IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES OR COOKING RANGES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Wadsworth Crabtree of Leeds in the County of
York, England, Ironfounder for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN
RANGES OR COOKING RANGES”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Wadsworth
Crabtree at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August
1882.
RICHARD WADSWORTH CRABTREE of Leeds in the County of York, England
Iron Founder " IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES OR COOKING RANGES."
These improvements are applicable to all kinds of kitchen or cooking ranges, but
more specially to Yorkshire ranges, and to close ranges, or to a combination of
the two.
The invention relates firstly to a novel arrangement of auxilary gas stove or
stoves adapted to the plate racks of kitchen ranges. In kitchen ranges heated by
wood coal, coke or other solid fuel, having plate racks, I place one or more
perforated plates or grates in the plate rack, so as to form part of it, and by
preference I make the top of these perforated plates or grates level with the plate
rack so that pans or dishes may stand safely in any part thereof.
Immediately under these perforated plates or grates I place suitable gas burners:
arranged by preference in rings, one ring inside the other, each ring of burnors
having its own tap so that it can be lit independently of the other ring of burners
when required, so as to heat or boil or otherwise cook the contents of any dish or
vessel placed over the gas burner or burners on the said plate rack, thus combining
the advantages of an ordinary kitchen range and a gas stove, without interfering
with the fire, ovens, hob, or boiler of the range in any way.
In kitchen ranges without plate racks, I place the perforated plate or grate
bracket or shelf-wise over the boiler, oven, or hob, in such a manner as not to
interfere with the use of the boiler, oven or hob, and under said perforated plate
or grate I place one or more gas burners to heat or boil or otherwise cook the
contents of any vessel placed on said bracket or shelf. By using this auxilary gas
stove or stoves placed as described, I obtain additional cooking facilities.
The second part of these improvements relates to a new arrangement of fire box
or furnace which I make by preference with a solid fire brick or fire clay bottom,

page_text: with an iron edge in front to protect it and keep it in place. In front of the fire
box or furnace I place a range of comparatively close and thin horizontal fire-bars,
by preference sloping downwards and inwards to the fire, to prevent ashes falling
out too easily, and at the same time to allow a good view of the fire when standing
facing it. The space between the bottom bar of the range and the fire clay bottom
I make by preference rather wider than the spaces between the other bars, and the
front edge of the fire bottom I set back a little, and make it to slope backwards
and downwards, so that when the fire is stirred the ashes will fall out chiefly
between the bottom bar of the range and the bottom of the fire, and fall freely into
the ash pan or ash receiver horeafter described.
In front of the fire I further place two doors vertically one over the other,
which may be opened or closed separately or together, by means of which the
ingress of air and consequently the rate of combustion of the fuel, may be regulated
as required. When both these doors are closed they completely cover the space
from the top of the ash receiver to the top of the range thus cutting off the supply
of air from the bottom of the furnace or fire, and causing it to burn slowly and
thereby economize fuel and at the same time keep the fire burning many.hours
without attention, so that it may be when required kept burning all night with a
very small consumption of inferior fuel; and where a bath boiler is used it may be
kept hot all night thus preventing the pipes freezing and avoiding a source of
great danger in severe winters.
The third part of these improvements consists in a new arrangement of ash pan,
or ash receiver, comprising two drawers, one over the other, sliding in a suitable
frame. The upper drawer is provided with a sloping curved perforated bottom or
grate, to receive the cinders and automatically separate them from the dust and
fine ashes, which last fall into the lower, drawer. In open or Yorkshire ranges
I prefer to make the ash receiver with an open funnel or hopper-shaped top; but
for close ranges I prefer to cover it in with a slanting or curved hood or top in
which is a door or lid made to open to admit a poker or similar implement when
the fire requires stirring to clean the ashes out.
The fourth part of these improvements consists in the application to ranges with
closed tops and low ovens, or hot hearths, of an adjustable winding cheek with a
top part at right angles to it, so that when the winding cheek is moved to alter
the width of the fire the top part slides over the oven or hot hearth bottom, and
effectually prevents cold air having access to the hot hearth or oven flue from the
part of the range in which there is no fire, and at the same time acts as a saddle to
prevent the top of the oven being overheated or burnt.
This winding check may be worked by any suitable means, but preferably by a
rack and pinion over the hot hearth or oven, placed so as not to interfere with
their action.
The invention relates lastly to a new mode of making and fitting the ovens
together. To avoid the serious inconvenience and expense often incurred, by ovens
which are cast in one solid piece cracking when in use, I make the ovens in some
five separate parts which are united together in the following manner.
I make the bottom of the oven and the top of the oven each separately with a
groove or recess at each end, and lugs or ears projecting outside these grooves; the
Jugs being provided with holes to receive bolts. I make the two oven sides also
separately, and place them in the grooves or recesses provided for them in the oven
top and oven bottom; I then pass long bolts through the holes in the lugs said
bolts reaching from the oven bottom to the oven top, and screw them up tight;
thus solidly clamping the bottom top and two sides of the oven together. I also
make the back part of the oven separately, and fix it to the bottom top and sides
by screws or bolts fastening into lugs provided for the purpose on the bottom, top,
and sides of the oven. I further attach lugs to the bottom top and sides to receive
screws or bolts for fixing the oven to the oven front.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Wadsworth Crabtree in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1883.
RICHARD WADSWORTH CRABTREE of Leeds in the County of York, England,
Iron Founder "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES OR COOKING RANGES "
These Improvements are applicable to all kinds of kitchen or cooking ranges
but more specially to Yorkshire ranges and to close ranges, or to a combination of
the two.
The Invention relates firstly to a novel arrangement of auxiliary gas stove or
stoves adapted to kitchen ranges. In kitchen ranges heated by wood, coal coke or
other solid fuel, having plate racks, I provide the plate rack with perforations or
gratings at one or more parts, and immediately under these perforations or gratings
I place suitable gas burners arranged by preference in rings, one ring inside the
other. Each ring of burners has its own tap so that it can be lit independently of
the other ring of burners, when required, so as to heat or boil or otherwise cook the
contents of any dish or vessel placed over the gas burner or burners on the said
plate rack; thus combining the advantages of an ordinary kitchen range and a
gas stove, without interfering with the fire, ovens hob or boiler of the range in
any way.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn in several views a close kitchen
range with any improvements adapted thereto. Fig: 1 is a front view of the
range; Fig: 2 is a cross section of the same taken through the fire place in the
line A of Fig: 1. Fig: 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken in the line B
of Fig: 2. Fig: 4 is a sectional plan taken in the line C of Fig: 1 Fig: 5 is a
sectional plan taken in the line D of Fig: 1.
In these figures F is a plate-rack or shelf on which plates and dishes are usually
heated. In this shelf a grate a is formed the same being flush with the upper
surface of the shelf. The grate is made preferably with converging bars starting
from a central opening as shewn best in Fig: 5. The gas burner is formed
preferably of two concentric rings 6 b¹ and supported by a bracket c projecting
from the underside of the plate rack or shelf, the burner stems being passed through
holes in the bracket. d d are the taps for regulating the supply of gas from the
pipe G to their respective burner rings
In kitchen ranges without plate racks I fit the grating bracketwise over the
boiler, oven or hob as shewn at Figures 9 and 10, which represent at U the grating
formed in a bracket or shelf so placed as not to interfere with the use of the
boiler, oven or hob. Under the grating, perforated bracket or shelf a gas burner b
is placed for the purpose of heating or boiling or otherwise cooking the contents of
any vessel placed on the shelf.
Projecting from the underside of the shelf is a piece c for receiving the burner
stems and holding the burner in position. V is the boiler side cove, W the back
cove, X the smoke plate Y part of the arch plate which goes over the fire, and Z
part of an ordinary side boiler in a Yorkshire range.
The second part of these improvements relates to a new arrangement of fire
place or chamber which I make by preference with a solid fire brick or fire clay
bottom with an iron edge in front to protect it and keep it in place. In front of
the fire place I fit a range of comparatively close and thin horizontal fire bars by
preference sloping downwards and inwards to the fire to prevent ashes falling
out in front and at the same time to allow a good view of the fire when standing
facing it. The space between the bottom bar of the range and the fire clay
bottom I make by preference rather wider than the spaces between the bars and
the front edge of the fire bottom I set back a little and make it to slope backwards
and downwards so that when the fire is stirred the ashes will fall between the

page_text: bottom bar of the range and the bottom of the fire place and be caught in the ash
pan or ash receiver hereafter described.
H. Figures 2, 3, and 4 indicate the fire place or chamber, J the series of horizontal
.bars sloping inwards and downwards, c is the fire-brick side, e' the fire-brick bottom,
and e² the fire-brick back, which laat rests against and serves to protect the
boiler K.-The fire place H is closed at top as usual by a movable covor L with an
opening in it for pans, and provided with a lid f.
8
The front of the fire place H is closed by two doors II and the front edge of
the fire-brick bottom e¹ is guarded by a bar s the top front edge of which is set
back from the front of the barst by about half the width of the bars, and the
front of the bar s slopes backwards and downwards to allow the ashes which
come out between the edges and the bottom bar t¹ to drop freely into the ash
receiver M.
The doors II may be opened or closed separately or together, their use being to
regulate the admission of air and consequently the rate of combustion of the fuel.
When both these doors are closed the space from the top of the ash receiver to the
top of the range will be completely covered, a door O mounted on horizontal hinges
serving to complete the closing of the space. Thus the air will be cut off from the
bottom of the fire which will then burn slowly and thereby an economy of fuel
will be effected. The firo will, however, burn many hours without attention, and
it may be when required kept burning all night with a very small consumption
of inferior fuel, and whero a bath boiler is used it may be kept hot all night
thus preventing the pipes freezing and avoiding a source of great danger in severa
winters.
The third part of these Improvements consists in a new arrangement of ash pan
or ash receiver comprising two drawers one over the other sliding in a suitable
frame. The upper drawer is provided with a sloping curved perforated bottom to
receive and retain the cinders, and automatically separate them from the dust and
fine ashes which last fall into the lower drawer.
In Fig: 2 the receiver M is shewn as consisting of two drawers N and N', which
underlie the fire place and bar the access of air upwards thereto, the upper drawer N
being fitted with a bottom formed of a sloping curved grate g through which the
fine dust falls into the lower drawer N¹. The top of the ash receiver is closed by
the inclined door O opening downwards, which door can be slid endwise when
closed so as to leave a small slit h open more or less as may be required to regulate
the combustion. This door when open provides for the insertion of a poker or
similar implement for clearing out the ashes and cleaning the flue which underlies
the boiler.
In open or Yorkshire ranges I prefer to make the ash receiver with an outwardly
inclined front plate to guide the cinders and ash which may fall through the front
bars into the receiver. This modification is shewn in the cross sectional view
Fig: 2ª.
The fourth part of these improvements consists in the application to ranges with
closed tops and low ovens or hot hearths of an adjustable winding cheek constructed
as shewn best at Fig: 3, where P represents the vertical cheek and P' a horizontal
extension at right angles thereto. When the winding cheek is moved to alter the
width of the fire, the top part P' slides over the oven or hot hearth bottom and
effectually prevents cold air having access to the hot hearth or oven flue from the
part of the range in which there is no fire at the same time it acts as a saddle to
prevent the top of the oven from being overheated or burnt.
This winding cheek may be worked by any suitable means but preferably by a
rack and pinion as illustrated at Figures 6. 7. and 8.
Qis a pinion mounted on the front plate and formed with two teeth i i¹ which
gear into a rack R sliding in a guide j and fixed to the return part P¹ of the cheek.
The pinion is turned by a square and thus moves the cheek to widen or narrow the
fire place as required.
The Invention relates lastly to a new mode of making and fitting together the

page_text: parts of ovens To avoid the serious inconvenience and expense often incurred by
ovens which are cast in one solid piece cracking when in use, I make the ovens in
some five separate parts as indicated at S Fig: 3 which are united together in the
following manner.
I make the bottom of the oven and the top of the oven each with a groove or
recess at their opposite ends, and lugs or cars projecting outside these grooves, the
lugs being provided with holes to receive bolts.-I make the two oven sides also
separately and place them in the grooves or recesses provided for them in the oven
top and oven bottom. I then pass long bolts through the holes in the lugs, said
bolts reaching from the oven bottom to the oven top, and screw them up tight,
thus solidly clamping the bottom, top, and two sides of the oven together.-The back
part of the oven I fix to the bottom top and sides by screws or bolts fastening into
lugs provided as usual for the purpose. I further cast lugs on the bottom_top and
sides to receive screws or bolts for fixing the oven to the oven front. This con-
struction of oven is clearly shown in the detached views Figures 11 and 12, where
k is the separate top, k³ the separate bottom, provided with grooves l. l. to receive
the sides o o¹ and fastened by four bolts mm running from the top k to the
bottom. These bolts serve to clamp together the two sides o o¹ between the
top and bottom k'. The back of the oven T is provided with a flange p on its
four edges which flanges enclose or box in the top k bottom k¹ and sides o o².
The back is fastened by screws passing through lugs g as in Fig: 12.
Having now setforth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements in Kitchen
Ranges or Cooking Ranges" and explained in what manner the same may be
carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim :-
First: The adaptation to the plate rack, or continuous plate of a kitchen range
or where there is no plate rack to a specially fitted grate or shelf, in a kitchen or
cooking range, of a gas boiling or cooking burner as and for the
described.
purpose
Secondly: In a cooking or kitchen range the inclined bars in front of the fire, in
combination with a fireclay or firebrick bottom having an iron-cased front edge,
bevilled or undercut, and set back from the vertical plane of the front bars substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
Thirdly: The double ash receiver consisting of two drawers or pans the upper
one of which is fitted with a grated bottom curved in front and sloping downwards
and backwards for the purpose of causing the cinders as they fall from the fire to
be precipitated or rolled over the grated bottom, and the dust to be separated
therefrom and caught in the lower pan or drawer, as set forth.
Fourthly: The winding cheek formed or fitted with a horizontal top-piece or
cover adapted to slide closely over the top of the oven or adjacent chamber and
prevent the access of cold air to that flue from the fireplace, when the width of
the fire is decreased, substantially as set forth.
Fifthly Constructing ovens of separate interlocking parts fitted and braced
together in the manner and for the purpose described with reference to Figures 3
and 11 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Wadsworth Crabtree have hereunto
set my hand and seal the nineteenth day of February in the year of our
Land Ons thousand night hound and and wishtoshoo