AN IMPROVED FIRE- GRATE, STOVE, OR FURNACE FOR THE ECONOMY OF COAL AS FUEL AND THE COMBUSTION OF THE SMOKE PRODUCED BY THE BURNING THEREOF
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas Whitfield, of Hallbankgate, near Milton, in the
County of Cumberland, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FIRE-
GRATE, STOVE, OR FURNACE FOR THE ECONOMY OF COAL AS FUEL AND THE
COMBUSTION OF THE SMOKE PRODUCED BY THE BURNING THEREOF."
Sealed the 1st May 1877, and dated the 10th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas Whitfield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1876.
NICHOLAS WHITFIELD, of Hallbankgate, near Milton, in the County of Cum-
berland, Engineer.
"AN IMPROVED FIRE-GRATE, STOVE, OR FURNACE FOR THE
ECONOMY OF COAL AS FUEL AND THE COMBUSTION OF THE SMOKE PRODUCED BY
THE BURNING THEREOF."
The object of my Invention is to ensure the perfect and complete combustion of.
coal when burned for domestic or other purposes of producing heat, from which will
result an economy of fuel and a non-production of smoke.
The improvements consist in forming directly over the grate a vertical hollow
column of iron, brick, fire-clay, or other suitable material to receive the charge of
coal to be burned. The said column after being filled with coal is closed at the top
by an air-tight cover, and the flames from the burning coals instead of rising
upward through the fresh fuel pass horizontally under a suspended fire-bridge to a
flue or chimney, or the heat thus generated may be made available for many useful
purposes. By this arrangement a fire of comparatively limited extent but of intense
heat is kept burning under the column of coal, and as the process of combustion
continues the superincumbent coal gravitate downward and supplies at the proper
time and to the required extent the incandescent mass with fresh fuel; the heat
thus produced is not caused as is usually the case by the slow combustion of a large
body of burning fuel, but by the rapid combustion of a small body of fire, which
reduces the fuel to fine ashes. The smoke from the burning or partly-burned coal.
descend, and passing between the live coal is burned on its way through the fire;
thus no smoke is emitted from the flue.
The bottom bars on which the ignited coals lie are capable of being raised or
tilted, in order to reduce the opening to the flue at the back of the fire, through

page_text: which the flames pass; this will regulate the draught and determine the intensity
of the fire.
Air to support combustion may be admitted from the under side or front of the
grate, or the admission may be regulated at pleasure by gratings.
The aforesaid column may be of any convenient shape, in cross section, but to
promote the downward tendency of the coals therein the interior thereof should
taper upward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nicholas Whitfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
May 1877.
NICHOLAS WHITFIELD, of Hallbankgate, near Milton, in the County of Cum-
berland, Engineer. "AN IMPROVED FIRE-GRATE, STOVE, OR FURNACE FOR THE
ECONOMY OF COAL AS FUEL AND THE COMBUSTION OF THE SMOKE PRODUCED BY
THE BURNING THEREOF."
The object of my Invention is to insure the perfect and complete combustion of
coal when burned for domestic or other purposes of producing heat, from which will
result an economy of fuel and a non-production of smoke.
The improvements consist in forming directly over the hearth or grate a vertical
hollow column of iron, brick, fire-clay, or other suitable material to receive the
charge of coal to be burned. The said column may be in cross section of any
approved shape, but to promote the downward tendency of the coal or fuel therein
the interior thereof should taper upward from the grate, or the vertical section of the
same may represent the figure of the frustrums of two hollow cones or pyramids
meeting at their narrow ends. The column after being filled with coal or any
suitable fuel should be closed at the top by a smoke-tight cover. The coal is
ignited at the bottom, and the flames therefrom instead of passing upward through
the fresh fuel pass horizontally under a suspended fire-bridge to a flue or chimney;
the heat thus generated may be made available for many useful purposes. By this
arrangement a fire of comparatively limited extent but of intense and glowing heat
is kept burning under the column of coal, and as the process of combustion continues
the superincumbent coal gravitates downward and supplies at the proper time and
to the required extent the incandescent mass with fresh fuel; the heat thus
produced is not caused, as is usually the case, by the slow and imperfect combustion
of a large body of burning fuel, but by the rapid and complete combustion of a
small body of fire, which reduces the fuel to a state of fine ashes. The smoke from
the burning or partly-burned coal descending and passing among the live coal is
consumed on its way through the incandescent mass of burning material; thus no
smoke is emitted from the flue.
Air to support combustion may be admitted at the front or under side of the
grate, and the admission of the same regulated by dampers, as is often the case.
My Invention being equally applicable to a stove, furnace, or fire-place, the
principle in each case being the same, I have confined my remarks and the
illustrations on the accompanying Drawing chiefly to that of a stove for domestic
purposes, of which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; Figure 2, a front elevation;
Figure 3, a sectional plan on line 1-2, (Figure 1); and Figure 4, a side elevation.
In all these Figures A is the column of coal enclosed in the receptacle B, formed
of any suitable material and of any approved design. The coal kindled at the base
rests upon a hearth or grating C, through which falls the ashes or product of
combustion into the ash-pit D, D, which is provided with an air-tight ash-draw E,
so as to insure by the closing thereof, and when an intense heat is required, the
draught of air for the support of combustion taking a horizontal direction from the
entrance F to the exit G. The portion of the flue marked H may be horizontal and

page_text: the great and intense heat generated at H¹ may be utilized for domestic purposes in
a manner so well understood as to require no further description.
The receptacle B may be of any reasonable height, and in cross section of any
shape, but its vertical section should be as shown in Figure 1, or as shown in
Figure 5, the former being preferable, as having greater capacity at the top for
holding fuel. In both instances a broad base of fuel is presented to the action of
the fire, and the coal above being unsupported as the base becomes consumed
gravitates downward by virtue of its weight; thus the fire is always supplied with
fuel, at the proper time and to the required extent, without further attention than
that of keeping the receptacle charged at intervals and the intensity of the fire
regulated by ordinary dampers, or the same results may be accomplished by partly
drawing out the hearth or grate C (Figure 1), which will carry with it the block h,
thus reducing the aperture G and damping the intensity of the fire.
Figure 5 shows my Invention applied to a furnace. In this Figure the new parts
are similar to those above described, and therefore require no further explanation
than that afforded by the letters marked thereon. The action of this furnace can
be so well understood by referring to the illustration on the Drawing as to require
no further description.
Having now set forth the nature and object of my Invention, together with the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would here remark that I do not confine
myself to the precise details and configurations of parts I have herein described and
illustrated on the Drawings, as the same may obviously be varied in detail without
in any way departing from the essential parts of my Invention, but I claim as novel
and original, and therefore as the Invention secured to me by the above in pȧrt recited
Letters Patent, the mode of economising coal as fuel and the combustion of the
smoke produced by the burning thereof, upon the principle and by the means above
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Whitfield, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
NICHOLAS WHITFIELD. (L.S.)