IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Verhulst and Louis Verhulst, both of
the City of Manchester, Merchants, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES."
A communication from abroad by Amand Vandewiele, of Brussels,
in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Sealed the 21st July 1868, and dated the 11th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Verhulst and
Louis Verhulst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 11th February 1868.
We, CHARLES VERHULST and LOUIS VERHULST, both of the City of
Manchester, Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF
FIRE-PLACES," a communication to us from abroad by Amand Vandewiele,
of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, to be as follows:-
The nature of our Invention consists in bringing the fire-grate forward
into the apartment to be warmed and in applying thereto a movable

page_text: hood or apparatus to prevent the escape of smoke, also in an improved
valve or damper for regulating the orifice between the fire-grate and the
chimney. The whole fire-grate is made to project beyond the line of
the chimney piece so that the warmth may be distributed in the apart-
ment more advantageously than heretofore, and the hood is constructed
so as to cover the fire-grate or partially cover it or leave it entirely
The hood is supported on
uncovered as may be found necessary.
inclined rails and it is counterbalanced by a weight passing over guide
pulleys, the position being regulated by a handle projecting through the
front of the chimney piece. The valve or damper to regulate the
draught consists of a swivel plate provided with counterweights, and its
position is also regulated by a handle passing through the front of the
chimney piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Charles Verhulst and Louis Verhulst in the 1
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
VERHULST and LOUIS VERHULST, both of the City of Manchester,
Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Charles Verhulst and Louis Verhulst, Her
special license that we, the said Charles Verhulst and Louis Verhulst, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Charles Verhulst and Louis Verhulst, our 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 THE ARRANGEMENT AND CON-
STRUCTION OF FIRE-PLACES," a communication to them from abroad by
Amand Vandewiele, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Verhulst and
Louis Verhulst, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and
scals, 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 Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Verhulst and Louis
Verhulst, do hereby declare 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 (that is to say) :-
The nature of our Invention consists in bringing the fire-grate forward
into the apartment to be warmed, and in applying thereto a moveable
hood or apparatus to prevent the escape of smoke, also in an improved
valve or damper for régulating the orifice between the fire-grate and the
chimney. The whole fire-grate is made to project beyond the line of
the chimney piece so that the warmth may be distributed in the apart-
.ment more advantageously than heretofore, and the hood is constructed
so as to cover the fire-grate or partially cover it or leave it entirely
uncovered as may be found necessary. The hood is supported on
inclined rails and it is counterbalanced by a weight passing over guide
pulleys; the position of the hood being regulated by a handle projecting
through the front of the chimney piece. The valve or damper to
regulate the draught consists of a swivel plate provided with counter-
weights, and its position is also regulated by a handle passing through
the front of the chimney picce.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and
readily carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front clevation of a fire-grate constructed according to
our improvements; Figure 2 is a vertical section, and Figure 3 a
back elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a plan of part of the fire-place.
a is the grate which is covered or partially covered by the moveable
hood b by which the intensity of the fire in the grate is regulated; to

page_text: the hood bare fixed the projections 6' supporting the guide rollers c
which travel upon the guide rails d fixed to the back of the grate, the
hood b is also guided by the central roller c¹ (mounted in the arm b*)
running on the moveable guide rail d', one end of which is fixed to the
back case of the fire-grate, and the other end is raised or lowered by the
stud e, passing through the back of the grate, the hood b is counter-
balanced by the weight f which is suspended to the toothed chain f¹
passing over the pinion g; this pinion is fixed on a shaft passing through
the front of the fire-place and provided with a knob or handle g' on
turning which round the hood is raised off or lowered on to the grate a.
The orifice between the back of the fire-place and the chimney is closed
or partially closed by the swivel plate or damper h which is fixed to a
spindle to which is fixed the lever h¹. This damper is held in a state of
equilibrium by the counterweights suspended to the chains j, both
of which pass over guide pulleys k, and one of them passes over the
toothed pinion 1, which is fixed to the spindle of the handle m, this
handle is provided with a pointer which indicates the position of the
damper h.
It will be seen by the section, Figure 2, that the grate of the fire-
place projects considerably beyond the line of the chimney piece or front
plate of the fire-grate whereby the warmth is diffused and distributed
more advantageously in the apartment than heretofore, and as this
forward position of the grate might in some conditions of the fire cause
smoke to enter the apartment the moveable hood 6 is applied to the
grate, which hood when down induces a strong current of air through
the fire to the chimney and when raised, as shewn by the dotted lines in
Figure 2, allows the smoke to pass freely to the chimney. By varying
the positions of the hood 6 and damper h, the intensity of the fire can be
regulated to the greatest nicety.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to us by the
within-named Amand Vandewiele, we declare that we claim, -
First, the bringing forward of the fire-place beyond the line of the
chimney piece or front plate in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Secondly. The moveable hood 6 and the apparatus for raising and a
it ou chown and decorihod

page_text: And, lastly, the application of the damper h for regulating the
orifice to the chimney in the manner shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Verhulst and Louis
Verhulst, have hereto set our hands and seals, this Seventh
day of August, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CH. VERHULST.
(L.S.)
LOUIS VERHULST. (L.S.)