Improvements in Rising Bottom Grates for Fireplaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rising Bottom Grates for Fireplaces.
I, HENRY HARPER WOOD, of Chapeltown, near Sheffield, in the County of York,
Stove Grate Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;-
This invention relates to that form of bottom grate for fireplaces, in which the
grate is capable of being raised and lowered in order to vary the depth of the
burning fuel; and it has for its object a novel method of construction by which
the bottom grate can be easily raised and lowered as desired, whilst the entire
apparatus is very simple, cheap, durable, and easily constructed and put together.
Supposing that the invention is to applied to an ordinary fireplace, I make
the front of the latter, or of the part which contains the fuel, of a series of bars
in the usual way, but I make these bars vertical instead of being horizontal as is
more usually the case, and they are formed in a frame, preferably rectangular,
which drops into recesses to receive it at the sides of the fire place.
The bottom grate consists of a frame also having bars extending from the
front to the back, and its back edge is provided with projections which rest and
slide upon corresponding fixed supports projecting from the sides of the fireplace
at the back. These projections are made inclining down at their front ends, and
they are at a considerable height above the bottom of the front of the grate, so
that the bottom grate has a tendency to slip forward.
At one or both sides of the bottom grate are fixed or formed below it two
frames, the front edges of which are curved to a radius having its centre about
(in side view) at the point at the back edge which rests upon the supports already
described, the front or curved edges starting down from the front edge of the
grate and having a number of angular teeth formed upon them, which teeth allow
the front edge of the bottom grate to be raised to any desired height, one or
other of the teeth then resting upon a plate or support below the front of the
fireplace. The back end of the bottom grate moves back sufficiently on the
inclined supports to allow the teeth to pass in raising the grate, which drops for-
ward when it is released and retains its front edge at the desired height.
In order to raise or lower the bottom grate, a horizontal socket, of such size
and shape as to receive freely the end of a poker or other convenient lever, is
formed upon the front edge of the bottom grate, and projects forward between
two (preferably the two central ones) of the vertical bars which form the front
of the fireplace as already described, the space between these two vertical bars
being, if necessary, made somewhat wider than the other spaces, to allow the socket
to move freely up and down. The bars which form the bottom of the grate pro-
ject forward sufficiently beyond the front edge of the frame in which they are
formed, to enter the spaces between the front vertical bars, and so prevent the
fuel from dropping down as the front edge of the bottom grate rises and falls
in a curved direction.

page_text: By the method of construction and operation described the rising bottom of the
grate is very conveniently and easily worked, and the whole arrangement is very
simple and cheap.
The details of construction may be varied more or less as may be found desirable.
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1000
Improvements in Rising Bottom Grates for Fireplaces.
I, HENRY HARPER WOOD, of Chapeltown, near Sheffield, in the County of York,
Stove Grate Foreman, 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 accompanying drawing, that is to say:-
This invention relates to that form of bottom grate for fireplaces, in which the
grate is capable of being raised and lowered in order to vary the depth of the
burning fuel; and it has for its object a novel method of construction by which
the bottom grate can be very easily raised and lowered as desired, whilst the
entire apparatus is very simple, cheap, durable, and easily constructed and put
together.
In the accompanying drawing, which is an illustration of my invention, and
shows it applied to an ordinary kitchen range, having an oven upon each side
of the fire, Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 a transverse section through
the grate. Figure 3 is a separate plan of the rising and falling grate in its
lowest position, and Figure 4 is a similar view showing the grate raised to a hori-
zontal position.
a is the front of the fireplace, or of the part which contains the fuel, and
consists of a series of bars 6 in the usual way, but I make these bars vertical
instead of horizontal as is more usually the case, and they are formed in a frame c,
preferably rectangular, which drops into recesses to receive it at the sides of the
fire place.
The bottom grate & consists of a frame also having bars extending from the front
to the back, and its back edge is provided with projecting parts at a which rest
and slide upon corresponding fixed supports f, Figure 2, projecting from the
sides of the fireplace at the back. These projections are shown inclining down
at their front ends, and they are at a considerable height above the bottom of
the front of the grate a, so that the bottom grate & has a tendency to slip
forward.
At the centre, as shown, or at one or both sides of the bottom grate is fixed
or formed below it a frame g, the front edge of which is curved to a radius having
its centre about (in side view) at the point at the back edge which rests upon
the supports already described, the front or curved edge of the frame 9 starting
down from the front edge of the grate a and having a number of angular teeth h
formed upon it, which teeth allow the front edge of the bottom grate d to be
raised to any desired height, one or other of the teeth ½ then resting upon a
plate or projecting support i below the front of the fireplace. The back end of the
bottom grated moves back sufficiently on the inclined supports f to allow the
teeth to pass in raising the grate, which drops forward when it is released and
retains its front edge at the desired height.

page_text: In order to raise or lower the bottom grate d, a horizontal socket j, of such
size and shape as to receive freely the end of a poker or other convenient lever,
is formed upon the front edge of the bottom grate d, and projects forward between
two (preferably the two central ones) of the vertical bars b which form the front
of the fireplace as already described, the space between these two vertical bars
being if necessary, made somewhat wider (as shown) than the other spaces, to
allow the socket j to move freely up and down. The bars d which form the
bottom of the grate project forward sufficiently, beyond the front edge of the
frame in which they are formed, to enter the spaces between the front vertical
bars b, (as shown in Figures 4 and 5), and so prevent the fuel from dropping down
as the front edge of the bottom grate d rises and falls in a curved direction.
By the method of construction and operation described the rising bottom of
the grate is very conveniently and easily worked, and the whole arrangement is
very simple, cheap, and effective.
The details of construction may be varied more or less as may be found
desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
-
The combination, in fireplaces, of a bottom grate, supported at its back edge
upon fixed supports upon which its back edge, or projections upon its back edge,
can move forward and backward, a front to the fireplace, having vertical bars,
between which projections upon the front edge of the bottom grate enter and
can rise and fall, one or more curved frames carried by the bottom grate and
having angular teeth upon the curved edge, such teeth engaging with a project-
ing support when the bottom grate is released after having been raised or lowered
to the desired position, and a socket on the front edge of the bottom grate, moving
up and down between two of the vertical bars of the front of the fireplace, and
receiving a poker or bar by which the bottom grate can be readily raised and
lowered and its position adjusted, substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 14th day of June 1899.
EDWARDS AND Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.