IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-GRATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Russell, of Gothic Villa, Shepherd's
Bush, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-GRATES."
Sealed the 26th October 1875, and dated the 3rd May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1875.
I, SAMUEL RUSSELL, of Gothic Villa, Shepherd's Bush, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-GRATES," to be as follows:-
:―
For the purposes of this Invention a grate is provided with two flues,
one passing upwards in the ordinary way from above the fire; the other
commencing below the fire and passing up behind it, the two communi-
cating at any convenient point above the fire. At the junction of these
two flues a valve is formed capable of being regulated at pleasure; so as
to partially or entirely close cither fluc; by this means in proportion as
the lower flue is open and the upper one closed the fire will increase in

page_text: intensity and the smoke be consumed by passing downwards through
the fire.
Another portion of this Invention consists of a tube of suitable
sectional area placed above the fire in any position varying from the
vertical to an inclination of about 50 degrees, which may be used in
conjunction with the arrangement of flues and valve herein-before
described, or with either, one of the flues only. The lower end of this
tube opens into the grate, the upper end being provided with a lid or
cover closing air-tight; the tube is to be filled from the upper end with
fuel, which by the action of its own gravity continues to supply the con-
sumption of the fire. Sometimes it is convenient to make the tube
enter at the back of the fire at an angle of about 60 degrees, and
gradually curve forward so as to bring the upper end into a convenient
position for receiving the fuel.
The double flue and valve, as before stated, regulate the intensity of
the fire, and to regulate the quantity, the grate, by which is meant that
portion containing the fire, or front of it, is made capable of being drawn
forward with a counterbalance weight always tending to draw it back,
with a catch to fix it in any desired position. When the catch is
removed the backward pressure stops the fall of fuel from the tube, the
fire becoming gradually less, and finally extinguished. By these means
any desired amount and intensity of fire may be obtained and continued
throughout the day or night without further attention. The amount
of fire may also be regulated by raising and lowering the tube, which
may be conveniently done by means of a screw at the upper end, the
tube being allowed to fall to extinguish the fire.
It is in most cases desireable not to close the sides of the grate, as is
usually done, but to construct them open with fire-bars, as in the front.
In order further to utilize the heat of the fire the whole recess in
which the grate stands may be shut off from the chimney by a partition,
the communication between the fire and chimney being made by means
of a tubular flue passing through an opening in the partition; the
tubular flue may be provided with external flanges, or what are usually
termed gills. A valve is also formed in the partition, to be opened when
the flow of air through the fire is too great or the room too hot, and also
for the convenience of sweeping the chimney.

page_text: It is also desireable in most cases that the grate, or bottom of it, should
incline downward and forward at an angle of about 45 degrees, in order
that it may be cleared of ash and dust by the motion of the falling
fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Samuel Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RUSSELL, of Gothic Villa, Shepherds Bush, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Samuel Russell, Her special licence that I,
the said Samuel Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Samuel Russell, my executors, admini-
strators, 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-
GRATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel
Russell, 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 Samuel Russell, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto

page_text: annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
:-
For the purposes of this Invention a grate is provided with two flues,
one passing upwards in the ordinary way from above the fire, the other
commencing below the fire and passing up behind it, the two communi-
cating at any convenenient point above the fire. At the junction of
these two flues a valve is formed, capable of being regulated at pleasure,
so as to partially or entirely close either flue; by this means in pro-
portion as the lower flue is open and the upper one closed the fire will
increase in intensity and the smoke be consumed by passing downwards
through the fire.
Another portion of this Invention consists of a tube (hopper or fuel
holder) of suitable form and sectional area placed above the fire in any
position varying from the vertical to an inclination of about 50 degrees,
which may be used in conjunction with the arrangement of flues and
valve herein-before described; or with either one of the flues only. The
lower end of this tube opens into the fire, the upper end being provided
with a lid or cover closing air-tight. The tube is to be filled from the
upper end with fuel, which by the action of its own gravity continues
to supply the consumption of the fire. Usually it is convenient to make
the tube enter at the back of the fire at an angle of about 60 degrees,
and gradually curve forward so as to bring the upper end into a con-
venient position for receiving the fuel.
The double flue and valve, as before stated, regulate the intensity of
the fire, and to regulate the quantity the grate, by which is meant that
portion containing the fire, or front of it, is made capable of being drawn
forward with a counterbalance weight always tending to draw it back,
with a catch to fix it in any desired position. When the catch is
removed the backward pressure stops the fall of fuel from the tube, the
fire becoming gradually less, and finally extinguished. By these means
any desired amount and intensity of fire may be obtained and continued
throughout the day or night without further attention.
It is in most cases desireable not toclose the sides of the grate, as is
usually done, but to construct them open with fire-bars, as in the front.
In order further to utilise the heat of the fire the whole recess in
which the grate stands may be shut off from the chimney by a partition,
the communication between the fire and chimney being made by means

page_text: of a tubular flue passing through an opening in the partition. The
tubular flue may be provided with external flanges, or what are usually
termed gills. A valve is also formed in the partition, to be opened when
the flow of air through the fire is too great or the room too hot, and also
for the convenience of sweeping the chimney.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, shewing a portion of the front plate or
screen removed; Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a ground
plan; Figure 4 is a plan on line a², 62, Figure 2; Figure 5 is a trans-
verse section. Like letters refer to similar parts in all the Drawings.
A, A, are the side bars of the grate; B, B, are the front bars, having
leg pieces C, C, one on either side; the front bars and legs being made in
one piece, supported by and turning on the bearings D, D, the ends E; E,
of the leg pieces being of sufficient thickness and weight to press the
front bars with considerable force against the fuel. The front bars are
retained in any desired position by means of the chain F and catch G;
H is the bottom grating inclining downwards from back to front at an
angle of about 45 degrees, so that the action of the falling fuel may keep
it free of ash and dust; K, K, is a hopper or fuel holder, the lower end
of which opens into the back of the fire at an angle of about 60 degrees,
and gradually curves forward, so as to bring the upper end, which is of
rather smaller area, into a convenient position for receiving the fuel;
L, L, L, is a flue commencing below the fire and passing up behind the
hopper; M, M, is also a flue ascending from above the fire, then passing
on either side of the hopper and communicating with the flue L, L. At
the junction of the flues a valve P.is formed, turning in bearings P¹, P¹,
in opposite sides of the flue L, and capable of making a semi-revolution
from the position shewn at Figure 5, in the direction of the dotted line,
and thus according to its position closing partly or entirely one or both
flues, so that the gases from combustion and the air of the room may
be diverted downwards or upwards or partly in cach direction. Both
the hopper and flue L I prefer making of a rectangular form in their
transverse sections, and providing them with flanges or gills R, R. The

page_text: valve in Figure 4 is shewn as closing the flue which ascends from above
the fire. The valve is actuated by means of two bevelled toothed wheels
T and S geared together at right angles one with the other, S having
one tooth more than half the number on T; T is rigidly connected with
the valve by the axle T¹ passing through the bearing in the side of the
fluc L; U is a piece of iron fixed on the axle T to balance the valve P.
The toothed wheel S is fixed on an axle V turning at one end in a
bearing W, the other end passing through the front plate or screen X,
where it is provided with a handle Y, by which it may be turned. A
dial on the front plate or screen X indicates the position of the valve.
This is shewn more clearly at Figure 6, the pointer a turning with the
handle b.
The whole of the ordinary brick recess of the fire-place is shut off
from the chimney above by a horizontal partition c², through which the
flue L passes, being closely fitted. This partition is provided with a
door or valve, which may be opened when the flow of air through the
fire, or the heat of the room is too great, and also for the purpose of
cleaning the chimney. This door or valve may be actuated by a handle d
similar to and ranging symetrically with the handle Y, any simple con-
nection being made between the handle and valve.
The upper end of the hopper is closed air-tight by means of a remove-
able lid or cover é having a piece f projecting at a slight angle from its
centre externally; is a handle or lever turning on a pin or fulcrum i
attached to the hopper. As the lower end of the lever is turned down-
wards the opposite end comes in contact with the piece f, and travelling
along its increasing projection jambs the lid e firmly against the mouth
of the hopper. On the inside of the lid, at points corresponding with
the interual angles of the mouth of the hopper, are rivetted four guide
pieces, k, which hold the lid in position whilst the lever is turned.
These guide pieces are rivetted in preference to being cast on to give
facilities for working the junction of the lid and hopper true and air-
tight before they, the guide pieces, are attached. The upper part X³ of
the front plate X is removeable to give access to the hopper.
The front plate or screen ✗ being of little practical value may if
preferred be dispensed with, and in such case the toothed wheels T
and S will not be required, as a handle may be fixed to the axle T.

page_text: Coke or ashes will probably be found the best fuel for this grate, as
it will always fall freely, whilst the draught is so. perfect that no
unpleasant gas can escape into the room; but any dry burning fuel may
be used, as some sorts of coal, if ordinary coal is used a poker will
occasionally.be required to cause it to fall.
Where practicable the external air should be allowed to enter under
the grate at m.
Figure 7 shews a method of adapting an arrangement of flues and
valve similar in action to that herein-before described to an ordinary
fire-grate. A flue n is opened below the fire at the back, and carried
up behind it, communicating above with the ordinary flue o, so that
the register valve p turning on a hinge will partly or entirely close
either flue or leave both open; for this purpose it is furnished on its
front face with an eye t to receive the end of an iron rod bent to a
suitable angle, by which it may be moved. The notched segmental barv
(the notches being deeper towards the ends than at the centre) moving
freely in perpendicular guides y, y, one at either end, will retain it in
any position desired. When fresh fuel is put on the fire, the valve being
drawn forward, the smoke descends through the fire and is consumed.
At the time when I lodged my Provisional Specification I stated that
the amount of fire might be regulated by raising or lowering the tube
(the hopper or fuel holder) by means of a screw at the upper end, the
tube being allowed to fall to extinguish the fire; but experiments which
I have made since the date of my said Provisional Specification have
proved to me that this arrangement is not so useful as I then supposed
it to be, or sufficiently useful to induce me to wish to retain any such
arrangement as part of my said Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same may be performed or
carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I am aware
that double flues have been used in fire-grates before the date of my said
Letters Patent, and that such an arrangement of flues is described in
the Specification of a Patent granted to one George Adam Burn, dated
the Fourteenth of June, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four,
(Number 1469/64); but in the said arrangement the smoke is drawn
through the back of the fire-grate, and it is therefore objectionable
from the too rapid combustion of fuel, and no cooling air being

page_text: '
furnished to prevent the burning of the back of the grate, I therefore
make no claim to such an arrangement of double flues, nor to any
of the parts separately; but what I do claim as the Invention which I
desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The combination and arrangement of double flues, hopper, or
fuel holder, inclined bottom bars, moveable and adjustible front bars,
and means of altering the direction of and regulating the draught,
forming the improved fire-grate, substantially as herein-before described
and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. The adaptation to ordinary fire-grates of double flues and
means of altering the direction of and regulating the draught, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and represented in Figures 7 of the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
'
HAMILTON FULTON,
7, Vigo St., W.,
Sol*,.
SAMUEL RUSSELL. (L.S.)