IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS STOVES
Year: 1854

page_text: Sealed the 22nd September 1854, and dated the 3rd April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ashdown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
April 1854.
I, WILLIAM ASHDOWN, of 167, Piccadilly, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS STOVES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a stove body or case, fitted with air channels
communicating with the outward or fresh air, and arranged to supply the
apartment with a constant flow of rarefied pure air, entering through one or
more openings, and to carry off the vitiated air freely over the fire. The stove
may be fixed in an ordinary fire-place, or it may be arranged to stand out in
the room or hall, as may be desired. It further consists of an inner case or
body, provided with an inlet air valve at the bottom and a gas supply pipe.
This case or body is covered on the top by several sheets of woven wire. Into
the inner case or body and through the woven wire the gas and atmospheric
air will pass, and will, when ignited, issue in an unbroken sheet of flame. Over

page_text: this wire asbestos is spread in a continuous sheet or layer. The gas is ignited
over the asbestos, and the supply is adjusted by the valves to a degree sufficient
to warm the atmosphere of the apartment, and carry off the vitiated air through
the outlet pipe or flue.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Ashdown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ASHDOWN, of 167, Piccadilly, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Ashdown, Her special licence that I, the said William Ashdown,.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Ashdown, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS STOVES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Ashdown, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Ashdown, 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of a stove body or case, fitted with air channels
communicating with the outward or fresh air, and arranged to supply the
apartment with a constant flow of rarified pure air entering through one or
more openings, and to carry off the vitiated air freely over the fire. The stove
may be fixed in an ordinary fire-place, or it may be arranged to stand out in

page_text: the room or hall, as may be desired. It further consists of an inner case or
body, provided with an inlet air valve at the bottom and a gas supply pipe,
and this case or body is covered on the top by several sheets of woven wire.
Into the inner case or body and through the woven wire the gas and
atmospheric air will pass, and will, when ignited, issue in an unbroken sheet
of flame. Over this wire asbestos is spread in a continuous sheet or layer. The
gas is ignited over the asbestos, and the supply is adjusted by the valves to
a degree sufficient to warm tho atmosphere of the apartment, and carry off
the vitiated air through the outlet pipe or flue.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a front view of a gas stove to be set in an ordinary fire-place;
Figure 2 shows a plan in section; and Figure 3, a vertical section of a like
stove set in a fire-place, in such manner that fresh air may be introduced from
the exterior of the building into the room through openings in the front of the
stove, as shewn; to which means of introducing fresh air I make no claim, and
it is not essential to my Invention that such means should be resorted to. I
however prefer that fresh air, where it can conveniently be done, should be so
introduced; and I would state, that the form of the stove may be varied,
whether it be intended to be set, as shewn, in an ordinary fire-place, or to stand
out in a room; my Invention consisting, not in the shape or form of the stove,
but in the arrangement or construction of parts of gas stoves, with a view more
advantageously to burn gas in combination with atmospheric air; and my
improvements are as follows:-a is a compartment in a stove, into which gas
is introduced by a pipe b, having a stop-cock
stopping-off and adjusting the supply of gas.
into this compartment by a suitable opening
valve to adjust the quantity supplied. The compartment of the gas stove is
closed at all parts except the top, where it is covered with two or three layers
of woven wire cloth. I use wire cloth with thirty holes to the lenial inch, but
this may be varied. On this wire cloth I spread fibrous asbestos. By this
construction of gas stove, the gas and atmospheric air mix in the compartment
a, and then pass together up through the wire cloth and between and amongst
the asbestos laid on the upper surface thereof, and thus may be produced a
brilliant open fire for heating a room or apartment at comparatively small cost.
I would remark, that I am aware that stoves have before been made to burr
thereon, so as to admit of the
Atmospheric air is also admitted
below, which is provided with a

page_text: gas passing in numerous jets through pipes or tubes, and asbestos has been used
therewith. I do not therefore claim to employ gas and asbestos for such
purposes generally, nor do I confine myself to the precise details shewn; but
what I claim is, the construction of gas stoves with a mixing chamber a, with
a reticulate covering for receiving asbestos, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ashdown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
W. TONGUE.
WILLIAM ASHDOWN. (L.S.)