IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING, COOKING AND VENTILATING AND IN ATMOSPHERIC GAS BURNERS FOR HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Wadsworth at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1882.
JAMES WADSWORTH of the City of Manchester
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR HEATING, COOKING AND VENTILATING AND IN ATMOSPHERIC GAS BURNERS
FOR HEATING PURPOSES."
This invention relates to the construction of a simple and efficient form of stove
for heating, cooking and ventilating purposes. One form of this improved stove
consists of a small space enclosing the atmospheric gas burner or coke fire and
which is glazed in front with a tale or other transparent medium. On each side of
this space and immediately under the oven is a sliding damper easily opened and
closed and by which in case of a coke fire, may be hastened or retarded to the
greatest nicety these dampers leading into a space between the oven and outer
casing which latter being constructed of sheet metal and being of large surface so
takes up and radiates a large proportion of the heat. Within this chamber any
convenient number of, by preference flat tubes are arranged with openings through
the chamber at the top and bottom and some of which may be placed in communi-
cation with the outside atmosphere by means of a pipe fitted with a hinged door
to enable the supply of air to be taken at will either from the outside of the
building or from the apartment itself. It will be obvious that as the hot air
escapes at the top of these tubes cold air will be drawn in at the bottom and that
thus the whole contents of the room will be compelled to circulate through the
apparatus. The atmospheric gas burner or coke fire being in some cases supplied
with air to support combustion by means of a pipe from the upper part of the
room or otherwise and thus effecting a most complete system of warming and
ventilating.
This improved heating apparatus has all the advantage of an open fire, having
an arched opening over the fire space to assist ventilation this arched opening may
be substituted by an oven and used as a cooking apparatus as well as a warmer
and ventilator whilst by having a loose cover or hinged door for closing such
opening, it forms an excellent oven for baking and roasting and is also suitable for
boiling purposes.
Another construction of my improved cooking apparatus consists of an atmo-
spheric gas-burner as hereinafter described, partly or wholly surrounding which is

page_text: a trough for containing water and which is kept supplied by an automatic or bird
fountain supply--this water being heated gives off steam which assists in some
cooking operations. Over this burner is a disc or plate for supporting a dish or pan
and rising from a rimmed plate surrounding the burner is a frame for supporting
a series of shelves for similar dishes or pans arranged one above another.
The whole is then enclosed or covered in, by a cylindrical or other suitably
shaped vessel which is only open at the bottom and which being placed over the
dishes with its lower edge fits into the rimmed plate or disc in the centre of which
the burner is placed. It will thus be apparent that this cover encloses the dishes
being cooked and thus prevents the radiation or escape of heat whilst to ascertain
how the cooking operation is progressing it is only necessary to lift this cover and
which can be done without permitting the heat to escape, as is the case when an
oven door is opened.
In my improved heating and ventilating apparatus I also produce and admit
steam as aforesaid for equalising the heat and assisting in the absorption and
condensation of the products of combustion.
This invention further relates to improvements in atmospheric gas-burners for
heating and cooking purposes and has for its special object the construction of a
cover for the mixing chamber to dispense with the fine perforations or wire
gauze hitherto employed and to prevent the gaseous mixture becoming ignited in
the mixing chamber especially when the pressure or quantity of gas
reduced.
In performing this part of my invention I cast parallel slots or holes in the cover
of any convenient width and employ an additional plate or cover with corre-
sponding bars which (when such extra cover is placed under the outer cover) fit
into the parallel slots of the outer cover and having slots between such bars, so
constitute a series of narrower openings for the mixture of gas and air to pass
through than has hitherto been practicable to produce. Or instead of bars the two
plates forming the cover may have slots only formed in them and be fixed one
over the other in such a manner, as to present a narrow space betwixt such plates
for the mixture to pass through. Or the slots herein before mentioned may be
formed parallel to each other or in a radial or other desired direction-and in one
construction of my improved burner which I use in the construction of my
improved heating and cooking apparatus herein before mentioned I
arrange that
the only air which enters the apparatus to support combustion shall pass up, through
openings between the series of slots hereinbefore mentioned.
Another construction of my improved burner consists of a central tube or
opening formed through the centre of an open-topped annular mixing chamber
covered with a perforated cover or with my improved cover, and over which is a
grating to support the pan or other vessel-this grating being constructed with an
overhanging edge of wider diameter than the chamber so as to permit the air not
only to pass through the central tube, to support combustion but also to enter by
an opening surrounding the outside of the mixing chamber.
Instead of a single burner a series of these central tubes may be provided in a
cellular apparatus so as to produce a solid flame-and instead of central tubes-a
series of bars may be cast or formed across the top of the mixing chamber and the
cellular tubes be arranged in a separate top-plate the bottom of such tubes being
placed over the bars and allowing just sufficient space between for the mixture to
pass into the tubes.