IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING OR COOKING VEGETABLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Knowles Heaps, and William
Wheatley, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th
August 1876
EDWARD KNOWLES HEAPS and WILLIAM WHEATLEY, of the Aire and Calder Stove
Works, Brotherton, near Normanton, in the County of York "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEAMING OR COOKING VEGETABLES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
FOOD."
This Invention, which relates to the steaming or cooking of vegetables, meat,
fish, and other articles of food, consists of an improved construction of steamer in
which the articles to be steained or cooked are placed, the construction being
such as to ensure that the water from which the steam comes shall not be dete-
iorated or contaminated by the condensed steain or escaped juices or any pieces
falling from the articles being steamed or cooked, so that it may subsequently be
used without detriment for the making of tea, coffee, or for any other domestic or
other purpose for which pure hot water is required To attain this object we con-
struct the bottom of the steamer (which may be cylindrical in shape and of tin) in
such a manner as to allow steam from any independent source, such as a boiler
a tank, or a saucepan, to have ready access to the interior, in order to effect the
desired steaming or cooking, and also to retain whatever steam condenses on its
sides or within it, and any falling pieces or juices of the article being steamed.
In one modification for effecting this we form the bottom whole, and a little
distance up the sides of the steamer we form a series of holes or appertures under
a projecting flange which surrounds the steamer, and supports it on the top of the
boiler, saucepan, or vessel in which the steam is being generated; these holes thus
allow of the entrance of the steam therefrom into the steamer, but as they are
arranged above the bottom they also prevent any escape of the condensed steain
or of aught else the escape of which would contaminate the water from which the
steam is being produced.
In another modification we effect the same objects by raising within the steamer
centrally or otherwise of the bottom one or more cylinders open at the top and
bottom, but each covered by a cap of a larger diameter.
The same objects we also attain in various other modifications.
The articles to be steamed or cooked rest upon a perforated tray which can be

page_text: removed, and which is provided with feet so as to be kept a convenient distance
above the bottom of the steamer.
Any number of these steamers may be used one above another, or otherwise,
without in the least deteriorating the water from which the steam arises, and
without allowing of the condensed steam from one steamier escaping to the one next
below it, thus in the one steamer we can cook potatoes, in the one next above fish,
in that next above meat, and in that next above pudding, and so on without detri-
ment to any of them, the condensed steam and falling pieces in each steamer being
contained within the same and prevented from exit. This description of culinary
apparatus as ordinarily constructed allows the falling pieces and juices and condensed
steam to fall back into the water from which the steam arises, and which thus foul
it, rendering it worthless for any other purpose in which pure hot water is
required.