Improvements in or connected with Fire-places or Stoves.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Fire-places or Stoves.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, of Hampton Grange, in the City and County of Hereford,
Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to fire-places or stoves and has for its object to provide
more perfect combustion than hitherto and at the same time to obtain a better
heating effect.
According to my invention the grate proper has a solid vertical or approxi-
mately vertical, front, and from the upper edge of this front projects a flange de-
signed to rest upon brickwork for supporting the grate, a space being left between
the inner face of the brickwork and the outer face of the solid front. Below the
grate is an ash-pit which communicates with the said space and also with an
aperture above or below the floor level through which air can pass beneath the
grate, the said aperture being provided with a hit-and-miss" ventilator or other
suitable form of damper.
The flange which rests upon the brickwork has formed in it a series of holes
or perforations through which a portion of the air which entens through the
damper can escape, after being previously heated by contact with the solid front,
this hot air, as it issues from the said holes, mingling with the products of com-
bustion rising from the fuel and serving to promote the combustion of the same
and to radiate heat into the room. If desired holes may be formed in the solid
front in addition to or instead of those formed in the flange.
The back of the grate may be upright but, in practice, I prefer that it should
be inclined forwardly so as to direct the products of combustion more or less
towards the front of the fire-place into a position where they will more readily
come into contact with the hot current of air escaping through the said holes.
It is to be understood that the perforated flange which rests upon the brick-
work may be flush with the floor or above the level of the same as desired.
Dated the 25th day of November 1899.
improvements in or connected with fire-places or Stoves.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, of Hampton Grange, in the City and County of Hereford,
Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
[Price 8d.]

page_text: manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
My invention relates to fire-places or stoves and has for its object to provide
more perfect combustion than hitherto and at the same time to obtain a better
heating effect and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings,--
Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of a fire-place having my improvements
applied to it; and
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same:
Figure 3 is a central vertical section; and
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a sectional side view and plan illustrating a
slight modification of the grate proper:
Figures 6, 7 and 8are-sectional views-similar to Figure 3 but illustrating
further modifications.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a fire opening a of any suitable
construction but preferably of one wherein a pit b is formed below the level of
the hearth and which is also preferably provided with a back dinclined for-
wardly so as to direct the products of combustion more or less toward the front of
the fire-place.
The grate proper e of my fire-place has a solid vertical, or approximately ver-
tical, front from the upper edge of which projects a flange g, the said grate
at its rear side being supported upon a ledge hand at its front edge upon
another ledge i in such a manner that the upper surface of the flange g is flush
with the surface of the hearth c and that a space j is left between the inner face
of the pit and the adjacent face of the front f.
A space below the grate forms an ash-pit which preferably has fitted in it an
ash-box k and which by means of a passage communicates with an aperture
provided with a hit-and-miss" ventilator m or other suitable form of damper.
The flange has formed in it a series of holes or perforations n, n.
With this construction the air which enters through the damper m flows into
the space and into the asli-pit, part of the said air passing up between the bars
of the grate e whilst another part passes up through the holes n, n in the
Hange, having been previously heated by contact with the hot front f of the
grate. This hot air mingles with the smoke and gases rising from the fuel and
serves to promote the combustion of the same and to radiate heat into the room,
the forward inclining of the back d of the grate in the manner herein before
described serving to direct the smoke and gases into a position in which they
will readily come into contact with the hot current of air escaping through the
holes n, n.
As shewn in Figures 2 and 3 the grate e is represented as being in one piece
but as such grate has to be removed in order to obtain access to the ash-pit I
sometimes make it in sections so as to facilitate the removal.
Figures 4 and 5 the bottom portion of the grate is represented as being made in
As represented in
two pieces whilst the flange and solid front portion are represented as being made
in another piece.
In the modification of my invention shewn in Figure 6 the general arrange-
ment is the same as that herein before described, the only difference being that
the space instead of being formed between the face of the brickwork of the pit
and the front of the grate, is formed in a bar or length of earthenware which
is suitably channelled, this arrangement obviating the necessity for exposing a
metal portion of the grate adjacent to the hearth.
The modification shewn in Figure 7 differs only from that shewn in Figure 3
in that the hearth c is raised above the floor level and that the air passage
instead of opening on the level of the hearth, opens in front of the curb surround-
ing the hearth.

page_text: In cases where it is not convenient to form a pit below the level of the hearth
for receiving the grate, the flange of the said grate may rest upon a suitable
bar o, as shewn in Figure 8. In this arrangement the air passage is unneces-
sary, the damper m being placed beneath the bar o. It is advantageous with
this arrangement to make the damper m form the front of the ash-box k which
can thus be readily removed without disturbing the grate.
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:—
1. A fire-place, stove or the like wherein provision is made for mingling a
current of hot air heated by contact with the fire grate in a suitable space pro-
vided for the purpose with the products of combustion rising from the fuel, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose, described.
2. In a fire-place, stove or the like, the combination with the grate proper, of
an enclosed space adjacent to the front of the said grate, means for introducing
air into the said space and means for allowing such air, after it has been heated,
to escape and mingle with the products of combustion arising from the said grate,
substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. The improvements in fire-places or stoves, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereby a current of
hot air will be caused to mingle with the products of combustion arising from the
fuel, as set forth.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant