Improvements in Fire Places and Cooking Ranges.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Places and Cooking Ranges.
I, EDWARD WRIGHT, of High Street, Southend, in the County of Essex,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the construction of fire places and cooking ranges
with a fire box and grate located either wholly or partly within an ash pit arranged
below the floor level and provided with an air inlet or inlets controlled by a valve
or regulator and with a movable cover, the arrangement being such that fuel can
be charged into the fire box from above and air can be admitted to the ash pit and
thence to the fire box from. below so as to pass through the grate at the bottom of
the fire box and thus to the fire, and when the fuel has been properly ignited the
air supply to the ash pit can be partly or wholly cut off so that a slow combus-
tion of the fuel may take place. It is advantageous to form the movable cover
with openings controlled by a sliding regulator to allow heated air to pass from the
ash pit into the room or apartment in which the fire place is situated, and to incline
the grate bars at the bottom of the fire box so that the fire shall have a tendency
to burn more towards the front or the back as circumstances may require. One or
more air passages or chambers may be provided in, around, or above the ash pit,
through which air may pass and become heated and thence be led to any desired
place, the flow of air being controlled by suitable regulators.
In one arrangement air for combustion is admitted to the ash pit from the space
below the floor, through a sliding register that is also below the floor. At the back
of the fire place and immediately above the fire box is an opening to a supple-
mentary flue that passes behind the back of the fire place and communicates with
the chimney above. This flue has a door at the bottom by opening which smoke
may be allowed to pass to the chimney through the flue when lighting the fire, or
charging the fire box with fresh fuel, thus enabling the open portion of the fire
place to be kept clean. In another arrangement air is admitted to the ash pit
through openings above the floor. In a further arrangement the air is admitted
to the ash pit through the wall at the rear of the grate, the air passing through the
grate or after being heated in the ash pit escaping through the ash pit cover or
other outlet to any desired place. In this case the grate is provided with a
regulator for cutting off the air supply to the fuel from below when necessary.
The ash pit or a part thereof may be used as a baking oven and for this purpose
may be provided with shelves or with ledges to carry a baking plate or plates.
When the fire box extends partly above the floor level, the front of the projecting
portion may be formed with air slits or openings controlled by a sliding regulator.
The fire box may be made removable, and be provided with handles so that one fire
box may serve for several ash pits in various parts of a house. In applying my
invention to cooking ranges, the oven or ovens and boiler or boilers are placed above
or in proximity to a fire box arranged as hereinbefore described, suitably arranged
passages, controlled by dampers being provided in the usual manner for the circula-
tion of the hot gases and products of combustion on their way to the chimney. In
this case the fire box is closed in by the front of the range in which is a suitable fire
door. The fire box when made of metal may be lined with refractory material such
as fire clay, or bricks.
As will be obvious my invention can be carried out in various forms and in con-
junction with open fire places and cooking ranges of various designs and sizes.
Dated thin 10th day of La 1801

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Places and Cooking Ranges.
I, EDWARD WRIGHT, of High Street, Southend, in the County of Essex,
Architect, 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 has reference to the construction of fire places and cooking ranges
with a fire box and grate located either wholly or partly within an ash pit arranged
'below the floor level and provided with an air inlet or inlets controlled by a valve
or regulator and with a movable cover, the arrangement being such that fuel can
be charged into the fire box from above and air can be admitted to the ash pit and
thence to the fire box from below so as to pass through the grate at the bottom of
the fire box and thus to the fire, and when the fuel has been properly ignited the
air supply to the ash pit can be partly or wholly cut off so that a slow combustion
of the fuel may take place. It is advantageous to form the movable cover with
openings controlled by a sliding regulator to allow heated air to pass from the ash
pit into the room or apartment in which the fire place is situated. One or more air
passages or chambers may be provided in, around, or above the ash pit, through
which air may pass and become heated and thence be led to any desired place, the
flow of air being controlled by suitable regulators.
As will be obvious my invention can be carried out in various forms and in con-
junction with open fire places and cooking ranges of various designs and sizes.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a fire place constructed according to this
invention.
1 is a fire box located within an ash pit 2 arranged below the level of the floor 3
of the apartment in which the fire place is situated. This fire box is provided at
the bottom with a grate 1* which may be horizontal or inclined as desired. 4 is a
passage for air from the space 5 below the floor to the ash pit. This passage is
controlled by a sliding regulator 6 that may be conveniently adjusted vertically to
open and close the slots 7 in a fixed slotted plate 8 by a screw 9 which works in a
nut 10 on the regulator and is carried by a spindle 11, the top 12 of which extends
above the hearth 13 so that it can be easily adjusted to control the flow of air
through the inlet 4 to suit requirement. 14 is a sliding cover for the ash pit, it is
formed with openings 15 and is provided with a sliding air regulator 16 whereby
the passage of hot air from the ash pit to the apartment above can be permitted or
stopped as desired. 2ª is a removable ash pan. Behind and above the fire box
may be formed a flue 17 connecting to a supplementary fluc 18 that passes behind
the back 19 of the space 19* and communicates with the chimney above. 20 is a
hinged door by opening which smoke may be allowed to pass to the chimney through
the flues 17 and 18 when lighting the fire or charging the fire-box with fresh fuel,
thus enabling the open portion of the fire place to be kept clean. These flues can
however be dispensed with if desired. The fire box when made of metal as shewn,
may be provided with a protective lining of refractory material such as fire clay or
fire brick. It can also be provided with lugs 1* so that it can be lifted from one
ash pit and inserted in another in a different part of a house. With the construc-
tion described it will be understood that the whole of the air that passes through
the fire box comes from the space below the floor or from some other space and not
from the apartment in which the fire place is located. As a consequence very little
draught through the apartment will be caused by the fire and the apartment can be
maintained at a suitable temperature with a much smaller consumption of fuel than
is usual. Furthermore by opening the regulator 16 a supply of fresh warm air can
be admitted to the apartment from the ash pit.
The air can if desired be admitted to the ash pit through an opening 21 in the

page_text: wall 22 at the rear of the grate as shewn in dotted lines, the air passing through the
grate 1 when active combustion of the fuel is required; or after being heated in the
ash pit escaping through the ash pit cover 14 or other outlet to the apartment or to
any other desired place. In this case the grate is provided with a regulator or
damper 24 for cutting off the air supply to the fuel from below, when a slow com-
bustion thereof is required to take place. I consider it more convenient however to
obtain the air supply from the ordinary air space 5 below the floor.
The ash pit can if desired be used as a baking oven and for this purpose may be
provided with shelves or with ledges to carry a baking plate or plates.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;
Fig. 3 a sectional elevation on the line Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 a sectional plan illustrating an arrangement of fire place according to this
invention in which the fire box 2 extends partly above the floor level. This fire
box is made of refractory material as for example fire clay and is shewn provided
with an ornamental metal front 25 that may be fixed or removable. 26 is a vessel
located behind the fire box 2 and wherein air or water can be heated; it is provided
with an inlet 27, and with an outlet 28 by which the heated air or water can be
conducted to any desired place. 29 is an inclined fire back of suitable material
such as metal. It is pivoted at 30 and formed with a grid-like part 31 through
which smoke may pass to the chimney 32 above, when the fire back is turned into
the position shewn in dotted lines as when lighting the fire or after adding fresh fuel
thereto. 33 is an ordinary register or damper for controlling the passage of hot
gases and smoke to the chimney 32. 34 is the air brick or regulator usually
employed for admitting air to the space 5 below the floor 3. The ash pit .cover in
this arrangement shewn hinged, so as to turn upward. In other respects the
construction shewn in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is substantially the same as that shewn in
Fig. 1.
In the arrangements shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 which are similar views to Figs. 2
and 3 respectively there is a supplementary flue 18 behind the back 19 the lower
part 19 of which is hinged at 19" so that it can be turned into the position indicated
by dotted lines to allow smoke to pass into the flue 18 and thence to the chimney
above when lighting the fire or adding fresh fuel thereto. 35 is a passage for
admitting air to the supplementary flue, the air entering by a perforated plate 36.
36 is a regulator for opening or closing the air passage 35.
In Figs. 7 and 8 which are similar views to Figs. 5 and 6 respectively, the
back 19 is shewn as of ordinary angular form, and above the fire box is arranged a
rectangular box or blower 37 open at top and bottom and which can be slidden into
the position shewn in dotted lines to increase the draught through the fire box when
desired as when lighting the fire therein.
In applying my invention to cooking ranges the oven or oveus and boiler or
boilers are placed above or in proximity to a fire box arranged as hereinbefore
described, suitably arranged passages, controlled by dampers, being provided in the
usual manner for the circulation of the hot gases and products of combustion on
their way to the chimney. In this case the fire box is closed in by the front of the
range in which is a suitable fire door.
Figs. 9 and 10 are vertical sections in planes at right angles to each other;
Fig. 11 is a horizontal section; and Fig. 12 is a front elevation partly in section
of a close cooking range according to my invention. As will be seen the fire box 1;
ash pit 2 and air regulator 6 for controlling the supply of air from the space 5 below
the floor 3 is similar to that hereinbefore described with reference to and shewn in
Figs. 2, 3, and 4. 38 is an oven, and 39 is a boiler located above and at opposite
sides of the fire box and partly surrounded by flues 40 which are in communication
with up-take flues 41, 44 as well understood. Sliding regulators 42 serve to control
the admission of hot gases to each flue 40. 43 is a boiler of boot or other suitable
shape; around it hot gases pass from the fire box 1 to an up-take flue 44 as
indicated by the arrows. 45 are the ordinary fire bars which may, when desired,
be turned down into the dotted position to serve as a support for a kettle or other

page_text: article. Dampers 46 serve to control the flow of hot gas through the flues 41
and 44 to suit requirement as well understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The hereinabove described improved construction of fire places or cooking
ranges wherein a fire box having close sides front and back and a grate or air
openings at the bottom thereof, is combined with an ash pit into which the
necessary air for effecting the combustion of the fuel is introduced from some
source external to the room or chamber to be warmed or in which the fire place or
range is located, and means for regulating or stopping at will the flow of air through
the fire box, the arrangement being such that fuel can be charged into the fire box
from above and that air admitted to the ash pit can be caused to pass through the
grate or openings in the bottom of the fire box to support combustion and when the
fuel is properly ignited the supply of air through the grate or open bottom of
the fire box can be wholly or partly cut off and slow combustion of the fuel be
effected substantially as herein described.
2. Fire places such as referred to in the preceding claim constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings
(see respectively Fig. 1; Figs. 2, 3 and 4; Figs. 5 and 6; and Figs. 7 and 8).
3. A cooking range such as referred to in Claim 1, constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1891.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.