1874.] Fuel Economy. 205 
at the same time consuming the noxious sewer gases. Any 
kind of fuel can be used, and very small coal can be burnt 
as easily and with as good results as lumps; coke and 
cinders may be burnt over and over again, until they become 
as fine as sand. The ashes from the fire all drop through 
the bottom of the grate into or through the air chamber, 
consequently dust from the fire is greatly diminished in the 
room; the draught may be regulated at pleasure with a 
valve. The invention may be easily applied to many exist- 
ing grates at the cost of a few shillings. 
By the side of Wolstencroft’s fire-place was Kenyon’s 
Patent Coal Saver, which consists of a perforated fire-brick 
tile, to put into the grate and fill up the coal space, throwing 
the hot coals to the front of the fire-place, while the back of 
the fire is comparatively cold. It has the disadvantage of 
presenting a very dull fire while it is carrying out its prin- 
ciple of saving coal, presenting a great contrast to Wolsten- 
croft’s; indeed one might almost think it was placed there 
as a foil for his more successful competitor. 
Crawshaw’s Household Coal Saver is a corrugated piece 
of iron or clay placed behind an ordinary coal-fire. It 
radiates the heat from the fire into the room, instead of 
allowing so much waste heat to pass up the chimney. 
Frisbie’s Patent Feeder and Grate is a most ingenious 
arrangement for feeding a fire with coal from the bottom. 
This feeder and grate provides a simple method of feeding 
fuel up, from underneath the fire, into all descriptions of 
furnaces, fuel-boxes, and fire-grates. By this principle of 
feeding from below the fire there is no fresh consumption 
of the fuel, the igniting of the fresh coal is a gradual 
process, while at the same time a very intense heat is 
obtained. ‘The hottest portion of the fire being constantly 
at the top utilises the heat, and preserves the fire-bars from 
being burnt out; the heat of the surface of the fire is not 
abated by the supply of fresh fuel, and no cold air is 
admitted to the furnace while feeding, thereby preserving a 
perfectly uniform heat. By feeding from beneath, the coal 
is pushed up and outwards equally from the centre of the 
grate, and is evenly consumed, with scarcely any refuse 
except fine ashes, which drop down through the grate-bars 
without raking. From various testimonials which the 
inventor has received, it seems that there is a great 
Saving in the use of the coal; thus one firm says their 
coal bill averaged £160 a month, but on introducing one 
of these burners they only used that quantity in four 
months. 
VOL. IV. (N.S.) 2D 
