IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING RANGES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Andrew Watson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th July
1863.
I, ANDREW WATSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Iron Founder and Stove Grate Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING RANGES," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention comprises various improved arrangements in cooking ranges
designed principally to secure increased efficiency and convenience in use, and
more or less applicable to various kinds of ranges.
One modification of range embodying the improvements is in the usual
rectangular form and is self-contained, so as not necessarily to require building
in. The fire-place is situated towards one end of the vertical front face of the
range, there being beyond it at that end a boiler, which also extends behind
it. The space between the fire-place and the other end of the range is occu-
pied by an oven and by a flue which surrounds the oven, starting from the
upper part of the fire-box, passing over the top of the oven, down its side, and
underneath it, and, finally, under the ash-pit to a vertical flue at the back of
the fire and behind the boiler. There is also a valve by which the fire gases
can be allowed to pass directly to the back flue without passing round the
oven.
An important part of the present Invention relates to the supplying of
heated air to the oven in an effective manner, and for this purpose an air

page_text: passage or flue is formed round the outer and back sides of the ash-pit to a
heating space between the fire-box and the oven. The air enters the passage
through an ornamental perforated plate or grating, and it becomes partly
heated by passing in contact with the shell of the ash-pit. In the space
between the fire-box and the oven there is a vertical diaphragm, and the air
is compelled to pass up one side thereof and down the other, and in doing so
it passes in contact with the highly-heated surface of a fire-brick or iron cheek
which occupies that side of the fire. Zig-zag ribs are formed on the hot side
of the diaphragm to cause the air to impinge on the surfaces, whilst on the
inner side the ribs, if any, are straight, and the air passes directly down
that side to a series of openings into the oven. These openings extend along
the bottom of the oven's side from front to back, and the inlet of air by them
is adjusted by means of a slide formed with pieces which cover the several
openings. A similar series of openings are formed at the diagonally opposite
corner of the oven for the outlet of the air into the flue. Instead of the air
passing round the ash-pit before entering the main heating space, it may enter
by a passage under the ash-pit, or it may enter by an. ornamental grating
directly into the main heating space. Provision is made for rendering the fire
either open or closed; two doors hinged at the sides serve to cover the upper
part of the grate front, whilst a door hinged across the bottom of the grate
covers the lower part, and when open serves as a support for pans. Below
this lower door there is an ornamental perforated plate or grating to admit a
little air when the doors are closed. Notwithstanding the application of the
upper doors, the upper portion of the front grate bars is arranged to turn
down, as in some common open grates; the front and top of the flue, which
passes under the ash-pit, are made movable, whereby very convenient access
is given for cleaning the flues.