IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE IRONS WHEREBY GAS CAN BE APPLIED TO THE KINDLING OF FIRES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fothergill, of Carshalton, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE IRONS
WHEREBY GAS CAN BE APPLIED TO THE KINDLING OF FIRES."
Scaled the 5th March 1872, and dated the 8th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fothergill at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1872.
I, JOHN FOTHERGILL, of Carshalton, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE IRONS WHEREBY GAS CAN BE APPLIED TO THE KINDLING OF
FIRES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making a fire iron such as a poker tubular
with a nozzle at the point, and connecting the head by a screw union or
other convenient known means to a flexible gas pipe provided with a stop-
cock. When it is desired to use the poker for kindling a fire, the stop-
cock is turned so as to admit gas to its interior. The gas issuing from

page_text: the nozzle is ignited, and the point of the poker is inserted among the
fuel in the grate, so as to subject it to the kindling action of the gas
flame. Other fire irons such as a shovel or the rigid limb of tongs may
be constructed and used in a similar manner. The tubular hollow of the
fire iron instead of extending its whole length, may be made to extend
only part of its length from the point upwards, the connection to the gas
pipe being in such case made by an orifice at the side. Also instead of
the fire iron having only one nozzle at the point, it may be made with
several jets or-nozzles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Fothergill in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 3rd July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FOTHERGILL, of Carshalton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Fothergill, Her special licence that I,
the said John Fothergill, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Fothergill, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE IRONS WHEREBY
GAS CAN BE APPLIED TO THE KINDLING OF FIRES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Fothergill, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fothergill, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:
.
My Invention consists in making a fire iron such as a poker tubular
with a nozzle at the point, and connecting the head by a screw union or
other convenient known means to a flexible gas pipe provided with a stop-
cock. When it is desired to use the poker for kindling a fire, the stop-
cock is turned so as to admit gas to its interior. The gas issuing from
the nozzle is ignited, and the point of the poker is inserted among the
fuel in the grate so as to subject it to the kindling action of the gas
flame. Other fire irons, such as a shovel or the rigid limb of tongs, may
be constructed and used in a similar manner. The tubular hollow of the
fire iron, instead of extending its whole length, may be made to extend
only part of its length from the point upwards, the connection to the gas
pipe being in such case made by an orifice at the side. Also instead of
the fire iron having only onc nozzle at the point, it may be made with
several iets or nozzles.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of a poker constructed
according to my Invention. It is made tubular with a nozzle at the
point A, and a screwed nipple at the head B. To this nipple I attach by
a union of ordinary construction a flexible gas pipe C. On turning a
stop-cock so as to admit gas to the pipe C, the gas flows along the
tubular hollow of the poker and issues from the nozzle A, where it can
be ignited. The point of the poker with the gas flame issuing from it
being inserted among the fuel in a fire-place serves to ignite it.
Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of a poker in which only part
of the stem is made tubular, the gas pipe being attached to a nipple D
on the side of the poker, and the jets are shewn not at the point, but at
the sides of the part which is inserted in the fire.
•
Fig. 3 represents a front view of the lower end of a shovel, and Fig. 4
represents a section on the line Z, Z. In this case the tubular stem of
the shovel is connected to two branch pipes which form edges to the

page_text: shovel plato G. Several such holes H, H, drilled into the branches
E and F serve for the issue of jets of gas which can be lighted for the
It is
purpose of kindling fuel, among which the shovel is inserted.
obvious that a shovel constructed in this manner might be used for
5
heating water in a kettle placed above it, or for cooking purposes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim, the use of fire irons
whereby gas can be applied to the kindling of fires constructed and
operating substantially as herein described.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Fothergill, have hereunto 1
set my hand and scal, this First day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.