applicable to domestic fireplaces of all sorts for preventing the emission of
smoke into the room, to draw up the fire, to regulate it and also to damp the fire
altogether by closing the whole front of the fireplace.
In accordance with my improvements the screen is constructed so as to roll up and
to be unrolled or drawn down from the top of the fireplace moulding preferably at the
back thereof.
The screen may consist of a series of parallel lathes of metal or any suitable
material, or it may be a length of Asbestos (loth or other incombustible material.
The drawing down or unwinding of the screen and the elevating of it may be
effected by any of the well known arrangements for actuating roller blinds or screens,
the preferable arrangement being such that the free end of the screen is weighted to
counterbalance the power of a spring actuating the roller or axis from which the
screen is hung so that the screen will automatically remain in any required position.
To damp the fire altogether in case of a conflagration, for example, it is only
necessary to pull the screen down to the hearth stone so as to close the whole of the
fireplace front.
When not in use the rolled up screen is preferably in such a position behind the
moulding of the top of the fireplace that it is hidden from view.
For kitchen ranges my improved screen can be conveniently employed to take the
place of the ordinary smoke board.
Dated this Fifteenth day of February 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Smoke Screen for Fire Places.
1, WILLIAM KEITH late of No. 76 and 78 Castle Street, in the Town and County
of Forfar, North Britain, Plumber and Gas Fitter there, now Burgh Surveyor of
Moffat in the County of Dumfries do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention which relates to an improved smoke screen for fire places is more
especially applicable to domestic fire places of all sorts for preventing the emission of
smoke into the room, to draw up the fire, to regulate it and also to damp the fire
altogether by closing the whole front of the fire place, making it a register stove.
In accordance with my improvements the screen is constructed as a revolving
shutter so as to roll up and to be unrolled and drawn down from the top of the
fireplace moulding preferably at the back thereof.
The screen may consist of a series of parallel lathes of steel, iron or brass or any
suitable material or it may be a length of asbestos cloth or other incombustible material
and preferably stiffened with wires.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annoxed.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire place with my improvements as applied
thereto in dotted lines.
Figure 2, is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a detailed view hereinafter referred to.
The screen A, is mounted upon the roller B, the said roller being supported in
brackets C, which are bolted at each side of the front plate D, at the back thereof.
1 form the roller B, with flanged pulley portions b, upon which are wound the cords
or chains b', having weights ; the arrangement of weights is such as to counter-
balance the weight of the screen, the one cord winding whilst the other is unwound
by the pulling up or pulling down of the screen by its handle a (the weights being
at the outside of the enclosing sides & Figure 2 of the grate) the screen will therefore
automatically remain in any required position and the weight of the screen, if made
of steel or iron, is taken up by the arrangement of weights; or with a screen of any
material, I may use a roller spring or a cranked handle.
When not in use the screen is altogether rolled up and is hidden from view behind
the moulding at the top of the fireplace.
The screen preferably slides within grooves between the front plate and the back
recess plates, as shown in Figure 1.
prefer to completely cover in the screen and for this purpose I employ a soot
and air-tight box E, which may be secured to the plate D, or as shown in Figure 2 to
the top of the register by the clips Figure 3, the screen is thus kept clean; the
balance weights may also be boxed in, if desired.

page_text: The screen can be used as a smoke screen, fire regulator or in the case of a chimney
going on fire, it can be used to prevent the sparks from spreading; this can be effected
by pulling down the screen to the hearth stone-the screen may also thus convert the
grate into a stove.
For kitchen ranges the screen can be conveniently employed in lieu of the ordinary
smoke board.
My Invention is also applicable as a summer screen for closing up the whole of the
fireplace and the arrangement is also applicable for the ventilation of buildings and
houses by lowering the screen over the fire place front to the extent required to cause
a more or less violent draft of air up the chimney shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. For fireplaces and to be used for other purposes, the screen A, mounted on
roller B, and regulated by weights and pulleys, or the mechanical equivalents of the
same, such as by a spring roller or cranked handle, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying Drawings.
2. The arrangement and mode of mounting the weights 63, and pulleys b, in
combination with the roller B, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shewn on the accompanying Drawings.
3. The covering or casing E, in combination with the roller B, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn on the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 11th day of October 1888
JOHNSONS,
Applicant's Agents.