AN IMPROVED COOKING APPARATUS
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
PRICE, of the City of Bristol, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of February, in
the fifty-fourth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Richard
Price, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard Price, my exors, adiñors,
and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years therein
mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED COOKING
APPARATUS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if
I, the said Richard Price, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become
void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE,' that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Price, do hereby declare that the nature and form of my said

page_text: improved kitchen apparatus, are particularly described and ascertained in and
by the Drawings and references hereunto annexed, and the following description
thereof, viz:-
Two cast-iron plates form the back and front. In the front plate are two
openings, the one intended for the reception of the oven, the other for the bars
of the fireplace. There are also three openings in the back plate, introduced
merely to lessen the weight. The most useful size of these plates is about five
feet 6 inches long, by about two feet 1 inch high, altho' the length and
height may of course be increased or diminished according to the size required.
These plates are connected by means of two other iron plates or cheeks, which
form the fireplace, to which cheeks or plates are attached two perforated
cheeks called inside cheeks; and for the purpose of preventing the outside
cheeks from being burnt, the ends of the plates are fastened together by two
bars of wrought iron, rivetted to the ends. The top or hot dresser consists of
two cast-iron plates, in which are left two openings, the one on the right for
receiving the boiler (made either of copper or iron), the other on the left for a
square and a round plate. Directly over the fire, from the fireplace to the left-
hand end, is placed an iron plate, under the hot dresser or top plate, which forms
a canal or flue over the oven of 2½ inches more or less in depth if necessary. The
front as well as the bottom bars are made either of wrought or cast iron, either
checquer'd or straight, and kept in their situations by the inside checks, or by
rivetting them. The oven is made either of wrought or cast iron and may at any
time be taken out to clean; it is made air-tight by means of a rebate round the
front either cast or rivetted to the front cast-iron plate. The boiler has a brass
cock at the bottom of it for letting off the water when required. Upon the
top of this boiler, the cover being removed, I affix the steam vessel (which
may be made of any size suitable to the purpose it is intended for) for dressing
all kinds of meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables, and may be made either of tin,
copper, or cast iron, or any other kind of fit or proper metal or mixture of
metals. This supply of steam may also be conveyed by means of pipes or
tubes to any other vessel or vessels placed in other situations. The oven and
boiler being placed as stated, the hot air from the fireplace is conveyed round
the oven, first over the top between the two plates above-mentioned, down the
side under the bottom, and from thence by one or more channels (generally
two) under the fireplace to the bottom and side of the boiler, and then passes
off by means of a flue at the end into the chimney.. By this means the oven,
boiler, and hot dresser are heated at the same time; and by a due regulation of
the dampers, either the oven, boiler, or hot dresser may be heated separately.
There are three flues with dampers in each for the smoke, one at each end, and

page_text: the other immediately behind the fireplace at the back of the hot dresser. When
the boiler only is required to be heated, the dampers of the back and left-hand
flues are put in, lifting up the valve or damper in the cheek next.the boiler,
and drawing out the right-hand damper. To heat the hot dresser, close the
valve or damper in the cheek, put in the damper of the right-hand flue, and
draw out damper of left-hand flue. To heat hot dresser and oven, put in the
left-hand damper and draw out the right. And to prevent the water in the boiler
from boiling, open a small door in the front, made for cleaning boiler flue,
which also admits a sufficient quantity of cold air when open to keep the water
from boiling; and lastly, when it is not required to use either oven, boiler, or
hot dresser, draw out the damper in the flue immediately behind the fire, by
which all the heat escapes up the chimney. The roasting part of the process
may be performed either in the oven or before the fire.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Price, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1814, the aforesaid Richard Price came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowleged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand