CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS, APPARATUS, AND APPLIANCES FOR COOKING, PRESERVING, PREPARING, AND STORING DRINKS AND ARTICLES OF FOOD, AND IN PRE- PARING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTING THE SAME; ALSO IN CONSTRUCTING VERTICAL ROASTING JACKS AND CHAINS FOR THE SAME, APPLICABLE TO OTHER CHAINS; PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BRITTEN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth
day of March (One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the twelfth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Britten, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John
Britten, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Britten, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS, APPARATUS, AND APPLIANCES FOR COOKING,
PRESERVING, PREPARING, AND STORING DRINKS AND ARTICLES OF FOOD, AND IN PRE-
PARING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTING THE SAME; ALSO IN CONSTRUCTING VERTICAL
ROASTING JACKS AND CHAINS FOR THE SAME, APPLICABLE TO OTHER CHAINS; PARTS OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Britten, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under hand
my

page_text: and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Britten, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in-and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My improvement in the means, apparatus, and appliances for cooking, pre-
paring, preserving, and storing drinks and articles of food consist,-
Firstly, in constructing kitchen ranges with an inner mantel shelf pro-
jecting partially over the fire, and having two vertical doors extending from
it down to the hob, so as to form, when the doors are open, a sort of bonnet to
prevent the chimney from smoking.
Secondly, in constructing those descriptions of ranges in which the ovens are
heated by a top and a bottom draft directly from the fire, I claim the use of
an additional damper or door to shut off the top draft without closing the
bottom one.
Thirdly, in some ranges I heat the oven by combining the ordinary bottom.
draft from the fire with a circulation of hot air through or around the oven, s
by which means the necessity for a hollow top is dispensed with.
Fourthly, in heating air for this purpose I use a hollow cheek between the
oven and the fire, such cheeks having studs or projections cast on to it, and
projecting into the hollow space through which the air is made to circulate.
Fifthly, in some ranges I cause the draft which heats the hot plate to pass
from a point of the fire lower down than the ordinary level of the coals, by
which means the necessity for any cover on the fire is obviated.
Sixthly, in constructing what are known as fall-down oven doors I attach a
pendant handle to the door, having a short lever projecting through a hole in
the door and gearing into the bolt, which secures the door in such manner S
that when the handle is lifted into a position about right angles with the door,
the short lever attached to the handle shall force the bolt backwards, and
when the handle is pressed towards the door, the said lever shall force the
bolt in the reverse direction. This handle, when at right angles with the
door, forms an efficient leg for supporting the door in a horizontal position 8
when open.
Seventhly, in feeding boilers I use an apparatus similar to the ordinary
ball cock, but differing in the mode of action. The ball being open at the.
bottom and connected with a steam pipe from the boiler by means of an elastic:

page_text: tube attached to the top of the said ball, it will 'in its quiescent state fall to
the bottom of any vessel containing water, aud while in that position the feed
cock will be closed. When, however, a slight pressure of steam is generated
in the boiler, the effect will be to displace the water from the said ball, and
by thus rendering it buoyant will cause it to rise and 'open the feed tap until
a sufficient quantity of cold water has been admitted to check the further
production of steam, when the water will again flow into the ball, and cause
it. to fall. By this means the water in the boiler is always preserved at or
near the boiling point, and is therefore always available for making tea, coffee;
or other drinks. In relation to this part of my Invention I claim the adapting
this or any other apparatus to kitchen boilers, which shall render the supply
of water dependent upon the generation of steam in the boiler.
Eighthly, to avoid unnecessary trouble in getting the parts of a range square
instead of the ordinary chipping bit (a term understood in the trade) I use
a set screw, which being screwed into one of any two plates to be fixed
together, the end of the said screw will form a bearing point for the other
plate, and thus enable the said plates to be fixed at any angle without the
necessity of filing or chipping the points of contact.
Ninthly, for the purpose of preserving corn or other articles of manufactured
food I construct places for storing it in, in such manner that currents of air
can be conveniently forced through such materials. For this purpose I prefer
apartments with perforated bottoms, having air-tight chambers underneath such
perforated bottoms:
Tenthly, my improvements in materials used in constructing cooking appa-
ratus relates to a method of preparing the fire-clay lining of the fire-place..
It being advantageous that the said lining should be all in one piece, and there
being a difficulty in burning such large masses without risk of cracking or
warping them. To accomplish the object of burning them by means of hot
air, and that there may be no waste of heat from such process, I cause the
air which feeds the fire of one kiln to pass through the kiln which was last
burnt. If properly managed the greater part of the heat of one kiln will be
rendered available in burning another, and an economy of fuel will result.
In relation to this part of my Invention, I claim the burning of these or
any other description of clay slabs by means of hot air, and of heating the
air which feeds the fire of one kiln by causing it to pass through the hot bricks
or slabs in another.
Eleventhly, my improvements in roasting jacks relates to what are known as
tubular jacks, and consists in making the bottom cap to drop through the tube,
and fixing it in that position by means of a side screw, by which means the

page_text: whole of the working parts may be conveniently fixed together before being
placed in the tube.
Twelfthly, my improvement in the manufacture of jack chains consist in
first coiling a rod or, wire of iron of the required size on a spit, the one edge
or. side of which is wider than the cross section of the required link. I then
cut the several coils asunder at the part which corresponds with the wide edge
of the spit. I then heat them and weld them by means of a die or stamp.
It will be readily understood that the unequal form of the spit is required to
allow of a lap joint at the point of welding. I claim also the.application of
this process to the manufacture of other chains.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Britten, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.