Improvements in Fire Guards for Grates.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Guards for Grates.
I, HERBERT HARDWICKE LANGSTON of 9 Great James Street Bedford Row
London W.C. Architect and Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: :―
This invention relates to improvements in fire guards for grates, and has for its
object to provide a guard which is permanently attached to the grate, mantel picce
or hearth, and can be brought into protecting position whenever desired.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a wire or other suitable metal screen and
a roller or other box or hollow post to contain the screen for the fire of suitable
size attached to a convenient part of the grate. If a roller be employed it revolves
in bearings and the wire screen can be rolled on this when not in use.
According to one arrangement, a roller is situated at one or each side of the
grate, inside the front plate, and the screen projects through a slot in the plate.
The screen can be drawn out and stretched across the grate and fastened by a
hook or suitable catch to the other side of the grate if only one stretch of screen
is required, or to each other at the centre if two halves are employed. A. spring
or some other arrangement is furnished which winds up or collapses the screen on
the roller or against the post or frame when it is released, thus removing it
automatically when not required. Instead of placing the roller at the side it may
be situated above or below the grate and drawn down or up over the fire and
fastened at the lower or upper part in any convenient manner. The slot in the
front plate may be dispensed with and the roller attached to the outside. The
spring may in this case be dispensed with and the screen wound by hand or
otherwise. This fire guard can readily be attached to any existing fireplace,
the roller or post being in this case preferably situated in any part of the front
of the grate.
If a hollow square post be used, the wire screen is made in
sections, each width being about equal to that which can be received by one side
of the post. The sections may instead be caused to fold or collapse on top of or
back upon each other.
If applied to the hearth, the guard should be let in flush, a ring being employed to
raise it and a hook or similar arrangement to support it when raised. When applied
to the soffitt or facia of the mantel piece it is drawn down and fastened to the
hearth or hangs by its own weight in proper position. As applied to the front or
sides of the jambs of the mantel piece, the arrangement will be similar to that
already described as applied to the side of the grate.
Dated this 12th day of January 1893.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Guards for Grates.
I, HERBERT HARDWICKE LANGSTON of 9, Great James Street, Bedford Row,
London, W.C. 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in fire guards for grates, and has for its
TD 17

page_text: object to provide a guard which is permanently fitted to the grate, or side of the
mantelpiece, and can be brought into protecting position whenever desired.
The guard is formed in a number of parts, or panels of wire or other suitable
material, each hinged to the next in such a manner that they can fold or collapse
back upon or against each other.
The guard is hinged to one or both sides of the grate or jambs of the mantle-
piece, so that on being folded, it will lie against the side completely out of the way;
To draw across the grate it is simply pulled out, and if in two sections, connected
at the middle, or if continuous, hooked or otherwise fastened at its free end, securing
it in position.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference is had to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the guard formed in two parts each of
two panels, Fig. 2 showing it collapsed against the side of the grate,
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly different form of guard,
Fig. 4 an elevation of a guard with three panels to each part, in which glass or
such like material is employed instead of wire as in the other cases,
Figs. 5, 6, & 7 are respectively an elevation and a plan of an extended double
guard, with four panels on each side, and a plan of the same collapsed, and
Figs. 8, 9, & 10 are similar views of a single guard, extending from side to side,
and formed with five panels.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the panels A of which the two parts a, a¹ are formed,
are hinged together at B by means of loops on one of the vertical bars encircling
the bar of the next panel. The centre panel of each screen, is furnished with a
downwardly projecting rod or support C, which supports, resting on the hearth,
serve to keep the guard at the proper height, and render it more rigid. These rods
may be dispensed with or the guard may extend to the hearth, and be made of
sufficient depth to screen the fire.
A small catch D is furnished at the centre which connects the two parts securely
together. The end pieces are hinged to the fire place, or jambs of the mantel-
piece, by the hooks E over which the loops e are placed, allowing the screen to be
removed altogether when desired.
If the screen is required as a permanent fixture, the upper or lower hook can be
reversed, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 & 10.
The arrangement shown in Figs. 8, 9, & 10 is practically the same, the catch or
hook D being placed at the free end, attaching it to the grate, or mantelpiece. The
supports C are placed at or near the centre as in the other arrangement. Fig. 10
shows the guard collapsed or folded up at one side clear of the fire.
Guards constructed according to the arrangement described, will form a strong
and effective screen, and will not readily get damaged by any article falling against
them.
The panels forming the fire guard can be made in any suitable design, straight,
curved, or bent to any fancy shape and the wire work and bars ornamented in an
artistic manner.
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:-
(1.) A fire guard consisting of a wire or other screen formed in parts or panels,
each panel hinged to the next, so that they can be folded back against each other,
the end panel being hinged to the side of the fireplace, or jamb of the mantelpiece
substantially as described and shown.
(2.) A fire guard constructed in two separate parts, each part hinged to the side
of the fireplace or mantelpiece, and formed of one or more sections or panels,
capable of folding back against the side of the fireplace or mantelpiece, the two

page_text: halves of the screen being connected together when in use by a catch on the meeting
bars substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 10th day of June 1893.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.