AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BAKERS' OVENS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cockill Woodcock, of Owlerton, in-the
Township of Nether Hallam, and Parish of Sheffield, Miller and
Grocor, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BAKERS' OVENS,"
Sealed the 16th March 1869, and dated the 19th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cockill
Woodcock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 19th September 1868.
I, WILLIAM COCKILL WOODCOCK, of Owlerton, in the Township of
Nether Hallam, and Parish of Sheffield, Miller and Grocer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BAKERS' OVENS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement
of ovens for the use of bakers, whereby greater regularity in the baking
is effected and the bread is preserved in a perfectly clean condition
during the process.
I propose to construct a stove or furnace of fire-brick or other
refractory material set in masonry or brickwork of a square or other

page_text: section and of considerable height in proportion. This stove is provided
with fire-bars and door for feeding the fuel and with an ash-pit, on
cach side of which are air flues to admit cold air, the products of
combustion and the consequent heat then ascends through the rear of
the stove into a fluc or flues at the back and sides of the fire-place,
communicating with the enlarged open space above it, until it reaches
the oven, which is set on the upper part of the masonry or brickwork
and enclosed thereby on three sides and at the top, above which is
the chimney which is provided with a damper to regulate the draught.
The front of the oven is provided with three or other number of doors
one above the other, and the interior of the oven is divided into com-
partments or divisions by horizontal plates of peculiar construction, these
plates resting on projections or brackets and on cross bars in connection
with the sides of the oven. The plates on which the loaves are placed
consist of cast iron, carthenwere, or other material, the two surfaces
of which are formed with a succession of flat and angular grooved
spaces, such angular grooves or notches being formed in two courses
or directions across the plates at right angles to cach, the consequence
being that the plates will present a surface consisting of a series of
raised squares with the angular grooves on all sides. Within cach
groove, and therefore on each side of every square. elevation, a hole is
formed through the plate, and therefore the heat is allowed to circulate
freely through all the plates and to bake the bread in an uniform degree
both in the centre and at the sides of the oven, the bottom of which
is not blocked by a base plate, but left open. After the heat has
circulated it is carried off through the damper and chimney, which
draws a continuous heated current through the oven. A thermometer
is to be applied in front of the oven so that the heat may be indicated
and the regulating flues and damper adjusted accordingly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said William Cockill Woodcock in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COCKILL WOODCOCK, of Owlerton, in the Township of Nether Hallam,
and Parish of Sheffield, Miller and Grocer, send greeting.
E

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Cockill Woodcock, Her special
licence that I, the said William Cockill Woodcock, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Cockill
Woodcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BAKERS' OVENS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Cockill Woodcock,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
.or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the samo was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Offico within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Cockill Woodcock, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement
of ovens for the use of bakers, confectioners, hotel keepers, and others
whereby greater regularity in the baking is effected and the bread is
preserved in a perfectly clean condition during the process.
I construct a stove or furnace of fire-brick or other refractory material
set in masonry or brickwork of a square or other section and of con-
siderable height in proportion. This stove is provided with fire-bars
and door for feeding the fuel and with an ash-pit on cach sido of
which are air flues to admit cold air; the products of combustion and
the consequent heat then ascends through the rear and sides of the
stove into a flue or flucs at the back and sides of the fire-place com-
municating with the enlarged open space above, and after passing through
two metal grated floors to more equally distribute the heat it reaches
the first floor of the oven (passing through the first, second, third,

page_text: and fourth or more floors contained therein) which is set on the upper
part of the masonry or brickwork and enclosed thereby on three sides
and at the top, above which is the chimney, which is provided with
a damper, standard, wheel, chain, and counterweight to regulate the
draught. There are also two sliding valves, one on each side of the
oven, placed above the second metal grated floor for the admittance of
cold air if requisite. The front of the oven is provided with three or
other number of doors one above the other, and the interior of the
oven is divided into compartments or divisions by horizontal plates of
peculiar construction, these plates resting on projections or brackets
and on cross bearers in connection with the sides of the oven. The
plates on which the bread tins or articles intended to be baked are
placed consist of cast iron, earthenware, or other suitable material,
the two surfaces of which are formed with a succession or scries of
flat and angular grooved spaces, such angular grooves or notches being
formed in two courses or directions across the plates at right angles
to each other, the consequence being that the plates will present a
surface consisting of a series of raised squares with the angular grooves
on all sides; within cach groove and therefore on each side of every
square elevation a hole is formed through the plate, and consequently
the heat is allowed to circulate freely through all the plates and to
bake the bread in an uniform degree both in the centre and at the
sides of the oven, the bottom of which is not blocked by a base plato
but left open.
After the heat has circulatod it is carried off through
the damper and chimney, which draws a continuous heated current
through the oven. A thermometer is to be applied on or through the
front of the oven so that the heat may be indicated and the regulating
flues and damper adjusted accordingly.
In order that my said Invention may be more completely understood
I annex the accompanying Drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a front
elevation; Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section; Fig. 3 an enlarged. plan
view of the plates on which the loaves are placed; and Fig. 4 a
transverse section of Fig. 3. Similar letters denoting corresponding
parts in each Figure. e is the fire-door, and the ash-pit, on each side
of which are the air flues g, g, to admit the cold air, i, i, are the
grates to divide the heat equally; h, h, are the slide valves; b, b, the
oven plates; and c, c, the oven doors; d, the thermometer; a, the damper
with its arrangements.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be carried into practical effect, I
would remark that I do not restrict myself to the exact details and
configuration of parts which I have expressed and shewn, as the same
may obviously be varied or modified without departing from the
principles thereof, but what I claim and desire to be secured to me
by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the novel construction
of ovens for the use of bakers and others requiring the same sub-
stantially as herein specified and shewn by the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cockill Woodcock, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM COCKILL WOODCOCK. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE R. DRANSFIELD,
Sheffield.