Im- PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dean, of Oxford, in the County of
Oxfordshire, Iron and Brass Founder, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES.”
Sealed the 10th February 1874, and dated the 18th August 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dean at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th August 1878.
I, JOHN DEAN, of Oxford, in the County of Oxfordshire, Iron and
Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES," to be as follows:-
I propose to apply air chambers to fire-places in such a manner as to
supply the air necessary to combustion only above the bottom fire-bars
or grate and in combination with a downward draught, that is to say,
the products of combustion in lieu of being at once carried upwards as
in ordinary fire-places will by my combinations of air chambers and flue
be drawn downwards through the grate and thence to the flue.
•

page_text: I also propose to make the fire-bars of the grate hollow and to supply
them with air or water, directing the air either into the fire or directly
into the flue, and the water into the boiler. Solid fire-bars might be
used with my combination of air conduits and downward draught, but
my improved hollow bars will be found preferable.
I also propose to supply the air necessary to combustion through
openings immediately above the grate so as to leave the bright fire
visible, but always in combination with a downward draught.
..
I propose in some cases to use a circular grate traversed by a central
flue, always however supplying air above the grate in combination with
a downward draught, but I may place the flue in any convenient
position so that it opens beneath the fire-grate.
The advantages obtained by my improvements are a saving of fuel
and automatic consumption of smoke, and while particularly applicablo
to the cooking stoves known as "kitcheners" and to the closed
fire-places of locomotive and other engines; these improvements may
also be advantageously adopted for open fire-places.
•
For the better comprehension of my improved air supply in com-
bination with downward draught I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of
Drawing illustrative thereof, but I would have it understood that I do
not in any way limit myself to the number or shape of the air chambers
or to any of the details of the fire-place shown on the said Sheet of
Drawing, upon which a indicates the fire-box; b, ash-pit; c, boiler;
d, flue pipe; e, air chambers; f, air pipes, forming also fire-bars;
9, hot-air pipes through boiler; h, man-hole in boiler; i, hit and miss
regulator to throw air either direct into fire-box a or through air
chambers e; k, feeding door; 7, stoke holes; m, ash doors. The fire is
lighted on the bars f in the ordinary manner, the air necessary to
combustion enters at i, passing directly through the fire, or arriving by
the air chambers e, as may be desired; the arrows indicate the direction
of the draught.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Dean in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DEAN, of Oxford, in the County of Oxfordshire, Iron and Brass
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Dean, Her special licence that
I, the said John Dean, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Dean, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PLACES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Dean, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Dean, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention consists in applying air chambers to fire-places in such
a manner as to supply the air necessary to combustion only above the
bottom fire-bars or grate and in combination with a downward draught,
that is to say, the products of combustion in lieu of being at once
carried upwards, as in ordinary fire-places, will by my combinations of
air chambers and flue be drawn downwards through the grate and thence
to the flue,

page_text: I prefer to make the fire-bars of the grate hollow and to supply them
with air or water, directing the air either into the fire or directly into the
flue, and the water into the boiler. Solid fire-bars might be used with
my combination of air conduits and downward draught, but my
improved hollow fire-bars will be found preferable.
I may also supply the air necessary to combustion through openings
above the grate, so as to leave the bright fire visible, but always in
combination with a downward.draught.
I may in some cases use a circular grate traversed by a central flue,
always however supplying air above the grate in combination with a
downward draught, and I may place the flue in any convenient position
so that it opens beneath the fire-grate.
5
ו'
The advantages obtained by my improvements are a saving of fuel,
automatic consumption of smoke, and much greater cleanliness of flues,
and while particularly applicable to the cooking stoves known as 1
"kitcheners" and to the closed fire-places of locomotive and .other
engines these improvements may also be advantageously adopted for
open fire-places.
For the better comprehension of my improved air supply in com-
bination with downward draught, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of 2
Drawing illustrative thereof, but I would premise that I do not propose
to limit myself to the particular form of fire-place or to the details of
construction thereof as shown on the said Sheet of Drawing, which is
merely illustrative of my Invention, and upon which Fig. 1 is a side
elevation; Fig. 2 a front elevation; Fig. 3 a section at A, A, Figs. 52
and 6; Fig. 4 a section at B, B, Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 5 a top plan view,
and Fig. 6 a plan at O, C, Fig. 1 of a fire-place embodying my
Invention; a, indicating the fire-box; b, ash-pit; c, boiler; d, flue
pipe; e, air chambers; f, air pipes forming also fire-bars; 9, hot-air
pipes through boiler; h, man-hole in boiler; i, hit and miss regulator 3
to throw air either direct into fire-box a or through air chambers e;
k, feeding door; l, stoke holes, these also supply air for combustion;
m, ash door. The fire is lighted on the bars in the ordinary manner, the
air necessary to combustion enters at passing directly through the fire
or arriving by the air chambers e as may be desired, the arrows indicato 3
the direction of the draught,

page_text: Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said. Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or, may be performed, I would
have it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular number
or shape of air chambers or to the use of hollow fire-bars, but that I
claim as of my Invention and as secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, the combination with fire-places of air
chambers supplying the air necessary to combustion only above the
bottom fire-bars or grate, and in combination with a downward draught,
also the plan of admitting air necessary to combustion through openings
above the grate so as to leave the bright fire visible but always in
combination with a downward draught, substantially as herein-before set
10гCH.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dean, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN DEAN (7.0)