US507826A - Ash-shovel - Google Patents

Description

(No-Model.)

W. T. MILLER.

ASH SHOVEL.

No. 507,826. Patented Oct; 31, 1893.

.dttorneyi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. MILLER, OF MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

ASH-SHOVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,826, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed June 2, 1893- Serial No. 476,379- (No model.)

To all whom it" may concern.-

3e it known that I, WILLIAM T. MILLER, a c1t1zen of the United States, and a resident of McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ash-Shovels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this Lspecification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved self-closing shovel, showing in dotted lines the position of the tightly fitting cover when open. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the shovel, showing it closed, with the cover down.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in boththe figures.

This invention relates to devices for removing the ashes, cinders, and partially burned coals from the fire-box or combustion chamber of a grate, stove, or range, and consists in a novel and improved construction and combination of parts of a self-closing shovel, as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter Adenotes the body of my improved shovel, which is made from sheet metal of suitable thickness to give it proper stiffness and strength. This body has a fiat bottom a, an inclined semicircular back 6 and parallel sloping sides 0 c, the forward ends of which are out off inclined or slanting, as shown at d, to correspond approximately to the incline or slope of the closed back b, so that the flat bottom a will extend some distance beyond or in front of the sides and top, as shown at a.

Fastened upon the rounded back b, by a reinforcing curved strap or piece b, is a tubular handle B of suitable length, and set at a convenient angle for handling the shovel easily. Inside of and inclosed by this handle is a stiff coiled spring 0, through which is inserted the operating-rod D, against the upper enlarged head dof which spring 0 impinges with its adjacent end. To the head d is fastened a short tube E (or it may be solid,

the object of making this piece E hollow being simply to reduce the weight), which has a short finger or thumb-piece, F, projecting through a slotf in the upper side of the tubular handle. At its lower end, the spring 0 bears or abuts against a collar G, which is fastened within the tubular handle by one or more stub-screws g, so that the tension of the spring will be in an upward direction, 1'. e., pushing rod D and its extension E with the thumb-piece F in the direction of the knob B at the outer end of the handle.

To the lower, or inner, end of rod D is articulated a bent lever H, having its fulcrum on a pin IL on a stud or bearing I fastened on the upper side of the handle near its lower end. The upper longer arm of lever H is articulated to the rear end of a rod J, which extends along the median line of the curved top or cover K, the sides and oval back ofwhich are fastened (by soldering, riveting, or in any othersuitable manner) respectively to the sides 0 and back b of the body of the shovel. The rod J projects some distance beyond the fixed oval top K, and is jointed at its extreme end to a lug Z, which is fastened, by means of a bearing and reinforcing plate L, to the slanting front cover M of the rivets m. This inclined front cover M is oval or rounded to fit closely and dust-tight the contiguous inclined sides (1 and extended bottom part a, of the short body, to which itis hinged by short studs hinge-pins, 11., one on each side; the sides of the rounded and inclined cover M being provided with side flaps N, which overlap, on the outside, the sloping sides 0 d of the shovel body. The lower edge of the hinged cover M must fit tightly against and upon the outer edge of the projecting lip a, as shownclearly in Fig. 1, so as to prevent escape of any of the contents of the shovel, after this has been filled with ashes, &c., and the cover closed down, automatically, by the operation of spring 0, rod D, lever H and rod J.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the manner of using my improved self-closing shovel will readily be understood and does not, it is be-' lieved, require further explanation. To remove ashes, cinders, and other products of imperfect combustion from the firepot or ICO grate of a stove, the cover is first opened, as shown in dotted lines on Fig. 1, by grasping the handle between the knob B and sliding thumb-piece F, and by then pushing on the latter with the thumb (which it is very easy to do when the hand is in this position), spring 0 is compressed and the rod D forced in a downward direction, which tilts lever H on its fulcrum h (as clearly shown in dotted lines) so as to pull upon the connecting rod J and. thereby open cover M. The shovel is then pushed into the heap of ashes, 850., so as to fill it, when, by letting go of the thumbpiece, spring 0 will force rod D up again into its normal position, shown in full line on the drawings, and thus close cover M firmly down against the slanting sides and projecting bottom of the shovel; the overlapping sides and flaps N forming a dust-tight joint so that no part of the contents can escape while carrying the shovel from the grate or stove to the ash-and-cinder depository.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The improved self-closing shovel herein shown and described, comprising the body A having an oval fixed top or cover K, a projecting lip or front enda, and rounded inclined back 12; tubular handle B B having the slot f; coiled spring 0; headed rod D having extension E provided with the thumb-piece F; lever I-I; connecting'rod J; and hinged inclined cover M having overlapping side-flaps or hinge flaps N and central hinge-stud or hearing I; all constructed and combined to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM 'l. MILLER. Witnesses:

J. W. ALBIG, R. C. RANKIN.

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