AN IMPROVE- MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PITS FOR GRATES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Atkins, of Birmingham, in the County.
of Warwick, Writing Clerk, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PITS FOR GRATES."
Sealed the 9th January 1854, and dated the 10th November 1853..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Atkins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th November 1853.
I, JAMES ATKINS,. of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Writing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH PITS FOR GRATES" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of a moveable lining or open vessel
placed in the ash pit, and capable of being removed therefrom. by
handles fixed thereon or otherwise. The said open vessel is made of. a
size and shape suitable to fit the ash pit with which it is. to be used.
The ashes falling into the said ash pit are received by the said vessel,
and the said vessel can, from time to time, be removed. and emptied,
and the time and labour required for emptying ash pits of the ordinary
construction saved.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Atkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES ATKINS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Writing
Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Atkins, Her special licence
that I, the said James Atkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Atkins, 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 AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS
IN ASH PITS FOR GRATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Atkins, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Atkins, do hereby declare
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 thereof (that is to say):
My Invention consists of an open vessel or lining made of metal or
other suitable material to be placed in the ash pit usually constructed
under grates, the said vessel or lining being capable of being removed
from the said ash pit by handles fixed thereon or otherwise. Figure 1,
represents in vertical section an ash pit constructed according to my

page_text: Invention; and Figure 2, represents the moveable lining of the same;
Figure 3, represents the moveable lining in plan. a, a, a, represents
the ordinary ash pit; b, is the moveable vessel or receptacle; c, c,
the handles by which the said vessel 6 is raised from the ash pit a.
The ashes falling from the fire are received in the vessel or lining b,
and the said vessel b, when filled or nearly filled, may be lifted by
its handles c, c, from the ash pit a, a, a, and its contents emptied.
The time and labour required to remove and empty the vessel b, and
replace it in the ash pit a, are much less than is required to empty an
ash pit of the ordinary construction. I prefer to make the said vessel b
of sheets of wrought iron, but it may be made of cast iron, tin plate, and
various other materials. The size and form of the vessel or lining b
must be varied to suit it to the form and size of the ash pit to which
it is to be applied. Although I prefer to use two handles c, c, for the
purpose of removing the said vessel or lining from the ash pit, yet I do
not limit myself thereto, as other methods of removing the same may be
employed.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise method herein described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my said
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the application to ash pits of
a moveable vessel or lining for the purpose of receiving the ashes, the
said vessel or lining being capable of removal from the said ash pit for
the purpose of emptying the ashes therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Atkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
0 Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT.
JAMES ATKINS. (L.S.)