IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE BASKETS OR MOVEABLE GRATES AND OVENS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hodson, of No. 3, Kingston Square, in
the Borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, Mechanical Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE BASKETS OR MOVEABLE GRATES AND
OVENS."
Sealed the 23rd April 1861, and dated the 25th October..1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hodson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
October 1860.
I, WILLIAM HODSON, of No. 3, Kingston Square, in the Borough of
Kingston-upon-Hull, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE BASKETS OR MOVEABLE GRATES AND
OVENS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire baskets or moveable
grates and ovens. For these purposes in place of constructing moveable fire
baskets of single sheet metal with bars at the front and a grating at the
bottom as heretofore, the back and sides are made double with a hollow space
between, which space may be wholly used as an air space, or be filled with
pieces of fire-clay or other material, into which space the air enters and
becomes heated and passes out from such hollow space into the room. The
form of the basket is similar to that heretofore used, and there are hollow fire
bars in front and bottom,, with a hole in the centre and a perforated covering
resting on the bottom bars. The upper and lower ends of the air chamber are
closed, leaving the front more or less open for the passage of the air therefrom
when heated. Air passages or holes into the hollow space may be applied in
any convenient parts. The basket is made with an ash-pan at bottom to draw
out, and the ash-pit may be partly closed or wholly open.

page_text: The basket or grate may be drawn into the room by a telescopic chimney or
thrust back again into its ordinary place.
In constructing a portable oven the exterior is made double, leaving a space
on all sides except at the front, where the door is situated. At the bottom
there is an opening into the hollow space, and there is an opening at the top
leading from the hollow space. The oven is mounted on wheels, and they are
arranged to run on trams or rails fixed on the upper parts of an ordinary
range; by these means when the oven is required to be heated it is moved
over the fire-place of the range, when the heated products of combustion pass
up from the fire, ascend into and pass through the hollow space surrounding
the oven; when the oven is not required then it is moved back from over
the fire.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hodson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HODSON, of No. 8, Kingston Square, in the Borough of Kingston-upon-Hull,
Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One 'thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
'Her reign, did 'for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Hodson, Her special licence that I, the said William
Hodson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other's as I, the
said William Hodson, '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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE BASKETS OR MOVEABLE GRATES AND OVENS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Hodson, my executors or adminis-
'trators, 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 William Hodson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire baskets or moveable
grates and ovens. For these purposes in place of constructing moveable fire
baskets of single sheet metal, with bars at the front and a grating at the
bottom as heretofore, the back and sides are made double with a hollow space
between, which space may be wholly used as an air space, or be filled with
pieces of fire clay. or other material, into which space the air enters and
becomes heated, and passes out from such hollow space into the room. The
form of the basket is similar to that heretofore used, and there are hollow fire
bars in front and bottom, with a hole in the centre and a perforated covering
resting on the bottom bars. The upper and lower ends of the air chamber are
closed, leaving the front more or less open for the passage of the air therefrom
when heated. Air passages or holes into the hollow space may be applied in
any convenient parts. The basket is made with an ash-pan at bottom to draw
out, and the ash-pit may be partly closed or wholly open.
The basket or grate may be drawn into the room by a telescopic chimney,
or thrust back again into its ordinary place.
In constructing a portable oven the exterior is made double, leaving a space
on all sides except at the front where the door is situated. At the bottom
there is an opening into the hollow space, and there is an opening at the top
leading from the hollow space. The oven is mounted on wheels, and they are
arranged to run on trams or rails fixed on the upper parts of an ordinary
range. By these means when the oven is required to be heated it is moved
over the fire-place of the range, when the heated products of combustion pass
up from the fire, ascend into and pass through the hollow space surrounding
the oven.
When the oven is not required then it is moved back from over
the fire.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 shows a front view of a moveable grate constructed according to
my Invention, the back and sides of the grate being made double, as shewn,
to form a hollow chamber around the basket, the chamber being closed in at
top and bottom; the front of the chamber is open to allow the hot air
generated in the chamber to escape into the room. Cold air is admitted into

page_text: the chamber, through holes in the hollow fire bars, each fire bar having a hole in
the centre to admit air. Figure 2 shews the moveable grate fitted with an
ash pan; Figure 3 shows the moveable grate ready for use, the open front of
the chamber being fitted with ornamental work, as shown, which is made with
openings to allow heated air to escape from the chamber; Figure 4. shews the
the fire-place with the moveable grate taken out; and Figure 5 shews the
grate in the fire-place:
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Sheet 2), shew a modification of the above arrange-
ment. Figure 1 shews the moveable grate fitted with hollow fire bars open at
their ends, as in the arrangement above described; Figure 2 shews. the back
of the grate, which is a fixture in the stove; the back of the grate is lined with
'fire clay, and the hot air chamber around the grate is formed between the
lining of fire clay and the moveable part shewn at Figure 2, the chamber
being, closed at the top and bottom, as shewn in the Drawings; Figure 3
shews the moveable part of the basket in its place in the fixed part; and
Figure 4 shews the basket in its place in the stove.
:
Figures 6 and 7-shew-a kitchen range with a portable oven constructed
according to my Invention applied to it. Figure 6 shews the oven over the
fire, and Figure 7 shews it in its other position; the exterior of the casing is
made double, as shewn at Figure 6, and there is a hole through the bottom of
the outer casing to admit flame from the fire to act around the inner casing;
at the top of the exterior casing is a small funnel through which the smoke
'escapes into the chimney; the lower part of the oven is furnished with wheels
which run on rails or trams, and when the oven is in the position shown at
Figure 7, the part of the rails which are across the fire can be turned up out
of the way, as shewn in that Figure.
+
The oven may be moved by a rack and pinion, or by a screw or other
suitable means along the tramway..
In witness whereof; I, the said William Hodson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM HODSON. (L.S.)