CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY ORNAMENTS, WHICH SAID CHIMNEY ORNAMENTS ARE SO CONSTRUCTED THAT THEY MAY BE USED FOR FIRE SCREENS, FLOWER OR SCENT JARS, TIMEPIECE CASES, CANDLESTICKS, TOAST STANDS, AND VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1817

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
AGER DAY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the
Third day of June, in the fifty-seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Ager
Day, His especial licence that I, the said Benjamin Day, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Ager Day, my exors,
adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHIMNEY ORNAMENTS, WHICH SAID CHIMNEY ORNAMENTS ARE SO CONSTRUCTED THAT
THEY MAY BE USED FOR FIRE SCREENS, FLOWER OR SCENT JARS, TIMEPIECE CASES,
CANDLESTICKS, TOAST STANDS, AND VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Benjamin
Ager Day, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said récited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Ager Day, do hereby declare
that the nature of my said Invention and improvements, and the manner in
which the same are to be performed, is described and ascertained by Drawings
annexed to these Presents and the following explanation thereof (that is
to say):
One part of my Invention and improvement is for concealing the folding fire
screen represented by the letters E and K, in Drawing No. 1, in a box, tube,
or case, when out of use, and for attaching the same to a sliding tube, pole, or
any other kind of stick, pole, or stand, so as to give it the appearance of a
chimney ornament, as represented by Drawing No. 1, and also for attaching
the said box, tube, or case, containing the said fire screen, to fire-screen stands
of every description whatever. Concealing the said screen may be accom-
plished in various ways, and my present methods of manufacturing the said
box or case to contain the said fire screen are described by the letters
A, B, C, D, E, in the Drawing annexed. .A is a piece of brass or any other kind
of metal or material that is capable of being cast or made into that form, and
is the bottom of the box or case which attaches to the pole or stand by the
tang or screw proceeding from it. B is the middle plate, which is soldered at.
one end across the centre of A. C, C, are the two outside plates, which are
soldered or otherways fastened. on each edge of A, B, and form the front and
back of the box or case. D, D, are two sides or doors for the box or case,
which, if I think proper to add them, are attached thereto by means of a joint
or hinge being formed or soldered on one edge, and on the two edges of one of
the plates C, C, and the doors are fasten'd by a spring or bolt. E is the folding
screen which is sewed or otherways fastened to the top or end of the middle
plate B, and the other end of the plate to which the screen is attached is secured
or fastened in the case by the small tang proceeding therefrom being placed
in a hole for the purpose in the bottom A; and when. the .screen is thrown
open the other plate to which the screen is attached is fastened by a bolt or
spring or other fastener. F,.F, F, are three pieces of metal made into that
form, for the purpose of forming a triangle stand to work upon a centre. pin
or rivet, and to which G the sockett for a candle is attached by screwing or
riveting to the centre pin, and this triangle,. being brought into the form of a
fork by placing two of the points in a line, may then be placed on the top of
the box which contains the folding fire screen, whereby the article may
occasionally be used as a candlestick. Another method of coucealing the
folding fire screen is by putting it in the tube or case which forms part of the
stand for the said screen when it is in use, the top of which case-being made
to take off, as represented in the Drawing No. 1, by the letters L, L, has a

page_text: hole or small socket at the end to receive the tang or screw which proceeds
from the plates to which the screen is attached; and when the screen is
thrown open it may be secured in the socket or top of the case by screwing, or
a spring may be fixt in the inside of the top to confine it in its place; and the
method of introducing the spring within the top of the case is described by the
letters H, I, J. H is a small piece of hollow tube. I is the spring with a
catch or nick near one end, to receive the catch or nick which is formed at
the end of one of the plates J, J. This spring I place in a recess formed in
the inside of the tube H, and solder or otherways fasten it at the top end;
and I have a hole in the lower part of the tube E to admit a screw into the
bottom part of the spring, in order to give it the pressure or pull which is to
release the end of the plate J. This tube H, with or without the spring:
attached, I screw or fasten on the top of the tube L, which conceals the
screen. And another of my methods of concealing the said screen in a box-or
case is by two pieces of flat wood or any other material sufficiently wide to
cover the screen when folded, and which forms the front and back of the box
or case; and I fasten a piece of wood or other material between them, to
form the bottom of the case, and which bottom is attached to a stand or pole
by screwing or other fastening; and I secure the screen in this case by one end
of one of the plates to which the screen is attached being placed in a hole or
nick in the bottom, and I have a tang or tangs proceeding from each side of
the said plate which are admitted through a hole of the front and back of the.
case, and the whole is made secure together by riveting, or a screw nutt or
other fastening. Or the said box or case may be made of one piece of wood
by cutting a piece out of the middle, which will leave sufficient room to contain
the screen when folded, and when the screen is out of use it is secured in the
box or case by a bolt, spring, or other fastener. K is the screen, in part open,
which I make of printed or plain stiffened silk, cotton, linen, gingham, or any
other material that will answer the purpose. But be it observed that I do
not claim as my Invention the method of making or folding the fire screens
or the candle or hand screens hereafter mentioned.
My Invention and improvements, as it respects the screens themselves, is
for making them of printed silk, linen, cotton, or any other material that will
answer the purpose when printed.
Another part of my Invention and improvement is a frame to be made of
various forms and patterns, and which is to open in order to receive a fire
screen, and for attaching the same to a sliding tube, pole, stick, or stand, to
form a chimney ornament, as represented by Drawing No. 2, and also for
attaching the said frames to fire-screen stands of every description what-

page_text: ever; and my present method of manufacturing the said frame is described
by the letters A, B, C, D, E. A, A, and B, B, are four pieces of sheet brass
or any other metal or material that can be converted into the forni I wish;
but these four pieces, being brass or other metal, I solder or rivet or otherways
fasten together, and they form one side of the frame. The other side is put
together in the same manner, except that a joint or hinge is formed, soldered,
or otherways fastened at one end of each of the said picces A, A, in order to
receive a joint or hinge which is formed, soldered, or otherways fastened at
each end of one of the parts described by the letters B, B. But, altho' I
strike one side of the frame in four parts in a dic or dies prepared for
the purpose, the same may be struck in one or more part or parts
and put together as before described. C is a strip of metal which
is soldered or otherways fastened between the two sides of the frame,
and forms the edge, which leaves an opening to receive the fire screen
by leaving that end free on which the hinge or joint is formed, and which
end is made to fasten by a spring or other fastener; the said screen may be
made of wood by cutting it from a board in two or more parts, and the
groove or recess which is to receive the screen may be formed by chissels or
other tools for the purpose, and if cut out in parts it may be put together in
the same usual way that wood is fastened. D is a plain stretcher or frame, to
which the material that forms the screen may be sewed or fastened for the
purpose of sliding it into the frame which opens to receive it. This stretcher
DI cut from any kind of blank metal or material that will answer the
purpose, and if I make it from metal I form the two sides and two ends, and
then solder or otherways fasten them together; or the stretcher may be cut in
one piece from a sheet of metal or other material that will answer the
purpose; and this stretchor or frame D may be used as a fire-screen frame
by itself, and attached at the edge to a stand, polc, or stick by means of a
screw, tang, or rivet. E is an ornament, which is soldered or otherways
fastened to the edge of the frame, and has a hole to receive a screw from the
pole, stick, or stand, or a screw to attach it to the same.
Another part of my Invention and improvement is represented and explained
by Drawing No. 8, which may with the greatest facility be placed on the edge
of a fender and used as a toast stand, and by the construction of which the
usual method of a lever from the bottom or centre of the toast stand, and
the unpleasant appearance of hooks projecting from the edge of the rim being
dispensed with, the article forms a handsome ornament to place over the
chimneypiece. And my method of making the said chimney ornament or
toast stand is described by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. A is the rim

page_text: and centre, which I strike in a dic or dies prepared for the purpose in one or
more part or parts, from sheet brass or any other metal or composition of
metals, and when it is struck in more parts than one I put the same together
by soldering, riveting, screwing, or other fastening. B, B, B, are three legs,
which arc screwed, soldered, or rivetted, or otherways fastened to the bot-
tom of the rim A. C is the lip, which is either cast or stampt, and also
soldered or riveted to the bottom of the rim A. D is the stretcher, which
is either cast or stampt into that form, and having a hole made at each
end is placed on two of the feet opposite the lip, and forms the bearer to
support it on the fender. E, E, is two nutts or burrs which form the bottom
of two of the legs B, B, and secure the stretcher D in its place by being
screwed. or riveted, or otherways fastened thereto. Or the said chimney
ornament. may be attached to a fender by a hook described by the letter F,
which may be made in one or more part or parts, and soldered or otherways
fastened to the bottom, that part marked G being the lip, and the other part
mark'd I being the bearer, which supports it on the fender. Or the said
chimney ornament may be used as a toast stand without the centre, the rim
only being sufficient to answer that purpose, by my methods of attaching it to
a fender. Or a rim, with or without the centre, may be cast with a lip attached
thereto, and the stretcher may be cut or made from any kind of blank metal
and put together in the way above described.
Another part of my Invention and improvement in chimney ornaments is
by striking them in various forms and sizes in one or more part or parts in a
die or dies to be prepared for the purpose from sheet brass or any other
metal or composition of metals that is capable of receiving an impression
from a die, and which parts are to be soldered or put together in such way
and manner as a workman may see fit, according to the different forms or
articles they are intended to represent, in order that such part or parts as
are designed for those purposes may be used as scent or flower jars, time-
piece cases, and for various other purposes; and which said stampt chimney
ornaments are to represent Gothic or Grecian architecture.
Another of my improvements in chimney ornaments is, attaching the candle
or hand screen thereto, as represented by Drawing No. 4, and my method of
attaching the same is described by the letters A, B, C, on Drawing No. 4.
A represents the front or one side of a stampt chimney ornament, which being
hollow I fix a socket or tube in the inside by screwing it to the bottom, or by
soldering, 'riveting, or other fastening, and which socket or tube I line with
cloth or anything that will admit of another tube B containing the candle or
hand screen to slide in smoothly: the top of this sliding tube or case I make

page_text: to screw or slide on, and at the end of this top I fix a small tube containing a
spring, which is made in the same way and manner as described by the letters
H, I, J, in Drawing No. 1, or I omit the spring and fix the screen on the top
by only putting the tang which proceeds from the screen plates into the small
tube which is fixt to the top of the case or tube which conceals the screen.
This sliding tube containing the screen, may at pleasure be removed from
the stand or chinney ornament and used as a hand screen or fan. C.represents
the front of a timepiece case, which is struck in a die.
And be it observed, that I do not rest my Invention and improvements on
the form or forms of the Drawings, which must be varied according to the
taste and variation of fashion, and according to the particular purpose' to
which my said Invention may be applied, and I conceive no competent
mechanist can be at a loss in constructing any part of my' Invention and
improvements by the particulars above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Ager Day, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventeen.
Signed, sealed, .and delivered, by the
within-named Benjamin Ager. Day,
.
BENJN AGER (L.S.) DAY.