AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND APPARATUS FOR COOKING PURPOSES, AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas John Constantine, of No. 61, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Manufacturer of the Treasure Range and Cooking Vessels, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOUND APPARATUS
FOR COOKING PURPOSES, AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INFUSIONS AND
DECOCTIONS FROM SUBSTANCES.'
"
ealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 17th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas John Constantine
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th April 1878.
THOMAS JOHN CONSTANTINE, of No. 61, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Manufacturer of the Treasure Range and Cooking Vessels. "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF COMPOUND APPARATUS FOR COOKING PURPOSES, AND FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM SUBSTANCES,'
"
My Invention relates to an improved construction of compound apparatus for
cooking purposes, and for the production of infusions and decoctions from sub-
stances, the object being an apparatus in which food can be cooked, and infusions
and decoctions of ingredients produced, cold liquids and like bodies heated and kept
at the required temperature.
My apparatus is composed of an outer vessel to which is fitted a funnel or other
shaped pipe, and at one portion one end of the pipe reaches to near the bottom of
the vessel, and the other or top end, which may or may not have a hinged cover,
reaching to what is termed the water level, to prevent water when poured in by
the pipe going beyond a certain point. Within this vessel another vessel is
arranged with stand and guide feet, to ensure a clearance between the bottoms and
sides of the two.
The inner vessel is open at the top, and receives the food or other ingredient to
be treated.
The outer vessel has a lid, so that a space or chamber is formed in which the
steam is pocketed, and has no tendency to descend except by condensation by con-
tact with the lid and upper portion of the outer vessel, to the lower portion of
which it flows and mixes with the water again,

page_text: The difference of temperature between the contents of the two vessels is such, no
moisture from the steam enters the lower vessel, neither does the inner vessel lose
any of its heat by condensation; consequently, any article of food, say a mutton
chop, becomes cooked by the surrounding heat.
The heat of the steam from the water in the outer vessel acts upon the top
surface of the body to be cooked or warmed up, as well as the heat of the water
through the sides of the inner vessel.
By my Invention, no glazey skin is formed on the surface of the liquid under
treatment, because the moisture of the steam is present, but no deposition or con-
version of steam into water takes place, except to the water of the outer vessel
itself.
The outer vessel may have another and separate vessel placed above for steaming
articles of food or other substances. The bottom of the upper vessel is dome-
shaped for the water of condensation to trickle down to the edge from which it
falls into the lower or outer vessel.
The dome-shaped bottom has holes or perforations near its edge only for the
passage of steam to the contents of the upper vessel,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas John Constantine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
October 1878.
THOMAS JOHN CONSTANTINE, of No. 61, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Manufacturer of the Treasure Range and Cooking Vessels. "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF COMPOUND APPARATUS FOR COOKING PURPOSES, AND FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF INFUSIONS AND DECOCTIONS FROM SUBSTANCES."
This Invention relates to an improved construction of compound apparatus for
cooking purposes, and for the production of infusions and decoctions from substances,
the object being an apparatus in which food can be cooked, and infusions and
decoctions of ingredients produced, cold liquids and like bodies heated, and kept at
the required temperature by outside surrounding heat of water and steam there-
from, and by top heat from pocketed steam which prevents the ascending heat from
the food escaping, but in which the cooking is effected without boiling and without
internal pressure.
My apparatus as represented in the annexed Drawings, Figures 1 and 2, is com-
posed of an outer vessel A, to which is fitted a funnel or other shaped pipe B, which
may or may not have a hinged cover C. The upper part of the funnel forms the
water level to prevent water when poured in by the pipe going beyond a certain
height. Within this vessel another vessel D is arranged with stand feet E, E, at
bottom, and guide lugs F, F, at the upper part to ensure a clearance between the
bottoms and sides of the two vessels.
The inner vessel D is open at the top, and receives the food or other ingredients
to be treated.

page_text: The outer vessel has a loose fitting lid G, so that a space or chamber H is formed
in which the steam is pocketed, and has no tendency to descend except by conden-
sation by contact with the lid and upper portion of the outer vsssel, to the lower
portion of which it flows, and mixes with the water therein.
The difference of temperature between the contents of the two vessels A, D, is
such, no boiling in the inner vessel can possibly take place, no moisture from the
steam enters the inner vessel, neither does that vessel lose any of its heat by con-
densation; consequently, any article of food, say a mutton chop or a joint, becomes
cooked by the surrounding heat given to the vessel containing it, and by its own
ascending heat which is held within the vessel by the cushion of steam which is
above, and at a higher temperature than the ascending heat.
By this construction, dryness of the food or material in the inner vessel is
avoided, and no glazey skin is formed on the surface of the liquid under treatment,
because the moisture of the steam is present, and no deposition or conversion of
steam into water takes place, except to the water of the outer vessel itself.
Figure 3 represents the outer vessel, having fitted into its upper part another and
separate vessel J for steaming articles of food or other substances within it. The
bottom K of this upper vessel J is dome-shaped for the water of condensation to
trickle down the edge from which it falls into the lower or outer vessel. The dome-
shaped bottom has holes or perforations a, a, near its edge only to serve for the
passage of steam to the contents of the upper vessel. This upper vessel J has pre-
ferably a partition L fitted in it to form two separate compartiments M, N, to enable
say, potatoes in one compartment M, and say, puddings in the other N, to be
cooked by the steaming operation at the same time as the meat or other food is
being cooked in the inner vessel, as before explained.
->
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,--
The apparatus described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed
Drawings, as and for the purposes set forth.
Secondly. I claim the apparatus described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of
the annexed Drawings, as and for the purposes set forth.
Thirdly. I claim the construction and employment of two vessels in combination
in or by which heating and cooking operations can be effected in the manner
described, the open topped inner vessel for the utilization of the heat of the pocketed
steam from the water vessel, in preventing the escape of the ascending heat from.
the article or food in the inner vessel in which there is no internal pressure, being
the speciality protected or sought to be by the before in part recited Letters
Patent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas John Constantine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
THOMAS JOHN CONSTANTINE. (L.S.)