IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPS OR POTS FOR THE CHIMNEYS OF DWELLING- HOUSES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Carter, of Eltham Lodge, near Mottingham,
in the County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPS OR POTS FOR THE CHIMNEYS OF DWELLING-
HOUSES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 25th July 1865, and dated the 30th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Carter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
30th January 1865.
I, GEORGE CARTER, of Eltham Lodge, near Mottingham, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPS OR POTS FOR THE CHIMNEYS OF
DWELLING-HOUSES, AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
The means heretofore generally employed for preventing a downward
draught of air in the flues of chimneys has been to fit a windguard top or
cap on to each chimney pot separately, and it frequently happens that the
smoke from one chimney pot passes down another contiguous chimney pot,
and thus fills the apartment in connection therewith with smoke.
Now the object and intention of this Invention is to obviate the above
objections, and to cause an upward current of air in all the flues of a stack of
chimneys, notwithstanding there may be a fire in only one of the fire-places
of such said several flues. I propose to effect the aforesaid improvements by
the following means, that is to say, supposing a stack of chimneys to con-

page_text: tain nine flues, each fitted with a chimney pot, I propose to cover every three
of said pots with another cap or pot, which I call a converging cap or pot,
inasmuch as all three of the flues leading thereinto discharge their smoke
into the air by one main outlet in said converging cap, so that supposing one
of such said flues only to be in use the smoke therefrom will not descend
either of the other flues. I do not intend to limit myself to the use of one
main outlet at the top of the aforesaid converging cap or pot, but if desirable
form openings at one or more of the sides of same; in this case I propose to
employ either metal or brickwork to enclose the upper part of the flues of the
chimney stack.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Carter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CARTER, of Eltham Lodge, Mottingham, in the County of Kent, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Carter, Her special licence that I, the said George
Carter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Carter, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAPS OR POTS FOR THE CHIMNEYS OF
DWELLING-HOUSES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Carter, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 George Carter, do hereby declare

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
The means heretofore generally employed for preventing a downward
draught of air in the flues of chimneys has been to fit a windguard top or
cap on to each chimney pot separately, and it frequently happens that the
smoke from one chimney pot passes down another contiguous chimney pot,
and thus fills the apartment in connection therewith with smoke.
Now the object and intention of this Invention is to obviate the above
objections, and to cause an upward current of air in all the flues of a stack
of chimneys, notwithstanding there may be a fire in only one of the fire-places
of such said several flues. I propose to effect the aforesaid improvements by
the following means, that is to say:-Supposing a stack of chimneys to contain
nine flues, each fitted with a chimney pot, I propose to cover every three of
such said pots with another cap or pot, which I call a converging cap or pot,
inasmuch as all three of the flues leading thereinto discharge their smoke into
the air by one main outlet in said converging cap, so that supposing one of
such said flues only to be in use the smoke therefrom will not descend either
of the other flues. I do not intend to limit myself to the use of one main
outlet at the top of the aforesaid converging cap or pot, but if desirable form
openings at one or more of the sides of same; in this case I propose to employ
either metal or brickwork to enclose the upper part of the flues of the chimney
stack.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a stack of chimneys in sectional elevation shewing
the several flues surmounted by ordinary contrivances for preventing down-
ward currents of air; Figure 2 represents a stack of chimneys in sectional
elevation shewing the several flues surmounted by my improved chimney cap
or pot, fitted at top with one of Day's patent windguards. A, A, marks a
kitchen range fitted in one of the flues of each stack; B, B, metal caps, pots,
or windguards in common use; C, C, C, C, the four flues of the stack, the
arrows flight denote the direction of the currents of air and smoke in the
several flues at Figure 2; D, marks my improved cap or pot which embraces

page_text: and covers the tops of all the flues; F, windguard of any approved kind. I
have found that known.as Day's (expired patent) answer well. In using the
arrangement represented at Figure 1 the effect in practice is as follows:-Upon
a fire being lighted in the range A, the smoke therefrom passes upwards in
the direction denoted by the arrows flight, but in the other flues there is a
downward current of air, and frequently smoke also, whereas at Figure 2 the
effect of a lighted fire in the range A is to cause an upward current in all the
flues. In using my improved converging cap or pot I would recommend
when the chimney stacks stand high above the roofs that they be reduced to
the roof level, in which case the flues may be partly converged by the brick-
layer and partly by my improved caps above, or the whole of the cap may be
made of sheet metal, ornamental to suit the architecture of the building.
When the stacks consist of three or four flues with pots of nine inches
diameter, they may be converged by my improved caps and covered with one
pot or windguard of about 15 inches diameter. With stacks of nine or
twelve chimney pots I propose to use three of my improved converging caps,
and a pot or windguard on each of about 15 inches diameter; this area will, I
believe, give sufficient velocity to the smoke to prevent deposits of soot in said
converging caps or pots.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improvements in the Construction of Caps or Pots for the
Chimneys of Dwelling-houses and Public Buildings, together with the best
means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark in conclusion that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I
claim constructing chimney caps or pots in the manner above described, with
reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawing, for the purpose of
enclosing the tops of all the flues of each stack so as to induce an upward
current of air in all the flues simultaneously, notwithstanding a fire may only
be lighted in one of the flues as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Carter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEO. CARTER. (L.S.)