Improvements in Kitchen Ranges.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kitchen Ranges.
We, THE MASBRO' FOUNDRY COMPANY, LIMITED, of Alina Works,
Rotherham, in the County of York, and ARTHUR HABERSHON, of Ferham
Villa, Rotherham, aforesaid, Iron Founder, and JOHN MOORE, of Nottingham
Street, Rotherham, aforesaid, Foreman Fitter to the said Masbro' Foundry
Company, Limited, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of
range which will be economical in construction and first cost, easily operated, and
not liable to get out of order. It is of the class wherein the bottom bars can be
raised and lowered to contract and enlarge the fire space, and wherein the open
fire, or that visible from the front, can be increased, or diminished, by raising, and
lowering, the front bars.
According to this invention the bottom grate bars, connected together to form
the bottom grate, rest, at back, upon a plate running along the rear of the fuel
space, the said bottom grate being provided, at its under side, with a prolongation
(preferably curved) which bears upon, and is supported by, one arm of a bell-crank
lever, centered beneath the grate, its other arm being weighted so that the arm,
against which the prolongation from the grate, rests, bears upon the said
prolongation with sufficient force to maintain the grate in any position to
which it may be brought; the difference in weight of the contents of the
grate in its different positions (according to whether more, or less, fuel is on
the grate), being compensated by reason of the difference in the point of bearing
of the said prolongation on the said arm, the said arm acting as a short lever when
the grate is lowered and contains a considerable weight of fuel, and acting as a
long lever when the grate is in its raised position and contains a less quantity of
tuel. The front part of the bottom grate has an orifice in it for the insertion of a
poker, or rod, for raising and lowering the said bottom grate.
The bars forming the front of the grate are carried in a frame provided with
projections sliding in grooves, or between guides, in the sides of the fuel space, or
cheeks, of the grate, there being a front plate or fall bar above which, when the
front bars are in their lowest position, fills in the space between the top of the
front bars and the hot plate of the range. This upper front plate or fall bar may
be provided with projections which engage with slots in the sides, or cheeks, so
that when the visible front of the fire is to be increased this upper front plate can
be raised in the grooves and then turned into a horizontal position, and the front
bars be raised so that they extend from the top of the lower front plate over the
whole front of the grate including the space before occupied by the upper front
plate. Or the said front plate, or fall bar, may be hinged, or pivoted, to the top
of the front bars, and engage, (when the bars are in their lowest position), with
vertical grooves, or guides, in which the bars move, so that when the bars are
raised the said fall bar leaves the said grooves, or guides, and assumes the
horizontal position. There may be a catch, or catches, on the range, at the side,
or sides, of the front bars, which catch yields, or catches yield, as the front bars
pass them on being raised and afterwards, (being counterweighted), return to a
position in which the said catch, or catches, will support, the front bars in their
raised position. The front bars may be raised by means of a poker, or rod, passed
beneath their lower horizontal, or connecting, bar, and rested on any suitable rest
or fulcrum such as a projection on the prolongation from the lower grate. The

page_text: range may be provided with one, or any number of ovens, or boilers, but it is
preferred to use two on either, or each, side, with a flue between, the said flue
being so situated that a flap, or plate, attached to the under side of the bottom
grate, (or to each under side if there be ovens and boilers and a flue on each side),
covers the said flue when the bottom grate is raised, and uncovers it when the said
grate is lowered.
The bell-crank lever aforesaid, for taking the weight of the bottom grate and
the fuel thereon, may be constituted by a rod, or shaft, running across the ash-pit
and provided with the two arms of the bell-crank lever in the same plane, or there
may be one arm in position opposite the projection from the bottom grate, the other
arm being in a different plane, say, for example, at the side, or within the cheek
plate of the ash-pit. There may be more than one bell crank lever, for bearing on
more than one projection from the bottom grate.
Dated this 28th day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Kitchen Ranges.
We, THE MASBRO FOUNDRY COMPANY LIMITED of Alma Works,
Rotherham, in the County of York, and ARTHUR HABERSHON of Ferham
Villa, Rotherham aforesaid, Iron Founder, and JOHN MOORE of Nottingham
Street, Rotherham, aforesaid, Foreman Fitter to the said Masbro Foundry
Company Limited do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient arrangement
of range which will be economical in construction and first cost easily operated,
and not liable to get out of order. It is of the class wherein the bottom bars can
be raised and lowered to contract and enlarge the fire space, and wherein the open
fire, or that visible from the front can be increased or diminished by raising and
lowering the front bars.
The invention, and the manner in which it can be performed, will be well
understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation with part broken away, of sufficient of a kitchen
range to illustrate the application of this invention thereto.
Figures 2 and 3 are similar transverse sections showing the bottom grate in
two different positions.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views respectively similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of
portion of the range shewing a modified arrangement for securing the fall-bar in
its two positions of adjustment.
Figures 7 and 8 are transverse sections similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing the
bottom grate provided with a flue-closing flap or plate.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
According to this invention the bottom grate bars connected together to form a
bottom grate A, rest at back, upon a plate B running along the rear and bottom of
the fuel space C, the said bottom grate A being provided at its underside with a
prolongation a (preferably curved) which bears upon, and is supported by, one
arm d of a bell-crank lever D centred at d¹ beneath the grate A, the other arm
of the said lever being weighted so that the arm d (against which the prolonga-
tion a rests) hears up on the said prolongation a with sufficient force to maintain
the grate A in any position to which it may be brought; the difference in weight

page_text: of the contents of the grate in the different positions, (according to whether more
or less fuel is on the grate A) being compensated by reason of the difference in the
point of bearing of the prolongation a on the arm'd which latter acts as a short
lever when the grate A is lowered and contains a considerable weight of fuel (as
shewn in Figure 2) and as a long lever when the grate A is in its raised position
and contains a less quantity of fuel (as shewn in Figure 3). The front part of
the bottom grate A has an orifice a' for the insertion of a poker or rod, for raising
and lowering the said bottom grate.
The bars e forming the front of the grate are carried by, or formed in one with,
a frame E with projecting side portions sliding in grooves or between guides f, in
the sides of the fuel space, or cheeks of the grate, there being a front plate or fall
bar G above, which, when the front bars e are in their lowest position, fills-in the
space between the top of the front bars and the hot plate H the fall bar G being
arranged to form, when in its raised position, a continuation of the said hot plate
as shewn in Figs. 3, 6 and 8. The upper front plate or fall bar G may be
provided with projections g' which engage with the apper portions of the grooves
or guides for with recesses h Figure 3, in the hot plate H, which recesses form
virtual extensions of the said grooves or guides, so that when the visible front of
the fire is to be increased this upper front plate G can be raised in the grooves f
or recesses and then turned into a horizontal position the front bars being raised
so that they extend from the top of the lower front plate I over the whole front of
the grate including the space before occupied by the upper front plate G. Or, as
shewn in Figures 2 and 3 the front plate or fall-bar G may be hinged or pivotted
at g2 to the top of the frame E of the front bars, and engage (when the bars e are
in their lowest position) with the vertical grooves or guides f, or with the before
described recesses h, so that when the bars e are raised, the said fall-bar G leaves,
or is disengaged from the grooves or guides f, or the recesses h, and assumes the
horizontal position as shewn in Figure 3 in which position the fall bar G is
supported by resting on the surface of the frame E.
To the underside of the frame E there is pivotted a catch or support J, which,
when the said frame is in its lowered position, rests in a nearly horizontal position
on a shelf or ledge i formed or provided at the back of the lower front plate I as
shewn in Figures 1 and 2. This support J, when the frame E is raised to its
highest position, assumes, by gravity, a vertical position as shewn in Figure 3 so
that when the frame E is released the support J by bearing upon the shelf or
ledge i retains the said frame in its then-elevated position. The free end of the
support J is provided with an extension ; which, when the said support is in its
vertical position, projects below the shelf or ledge so that it may be readily
moved to one side by a poker or other implement to allow the frame E to descend
into its lower position. Instead of the support J, we may provide a catch or
catches, at the side or sides, of the frame E, which catch yields, or catches yield,
as the frame E passes them on being raised, and afterwards (being counterweighted)
returns or return to a position in which the said catch or catches will support the
frame E and front bars e in the raised position. The front bars e and frame E
may be raised by means of a poker or rod, passed beneath their lower horizontal
bar or a bridge-piece connecting two of the said bars e and rested on any
suitable rest or fulcrum such as a prolongation from the lower grate, or &
projection on the prolongation a, or, instead of employing the bridge piece e³ for
facilitating the raising of the frame E, the lower part of the latter may serve for
this purpose, the lower front plate I if required being slotted to allow the poker or
implement to be freely moved during the said operation.
Instead of the upper front plate or fall-bar G being retained in its vertical
position in the manner described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, we may
provide the back guides f with projections 1 as shewn in Figures 4, 5 and 6,
against which, the back portions of the lugs 9, of the fall-bar G, bear, when the
latter is in its vertical position, and from which projections the lugs 9 can he
disengaged for turning the fall-bar G into its horizontal position only by raising

page_text: the said fall-bar so as to bring the lugs g³ clear of the projections; after this, the
fall-bar G may be turned over into its horizontal position wherein it is supported
by resting on the surfaces e as in the example described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The range may be provided with an oven or number of ovens or boilers but it is
preferred as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 to use two ovens K K¹ on either or each
side, with a flue k between them, and a boiler L at the back of the fuel space; in
this construction the flue k is so situated that a flap or plate a², attached to the
underside of, or formed in one with, the bottom grate A at one side (or at each
underside if there be ovens and a flue on each side of the fuel space) covers the
said flue when the bottom grate A is raised as shewn in Figure 8, and uncovers
it when the said grate is lowered as shewn in Figure 7.
The bell-crank lever D for taking the weight of the bottom grate and the fuel
thereon may be constituted by a rod or shaft running across the ash pit M and
provided with the two arms of the bell crank lever D in the same plane, or there
may be one arm in position opposite the projection a the other arm being in a
different plane, say for example at the side or within the cheek plate of the ash-
pit. There may be more than one bell crank lever, for bearing on more than one
projection a.
N is a stop or projection on the side of the ash pit M for supporting the
bell-crank lever D when the latter is in its lowest position and N₁ is a stop for
similarly supporting the bottom grate A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a kitchen range, the combination with a vertically adjustable grate
front E of a catch or support or catches or supports for the purpose of supporting
the grate front substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a kitchen range the combination with a vertically adjustable grate
front E of a fall bar connected thereto adapted to form a continuation of the hot
plate when the grate front is in its raised position substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In a kitchen range the combination with an adjustable grate bottom of a
weighted lever adapted to present to the grate bottom, different lengths of leverage
according to the position of, or quantity of fuel supported by the said grate bottom
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a kitchen range the combination with an adjustable grate bottom having
an orifice a' therein, of a projection such as a on the grate bottom end a weighted
lever such as D adapted to bear on the said projection substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting kitchen ranges as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Figures 7 and 8 of
the accompanying drawings.
D
1000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.