A Description of a New-Invented Stove-Grate / Shewing Its Uses and Advantages Over All Others, Both in Point of Expence, and Every Purpose of a Chamber Fire

by J. Durno

This Stove-Grate must infallibly cure most of the Inconveniences, with which the other sorts before-mentioned are attended, if the Smoke Passages can be kept clean. You have a full Sight of the Fire, nor does it lose any of the upright Heat, as in common Fire-Places, and smoky Chimnies will be often cured by it. This Stove has likewise the Advantage of a constant Supply of fresh Air, coming in warm through a Canal, in the Manner before described by Dr. Desaguliers, with this difference, that here the warm Air comes out on each Side of the Stove, and is better adapted to warm the lower Air of the Room, than if it came out higher in the Chimney.

In this Machine the Smoke first ascends, and then passing over the Iron Plates that compose the warm Air Box, descends to the Bottom, where it passes under a false Back, about three or four Inches from the true Back of the Chimney; then ascends a second time up the Funnel of the Chimney, and passes out at the Top. The Chimney is closed up on all Sides, between the false Back and Breast of the Chimney, except only in one Place, where is an Opening, with an Iron Door, large enough for a Chimney-Sweeper to creep through, to sweep the Funnel; but at all other times this Door is kept shut. There is also a Register fixed in the Smoke-Passage, to give more or less Vent, as shall be required.

The whole is a compleat Piece of Machinery, and was first intended for burning of Wood, which is the common Fuel of that Country; but, for that Reason, is not so well adapted to burn Sea-Coal, whose bituminous Quality would soon close up the narrow Smoke-Passage, and would often require cleaning, and become very troublesome, it being difficult to come at the Smoke-Passage; for if there be a Trap-Door made upon the Hearth, you cannot clean the Smoke-Passage any farther than to the Register, and there is no coming at the upper part without lifting up the Top of the Machine, which is always luted down, and fastened with Screw Nuts.

The Defects and Inconveniences that I have occasionally pointed out, in the Chimneys and Stoves already described, put me upon contriving a new Machine-Grate, which, upon Trial, answers all the Ends that I proposed by it.

It is built, indeed, and constructed upon almost the same Principles with the Pensilvanian Stove, but with greater Advantages; for instead of the narrow Passage for the Smoke in the Pensilvanian Stove, there is a Chamber made in the Brick-Work which effectually warms the Air-Box, and is all covered over like an Oven, except a narrow Passage made of Plate-Iron, with a Register in it, which has a Handle into the Room, and may be turned upon its Axis to such a Degree of Vent, as either to support or diminish, or even to extinguish the Fire. The Register is so contrived, that it will probably want no cleaning in two or three Years; but if it should, by lifting up the Chimney-Sweeper’s Door, it is done in one Minute; and is equally adapted to burn Coals or Wood, with more Safety and Ease than in a common Fire-Place. The Chamber behind the Stove is cleaned when the Chimney is swept, by taking out a Piece of concealed Iron, rabited into the Brick-Work at the Side of the Stove, and always whiten’d over with the Brick Back. The Chamber behind is of greater Use than warming the Air Box; for being almost all closed up, it is not only Proof against the Influence of the Houses and Chimnies about it that stand higher, but even against Eddy, or Whirl-winds, if they should come down the Chimney; the Force whereof is broke by the Top of the Chamber; and what comes through the small Opening where the Register is placed, is immediately expanded and loses its Force.

The whole of my Machine is less complex, and of more easy Construction than any others I have mentioned, and which is all I have ever seen or heard of; but has Advantages besides that, which no former Invention can pretend to.

First, It warms the Room equally all over, and the Fire appears the same as in a common Stove-Grate; yet any Place in the Room will be as warm as that by the Side of the Fire.

For this there is occular Demonstration, because Thermometers placed in the remotest Parts of the Room will not differ above one Degree, (a Difference which every body knows has scarce any Effect) from one placed by the Side of the Chimney.

Secondly, The Chimney is so intirely closed up, that if you sit near the Fire-Place, there is not the least cold Air from the Door, Window, or any Crevice, that can offend you, as in common Fire-Places; where, at the same time that you are burnt before, you are ready to freeze behind: but, on the contrary, the warm Air here goes out at the Door when opened, and will make you sensible of its Approach at Four or Five Feet distance before you enter the Door.

The Doors, indeed, ought to be kept shut; because otherwise the warm Air will be wasted, as with common Fires; but there is no manner of Occasion for Skreens of any sort, because the Fire cannot hurt the Face; neither can the cold Air offend the Back, as in common Rooms, where there is a common Stove-Grate, and a large Draught up the Chimney.