IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETAINING HEAT, WARMING FOOD AND SMOOTHING FABRICS AND IN ARTIFICIAL FUEL THEREFOR APPLICABLE FOR OTHER USES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Cavargna of the City of Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Restaurateur for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR RETAINING HEAT, WARMING FOOD AND SMOOTHING FABRICS
AND IN ARTIFICIAL FUEL THEREFOR APPLICABLE FOR OTHER USES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Cavargna at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August 1882.
JOSEPH CAVARGNA of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Restaurateur, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETAINING HEAT, WARMING
FOOD AND SMOOTHING FABRICS AND IN ARTIFICIAL FUEL THEREFOR APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER USES
"
My Invention relates in the first place to apparatus for keeping food warm.
I employ artificial fuel which burns slowly within receptacles in which the food
is placed. I construct a portable receptacle to contain the food and I keep the
contents warın by slowly burning fuel. In some cases the receptacle is formed
with two or more compartments so as to contain a dinner or meal for one, two or
more persons and also to contain the requisite condiments, plates and accessories.
The fuel is contained in a covered dish or holder at the bottom of the receptacle.
The food to be kept warm may be in a covered vessel or in two or more covered
vessels or dishes according to the requirements. In some cases the said receptacles
are formed to be carried from place to place and may be adapted for the require-
ments of railway passengers and of persons dining or lunching at their places of
business and for other uses. Some of the portable receptacles I provide with light
wire basket-work or suitable bottle holders. I also adapt my Invention to covered
dishes, workmens dinner cases, pic-nic cases, stew pans, soup tureens or containers,
safes or cupboards used in restaurants and hotels for keeping food and plates
warm and to other similar appliances.
In the second place I manufacture artificial fuel for use in retaining heat within
the aforesaid receptacles and for keeping food warm in hotels, restaurants and other

page_text: places and for heating smoothing irons, warming conservatories, shops rooms and
carriages and for other uses. I make a composition consisting of pulverised or
granulated charcoal, nitrate of potash and gum water or other suitable matter
which will cause the particles to cohere. In addition to these substances I
sometimes use chlorate of potash and I sometimes add fragrant gums such as
benzoin or alibanuin. I do not confine myself to the proporitions but I will state
that a suitable composition may consist of wood charcoal 79.55 parts by weight
nitrate of potash 25 parts chlorate of potash 4 parts and gum arabic 20.5 parts.
The gum
is dissolved in water and the other ingredients are incorporated therewith
into a paste which is moulded into blocks or pieces of the desired forms and
dimensions which blocks or pieces are dried at a moderate heat. In some or in
all cases I tip the blocks or pieces with a composition which will ignite easily as
for example with a paste made by mixing finely ground soft wood charcoal 50·65
parts, 25-15 parts of nitrate of potash and a proportion of arabene or bassorine
with water to form a paste. In some cases I place the dried blocks or pieces for
a short time in a furnace or in a highly heated retort or muffle until they become
partly incandescent when they are removed into an air tight chamber or enclosed
place to cool. In the next place I make irons for the use of laundresses, tailors
and hatters and for similar uses, such irons being specially adapted to being heated
by means of my fuel. Such irons are made hollow and are provided with a
removable cover to which the handle is attached. When placed upon the hollow
body the said cover is locked by means of a spring catch which is formed to be
released by finger pressure. The fuel rests upon a number of studs which project
from the bottom of the iron. Openings are formed at the back and front so that
a current of air is induced by the to and fro movement of the iron when in use
and air is admitted through other openings and is deflected downwards by means
of an inner casing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Cavargna in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1883.
JOSEPH CAVARGNA of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Restaurateur " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETAINING HEAT, WARMING
FOOD AND SMOOTHING FABRICS AND IN ARTIFICIAL FUEL THEREFOR APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER USES
"
I
My Invention relates in the first place to apparatus for keeping food warm.
employ artificial fuel which burns slowly within receptacles in which the food is
placed. I construct a portable receptacle to contain the food and I keep the contents
warm by slowly burning fuel. In some cases the receptacle is formed with two or
more compartments so as to contain a dinner or meal for one two or more persons
and also to contain the requisite condiments, plates and accessories. The fuel is
contained in a covered space at. the bottom of the receptacle. The food to be kept
warm may be in a covered vessel or in two or more covered vessels or dishes
according to the requirements. In some cases the said receptacles are formed to
be carried from place to place and may be adapted for the requirements of railway
passengers and of persons dining or lunching at their places of business and for
other uses. Some of the portable receptacles I provide with light or wicker
basket-work or suitable bottle holders. I also adapt my invention to covered
dishes, workmens dinner cases, pic-nic cases, stew pans, soup tureens, plate stands or
containers, safes or cupboards used in restaurants and hotels for keeping food and
plates warm and to other similar appliances.
In the second place I manufacture artificial fuel for use in retaining heat within
the aforesaid receptacles and for keeping food warm in hotels restaurants and other
places, for cooking and for heating smoothing irons, warming conservatories, shops,
rooms, ship cabins and carriages and for other uses. I make a composition of
pulverised or granulated charcoal, nitrate of potash and gum or dextrine or other
suitable matter which will cause the particles to cohere. In addition to these
substances I generally use chlorate of potash and I sometimes add fragrant gums
such as benzoine or alibanum or essence of cloves. I do not confine myself to any
precise proportions but I will state that a suitable composition may consist of wood
charcoal 74-55 parts by weight and by decimal notation nitrate of potash 0.35 parts
chlorate of potash 0.15 parts gum arabic 25·15 parts and gum benzoine 0-10 parts.
The gum arabic and other ingredients are dissolved in water and are incorporated
therewith into a paste which is moulded into blocks or pieces of pyramidal shapes
or of the desired forms and dimensions which blocks or pieces are dried at a
moderate heat. In some or in all cases I tip the blocks or pieces with a composition
which will ignite easily as for example with a paste made by mixing finely ground
soft-wood charcoal 72.25 parts nitrate of potash 1·15 parts chlorate of potash
045 parts gum arabic 26.0 and gum benzoin 0.15 parts with water to form a
paste. In some or in all cases I place the dried blocks or pieces for a short time
in a furnace or stove or in a highly heated retort or mule until they become partly
incandescent when they are removed into an air-tight chamber or enclosed place
to cool.
In the third place I make irons for the use of laundresses, tailors and hatters and
similar uses, such irons being specially adapted to being heated by means of my
fuel. Such irons are made hollow and are each provided with a removable cover
to which the handle is attached. When placed upon the hollow body the said
cover is locked by means of a spring catch which is formed to be released by finger

page_text: pressure. The fuel rests upon a number of studs which project from the bottom of
the iron. Openings are formed at the back and front so that a current of air is
induced by the to and fro movement of the iron when in use and air is admitted
through other openings and is deflected downwards by means of an inner casing.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto a
sheet of drawings which represent appliances which I construct in accordance with
the first and third parts of my invention. Fig 1 represents a section of an appliance
for keeping food warm. In this Fig. a is a receptacle of cylindrical or other
suitable shape made of block tin, sheet iron or other suitable metal or material.
The said receptacle is formed with three compartments b, c and d. The middle
and principal compartment c is designed to contain the dishes of food and the
plates and any beverages or appliances which have to be kept hot. The
upper compartment is intended to contain bread, condiments, knives, and
forks and accessories which are not required to be kept hot. This compartment
is furnished with a cover 6. which may be hinged or be removable as preferred.
The partition between these compartments may be rendered non-conducting. The
lower compartment c contains the slowly burning fuel which maintains sufficient
heat in the apparatus to keep the food warm. A block or piece of my improved
fuel is represented by e. The fuel compartment is formed by hinging a dished
cover c¹. to the bottom of the receptacle or by providing the receptacle with a
removable cover which when in position encloses the fuel. Holes are formed
for the inlet of air to support combustion as indicated by the arrows and for
the outflow of heated air into the middle compartment. Ventilation of the
said compartment is provided by means of an upcast pipe or passage f. The
receptacle is provided with a door g which can be opened for the insertion and
removal of the food and to obtain access to the fuel compartment. In some cases
this door may be dispensed with and the upper compartment b be made removable
or be dispensed with. In using my appliance I place a block of my improved fuel
in the bottom part of the receptacle and light the fuel at the tip and shut down the
cover c. The covered dishes of food are then placed within the compartment b
those requiring the most heat being placed on the cover c¹. The receptacle may
thus be made to contain a complete dinner for several persons which dinner may be
kept hot or warm for a long time and the receptacle may be conveyed a distance to
the consumer or may be supplied to travellers. Fig 2 represents a smaller food
warmer consisting of a dish-shaped receptacle h fitted with a cover and formed with 3
an inner ledge on which can rest a plate or dish i to contain food. The fuel
below the dish is represented by e. This appliance may be made without a cover
for some purposes and may be used in place of an ordinary hot water dish. I also
provide simple forms of this appliance with handles so that they can be used in the
conveyance of single dinners for workmen and others as indicated by Fig 5. The 4
examples are drawn about half or one third of the full size but it will be understood
that the size can be varied as required. Fig 3 represents a vertical section and
Fig 4 a horizontal section of a portable stove and illustrates one of the uses for
wbich my fuel is suitable. The fuel e is placed in a light portable stove J which is
provided with air warming pipes k, k which receive heat from the fuel and deliver 4
currents of warm air through outlet pipes le¹. Such a stove does not require a
chimney and may be carried into a room and be placed in any part of such room.
Fig 6 represents a receptacle to contain my fuel and adapted for use in the
warming of railway carriages and other vehicles. My improved fuel may be put to
many other uses than are herein set forth and indicated and may be used in 5
keeping hot or warm large stationary food cases, receptacles or cupboards such as
are used in hotels and restaurants.
Figs 7 and 8 illustrate the third part of my invention and represent a smoothing
or laundresses iron in longitudinal and in cross section. In the said Figs. is the
body of a hollow iron which is provided with a lid or cover m which is attached to 5
the handle n. A catch o is attached to the underside of the cover and projects
below a cross bar or projection p which is formed at the broader or rear end of the

page_text: P
iron. A second cross bar q is formed near the nose of the iron and with this cross
bar a spring catch r engages and to this catch is attached a finger trigger s. When
the cover is placed in position the hooked catch o is first brought below the bar
and the nose end of the cover is then pressed down so that the spring catch is
caused to engage with the bar q when the cover will be securely held. To remove
the cover the trigger s is drawn upwards by means of the fore finger to release the
catch. The arrangement for securing the catches o and may be varied. The fuel
rests upon studs t, t which project from the bottom of the iron. Inlet apertures u
for air are formed near the lower part of the iron and outlet apertures at v.
I prefer to deflect the entering air downwards by means of sheet metal shields or
partitions as indicated by the arrows. Other openings w, w are formed at the
front and rear of the iron so that a current of air is induced by the to and fro
movement of the iron. A burning block of my improved fuel will keep such an
iron heated for a long time. The form of the iron may be varied to suit varying
requirements and tailors pressing irons and hatters smoothing irons may be made
on the same principle and be heated by means of my fuel.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of the said invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect I would have it to be
understood that I claim :-
First, the receptacle constructed and heated substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and indicated herein before and in and by Fig 1 of the accompanying
drawings
Secondly the food receptacles or dinner cases formed and adapted to be heated
substantially as set forth and indicated with reference to Figs 2 and 5 of the
drawings.
Thirdly the hollow iron substantially as and for the purpose or purposes set forth
and indicated with reference to Figs 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Fourthly the hollow, smoothing, pressing or laundresses iron having raised studs
or projections to support incandescent slow burning fuel and having a cover
attached to the handle and provided with a spring locking catch substantially as
set forth and indicated.
Fifthly the composition of matters or ingredients forming slowly burning fuel
substantially as and for the uses and purposes set forth and indicated.
And lastly the manufacture of slow combustion fuel suitable for the indicated
uses from mixtures of charcoal, nitrate of potash, chlorate of potash and gum or
gums or binding matters with or without resinous or fragrant gums or matter
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Joseph Cavargna have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty-third day of February in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St, Manchester
JOSEPH CAVARGNA (L.S.)