Fireplace insert

Invented in 1896 by Joab R. Donaldson of Oliphant Furnace, Pennsylvania, USA, the fireplace insert is a device inserted into an existing masonry or prefabricated wood fireplace. Joab was a 59-year-old coal miner and father of fourteen at the time of his patent. He came upon the idea as a means of using coke (a fine particle sized coal) and incorporating the use of an electric blower to improve the efficiency. The selection of coke and coal tailings as a primary fuel enabled low income families to heat their Appalachian homes with small-size coal that they could easily dig for themselves in their own back yards.