Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for or in Connection with Gas Fires or Gas Fire-places.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for or in Connection
with Gas Fires or Gas Fire-places.
We JOHN NEPOMUC MOERATH, Civil Engineer, ROBERT JOHN GEORGE, Civil
Engineer, and CHARLES SKINNER, Gentleman, all of 7 Little Queen Street,
Westminster in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR OR IN
CONNECTION WITH GAS FIRES OR GAS FIRE PLACES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention refers to an invention for which Letters Patent were granted to
John Nepomuc Moerath the 10th November 1883 N° 5320 for "Improvements in
apparatus or appliances in connection with domestic and other fire-places, stoves
and furnaces."
Hitherto the use of gas for heating and warming has not given satisfaction owing
to ineffective apparatus being employed whereby a great part of the products of
combustion especially the heavy carbonic acid gas, remains in the grate; the
quantity of air brought into contact with the fire is not sufficient to carry off these
gases into the chimney hence they become distributed through and vitiate the air
in the room and this vitiated air being inhaled by the occupants causes unpleasant
sensations and often serious illness. In consequence of this defect the economical
and convenient method of warming by means of gas-asbestos fires has been but
little developed and in many cases, when tried, has subsequently had to be
abandoned.
With the view of avoiding this drawback to the use of gas-asbestos fires we
adopt as bereafter described the apparatus or appliances described in the Specifi-
cation of the Patent before referred to, and thereby make same specially applicable
for gas fires.
According to this invention when one air-mixing apparatus is employed we placo
one of these appliances containing the asbestos or other silicious material constructed
and arranged in the manner described in the Specification of Patent before referred
to, above the asbestos in the fire-place. The gas burner or burners is or are fixed
in the bottom of the grate below the asbestos and the heated air coming from the
air-mixing apparatus above passes down to the burning gas while the asbestos
absorbs the heat and gives it off into the apartment.

page_text: When two air-mixing apparatus with the necessary air-suckers are employed the
heated air of one apparatus then meets the heated air of the other in the space
between them which is filled with the asbestos and the action of the burning gas
takes place at a very high temperature.
Two pipes attached to the upper part of the apparatus and fitted with gas
burners may be used, the gas flames then come from opposite directions towards
the centre of the apparatus, where they become mixed with the fresh air that is
drawn up the air-suckers and passed through the asbestos or other silicious
material that is enclosed in the apparatus, thereby causing good combustion at a
high temperature.
A special feature of these improvements is the obtaining of a very high
temperature by means of a combined operation of the apparatus in which the
nir drawn in by the air-suckers and heated, being rich in oxygen gas causes much
better combustion to be obtained than in the ordinary gas-asbestos fires and as the
vitiated gases are drawn off to the chimney, fresh air is constantly sucked in at the
grate and passed through the apparatus creates proper ventilation and leaves the
atmosphere of the room pure and healthy.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus or Appliances for or in Connection
with Gas Fires or Gas Fire Places.
We, JOHN NEPOMUC MOERATH Civil Engineer ROBERT JOHN GEORGE, Civil
Engineer and CHARLES SKINNER Gentleman all of 7 Little Queen Street West-
minster in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR OR IN CONNECTION WITH
GAS FIRES OR GAS FIRE PLACES and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention refers to an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to
John Nepomuc Moerath the 10th November 1883 N° 5320 for "Improvements in
apparatus or appliances in connection with domestic and other fire places stoves
and furnaces.
Hitherto the use of gas for heating and warming has not given satisfaction
owing to ineffective apparatus being employed, whereby a great part of the products
of combustion, especially the heavy carbonic acid gas, remains in the grate; the
quantity of air brought into contact with the fire is not sufficient to carry off these
gases into the chimney hence they become distributed through and vitiate the air
in the room, and this vitiated air, being inhaled by the occupants, causes unpleasant
sensations and often serious illness. In consequence of this defect the economical
and convenient method of warming by means of gas asbestos fires has been but
little developed and in many cases, when tried, has subsequently had to be
abandoned.
With the view of avoiding this drawback to the use of gas-asbestos fires, we
adopt as hereafter described the apparatus or appliances described in the Specifi-
cation of the Patent before referred to, and thereby make same specially applicable
for gas fires.
According to this invention when one airmixing apparatus is employed we place
one of these appliances containing the asbestos or other silicious material constructed
and arranged in the manner described in the Specification of Patent before referred
to above the asbestos in the fireplace. The gas burner or burners are fixed in the
bottom of the grate below the asbestos and the heated air coming from the
air mixing apparatus above passes down to the burning gas while the asbestos
absorbs the heat and gives it off into the apartment.
With reference to the accompanying drawings which will sufficiently illustrate
the manner in which we carry the invention into effect, Figure 1 is a sectional
front view and Figure 2 is a vertical cross section shewing a gas fireplace con-
structed and arranged according to this Invention, and where only one air-mixing
appliance is employed.
A is the air mixing appliance constructed as described in the Specification of
Patent No 5320 before referred to and consisting of chambers a a connected and

page_text: kept a convenient distance apart according to the width of the chimney or other
place the apparatus may be fitted to, by tubes b, the space comprised between
All the
these tubes being loosely filled with asbestos or other silicious material c.
tubes are provided with holes or apertures nearest the contained asbestos and the
tubes are in addition provided with holes on the side nearest the gas fire for
increasing the back draught.
The chambers a a communicate with the air sucking passages or tuyeres d d'
that on the left hand being shown as communicating directly and that on the right
hand being connected to the chamber, a, by a tube d². The tuyeres may be
however arranged in both sides alike or as shown in the drawings which must be
regulated according to the class of fire place to which the invention is applied or
as circumstances may require.
As the tubes b and asbestos c become heated, air is by the so-called induced
current action drawn into the chambers a and thence passes into the tubes b all as
described with reference to the Specification of Patent before referred to.
B is the asbestos or other silicious material placed in the fireplace as usual,
CC are the gas burners of which there may be any convenient number and of any
suitable form or construction. D is a pan containing water which may be
impregnated with eau de cologne or other scents or with disinfectants as may
be desired and this pan is placed preferably as shown, beneath the grate the
evaporation coming from the contents of which is beneficial as the vapour from
same becomes automatically mixed with the air which passes underneath to the
flame; E shows draught or ventilating passages which may be placed on one or
both sides of the fireplace which may be conveniently made from the so called
ventilating bricks.
Two pipes attached to the upper part of the apparatus and fitted with gas
burners may be used, the gas flames then come from opposite directions towards
the centre of the apparatus, where they become mixed with the fresh air that is
drawn up the air-suckers and passed through the asbestos or other silicious
material that is enclosed in the apparatus, thereby causing good combustion at
a high temperature.
FF are the tubes fixed onto the top of and communicating with the chambers a a
and these tubes are provided with burners F' through which the heated air will
issue and when great heat is desired gas is admitted to these burners F' on one or
both sides of the apparatus; the gas pipe F³ is only shown on one side in the
drawing. The supply of gas is regulated by the cock F2. This addition is
particularly applicable for gas fires or gas fireplaces used for cooking and industrial
purposes generally.
The action is as follows; The gas lighted the asbestos B becomes heated and the
heat passing upwards the appliance A also becomes heated, air will then be drawn
up the tuyeres d, d', its velocity being increased by the so called induced current
action which air passing through the apertures of the tubes b b it is distributed
through the asbestos, the water in the reservoir D is soon heated after the gas is
lighted and the vapour therefrom becomes quickly mixed with the air. The air
also which passes up through the draught or ventilating passages to the tuyeres d d¹
becomes more or less heated before going through and between the lumps of asbestos
or other silicious material to the tuyeres and thence to the air mixing appliance A
where it becomes super-heated and returns in this condition to the asbestos B and
so to the apartinent while the heavy gases at the bottom of the room are carried
off and drawn off by the chimney and ventilation as perfect as may be is thereby
obtained.
.
When two air mixing apparatus A with the necessary air-suckers d d are
employed the heated air of one apparatus then meets the heated air of the other in
the space between them which is filled with the asbestos C and the action of the
burning gas takes place at a very high temperature. This apparatus is particularly
applicable for very large gas fireplaces.

page_text: A special feature of these improvements is the obtaining of a very high
temperature by means of a combined operation of the apparatus in which the air
drawn in by the air suckers and heated being rich in oxygen gas causes much
better combustion to be obtained than in the ordinary gas asbestos fires, and as the
vitiated gases are drawn off to the chimney fresh air is constantly sucked in at the
grate and passed through the apparatus whereby proper ventilation is created and
the atmosphere of the room is maintained in a pure and healthy condition.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First. In gas fires or gas fireplaces the employment therein and the application
thereto of air sucking and air and vapour mixing appliances in connection with
asbestos or other silicious material all arranged and acting substantially as set
forth whereby good and healthy combustion of gas at a high temperature is
effected.
Second. The combination with such gas fires or gas fireplaces of air and gas
pipes F F above the same provided with burners whereby the cross flames become
mixed with the air issuing from the air mixing chambers or appliances all
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.