AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: ‘LETTERS ‘PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND HEATING PURPOSES."―A
communication from abroad by Antoine Louis Ligny, of Paris,
France.
Sealed the 7th July 1874, and dated the 24th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th January 1874.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND HEATING
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for drying rooms or
buildings, and for other heating and drying purposes.
The apparatus may be made of a round, rectangular, or other con-
venient form, but illustrated in the accompanying Drawing is that
which I prefer to employ for drying rooms,
.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a front view of the apparatus; Figure 2 a side view ;
Figure 3, a back view; and Figure 4 a plan of same; while Figures 5,
6, 7, 8, and 9, show details herein-after described.
a, movable platform or truck on which the apparatus is placed
mounted on casters 6 and provided on each side with handles c by which
the apparatus can be moved about a room where required. d, blocks
fixed on platform a to support the ash-pane at a short distance above
said platform. In this space a plate of sheet iron or other material may
be introduced to protect the floor from the heat, which plate by inducing
a constant current of cold air will materially assist in preventing the
floor from being burnt. f, iron cage or fire-basket having a grated
bottom on which the coke or other fuel is placed; g, heat reflector,
covering the whole of the back of the fire-basket and inclined above it,
as shown in Figure 2. This plate may be perforated at the part opposite
the fire and be protected by gratings, which will at same time induce a
current of air and thus increase the draft of the fire. h, Figure 3,
openings in reflector 9 through which pass a number of pipes i for
conveying the heat of the stove to any part of the room disposed either
at one side of the fire-basket or all round it as desired. j, j, doors for
closing the sides of the basket when desired. k, Figure 5, one of two
shutters which may be applied to the front of the basket. j, side
screens which may be used to confine the heat or direct it to any
point desired, as for drying the lower parts of walls for instance.
1, Figure 3, dampers for closing openings h when pipes i are not used.
x, Figure 1, blower for directing the heat on points beyond the reach of
pipes i, and at same time to pass the vapor produced by the drying
through the fire.
The jointed supports for pipes 1, represented in Figures 6 and 7,
consist of a bracket in either, hooking on to the top and bottom bars
of the fire-basket, or on to sockets n, Figure 8, fixed on plate g. On
bracket m is pivoted a vertical frame consisting of a bar o and sector p.
To this bar o is jointed an arm q carrying a cradle and sliding on the
sector, whereby the pipe i may be raised or lowered, or inclined to the
one side or the other by swinging the vertical frame. 8, t, Figure 8,
hooks, either fixed on plate g or on the upper bar of the fire-basket,
Figure 9, for supporting the pipes i at bottom, so as to allow of their
being readily placed in the different positions required.

page_text: In applying the apparatus for drying wood fabrics and other sub-
stances, instead of using an open fire as hitherto, I enclose the grate
with brickwork from which the heated air is distributed where required
by means of pipes and blowers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1874.
- TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND HEATING PURPOSES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Antoine Louis Ligny, of Paris, France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for drying rooms.or
buildings, the said apparatus being also applicable for other heating and
drying purposes, such as for drying wood, woven and other fabrics,
grain, bricks, tiles, and other goods requiring to be heated or burnt.
The apparatus may be made of round, rectangular, or other form, but
that illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which is given by way of
example, is the arrangement I prefer to employ for drying rooms.
This apparatus is composed of a rectangular cage forming a fire-
basket in which coke or other suitable fuel is placed. This cage rests
upon a metal ash-pan, which is in turn carried by a truck mounted on.
casters, the space between the truck and the ash-pan being filled with
some non-conducting substance to intercept the heat of the stove and
prevent injury to the flooring.
The firc-basket is surmounted by an inclined plate or reflector mado
either of sheet iron or polished steel, and covered or not with fire-clay
or other refractory material so that the whole of the heat may be
reflected from the one side of the plate. The heat may be conveyed
from the centre of the fire to any part of a room by means of hoods
placed above the fire and surmounted by flues or pipes made in lengths
suitable for the purpose, openings being provided in the reflector for the
passage of the pipes in order to conduct the heat behind the reflector.
Jointed supports are provided whereby to raise or lower the pipes and
support them in any desired position.
Hinged screens or shutters are placed on the sides and front of the
fire-basket to confine the heat or direct it to one point or other, as for
drying the lower parts of walls for example, or to confine the heat so as
to compel the whole to pass through the pipes to be conducted to some
clevated point..
I employ a fan blower of any suitable kind to direct the heat through
one of the before-mentioned pipes into the corners and recesses, and at
same time to conduct the vapour produced by the drying into the
fire.
In applying the apparatus for manufacturing purposes, as for drying
wood, fabrics, and other. substances, instead of using an open fire, as

page_text: hitherto practised, I enclose the fire in brickwork from which the heated
air escapes through short pipes, and whence it may be conveyed where
required by means of pipes or blowers.
In order that this Invention may be more readily understood I have
illustrated it in the accompanying Drawings, in which. Figure 1 shows a
front elevation of the apparatus; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a
back elevation; and Figure 4, a plan of same, the reflector and hoods
not being shown in the latter Figure. Figure 5 shows detached views
of one of the screens for closing the front of the grate; Figures 6 and 7
show detached views of one of the jointed supports for the pipes, while
Figures 8 and 9 show two different methods of jointing the hoods to the
fire-basket so as to permit of their being moved freely in any desired
direction. The same reference letters serve for all these Figures.
a, movable platform or truck on which the apparatus is placed.
mounted on casters 6 and provided at each side with handles c by which
the apparatus may be moved about where required. d, blocks fixed on
platform a to support the ash-pane at a short distance above said
platform. In this space a plate of iron or other material may be
introduced, which plate by inducing a constant current of cold air will
keep cool the surfaces exposed to the heat and prevent the floor from
being burnt. f, iron cage or fire-basket having a grated bottom on
which the fuel is placed, see Figure 4. g, reflector covering the whole
of the back of the fire-basket and rising above it in an inclined direction,
as shown at Figure 2. The plate g may be perforated at the part next
the fire and protected by gratings, which will at same time induce a
current of air and thus increase the draft of the fire. h, openings made
in plate g for the hoods to pass through, said hoods being disposed
above the fire and inclining outwards on all sides of the grate, or at one
side only, as required; j, j, doors for enclosing the ends of the fire-
basket; k, Figure 5, one of the two screens for enclosing the front of
the fire-basket; 1, Figure 3, covers for openings h when hoods i are not
used; x, Figure 1, fan blower drawn to a smaller scale, which serves, as
before mentioned, to direct the heat on points beyond the reach of
pipes i.
The jointed.supports for the pipes i, represented in Figures 6 and 7,
consist of a bracket m hooking either on to the top and bottom bars of

page_text: ""
bracket m is pivoted a vertical frame consisting of a bar o and sector p.
To this bar o is jointed an arm q carrying a cradle and sliding on the
sector, whereby the pipe i may be raised, lowered, or inclined to the
one side or the other by swinging the vertical frame. 8, t, Figure 8,
looks, either fixed on plate g, Figure 8, or on the upper bar of the fire-
basket, as in Figure 9, for supporting the pipes in the different positions
in which they may be placed.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
improved drying and heating apparatus composed of a portable grate
having adjustable pipes for conducting the heat where required, and
also fitted with screens and a reflector for directing the heat in one or
more directions, all as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.