IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO OPEN FIRE-PLACES."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edward Clarke, of Apsley Cross, in the
County of Somerset, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO OPEN FIRE-PLACES."

page_text: such a manner that the heat or a portion of the heat from the
burning fuel may be made to heat an oven and hot plate and a boiler,
so that baking and various cooking and other domestic operations may
be carried on simultaneously, and heat and fuel be thereby greatly
economized. To this end at the back part of the ordinary open fire-
place (commonly called a "hearth fire"), in which wood is usually
burnt on "dogs," I construct an arch and a flue therefrom to conduct
the heat from the fire either to an oven placed at the sides or to a
boiler built into the brickwork, or to both, as required. Over and round
the oven there is a flue or smoke passage, and on the top there is a
hot plate on which food may be fried, stewed, or otherwise cooked.
The flue from the arch is divided, and each separate flue is provided
with a damper so that the heat from the fire may be conducted along
either flue as may be required. It is not intended to place all the
burning fuel under the arch; a portion of the fuel will usually be
in advance of the front of the arch, and the heat arising therefrom
will ascend as usual and enter the chimney by a separate opening
when the flue is not closed by the damper. In ascending in this manner
the heat will strike on the under side of a wide slab above, and will
render this slab so hot that plates and dishes may be warmed by simply
being placed thereon, and if desired a hot closet may be formed thercon
by enclosing a part of the chimney breast above the slab. By adapting
to the fire-place a grate or fire-bars coal or coke may be used instead of
or in addition to wood for fuel. It has been found that the construction
of fire-place above described is an effectual cure for smoky chimnies.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO OPEN FIRE-PLACES," upon the condition (amongst -
others) that I, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, (that
is to say):
The object of my Invention of "Improvements applicable to Open-
Fire-places," is to construct and arrange the flues of open fire-places.
in such a manner that the heat or a portion of the heat from the
burning fuel may be made to heat an oven and hot plate and a boiler,.
so that baking and various cooking and other domestic operations may
be carried on simultaneously, and heat and fuel be thereby greatly
economised.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a
transverse vertical section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section of an open,
fire-place constructed and arranged according to my Invention.
At the back part of the ordinary open fire-place a (commonly called
ટી. "hearth fire"), in which wood is usually burnt on "dogs," I construct

page_text: an arch and recess 6 with a lateral flue c therefrom to conduct the heat
from the fire at a or 6 either to an oven d placed at the side as shewn
at Figures and 3, or to a boiler e built into the brickwork; or the
heat may be conducted to both if required. A steam pipe e' leads from
the boiler e either into the chimney, as shewn at Fig. 2, and in doing
so will assist in heating the hot closet above the slab h, if such a closet
be required; or, if desired, the steam may be used for cooking by steam
in the well known manner; or the steam may be used for preparing
or cooking potatoes or other food for cattle, pigs, sheep, or horses, for
which purpose it may be conducted by a branch pipe e into a moveable
vessel placed outside the house, as shewn at Fig. 2. Over and
round the oven d there is a flue or smoke passage, as shewn at ď¹
in Fig. 3, and by dots in the elevation Fig. 1; on the top of the oven
there is a hot plate d on which food may be fried, stewed, or otherwise
cooked. The flue from the hearth is divided, and each separate flue
is provided with a damper, as at f and g, so that the heat from the fire
may be conducted along either flue f¹ or g¹ as may be required. It
is not intended to place all the burning fuel under the arch or recess b;
a portion of the fuel will usually be in advance of the front of the
arch, as at a, Fig. 2, and the heat arising therefrom will ascend as usual:
in front of the boiler and will enter the chimney f by a separate
opening when the flue or chimney is not closed by the damper f.
In ascending in this manner the heat will strike on the under side
of a wide slab above, and will render this slab so hot that plates and
dishes may be warmed by simply being placed thereon, and if desired 2
a hot closet may be formed thereon by enclosing a part of the chimney
breast above the slab has indicated by the dotted lines i, i, in Fig. 2.
By adapting to the fire-place a grate or fire-bars, coal or coke may be
used instead of or in addition to wood for fuel. It has been found that
the construction of fire-place above described is an effectual cure for 3
smoky chimneys.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements applicable
to Open Fire-places," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the construction and arrangement of flues d, f, 3
and g', with their several dampers, in combination with the open
hearth a and arched recess b, whereby the heat arising from the fuel

page_text: may be conducted or diverted in any desired direction, as herein set
forth, according to the purpose it is intended to effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Edward Clarke, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
THO. E. CLARKE. (L.S.)