An Improved Portable Camp Cooking Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Portable Camp Cooking Apparatus.
I, KURD HAHN, of Hildburghausen, in the Duchy of Saxe Meiningen, German
Empire, Captain in the Royal Prussian Army, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved portable camp cooking apparatus the essential
useful or acting parts of which also form the essential parts for packing the entire
apparatus into a small compass for transport.
I will describe a camp cooking apparatus according to this invention of a size
fitted to serve for cooking the food for 125 men; this apparatus in its portable
form does not exceed 43% in width by 43% in length and 36 % in height (17 inch
by 17 inch by 144 inch) with an entire weight of 62 kilograms (about 136 lbs.
avoirdupois).
When a camp cooking apparatus according to this invention is set up in the
field, a furnace and flue are excavated in the earth, and the main part of the
cooking apparatus is mounted over this furnace and its flue. The boards, trays,
and other appliances for preparing and serving the fond before and after cooking
are laid upon the ground, and are brought to a convenient level either by excavating
a trench for the cooks to stand in, or by forming a bank or mound for the boards
and trays to be placed upon.
The furnace is covered by two hearth or cooking plates and over the flue is
placed a skeleton frame which is covered by a plate and by the foot of the chimney.
The two hearth or cooking plates are of equal width and of equal length each
plate having three circular holes for the reception of cooking vessels and hinges
which enable it to be doubled up to form three sides of a cube. For keeping the
two plates together when forming the hearth, each plate is provided at or near
the inner rim or edge with corresponding holes for the reception of clumps through
the holes of which wedges are placed. In this manner the plates are combined to
form one hearth plate. For the better bearing of the bearth plate on light or loose
soil etc., the outer edges or rims are provided with tongues which for packing purposes
are turned back into the plates, but which tongues for mounting purposes are
turned out, to increase the bearing surface of the two plates forming the hearth.
Strengthening ribs are formed on the lower surface, to strengthen the bearing
capacity of the hearth and its resistance against warping in heat.
At the ends of the two plates eyes are provided for packing purposes.
To these eyes the fire door may be hinged.
The skeleton frame mentioned above consists of an upper frame and a lower frame,
both connected at the four corners by angle irons. The upper frame is more
narrow in clear width than the lower frame and is provided at its lower rim with
recesses for receiving eyes on the cooking or hearth plates, whereas the lower frame
is provided with four horizontal recesses, by which, if the skeleton frame is lowered
down over the complete apparatus in cube shape for packing purposes, it will clear
one set of eyes and afterwards surround another set of eyes. The skeleton frame
may at its upper frame be provided with a plate hinged to it. This plate covers the
skeleton frame when packed up, but for working (cooking) purposes it is thrown
back. Besides the above mentioned plate, two other half plates may be hinged to the
upper frame of the skeleton frame, which plates in mounting the apparatus may be
turned back, in order to cover the fire flue or channel in that part, in which this flue
changes from the wide or furnace part into the narrow, or flue part.
When the apparatus is to be packed the two bearth plates are folded together to
form the six sides of a cube or cube shape, the inner space of which will be or form

page_text: the receptacle for all the utensils of the camp cooking apparatus with the exception of
the skeleton frame and certain other parts which are held or packed by means of the
said skeleton frame, which is made to surround the cube composed of the hearth
plates. By means of eyes and bolts the skeleton frame is combined with the hearth
plates to form one body, so that if the skeleton frame be taken hold of by its
handles, the hearth plates and all the utensils which they include in their cubical
interior may be lifted for transport.
The wooden plates or trays are provided with tongues by which they can be secured
in place.
The camp cooking apparatus may be completed by the addition of a grate which
may serve two purposes. In case the soil in and on which the cooking apparatus is
to be mounted is moist or frozen or if no proper fuel is to be had it may sometimes
prove to be difficult to kindle a fire and to maintain the fire on the soil. To meet this
difficulty, a grate is provided having four legs and such grate is placed into the
furnace Aue or channel and the fire is kindled upon it. If the grate is not used for
this purpose it may be used as a gridiron; in this case it is placed legs uppermost
with its rebated angle iron led into the upper frame of the skeleton frame; the fire
burning underneath the gridiron will cook meat or any other food on it. For packing
and transport, the grate or gridiron is set legs uppermost, the skeleton frame is
lowered down over it and the two connected by pins or bolts. It will thus be seen
that the main parts of the apparatus designed for cooking purposes form the main
parts of the package and that they constitute a cubic hody, protected on its four sides
by wooden plates and that the complete packed apparatus may easily be lifted by
two men on to any car or vehicle.
Within the package there is contained a square meat box receiving inside it a square
vessel. This latter contains the parts of the chimney telescopically inserted into each
other. Within this again are cooking vessels decreasing in size, so as to fit into each
other. The middle part is occupied by the two vessels of which the one receives the
boxes or canisters for salt, tea, spices &c., while the other receives coffee mills two
scoops or ladles with removable handles, a coffee roaster, a funnel, two scraping bells,
and other utensils. The four empty spaces at the corners are intended to receive all
the utensils for preparing meat such as knives, forks, steel, a steel yard etc. etc. which
parts for quick removal and better storage are wrapped up in coarse woven material.
On the upper vessel there rest stewing pans with doubled up handles; in these pans
are stored tasting vessels and on the stewing pans rest the covers for the cooking
vessels.
Then follows a meat box which is turned upside down so as to form the
cover. The top is formed by the middle part of one of the cooking or hearth plates
carrying a cross upon which rests the fire door and two cover plates.
The coffee roasting drum mentioned above is mounted when required for use in the
lower part of the chimney. A cross is placed on the top of the chimney to carry meat
or sausages for smoking purposes.
In order to provide for a good draft in the chimney the cross may be arranged in
its centre to receive a pivot which takes into the socket of a cover.
This cover is
provided with a lower rim, which is cut out in part for the smoke to issue. The cover
has on its top a slide to receive a piece of sheet metal serving as weathercock so as
to direct the opening for the proper emission of the smoke with regard to the
wind.
The earthworks may vary in form according to circumstances. The main feature
of the fire-flue or channel will however usually be the same, as it must correspond to
the form and sizes of the cooking or hearth plates of the skeleton frame the foot of the
chimney and adjacent plate. In some cases the earth-work may be replaced by brick-
The walls of bricks loosely put together, may be covered outside by
earth so as to make the fire flue or channel air tight as far as possible.
work.
Dated this 17th day of May 1980

page_text: packing purposes are turned inward under the plates, but which tongues for
mounting purposes are turned outward, to increase the bearing surface of the two
plates 4 and 5 forming the hearth. The dotted lines in the plates, shown in
Fig. indicate strengthening ribs 15 on the lower surface, to strengthen the
bearing capacity of the hearth and its resistance against warping by heat.
At the ends of the plate 4 are eyes 16, and at the ends of the plate 5 are eyes 60 for
packing purposes. Into the eyes 16 and 60 at the front part of the plates 4 and 5
may be hinged the fire door 57, which for this purpose is provided with one fixed
pivot, and one adjustable pivot, as shewn in Figs. 2 & 5.
This skeleton frame 6 is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, and to an enlarged scale in
Fig. 10. The skeleton frame consists of an upper frame 17 and a lower frame 18,
both connected at the four corners by angle irons 19. The upper frame 17 is narrower
in width than the lower frame 18, and is provided at its lower rim with recesses. 20
for receiving the eyes 16 of the cooking or hearth plates, whereas the lower frame 18
is provided with four horizontal recessed parts 21, hy which, if the skeleton frame for
packing purposes is lowered down over the complete apparatus in cube shape, it will
clear the eyes 16 and afterwards surround the eyes 60. The skeleton frame 6 may, at
its upper frame 17 have a plate 7 hinged to it. This plate covers over the skeleton
frame 6 when packed up, as indicated in Fig. 8 but for working (cooking) purposes
it is thrown back into the position shewn in Fig. 9. Besides this plate 7, two other
half plates 71, 71 (figs. 13, 13 and 14) may be hinged to the upper frame 17 of the
skeleton frame, which plates 71 71 in mounting the apparatus, may be turned back,
in order to cover the fire flue or channel at that part, where this flue changes from
the wide or furnace part into the narrow or flue part. This construction offers the
advantage, that in the case of light or loose soil this change of width in the flue need
not be made suddenly or at one part, but may be made gradually with tapering sides.
The two plates 71 71 are for packing purposes, turned over the skeleton frame 6 and
are kept down by the hinged plate 7, which covers down at right angles to the two
other plates.
If after the hearthplate has been in working (cooking) order (fig. 5) it is freed
from its clamps and wedges 13 and 14, and the single plates 4 and 5 of which it is
composed are brought by means of their hinges 11 and 12 into the positions shown in
Fig. 6 and 7 at right angles to each other, these two plates will if brought together
form the six sides of a cubical box the interior of which will form a receptacle for all
the utensils for the camp cooking apparatus (as hereinafter explained) with the
exception of the skeleton frame 6, the wooden plates 10, the plate 7, the fire door 57,
the two plates 71 71, the two cover plates 58, 59. the grate 72, and the cross 62,
which parts as hereinafter explained, are packed up with the skeleton frame 6. If
the two plates 4 and 5 are brought together after being folded and placed in the
positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and if over the cube thus formed the skeleton
frame 6 be lowered down in such a manner that the sides of the skeleton frame 6
provided with handles 22 slide over the sides of the cube from the upper parts of
which the eyes 16 protrude, these eyes will after they have been passed by the recessed
parts 21 of the skeleton frame enter recesses in the upper frauie 17 of the skeleton
frame 6, which is here provided with eyes 23 in such a position, that a bolt 24 chained
to the skeleton frame can be passed through the skeleton eyes 23 and the cooking
plate eye 16. In this manner the skeleton frame 6 is combined with the plates 4
and 5 to form one body, so that if the skeleton frame be taken hold of by its
handles 22, the plates 4 and 5 and all the utensils which they enclose may be lifted
for transportation. It is obvious that all four sides of the frame 18 may be provided
with recessed parts 21 and bolts 61 and that all four sides of the frame 17 may be
provided with recesses 20, eyes 23 and bolts 24 as shown in Fig. 10; in such a case
it is immaterial, over which side of the cube the skeleton frame is slidden by its
handles 22. It will be understood that the plate 4 or 5 which by its middle part,
forms the bottom of the cube, must by means of its eyes 16, provide for or establish
the above explained connection with the skeleton frame 6 so that this bottom forms
the bearing surface for the entire contents of the cube.

page_text: The four wooden plates 10 may be provided with metal tongues 25 at the bottom
and 26 at the top; the lower tongues 25 are inserted within the frame 18 of the
skeleton frame 6 while the upper tongues 26 are brought adjacent to the cye 16 and
are kept there by the bolt 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. The camp cooking
apparatus may be completed by the addition of a grate which may serve two purposes.
In case the soil in and on which the cooking apparatus is to be mounted is moist or
frozen or if no proper fuel is to be had it may sometimes prove to be difficult to kindle
a fire and also to maintain the fire alight on the soil. To meet this difficulty a
grate 72 Figs. 13, 13 and 14 is provided having four legs 73, and this grate is placed
in the furnace flue or channel and the fire kindled upon it. Any dampness or
moisture of the soil will not then inconvenience the combustion of fuel. If the
grate 72 be not used for this purpose, it may be used as a gridiron (Fig. 13"); for
this purpose it is placed legs uppermost with its rebated angle iron into the upper
frame of the skeleton frame 6; the fire burning underneath the gridiron will then
cook meat or any other food placed upon it. For packing and transport, the grate or
gridiron 72 is placed legs uppermost (Fig. 15) and the skeleton frame 6 is lowered
down over it so that its recessed parts 21 embrace the grate legs; the holes in these
legs and in the recessed parts are then traversed by pins or bolts 61, which lock the
grate to the skeleton frame and cubical body and complete the packing of the various
parts. It will thus be seen that the main parts of the apparatus designed for cooking
purposes form the main parts of the package and that they constitute a cubical body
protected on its four sides by wooden plates, and that the complete packed apparatus
can be easily lifted by two men on to any car or vehicle.
For completing the description of the apparatus reference is had to the vertical
section Fig. 11 and horizontal section Fig. 12 and also to the complete working
position of the various parts of the cooking apparatus shown in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 11 the skeleton frame 6 and plate 4 with its hinges, 11, are shown united by
eyes 16 and bolts 24 the wooden plates 10 closing the side openings of the skeleton
frame 6. On the middle or bottom part of the plate 4 rests a square meat box 27
that receives inside it a square vessel 28 which by means of a rim 29 at its outer
middle part, rests upon 27. Within the vessel 28 are placed the parts 30, 31, 32,
telescopically inserted into each other and which when drawn out will form the
chimney. 8. Within this again are cooking vessels 33, 34, 35, 36 that decrease in
size, so as to fit into each other. The middle part is occupied by the two vessels 37
and 38 of which the one receives the boxes or canisters 39 to 45 for salt, tea,
spices etc. while the other receives three coffee mills 47 (Fig. 2) two scoops or
ladles 18 with removable handles, a coffee roaster 49, a funnel 50, iwo scraping
bells 51, and other parts. The four corners formed by the largest round chimney
part 30 within the square vessel 28, are intended to receive all the utensils used for
preparing meat, such as knives, forks, a steel, a steel yard etc. etc. and which for
quick removal and better storage are wrapped up in coarse woven material. On the
upper vessel 38, there rests two stewing pans 52, 53, with doubled up handles; in
these pans are stored six tasting vessels 54, and on the stewing pans rest the
covers 55 for the cooking vessels. Then follows a meat box 56 similar to the one
at 27, the box 56 being turned upside down so as to form a cover, that rests on the
rim 29 of the vessel 28. The top is formed by the midille part of the plate 5
carrying a cross 62 upon which rests the fire door 57 and the two cover plates 58, 59,
and also the plate 7, if this latter be loose, but this plate 7 may be hinged to the
skeleton frame 6 as shown in Figs. S and 9.
The entire contents as specified are surrounded and carried by the transport device
formed by the skeleton frame 6 and the two plates 4 and 5. The latter plate (5) the
two end parts of which for packing purposes are directed downwardly, may if
desired be also furnished with eyes 60, in the same manner as the eyes 16 on the
plate 4 and these eyes 60 may enter into the recesses 21 of the lower part or frame 18
of the skeleton frame 6, and be secured there by bolts 61 as shown in Fig. 10.
The coffee roasting drum 49 is when required for use, mounted in the lower part of
the chimney 8. The cross 62 may be placed upon the uppermost part of the chimney

page_text: To this cross meat or sausages
For improving the smoking
which is provided with suitable recesses to receive it.
may be attached by hooks for smoking purposes.
process one of the meat boxes 27 or 56 can be made to partially cover the chimney
(see Fig. 2) so as to form à check or deflector to cause the smoke to issue in a
downward direction.
In order to provide for a good draft in the chimney, the cross 62 may be arranged
in its centre to receive a pivot 74 (Fig. 16) which takes into the socket of a cover 76.
This cover is provided with a lower rim, which has a part cut away at 77 to form an
opening through which the smoke can issue. The cover has on its top a groove or
holder 78 to receive a piece of sheet metal 79 that serves as weathercock to direct
the openings 77 for the proper emission of the smoke with regard to the wind (Fig. 17).
The capacity of the several vessels named for boiling and cooking purposes for a
cooking apparatus having the dimensions herein before mentioned will be equal to
about 190 litres or about 40 gallons.
The earthworks may vary in form from those illustrated in the drawings according
to circumstances. The main feature of the furnace flue or channel will however
usually be the same, as it must correspond to the form and sizes of the cooking or
hearth plates 4 & 5, the skeleton frame 6, the plate 7, and the chimney foot 8. In
some cases the earthwork may be replaced by brickwork. The walls of bricks loosely
put together, may be covered on the outside by earth so as to make the furnace flue
or channel airtight as far as possible.
The packing up of the apparatus from its working position as developed in Fig. 2
into the form illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, 12 will be readily understood from these
latter figures and from the explanations hereinbefore given.
This packing up can, with a little practice, be accomplished in a very short time.
The mounting of the apparatus can also be accomplished in a very short period as it
only involves the cutting of the furnace flue or channel and the mounting of plates 4
and 5 with skeleton frame 6 and chimney 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what !
claim is :-
:-
1. A portable camp cooking apparatus consisting essentially of compound plates
such as 4 and 5 adapted to form a hearth, a skeleton frame with plate 7, and a
chimney 8 (Figs. 1 to 4) the two compound plates 4 & 5 being adapted when their
end parts are turned to right angles with their central parts (as in Figs. 6 and 7) and
put together to enclose a cubical space suitable to receive the complete utensils for
cooking purposes, the skeleton frame 6 being adapted to be then placed over so as
to enclose the said compound plates and cubical space and the said skeleton frame
and plates being so united or connected by eyes and bolts, as to form a transportable
compendious body (Fig. 10) containing the complete camp cooking apparatus.
2. In an apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claim, providing the
plates 4 and 5 with tongues 70 capable of being turned outward and inward and
adapted when turned outward to increase the bearing surface of the said plates as in
Figs. 13 and 13b.
3. In an apparatus such as referred to in claim 1. the construction of the skeleton
frame 6 with the plates 71, capable of being turned outward and inward and adapted
when turned outward to cover the furnace flue or channel where it gradually decreases
in width as in Figs. 13 and 13b.
4. In an apparatus of the kind referred to in claim 1 a grate 72 adapted to serve as
described either as fire grate (Fig. 13) or as a roasting grid (Fig. 13) and capable of
being packed with the skeleton frame 6 (Fig. 15) as part of the cubically arranged
complete apparatus ready for transport.
ated this 17th day of Babe100
K. HAHN,
Per L. W.