IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREPLACES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Allison, of the Firm of Allison, Brothers,
Patent Agents, of 41, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIREPLACES."
A com-
munication from abroad by Alfred Ernest Lefevre-Bergeot, of 33, Rue des
Ecoles, Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Allison at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1880.
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the Firm of Allison, Brothers, Patent Agents, of
41, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FIREPLACES." A communication from abroad by Alfred Ernest Lefevre-Bergeot,
of 33, Rue des Ecoles, Paris, in the Republic of France.
An air tube or conduit opening into the outside atmosphere is furnished with a door
or register, and is situated preferably to the west, north, or north west (or to the
other cardinal points if impossible to place it in those mentioned), so that the rays
of the sun strike as little as possible on the opening. The size of this air tube or
conduit will be determined by the capacity of the chimney flue. The tube from
the opening will if possible be about 2 meters long, so as to avoid the shock of the
atmosphere or of the winds; it opens into an oblong basin. Over the basin is
placed a cast iron plate, forming the hearth, and hermetically closing the four sides
of the basin. In this plate are two openings under the dog-irons or the side bars
of the grate, which are made hollow, and on each side of the openings is a raised
part inclined in the direction of the interior of the dog-irons or side bars of the grate,
and pierced for the passage of bolts to secure the dog-irons or the side bars of the
grate in place. Over each opening in this plate a grating is placed, sliding in
grooves in the raised part on each side of the openings. The hollow dog-irons or
the side-bars of the grate are placed on the hearth over the holes, and their head
pieces are made moveable so as to revolve on a pivot resting upon the plate
forming the hearth, and passing through a small bar fixed in the dog-iron or the
side bar of the grate, and forming a support for the head piece, which has an
opening in front or behind for the passage of hot air into the room.

page_text: The air taken from outside the building passes through the tube or conduit into
the basin, from whence it proceeds into a box for heating air, having the form of
an inverted cone and placed at the back of the fireplace, communicating with the
basin by means of holes in the plate forming the hearth. The air being heated
therein will then pass through the holes in the grate inside each dog-iron or side
bar of the grate, thus compressing the air, which will more readily pass into the
chimney, causing a sufficient upward draught to enable the smoke to ascend.
By turning the head of the dog-irons or side bars of the grate the hot air may
be directed in any direction round the front of the fireplace. The plate forming
the hearth and the walls of the hot air box are provided with corrugations in
order to refract the heat and warm the air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herbert John Allison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
November 1880.
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the Firm of Allison, Brothers, Patent Agents, of 41,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIREPLACES.' A communication from abroad by Alfred Ernest Lefevre-Bergeot, of
33, Rue des Ecoles, Paris, in the Republic of France.
"
An air tube or conduit opening into the outside atmosphere is furnished with a
door or register, and is situated preferably to the west, north, or north-west (or to
the other cardinal points if impossible to place it in those mentioned), so that the
rays of the sun strike as little as possible on the opening. The size of this air tube
or conduit will be determined by the capacity of the chimney flue. The tube
from the opening will, if possible, be about two metres long, so as to avoid tho
shock of the atmosphere or of the winds. It opens into an oblong basin of a size
proportionate to the hearth. Over the basin is placed a cast iron plate, forming
the hearth, and hermetically closing the four sides of the basin. In this cast iron
plate, forming the hearth, are two openings of equal dimensions under the dog
irons or the side bars of the grate, which are made hollow, and on each side of the
openings is a raised part inclined in the direction of the interior of the dog irons
or side bars of the grate, and pierced for the passage of bolts to secure the dog
irons or side bars of the grato in place.. Over each opening in this plate a cast
iron grating is placed sliding in grooves in the raised part on each side of the
openings; the openings of this grating will be about 1 centimetre in diameter.
The hollow dog irons or side bars of the grate are placed on the hearth over the
holes, and their head pieces are made movable so as to revolve on a pivot resting
upon the plate forming the hearth, and passing through a small bar fixed in the
dog iron or the side bar of the grate, and forming a support for the head piece,
which has an opening in front or behind for the passage of hot air into the room.
This opening will be proportionate to the air tube of the chimney.
The air taken from outside the building passes through the tube or conduit into
the basin, from whence it proceeds into a box for heating air, having the form of
an inverted cone and placed at the back of the fireplace, communicating with the
basin by means of holes in the plate forming the hearth. The air being heated"
therein will then pass through the holes in the grate inside each dog irou or side
bar of the grate, thus compressing the air, which will more readily pass into the
chimney, causing a sufficient upward draught to enable the smoke to ascend.
By turning the head of the dog irons or side bars of the grate the hot air may
be directed in any direction round the front of the fire place. The plate forming
the hearth and the walls of the hot air box are provided with corrugations in
order to refract the heat and warm the air.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, Fig. 2 a front elevation, Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4 a
transverse section through X, Y.
A is the air tube or conduit; B¹, the basin; A', the cast iron plate covering the
basin and forming the hearth; C is one of the holes in the plate beneath the dog
iron; B is the hot air box formed by the plates D¹, E, and E¹; D is the wall of
the chimney; F, F, are bolts holding the hot air box in position; G is the back of
the grate, which is corrugated; H is a boiler containing water situated in the hot
air box; I is the supply pipe, and J the tap or cock for drawing off hot water ;

page_text: K, K, are the dog irons or side bars of the grate; L, L, is the grating sliding in
grooves over the opening C in the plate A'; M is the head piece of the dog iron or
side bar; N is a side plate of the grate; P is the chimney or flue fitted with the
damper or register Q actuated by the rack and pinion R.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is, the
improved form of fireplace constructed substantially as herein described and shown
in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Allison, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
HERBERT J. ALLISON. (L.S.)