IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Kenyon, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer and Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES
FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
Sealed the 26th November 1872, and dated the 9th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Kenyon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th October 1872.
I, JAMES KENYON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer and Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF
FIRE-GRATES FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO FIRE-GRATES OF THE ORDINARY DESCRIPTION," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making the bottom of the grate inclined
towards the front and perforated at the back; at the front part of the

page_text: bottom there is a slot or slots to give extra air space, and the front is
recessed to admit air, and to facilitate the clearing out of the ashes,
thereby allowing the air free access from the bottom of the grate. Above
the recess is a rib or bar at a convenient distance from the bottom to
give air space and room to insert the poker to clear out the ashes; this
front bar has a special use, namely, to prevent large cinders falling out
while clearing out the ashes. The inclined surface of the bottom of the
apparatus causes the fuel to slide towards the front while the ashes are
being cleared out.
The apparatus consisting of the inclined bottom, back, sides, and top,
may be placed in an ordinary fire-grate, or parts of the above may be
used, according to circumstances, or the whole can be made in one piece,
or the back can be moved to vary the depth of the fire, or the sides can
be shortened to vary the width.
The advantages of my improvements are that fuel is economised, smoke
is reduced, and the quantity of ashes is greatly lessened, and the heat of
the fire is almost entirely thrown into the room instead of going up the
chimney as in fire-grates of the ordinary construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Kenyon in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 8th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
KENYON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer and
Cotton Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her:
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Kenyon Her special
license, that I, the said James Kenyon, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Kenyon, 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-GRATES FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO FIRE-GRATES OF THE ORDINARY
DESCRIPTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Kenyon, 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 James Kenyon, 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 (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in making the bottom of the grate inclined
towards the front and perforated at the back; at the front part of the
bottom there is a slot or slots to give extra air space, and the front is
recessed to admit air and to facilitate the clearing out of the ashes,
thereby allowing the air free access from the bottom of the grate. Above
the recess is a rib or bar at a convenient distance from the bottom to give
air space and room to insert the poker to clear out the ashes; this front
bar prevents large cinders falling out while clearing out the ashes. The
inclined surface of the bottom of the apparatus causes the fuel to slide
towards the front while the ashes are being cleared out.
The apparatus consisting of the inclined bottom, back, sides, and top
may be placed in an ordinary fire-grate, or parts of the above may be
applied, according to circumstances, or the whole can be made in one
piece, or the back can be moved to vary the depth of the fire, or the sides
can be shortened to vary the width.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
Fig. 1, represents a section of an ordinary kitchen fire-grate, to which
certain parts of my improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a front view of
the same; in these views a, a, are the bottom grate bars; b, b, the front

page_text: grate bars, and c is the brickwork forming the back of the fire-place,
which parts are made as usual; but in some cases instead of the brick-
work c the back of the fire forms part of the boiler; d is a perforated
plate shewn detached in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which forms the inclined false
bottom of the fire-grate; the perforations may be round, square, or any
other shape, and placed in any direction and of any length, but I prefer
round; the under side of the perforations are recessed or cupped to
facilitate the clearing out of the ashes and to promote the combustion of
the fuel. The plate d is provided below with a flange d' at each edge,
and these flanges bear upon the back bottom grate bar a, and the
bottom front grate bar 6 while the studs d' projecting from the upper
side of the plate rest against the second front bar as shown in Fig. 1,
The plate d is provided near its front edge with one or more slots & to
admit air at the front of the fire, and the remainder of the plate is per-
forated, as shewn in Fig. 3, to distribute the air evenly through the fire,
or the back part of the plate may be left without perforations if it
should be found desirable to reduce the quantity of air at the back of
the fire.
On referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the front edge of the plated
comes about half way between the two front bottom bars 6; this position
of the plate prevents large cinders falling out, and in order to keep the
fire bright it is only necessary to keep the lower part of the plate & free
from ashes, and this can be done by inserting the point of a small poker
between the second bar b and the plate d, and moving it to and fro; by
this means the slots and the other perforations are kept free from
ashes, and consequently the air can ascend in the fire; the inclined
surface of the plate d causes the heat to be reflected into the apartment
and the fuel to slide towards the front of the grate while the ashes are
being cleared out, it also causes the firo to burn better at the front. The
plate c¹ is to regulate the draught in the chimney by moving the bar c²
backwards or forwards; it also acts as a reflector, and is enamelled by
preference.
The opening of the fire-grate may be contracted by the fire-brick
plates or blocks e and f; the back e is shewn in Fig. 1, and the lower
end has a shoulder resting on the back edge of the plate d or on the pro-
jection a', and the side plate f is shown in Figs. 6 and 7; both plates are
corrugated longitudiually, and the side plates may be made with three
or other convenient number of perforations, or instead of the firc-brick

page_text: back shewn at e I also propose to make it of cast or plate iron, as shewn
in Fig. 8, and in order to vary the inclination of the back the stud at
the bottom may be put into any perforation in the plate d. The dotted
line e' in Fig. 8 represents the back and bottom formed of one piece.
The side plates may also be made of cast iron and perforated, as shewn
in Fig. 9; the stud at the bottom of the plate is to be inserted into one
of the perforations in the plate d, and the hook at the top is to hook on
the front bar b, or the hook may be at the other side and made to hook
on the back plate, or it may be otherwise connected to the grate. The
plate g, shewn in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, is hooked on one of
the front bars b and serves to increase the draught in the flue of the
oven when required.
Fig. 10 is a front view, and Fig. 11 a section of a parlour or register
fire-grate, to which my improvements are applied; in this instance the
perforated inclined plate d, which is shewn detached in plan in Fig. 12,
is placed in the bottom of the grate, and the front edge of the plate is
again brought about half-way between the two lowest front grate bars,
as shewn in Fig. 1; the back plate e is made of cast iron, but a fire-clay
back plate may be used; and the side plates f are made of corrugated
fire-clay; these side plates may be made of any thickness, according to
the width of fire that may be required, and they are either fixed or loose;
if loose the lower part is recessed to allow them to fit any angle, as shewn
in Figs. 13 and 14.
Fig. 15 is a front view, Fig. 16 a section, and 17 a plan of a portable
fire-grate or stove that may be placed on the hob or fire-bar of a kitchen
or other grate, or in making a register grate it may be used instead of
the ordinary fire-bars, or it may be placed in any convenient position or
on a stand. When this portable stove is placed on the hob or fire-bar
the smoke will go into the chimney without the aid of a pipe, but when
brought forward the pipe for the smoke is connected to a socket at the
back, as shewn in Fig. 16, and the top in that case would be hinged to
the back. The plate d is similar to those before described, and the sides
are made of fire-brick, as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7.
Figs. 18 and 19 represent two plates d with diagonal slots as per-
forations.
Figs. 20, 21, and 22, are three views of a perforated plate d, which
is nut on the bottom of the fun counts and only
Оловд

page_text: d
Fig. 23 is a section of another similar plate with a double curved
surface, or it may be made with a single curve. All the plates & may be
made of fire-clay instead of iron, as shewn, and the angle or shape of the
surface, whether incline, concave, or convex, must be such that it
facilitates the sliding down of the fire when burning or when disturbed
by the poker; it also reflects the heat into the apartment.
Fig. 24 shews how, in making new grates, the bottom grate bars or
cast-iron bottom are set at the required angle for causing the fire to slide
towards the front and to reflect the heat into the apartment instead of
using the inclined plates d above described.
The bottoms of the grates, as shewn in Figs. 10 and 11, may also be
made inclined, as shewn in Fig. 25, to dispense with the plates d.
Fig. 20 is a section, and Fig. 27 a plan of the bottom of a fire-grate
constructed according to another modification of my Invention; in this
case the front part is horizontal, and has radiating perforations, and the
back part is inclined, with round perforations.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the
manner of performing the same, I wish to observe that I do not
intend to limit myself to the details given, as they may be varied, or
modified, but what I claim is,-
First. Making the bottoms of fire-grates inclined towards the front, as
shewn and described.
Secondly. The plates d, whether inclined, concave, or convex, or of
other suitable shape to facilitate the sliding forward of the fire and to
reflect the heat into the apartment, as shown and described.
Thirdly. Recessing or cupping the under side of the perforations in the
plates or bottoms d for the purposes described.
Fourthly. Fluting the movable sides and backs of the grate
horizontally, as shewn and described.
Fifthly. Making the movable sides to vary the angle and width of the
fire, as shewn and described.
Sixthly. The plate g for increasing the draught in the flue to the oven,
and the plate c' for regulating the draught to the chimney, as shewn and
described.

page_text: And lastly. The portable stove as shewn and described in reference to
Figs. 15, 16, and 17.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Kenyon, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.