Cutler's Patent Stoves.—This invention, when first brought before the public in 1815, met with considerable patronage; but it is now, we believe, but little used, owing to some difficulties of a slight description, for which no sufficient remedy has yet been provided. The spirit of enterprise which originated the invention received, we have been informed, a severe check, by the numerous and com bined attempts of rival manufacturers to invade and destroy the patent right, which is now expired. The principle of the contrivance is, however good, and will probably, under able management, become a valuable apparatus. The invention consists in the construction of stoves and fire-places in such a manner as that the fuel necessary for combustion shall be raised and supplied from a close chamber beneath, where the upper stratum of coal shall be constantly undergoing the process of coking, the gas from which becomes ignited in passing through the open part of the grate above, and by causing the said chamber to descend at pleasure, so as to extinguish the fire. The figure represents a vertical section of a register stove, presenting an end or side view ; a is one of the front pilasters ; b the en tablature ; c the back ; d the chimney, the entrance to which is shown by the curved arrow ; e the top plate, turning upon hinge joints, to be raised up whenever required for sweeping ; this top does not fill up the space accurately, but leaves a narrow opening at f, for the escape of the vapour and dust that may arise prior to the current being established in the direction of the arrow, by the effects of the combustion ; g are the front grate bars ; it the receptacle of the coals, including i, the place (as usual) where they are burned. As the air which finds its way into the close box h, is only sufficient to coke the coals, their perfect combustion is not effected until they are raised above the front plate k, at which place the air pours in on all four sides, between the bars in front, through the side grates, one of which is shown at 1, and from an aperture at o, under the bottom edge of the back ; p is a vertical groove, in which the bar q (seen endways) traverses up and down, supporting the movable bottom plate of the coal box h. To each end of this bar, exteriorly, is attached a chain r, which thereby suspends the coal chamber (or movable bottom), by an horizontal roller a, extending across the stove. This roller is the shaft or axis of a cog-wheel 4 and is put in motion by a pinion u; the axis of u is a small square pin, fitting into the cavity of the winch v ; the turning round of the latter winds the chain upon the roller, and elevates the movable bottom q, which raises the coals, as they may be required for combustion, to supply the place of those which have been consumed. On turning the winch the contrary way, the bottom of the coal receptacle descends by its own gravity, and that of the coals resting on it, as far as the plate z, when the fire dies away for want of air. The patentee employs a pall and ratchet to stop the action of the roller, which is operated upon by pressing upqn a pin, placed externally. Two objections have been urged against these stoves ; one, that the current of air passing through it makes an unpleasant roaring noise, like that of an air furnace ; the other, that the expansion of the coals in undergoing the process of coking prior to being raised into the open part of the fire, causes them to adhere so fast to the sides, as to render the friction excessive, and the labour great, of raising up and getting down the coals. These objections are, how ever, we believe, not of an insuperable character, and may be overcome by mechanical skill.
Mrs. Smith's Stove.—A plan of a stove designed for burning its own smoke, was communicated by Mrs. Rachel Smith to a periodical journal, which seems susceptible, by its simplicity of construction and soundness of principle, to be made effective for the object intended The stove is made exteriorly of the usual form, excepting that the fire part f is of greater length or height than is common, and the spaces under the hobs are made into reservoirs to receive the coals, as shown at c c, for supplying the fire. The hobs are upon hinges, and form lids, which shut down very closely,—if air tight, the better. The cheeks of the grate are open at the bottom, so that the coals lying upon the inclined planes of the reservoirs descend by their own weight, and occupy the lower part of the grate ; and as the fuel is consumed, or raised by the poker, a fresh portion of coals enters from either or both of the reservoirs, and fills up the space. In this manner the fuel is constantly supplied, occasioning little or no
smoke. The reservoirs should be of a capacity sufficient to hold enough coals for the day's consumption.
Atkins's Patent Stove. —Messrs. Atkins and Marriott had a joint patent for a smoke-consuming stove on the principle of the last described, which they manufactured in a style of great elegance, and adapted to the various situations and applications of domestic stoves. The patentees state their objects to be, first, to afford a remedy for smoky chimneys ; and secondly, to economize fuel, and regulate the heat evolved from stoves or grates for warming apartments, and for the various operations of cooking. In order to effect the combustion of the smoke, the coals are thrown into a coal chamber at the back of the grate, which is closed by a door. At the lower part of this chamber there is an opening through the back into the grate, the interior of the box being formed so as to throw the coals forward to supply the grate when necessary. The other improvement made by the patentees consists of an appendage, in lieu of a fender, attached to the front and lower part of any kind of stove or grate, which they denominate a basement. This basement they usually make of a convenient inclination, to put the feet upon, but it may be made of any figure or dimensions according to individual taste. It is provided with a drawer or box to receive the ashes, beneath the fire, and with apertures in front to admit air beneath the fire bars. The whole of the interior of this basement, except the ash box, is filled with a mixture of pulverized charcoal and lime ; the stove has also a canopy or cornice filled with similar slow conductors of heat; also each side of the grate, as well as a part of the back, are provided in like manner. The effect of these appendages, in retaining that portion of heat which is nearly all lost to the apartment in other stoves, is doubtless very great; we are, indeed, credibly informed that it will preserve nearly the same temperature in a room for several hours after the fire is extinguished. These stoves have pipes or passages for allowing a column of air to ascend through the basement and upper portion, which becomes warmed in its passage, and flows out into the apartment above.
'womb's Patent Grates.—The principle of this invention also consists in placing the fresh fuel underneath the ignited portion ; but the mode of carrying it into effect is peculiar. The stove is a kind of grated cage, cylindrical or parallelopipedal, turning upon axes, which are mounted on side standards. On two of the opposite sides of the said cage is a grated door, each of them serving alternately for admitting the fresh fuel, and as an ash grate. The coals are supplied at the top of the fire ; the door of admission is then shut, and the grate turned half round, so as to bring the fresh fuel underneath, by which means the gas emitted becomes inflamed in its ascent through the ignited fuel above. The selection of the materials, and the diversification of designs and proportions for the construction of stoves, course depend upon the uses to which they are applied ; but we will select, as an example, the following one adapted for a parlour. Fig. I is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view. a a are the axes, which rest and slide in horizontal grooves b. The two doors before mentioned, represented in Fig. 5, are made fast by catches z x. The stove is put into action by lighting a fire in the ordinary manner with coal or other fuel, as near as possible at the top, preferring to- place uppermost the cinders, and green coal undermost; the fire will then gradually find its way to the bottom, burning with little or no smoke, which, together with the gas or vapour, is consumed as emitted. When fresh fuel is required, it is to be placed on the top of the ignited fuel, and the door shut down and secured by the catch the grate is then to be drawn forward in the groove b, and turned round one half of a revolution on its axis, and then be returned back again to its former position in the groove.