Improvements in and connected with Cooking Ranges.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Cooking Ranges.
A communication by NICOLAS MESSENER, of 10, Rue Nexirue, Metz, Alsace-
Lorraine, in the Empire of Germany, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This improved cooking range or fireplace, which is provided with a movable
grate, is designed for the object of heating more or less rapidly and easily the lower
or upper parts of the range on either side and of distributing throughout the whole
range as equable a temperature as possible; the cooking can, therefore, be done
evenly and perfectly by directing, as may be desired, the flame towards the parts
which are too cold or removing it from those which are too hot; this being done
by making the grate so that it can be raised or lowered in the range, while it is
charged with burning fuel.
The grate or fireplace being movable, the parts which come in contact with too
hot a fire can be preserved from wearing out too soon, as generally happens in
those cases where the grates are fixed, and where it is necessary for heating the
remote parts of the range or fireplace to unnecessarily increase the fire by loading
the grate with fuel and by increasing the draught. From the foregoing, it will
be seen that the range or fireplace with a movable grate enables a considerable
economy of fuel to be effected and also considerably does away with repairs or
the too frequent replacement of the deformed or injured parts by the action of
the fire, which is generally a costly matter.
The invention will best be understood by aid of the accompanying three sheets
of illustrative drawings, which show a cooking range having these improvements
adapted to it:
Figures 1 and 2 being a plan view and a side view respectively of the stove,
Figures 3 and 5 being sectional views on the lines A-B, C-D, respectively of
Figure 1, the grate, as will be hereinafter seen, being, in these views, shown in its
lowest position.
Figures 4 and 6 are views corresponding to Figures 3 and 5, but in these views
the grate is shown in its highest position.
Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line E-F of Figure 2.
Figure 8 is an end view of the stove.
Figures 9 to 12 are views of details hereinafter described.
The stove is composed externally of a casing or walls of sheet iron or cast iron,
supporting, on its upper part, a plate, Figure 1, in which are arranged four circular
openings provided with covers; a is an opening for filling water into the boiler;
bbb are openings for receiving the pans which contain the food to be cooked, when
the pans are to come in direct contact with the flame, the lids of these openings are
removed. a a¹ in Figure 2 are the doors of two ovens, where the food can be
cooked, two other compartments 6' 6' are provided for receiving a small supply of
fuel and for drying wood; there are also provided the following parts:
reservoir C¹ containing hot water having a run off tap, two doors d¹ d for feeding
the fuel on to the grate, the door e allowing the external air to penetrate under the
grate of the furnace when it is situated at the top of the fireplace, the door a³,
behind which the ashpan is placed, which also affords admittance to the exterual
air for promoting combustion when the furnace is situated in the lower part of the
fireplace, a hot chamber ', the doors of which are placed on the right side (see
&

page_text: Figure 8) for heating plates, keeping food warm, etcetera, and the sockets g g
intended to receive the arm of the movable lever i when it is desired to raise or
lower furnace.
MOVABLE FURNACE.
The movable furnace is enclosed in a rectangular box, into which open the
flues hh, Figures 3, 4, 5. It is composed of a grate k of the same shape as the
box, and it is supported by an arrangement of levers placed on each side of the ash
pan a in longitudinal grooves made for this purpose. Under the grate, similar
grooves, symmetrical with the preceding ones, are formed. These grooves serve
for guiding the levers when being operated, two strips of thin sheet metal // are
placed at each side of the grooves longitudinally under the grate and against the
wall or casing, they are bent back at their lower part in such a way that they slide
with slight, friction along the walls of the casing at the same time as the grate when
it is moving. Above the grate at each corner, rods of square iron o oo o are placed,
which support a small plate e fitted with lids of the same dimensions and similar to
those of the corresponding upper plate which they are intended to replace.
Between the columns oo oo or supports of square iron, three cast iron' plates n n n
are placed, as will be clearly seen from Figure 7. These three cast iron plates
receive the direct action of the fire, thus saving the casing or walls, and hold the
fuel on the grate whilst it is being raised or lowered. Partitions ffff are placed
above and below, they direct the flame forward and prevent it from going obliquely
towards the openings for the escape of the gas and of the smoke c c c c placed at
the back of the furnace, above and below the grate and on each side of the casing
or walls. These openings may be opened or closed by means of dampers 6³ ³.
These dampers are moved by hinged iron rods situated outside the sinoke pipes,
these rods are held and guided by bearings, and have handles outside the range, in
front of these handles, two teeth are placed, which allow the dampers to remain
more or less open, and so, by this means, the draught of the furnace may be
regulated.
ELEVATING LEVERS FOR MOVING THE FURNACE.
The elevating levers are calculated to support without bending, the weight of
the furnace filled with fuel, and also a pan of a smaller diameter than the lids of
the plate containing ten litres of water. The levers are composed (see Figures 9,
10, 11 and 12) of four iron bars or strips connected two by two in their centres a*a*
by means of pins as well as at one of their extremities * 6, the other extremities:
are fitted with rollers travelling at their lower ends in grooves placed on each side
of the ashpan and at their upper sides in grooves made under the grate. Rods of
iron d d keep the upper rollers c³ ³ at the proper distance apart by passing through
the axis of the rollers. The axes of the lower rollers c c are connected by four
strips of iron e e e²e which are hinged at ff" to short pieces 9" 9" by means of
bolts, the other extremities of these pieces are in their turn jointed to the
.extremities of the levers h h at E E, these levers may be maintained in position by
sockets, g, which themselves are supported on the casing or wall itself of the range.
These sockets are fitted with a hole allowing the arm, i, Figures 10 and 12, of the
lever in the shape of a fork to be introduced, and they have on their upper side 4
outside the range a ratchet tooth ; above which is a catch k³ turning in the
thickness of the case of the furnace; and below the furnace there are provided two
stock catches, the outside one and the inside one P. These catches are intended
to stop the furnace in its rise or descent when it has reached the extent of its travel
by pressing against the casing or walls of the range, four other fixed catches mm
m² m² are placed in each of the lower grooves in order to avoid straining the catches
placed under the sockets. In order to prevent the rollers cc from quitting the
lower grooves when they tend to rise under the action of the levers, two little
arms of o¹ turning round the fixed point n are placed between these rollers, each of
these small arms is connected and hinged to each one of the lower strips at p...
5

page_text: FIRST POSITION WORKING.
When the furnace is situated in the lower part of the range, as in Figures 3
and 5, which may be called the first position of the furnace, the door or air
supply a³ is opened, which is in front of the ashpan a³, the opening e' remaining
closed, the dampers b**closed before the smoke exits c c are opened by means of
the handles d d which are drawn towards the person. The openings c¹ c' are left
closed, the grate k being charged with fuel the flames will play on the cast metal
plates nnn, and impinging on the small plate e surmounting the furnace, will be
deflected into the flues h h on the right and the left, passing between the small
columns oo and before the smoke vents c' c' of the dampers are closed will
encounter the partitions ff", and be deflected in front of the ovens g¹ g', and then
will continue their course in the direction shown by the arrows; they will pass
between the hot chamber and the right oven and between the boiler C' and the
oven on the left, will then pursue their course to the partitions ff where they will
be again deflected in front of the upper part of the oven and finally pass away into
the flues by the exits c for escape of smoke and will enter into the flues conducting
the smoke into the chimney. The smoke will follow the direction shown by the
dotted arrows and will enter into a common tube divided internally in the direction
of its length into two parts by a diaphragm intended to ensure the draught, as
shown by Figure 7 at p¹.
SECOND POSITION.
When it is desired to advantageously heat the upper parts of the furnace, the
forked movable lever i, Figure 12, is introduced in the sockets gy, as shown on
the plan, Figure 11, the lower dampers are opened, and closed. In order
to open or shut the valves, the same procedure is adopted as has already been
described in the first position of the furnace; by the manipulation of these dampers,
as shown by Figures 4 and 6, the orifices c c will be closed, and the orifices c¹ cl
opened, the door a³ is then closed, and the door e opened. The system of levers is
then operated by pressing on the movable lever i, Figure 10, in such a way as to cause
it to describe a curve, the extremities of the levers h, fixed on the sockets
will act on the short bars g¹ g' which will draw forward and raise the strips e² e³,
and the rollers c³ ³ will be themselves drawn forward by these strips and will tend
to approach one another until they encounter the fixed stops m² m²; they will thus
be maintained at the bottom of their grooves by the arms o¹ o', and the sockets will
rest at the extremity of the furnace against the wall, the catches k will drop behind
the teeth, preventing the sockets from rising and consequently maintain the
furnace in the position shown at Figure 9. At the same time that the movable
lever will have described the curve a, the levers h will have described the
curve yy, and the furnace and the levers will have assumed the position shown in
Figures 4, 6 and 9.
When the sockets are fixed, the arm of the movable lever is withdrawn, so that
there will be no obstacle to a person passing freely round the range. It will be
remarked that, during its travel with the fire, the grating will have carried with it
the two metal strips ll, and that these strips of metal close or stop the opening of
the lower flues, thus preventing the external air, intended to feed the combustion,
from escaping by the orifices for the escape of the smoke c¹ c', and obliging the
gaseous products, after their course around the ovens, to pass out by these openings
without penetrating into the box under the grating. In this second position of the
furnace, the lids of the upper plate have been removed, and have been replaced by
the lids of the plate e covering the furnace.
The flame and the smoke will follow an inverse direction to that of the first
position, as shown by the arrows, Figures 4 and 6, in order to pass out by the
openings cc, into the smoke flue, and from there into the chimney, as shown by the
dotted arrows. In order to replace the furnace in its original condition, it is necessary
to open the dampers c c, close c¹ c' and the opening e, open the door a³, introduce

page_text: the arm of the movable lever into the sockets, pressing slightly on its extremity,
in order to release the catch from the tooth and allow it to rise gently until the
movement should be stopped by the fixed stops m m and the peg of the socket.
The range shown on the accompanying sheet of drawings is of a medium pattern,
it may be constructed of any suitable material, and may be modified according to
the actual needs and use which it is desired to make of it.
For instance, the position of the orifices for the escape of the smoke may be
altered, the smoke tubes may be directed in various directions, and the dimensions
of the different parts may be altered. The ovens or other compartments may be
differently arranged or may be added to or diminished in number, or the arrange-
ment of the furnace may be altered, and the levers simplified.
Dated thin 14th SML 1902
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Cooking Ranges.
A communication by NICOLAS MESSENER, of 10, Rue Nexirue, Metz, Alsace-
Lorraine, in the Empire of Germany, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster & 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Civil Engineer 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 improved cooking range or fireplace, which is provided with a movable
grate, is designed for the object of heating more or less rapidly and easily the
lower or upper parts of the range on either side and of distributing throughout
the whole range as equable a temperature as possible; the cooking can, therefore,
be done evenly and perfectly by directing, as may be desired, the flame towards the
parts which are too cold or removing it from those which are too hot; this being
done by making the grate so that it can be raised or lowered in the range, while it
is charged with burning fuel.
The grate or fireplace being movable, the parts which come in contact with too
hot a fire can be preserved from wearing out too soon, as generally happens in those
cases where the grates are fixed, and where it is necessary for heating the remote
parts of the range or fireplace to unnecessarily increase the fire by loading the
grate with fuel and by increasing the draught. From the foregoing, it will be seen
that the range or fireplace with a movable grate enables a considerable economy of
fuel to be effected and also considerably does away with repairs or the too frequent
replacement of the deformed or injured parts by the action of the fire, which is
generally a costly matter.
The invention will best be understood by aid of the three sheets of illustrative
drawings filed with the Provisional Specification, which show a cooking range
having these improvements adapted to it;
Figures 1 and 2 being a plan view and a front view respectively of the stove.
Figures 3 and 5 being sectional views on the lines A-B, C-D, respectively, of
Figure 1, the grate, as will be hereinafter seen, being, in these views, shown in its
lowest position.
the
Figures 4 and 6 are views corresponding to Figures 3 and 5, but in these views
grate is shown in its highest position.
Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line E-F of Figure 2.
Figure 8 is an end view of the stove.
Figures 9 to 12 are views of details hereinafter described.
The stove is composed externally of a casing or walls of sheet iron or cast iron

page_text: openings provided with covers; a is an opening for filling water into the boiler;
bbb are openings for receiving the pans which contain the food to be cooked, when
the pans are to come in direct contact with the flame, the lids of these openings are
removed. a a' in Figure 2 are the doors of two ovens, where the food can be.
cooked, two other compartments 6' 6' are provided for receiving a small supply of
fuel and for drying wood; there are also provided the following parts: a reservoir C¹
containing hot water having a run off tap, two doors d' d' for feeding the fuel on
to the grate, the door e¹ allowing the external air to penetrate under the grate of
the furnace when it is situated at the top of the fireplace, the door a², behind which
the ashpan a' is placed, which also affords admittance to the external air for pro-
moting combustion when the furnace is situated in the lower part of the fireplace,
a hot chamber i, the doors of which are placed on the right side (see Figure 8) for
heating plates, keeping food warm, etectera, and the sockets 9 9 intended to receive
the arm of the movable lever when it is desired to raise or lower the furnace.
MOVABLE Furnace.
The movable furnace is enclosed in a rectangular box, into which open the
flues hh, Figures 3, 4 and 5. It is composed of a grate k of the same shape as the
box, and it is supported by an arrangement of levers placed on each side of the ash-
pan a in longitudinal grooves made for this purpose. Under the grate, similar
grooves, symmetrical with the preceding ones, are formed. These grooves serve
for guiding the levers when being operated, two strips of thin sheet inetal // are
placed at each side of the grooves longitudinally under the grate and against the
wall or casing, they are bent back at their lower part in such a way that they slide
with slight friction along the walls of the casing at the same time as the grate when
it is moving. Above the grate at each corner, rods of square iron 00 o o are
placed, which support a small plate e fitted with lids of the same dimensions and
similar to those of the corresponding upper plate which they are intended to replace.
Between the columns oo oo or supports of square iron, three cast iron plates n n n
are placed, as will be clearly seen from Figure 7. These three cast iron plates
receive the direct action of the fire, thus saving the casing or walls, and hold the
fuel on the grate whilst it is being raised or lowered. Partitions fƒ ƒ¹ƒ' are
placed above and below; they direct the flame forward and prevent it from going
obliquely towards the openings c c' for the escape of the gas and of the smoke
placed at the back of the furnace, above and below the grate and on each side of
the casing or walls. These openings may be opened or closed by means of
dampers 66. These dampers are moved by hinged iron rods situated outside the
smoke pipes, these rods are held and guided by bearings, and have handles outside
the range, in front of these handles two teeth are placed, which allow the dampers
to remain more or less open, and so, by this means, the draught of the furnace may
be regulated.
ELEVATING LEVERS FOR MOVING THE FURNACE.
The elevating levers are calculated to support, without bending, the weight of
the furnace filled with fuel, and also a pan of a smaller diameter than the lids
of the plate containing ten litres of water. The levers are composed (sec Figures 9,
10, 11 and 12) of four iron bars or strips connected two by two in their centres a* a
by means of pins as well as at one of their extremities 6, the other extremities
are fitted with rollers travelling at their lower ends in grooves placed on each side
of the ashpan and at their upper sides in grooves made under the grate. Rods of
iron d d keep the upper rollers c³ ³ at the proper distance apart. by passing through
the axis of the rollers. The axes of the lower rollers c³ ³ are connected by four
strips of iron e³ ³ ee, which are hinged at ff to short pieces "g" by means of
bolts, the other extremities of these pieces are in their turn jointed to the extremities
of the levers h h at E E, these levers may be maintained in position by sockets g,

page_text: which themselves are supported on the casing or wall itself of the range. These
sockets are fitted with a hole allowing the arm i, Figures 10 and 12, of the lever
in the shape of a fork to be introduced, and they have on their upper side outside
the range a ratchet tooth j, above which is a catch ', turning in the thickness of
the case of the furnace; and below the furnace there are provided two stock
catches, the outside one l' and the inside one 12. These catches are intended to
stop the furnace in its rise or descent when it has reached the extent of its travel
by pressing against the casing or walls of the range, four other fixed catches mm m¹ m¹
are placed in each of the lower grooves in order to avoid straining the catches
placed under the sockets. In order to prevent the rollers ce from quitting the
lower grooves when they tend to rise under the action of the levers, two little
arms of o¹, turning round the fixed point n, are placed between these rollers, each
of these small arms is connected and hinged to each one of the lower strips at p.

page_text: When the sockets are fixed, the arm of the movable lever is withdrawn, so that
there will be no obstacle to a person passing freely round the range. It will be
remarked that, during its travel with the fire, the grating will have carried with it
the two metal strips ll, and that these strips of metal close or stop the opening of
the lower flues, thus preventing the external air, intended to feed the combustion,
from escaping by the orificos el c¹ for the escape of the smoke, and obliging the
gaseous products, after their course around the ovens, to pass out by these openings
without penetrating into the box under the grating. In this second position of the
furnace, the lids of the upper plate have been removed, and have been replaced by
the lids of the plate e covering the furnace.
The flame and the smoke will follow an inverse direction to that of the first
position, as shown by the arrows, Figures 4 and 6, in order to pass out by the
openings into the smoke flue, and from there into the chimney, as shown by
the dotted arrows. In order to replace the furnace in its original condition,
it is necessary to open the dampers close 6 and the opening e', open the door a³,
introduce the arm of the movable lever into the sockets, pressing slightly on its
extremity, in order to release the catch from the tooth and allow it to rise gently
until the movement should be stopped by the fixed stops mm and the peg 1 of
the socket.
The range shown on the sheet of drawings accompanying the Provisional
Specification is of a medium pattern, it may be constructed of any suitable
material, and may be modified according to the actual needs and use which it is
desired to make of it.
For instance, the position of the orifices for the escape of the smoke may be
altered, the smoke tubes may be directed in various directions, and the dimensions
of the different parts may be altered. The ovens or other compartments may be
differently arranged or may be added to or diminished in number, or the arrange-
ment of the furnace may be altered, and the levers simplified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The improvements in and connected with cooking ranges, which consist
essentially (a) in providing a cooking range with a movable fire grate or furnace,
substantially as described and shown, so that the direction of the flame in the flues
can be changed, and (b) in applying to such movable fire grate or furnace a system
of levers, as described, so that the same can be operated.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.