Construction of Fire Grate and Chimney Flue, Designed to Prevent and Cure Smoky Chimnies, to Check the Great Waste of Heat, and to Change the Draught at Will from Quick to Slow Combustion.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug.. 1895--Accepted, 2nd Nov.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New Construction of Fire Grate and Chimney Flue, Designed to
Prevent and Cure Smoky Chimnies, to Check the Great Waste
of Heat, and to Change the Draught at Will from Quick to Slow
Combustion.
I, JOHN POWNALL, of 15 Chaddock Street Preston in the County of Lancaster
Architect and Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
In this construction of fire place a cast iron centre spans the opening of the
brick-work, with a small flange cast on to receive one end of cast iron plates; the
other end of the plates to be built in the brick work. The cast iron centre to be
adapted to either a brick arch or stone mantel, and the plates may be any length
or width to suit the fire place, leaving sufficient space for the flues. On these
plates I fix a light cast-iron door and frame; the door rebated and made to fit as
nearly air-tight as possible and hinged. The hinges to be prepared for a suitable
wrought iron rod; say half-inch or five-eighth inch, and the door locked to it
with thumb set screws, or any other convenient means, so that it can be taken out
when required. The door or valve can be manipulated by a handle fitted to the
rod and fixed at one end of the chimney breast. The above-named cast iron work
forms a good foundation to build the flue upon, and will dispense with the objection-
able "gathering" and the wide space at the bottom of the flue.
If the wall happen to be thick enough to form the fire-place without a pro-
jecting chimney breast, then the flue door or valve to be manipulated from the
front in a similar way, or from a hand-hole box in the wall.
Any design of grate may be chosen, and may be fitted with 3 perforated fireclay
tiles, or if it suit the design the fire clay tiles may be made in one or two pieces.
The air to be drawn into the fire through those perforations from an air-chamber
formed at the back of grate.
If the fire place be in an outside wall, the air will be supplied by an hit-and-miss
swivel-valve fixed in the wall, to be manipulated by an iron rod fixed underneath
the grate and worked by a small bandle at the front of the grate, to regulate the
draught to the fire.
If the fireplace be connected with an inner wall the air must be brought under-
neath the floor by a pipe, preferably an iron or earthenware pipe, to the air-
chamber at the back of the grate, and connected at the other end to an air-grid
fixed in an outside wall. The end of the pipe at the fireplace may be of iron and
fitted with a throttle-valve, to be worked by a rod and small handle from the front
of the grate or any other convenient place, to regulate the draught to the fire.
Neatly designed cast iron dcors and casings to hand-holes to be fixed in the wall,
affording easy access to the valves, in order to clean out any soot or ashes that in
time may accumulate. The flue to have no obstrection, but be quite clear for the
sweep's brush.
The above description is for a parlor or bed-room fireplace, but the invention is
equally applicable to certain designs of kitchen ranges by adapting the fireclay
tiles to suit the various requirements, and by making provision for the oven and
boiler flues.
Dadhi with f Ma. One thousand aight hundred and ninety-five

page_text: (
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New Construction of Fire Grate and Chimney Flue, Designed to
Prevent and Cure Smoky Chimnies, to Check the Great Waste
of Heat, and to Change the Draught at Will from Quick to-Slow
Combustion.
I, JOHN POWNALL of 15 Chaddock Street Preston in the County of Lancaster
Architect and Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
And in order that my said invention may be more easily understood I have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings; and the same reference letters
are used in the different views of the same parts.
In this construction of fire place an iron centre, preferably cast iron, spans the
opening of the brick work to support the bearers which may be of cast iron plates
or any other suitable material. See plan at A Fig. 1. and section at A. Fig. 4.
On these bearers I fix a light iron door and frame; the door rebated and made
to fit as nearly air-tight as possible and hinged, the hinges to be prepared for a
suitable wrought iron rod; say half inch or five eighths inch, and the door locked to
it with thumb set screws, or any other convenient means, so that it can be taken
out when required.
On this foundation of centre, bearers, and doorframe the flue is built to its
proper size and shape; instead of commencing the flue at the full width of the
fire place and gathering it over to its proper size in the usual way. This improve-
ment alone in many cases will prevent or cure smoky chimnies.
The door or valve can be manipulated to any angle required by a handle fitted
to the rod and fixed at one end of the chimney breast. See plan at C Figure One,
and section at C Figure 4. The rod to be sheathed in a suitable iron pipe to
insure its free action; and when closed the flue must be air-tight to prevent bad
smelling air or small particules of soot coming into the room when fires are not
in use.
This door or valve also plays a most important part in checking the great waste
of heat going up the chimney by contracting the flue to a small space; and that is
not all for when partially closed it prevents the smoke puffing out into the room
in windy, squally weather.
If the wall happen to be thick enough to form the fire place without a projecting
chimney breast; in that case the flue door or valve to be manipulated from the
front in a similar way, or from a hand-hole box in the wall. If the fire place is
for a kitchen range and to be fitted with stone jambs and mantel instead of brick
work as is the case in many parts of the country where stone is plentiful, then the
iron centre for supporting the flue must be of a different section and fixed at the
back of the stone mantel to support the bearers that carry the chimney flue. See
section at B Figure 2.
Any design of grate may be chosen, and may be fitted with 3 perforated fireclay
tiles, or if it suits the design the fireclay tiles may be made in one or two, or these
may be of any other suitable materials.
The air to be drawn into the fire from the air-chamber through the perforations
at the back and sides of the grate. See plan at D Figure 3 and section at D
Figure 4.
If the fire place be in an outside wall the air will be supplied by an hit-and-miss
swivel valve fixed in the wall, to be manipulated by an iron rod fixed underneath
the grate or through the grate and worked by a small handle at the front of the

page_text: grate, to regulate the draught to the fire. See plan at E Figure 3 and section at E
Figure 4.
If the fire place be connected with an inner wall the air may be brought from
the cellar, or underneath the floor by a pipe, preferably an iron or earthenware pipe
to the air-chamber at the back of the grate, and connected at the other end to a
air-grid fixed in an outside wall.
The end of the pipe at the fire place may be of iron and fitted with a throttle-
valve to be worked by an iron rod and small handle from the front of the grate or
any other convenient place, to regulate the draught to the fire.
Neatly designed doors and casings to hand holes, to be fixed in the wall, affording
easy access to the valves, in order to clean out any soot or ashes that in time may
accumulate. See section Figure 4.
These to be of metal, preferably of cast iron; or any other suitable material :
the casings to be made as a small plain wall box, and another to fit inside; this
need not be as wide as the wall box, and on the front to have a small mould or bead
cast on and to form a rebate a little wider than will cover the edges of the wall
box so as to "break joint" in brick work; or if it be an inner wall it will form a
"key" for the plaster the hit-and-miss valve will be constructed in that at the
back of the grate, and that for access to the valve to have a sinall knob to draw it
out as shown on section Figure 4.
The flue to have no obstruction but be quite clear for the sweeps brush.
The above description is for a parlor or bed room fire place; but the invention is
equally applicable to certain designs of kitchen ranges by adapting the fireclay
tiles or any other material that may be chosen to suit the various requirements and
by making openings in the bearers or plates for the oven and boiler flues.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is as follows:-
1st. The iron centre and the different sections of it both for brick and stone, and
the bearers on which the flue is built to its proper size and shape; instead of
commencing the flue at the full width of the fire place and gathering it over to its
proper size in the usual way.
2nd. The door or valve at the bottom of the flue with its peculiar fittings and
being so easily manipulated, checks the great waste of heat going up the chimney
by instantly contracting the flue to a much less space and again, by the improved
construction of the flue combined with the partial closing of the valve, prevents
the smoke from puffing out into the room in windy, squally weather.
3rd. The structure of the grate combines both quick and slow combustion by
means of the air being brought from the outside to the air-chamber, and through
the perforations in the back and sides of the grate to the fire; the air can be
turned on or off without any more effort than ringing a bell ;-and more, the air
supplied by these means has a tendency to force the heat into the room instead of
up the chimney as when wholly supplied at the front of the grate in the usual way.
4th. Neatly designed doors and casings to hand holes for easy access to the
valves.
Dated this 20th day of Aurust 1895