Year: 1887

page_text: We, WILLIAM PENN WALTER, Ornamental Plasterer, BASIL MCKEE, Railway
Postal Clerk, and ROBERT COLLINS, Contractor and Builder, all of Newton in the
County of Harvey, and State of Kansas, one of the United States of America, 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:
Our invention is an improvement in flue thimbles and stoppers; and the object
which we desire to accomplish is to construct an article that will thoroughly stop up
flue-holes when they are not in use, and at the same time prevent damp, soot, or the
odor of soot from penetrating into rooms, and while in use being an ornamental
picture holder. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the attachment of the thimble to the wall.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the position of the grip-arms
when the thimble is in use. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the
grip arms and regulating screw when not in use. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the
regulating disk; Fig. 5 is a part sectional elevation on line ac of fig. 3, showing
standard plate and attachments for holding the movable grip arms.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The ornamental disk A, with the flange B and the adjustable washer C, constitutes
the outer or visible part of the thimble in conjunction with the movable handle D. To
this handle I is attached a metal rod, the extreme end of which is formed as a screw,
the thread of which is run more than half way along the said iron or metal rod, said
rod being marked E, and the said screw being marked F.
G is a metal standard-plate, the ends of which have arms H, which are molded or
cast into the flange B when the said flange is made of plaster or other plastic material.
When the flange B is made of wood, the ends of the plate may be driven into it, like
a staple, and the arms H will not be required. To this standard-plate there is attached
by means of rivets (marked J) a brace plate, (marked K.) At the ends of this plate
there are two slots, (marked L) in which work the movable arms upon pins t.

page_text: To each of the arms marked M there is attached a regulating-arm, (marked N,)
these regulating arms being attached to the disk O by means of pivots and slots, as
shown by P and Q.
On the disk O, and forming a part thereof, there is a metal hub, which is provided
with a screw-threaded hole for the screw F to run into, said hub being marked S.
R is a tube made to fit into the flue hole the depth of the wall, and acting as a shield
or covering to the unexposed part of the stopper.
The method of using my invention is as follows, viz.: Having placed the metal
tube R in the flue hole of the wall, the washer C, which may be of india rubber or other
similar elastic or water-proof material, is placed against the face of the wall. The
flange B and the fastening mechanism are inserted into the tube R through the hole in.
the washer, so that the screw F may engage with the screw-threaded hole in the hub S.
The handle D is then revolved until the arms M are fully spread out against the end
of the tube R and the handle is tight against the ornamental disk, and the flue-hole
is securely closed.
While in use, the disk A will be ornamental, and the handle D can be used as a
support for picture cords:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination of a disk for closing a flue-hole, movable arms pivotally
supported by the disk, a hub pivotally connected to the said arms, and a screw-
threaded rod passing through the disk and engaging with the hub for spreading the
arms and securing the disk in place.
2. The combination of a disk for closing a flue-hole, an elastic washer upon the
inner face of the disk, movable armis pivotally supported by the disk, a hub pivotally
connected to said arms, and a screw-threaded rod passing through the disk and
engaging with the hub for spreading the arms and securing the disk in place.
3. The combination of a disk for closing a flue-hole, a tube fitting into the flue-hole
movable arms pivotally supported by the said disk and projecting through the same
tube, a hub pivotally connected to the said arms, and a screw-threaded rod passing
through the disk and engaging with the hub for spreading the arms and securing the
disk to the tube.
4. The combination of a tube fitting into the flue-hole, a disk provided with a flange
fitting into the outer end of the tube, a standard-plate projecting from the said flange,
movable arms pivotally supported by the standard-plate, a hub pivotally connected to
the said arms, and a screw-threaded rod passing through the disk and engaging with
the hub for pressing the projecting ends of the arms against the inner end of the said
tube.
5. The combination of a tube fitting into the flue-hole, a disk provided with a flange
fitting into the outer end of the tube, an elastic washer upon the inner face of the disk,
a standard-plate projecting from the said flange, movable arms pivotally connected to
the standard-plate, a hub pivotally connected to the said arms, and a screw-threaded
rod passing through the disk and engaging with the hub for pressing the projecting
ends of the arms against the inner end of the said tube.
6. The combination of the handle D with the rod E, screw F, standard-plate G,
brace-plate K, rivets J, slots L, movable arms M, regulating arins N, disk O, pivots
and slots P and Q, hub S, and tube R.