IMPROVE- MENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alexander Murray, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Bricklayer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPS."
Sealed the 30th July 1867, and dated the 1st February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alexander Murray
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1867:
I, JOHN ALEXANDER MURRAY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of.
Lancaster, Bricklayer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPs," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
chimney tops, which besides being applicable to new chimney tops is as:
equally applicable to most of those already in use, and by means of which the
tendency to "smoke" is entirely obviated, and "down draft" prevented.
Now this Invention consists in forming a casing on the outside of the
chimney pot entirely surrounding it, which may be constructed of any con-
venient form or material, and is continued above the height of the ordinary
chimney pot, and has apertures at the lower portion for the admission of wind
or air, such casing being by preference formed in a separate piece from the
ordinary, chimney pot, in order that the expense of manufacture may be
lessened, and that it may be regulated in height, according to the position in.
which it is placed. The action of this arrangement of chimney pot may be

page_text: thus described:-A draft is caused through the outside casing, which is
sufficiently strong to draw or suck the smoke from the chimney in virtue of
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Alexander Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALEXANDER MURRAY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Bricklayer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Alexander Murray, Her special license that I, the said John Alexander
Murray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Alexander Murray, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY TOPs," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Alexander Murray, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Alexander Murray, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
chimney tops, which besides being applicable to new chimney tops is as
equally applicable to most of those already in use, and by means of which the
tendency to smoke is entirely obviated, and down draft prevented.

page_text: Now this Invention consists in forming a casing on the outside of the
chimney pot entirely surrounding it, which may be constructed of any con-
venient form or material, and is continued above the height of the ordinary
chimney pot, and has apertures at the lower portion for the admission of wind
or air, such casing being by preference formed in a separate piece from the
ordinary chimney pot, in order that the expense of manufacture may be
lessened, and that it may be regulated in height according to the position in
which it is placed. The action of this arrangement of chimney pot may be
thus described:-A draft is caused through the outside casing, which is
sufficiently strong to draw or suck the smoke from the chimney in virtue of
the outer casing surrounding and being higher than the chimney pot.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of three modifications of my
improvements in chimney pots, like letters and figures marked on the several
views being used to denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a front exterior view, Fig. 2 a side sectional view, and Fig. 3 is
a plan of a plain square bevilled-sided earthenware chimney pot having my
improvements applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a front exterior view, and Fig. 5 is a
plan of a round terra cotta chimney top, shewing that my improvements are
applicable equally to an elaborate as to a simple form of chimney pot; Fig. 6
is a front exterior view, and Fig. 7 is a plan of an octagonal metallic chimney
pot to which my improvements are also applied.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A represents the ordinary square chimney pot con-
structed with a flange B for the outer casing C to rest upon, which outer
casing entirely surrounds the chimney pot, and is made sufficiently large to
allow a space D between it and the chimney pot, such outer casing also being
made taller than the chimney pot, as illustrated, and having apertures E at or
near the lower portion of each of its four sides.
The practical operation of my improvements in chimney tops is illustrated
by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in which views the arrows represent the direction in
which a draft is caused by the wind or air entering through one of the
apertures E, and passing through the space D, such draft being sufficiently
strong to suck or draw the smoke out of the chimney in consequence of the
outer casing C rising above the height of the chimney top A.
In Figs. 4 and 5, F represents the chimney pot (shewn in dotted lines in
Fig. 4); G, a round ornamental exterior casing, which rises higher than the
top of the chimney top F; H are the apertures surrounding the lower portion
of such outer casing, which apertures may be constructed higher up if required,
either hidden from view in the moulding I or still higher up in the diamond

page_text: pattern, and J is the space (shewn in Fig. 5) between the outer casing G and
chimney pot F. In Figs. 6 and 7, K represents the outer casing constructed
in an octagonal form, baving the apertures L disposed in the moulding, so as
to be out of sight, but which may be formed in any other part of the lower
portion of such outer casing; M is the chimney pot, shewn in dotted lines in
Fig. 6; and N is the space between the outer casing and such chimney pot.`
The operation of these two modifications is precisely similar to that illustrated
by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the wind or air entering by the apertures causes a draft,
and thus ensures the chimney from "smoking," and prevents any tendency to
down draft.
It will be perceived that as the outer casing surrounds the chimney pot,
and has apertures pointing in every direction, that a draft is caused from
whatever quarter the wind is blowing, and that therefore this chimney pot is
always in action, and such draft may be regulated according to the position in
which the chimney pot is fixed by lengthening or shortening the distance
between the top of the chimney pot and the top of the outer casing, which is
readily done when the outer casing is made (as I prefer it) separate from the
chimney pot.
I have found that chimneys have been prevented smoking and down draft
obviated by the use of my improved chimney pots, which bave hitherto entirely
baffled all efforts to cure them, and another advantage I have noticed is, that
the smoke from a neighbouring chimney is entirely prevented descending down
a chimney fitted with my improved chimney pots, even when such chimneys
are not in use.
It will be readily understood that my principle may be applied to any form
or design of chimney tops by having the outer casing wide enough, (I have
found that an inch of space between the outer casing and the chimney top
works well, but more or less would suit,) that existing chimney pots may have
my improvements applied, and when necessary the outer casing may be formed
of thin metal, by preference of galvanized iron, thus economising space to the
greatest advantage.
These chimney pots may be constructed of earthenware, fire-clay, terra
cotta, metal, or of any other material which is ordinarily used for the purpose,
and the apertures in the outer casings may be of any shape which will afford
sufficient area for the admission of the requisite quantity of wind or air.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted
for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that do not confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions,

page_text: or dimensions, or to any design, form, or shape, as the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,
the improvements in chimney pots or tops herein-before described, consisting
of an outer casing exteriorly surrounding the chimney pot, leaving a space
between such outer casing and such chimney pot, and having apertures at the
lower portion or extremity of and surrounding such outer casing, for the
purposes herein-before described, such outer casing and chimney pot being
either formed together or separately, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alexander Murray, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Agent,
JOHN ALEXANDER MURRAY. (L.S.)
Imperial Chambers,
Manchester.