IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR RANGES FOR HEATING, DRYING, COOKING, AND BAKING
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Lewis, of the Town and County
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sanitary Engineer, and George Wood, of
the same Place, Contractor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Lewis
and George Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th January 1874.
We, JOHN WILLIAM LEWIS, of the Town and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Sanitary Engineer, and GEORGE WOOD, of the same Place,
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR RANGES FOR HEATING, DRYING, COOKING, AND
BAKING," to be as follows:
We will firstly proceed to describe that part of our improvements

page_text: parallel and concentric with each other two wrought-iron or metal plates
which we secure to the back of the stove front directly or otherwise to
an intermediate flat plate or inner frame of metal.
Between these concentric plates and at suitable distances apart we place
a series of metal feathers or baffling plates to increase the heating
surface of the chamber and to prevent the too rapid egress of the air
therefrom.
"
To the bottom of the chamber, which for distinction we call the
"main box," we attach a secondary box of metal which we call an
auxiliary box," and which projects forward until its front face is in the
same plane as the fire-bars and in plan assimilates thereto. Its bottom
we pierce with an inlet hole of suitable size for the admission of cold
air, and its top we also pierce with a hole of corresponding size imme-
diately under another hole of coincident size and position in the main
box.
The interior of the auxiliary box we likewise provide with diaphragms.
or baffling plates for similar purposes to those above described.
Part of the upper surface of the auxiliary box we place immediately
underneath the bottom grate supporting the fire, and this part we do
not make on a level or parallel with the same, but with a suitable slope
or inclination towards the front hearth, so as to allow the ashes to fall
on to such hearth and leave the air free access to the under side of the
fire.
.The object effected by this auxiliary box is the utilizing of the heat
radiated from the bottom grate downwards towards the hearth, in heating
the air previously to its entrance into the main box.
On the top of the main box and at a suitable height completely
covering the fire with its front edge or face closely jointed up to
the back of the stove front, we place what we call a "superheating
box" (agreeing in form with the main box, which we make either,
with one compartment, for the circulation and heating of air only,
or with a top and a bottom compartment, the latter for the entrée
and heating of the air, and the former for the collection of the smoke
and products of combustion from the fire. The upper plate of this
superheating box we make so as to allow of removal for cleaning pur-
poses. When the superheating box is thus arranged with two compart-

page_text: ments we provide the interior of the main box at a suitable height above
the fire with three smoke pipes or flues (one on each side of the fire and
one at the back) for the purpose of conveying the smoke and products
of combustion up and into the smoke compartment of the superheating
box, from the air compartment of which we convey the air in its
warmed state by two or more tubes through the smoke compartment,
and the upper ends of these tubes we arrange so that they can be
joined on to other tubes, which can be carried to any point desired.
But when we arrange the superheating box with only one compartment
for heating air, we provide but one smoke tube which we carry up the
back of the main box and pass through the superheating box so as to
project above it sufficiently high as to allow of proper junctions being
attached for conveying the smoke into the chimney or main smoke flue.
To gain the superheating effects immediately above referred to, we some-
times form the superheating box out of the plates forming the main
chamber by arranging them in a concave form concentric with each
other and passing through and between them a double flanged smoke-
tight pipe.
When we construct the stoves more especially for ventilating pur-
poses, we can dispense with the superheating box in its previously
described form, and with that portion of the auxiliary box immediately
underlieing the bottom grate, but we retain that portion thereof situated
underneath the main box, but omit its cold air inlet and its communica-
tion with the main box. As thus altered the functions of the auxiliary
box are changed, as its use is now to feed the fire with air which may be
drawn from the apartment containing the stove, we therefore call it in
its present condition a "vitiated air box." At either or both of its ends
or at the back we pierce a hole of suitable size, and connect this orifice
with a duct which we call a "vitiated air duct," and which may lead
from any part of the apartment from which it may be desirable to with-
draw the vitiated.air.
The faces of the vitiated air box exposed to the ash-pit we pierce with
other holes of suitable size for the escape of the vitiated air or products
so that the same may be withdrawn into the fire.
To give the warm air developed in the main box or warm air chamber
its hygrometric properties before its egress from the warm air ducts, we

page_text: double frame, one of which is contrived so as to open and allow of
the insertion of a small vapour trough containing pure or medicated
water, after which it is closed so as to conceal the trough in the interior
of the duct.
The heated air in its passage along the duct and over the trough thus
absorbs the requisite quantity of moisture.
That part of our improvements in stoves or ranges for cooking,
baking, heating, and drying, consists in placing at the back of the fire
a self-contained wrought-iron or metal box or chamber, or main box
(of square, oblong, or other suitable form or shape) provided with one,
two, or more through smoke tubes in combination with baffling plates,
similar to those previously referred to, and in combining therewith and
connecting thereto two auxiliary metal boxes placed below the main
box, above, on a level, or below the bottom grate of the range; but in
any case being acted upon directly by the fire. Cold air enters under-
neath the front ends of the auxiliary boxes, and traversing their interiors
enters the main box, and after circulating therein escapes therefrom at
the upper end into a pipe or pipes, or other suitable conduit or duct,
whereby it may be conveyed to an adjoining drying closet, or to any
room that it may be desired to warm.
"
"
If used in connection with a drying closet we combine with the warm
air pipe or duct another pipe or duct, which we call a vitiated air pipe'
or conduit, and which we place by preference at a lower elevation than
the warm air pipe or conduit, and lead it from the drying closet in the
most direct course practicable into the ash pit of the range, where it is
liberated and drawn through the fire and into the smoke flue; by which
means we withdraw the vapour and other vitiated products from the
closet.
If the range have a back hot water boiler we place the warm air
chamber or main box at the back of the same, and in close contact
therewith.
On the side of the fire next the oven we place a smaller metal hot-air
chamber, which we provide with interior baffling plates, and place so
that the fire has direct contact with one of its sides. This hot-air
chamber we provide with a small air valve, to admit cold air, and make
at its opposite end an orifice, which has communication with the interior
of the oven, The hot air developed in this box or chamber is admitted

page_text: into the oven as required, so as to have the effect of raising its tem-
perature, thus assisting materially in increasing its capabilities.
For the purpose of providing large quantities of hot water for domestic
and other purposes without necessitating the employment of a boiler
of equivalent or large capacity in direct contact with the fire we provide
and place at the back of the fire a small high pressure boiler, and attach
to it a flow and a return pipe, and these pipes we lead direct to a
capacious hot-water cistern (formed of sheet copper or other metal, or
other suitable material, and of any convenient form), which we place
either in direct connection with the range (but not in direct contact
witli the fire), or otherwise, in any convenient position in the same
room as that containing the range, or in an adjacent or other room
convenient for the purpose, placing it at a higher level than the boiler,
and supplying it at its lower part with cold water by a self-feeding
apparatus in the usual way, or otherwise intermittently by hand. The
effect of this is that the water constantly circulating between the boiler
and the cistern becomes eventually of a uniform high temperature.
If necessary, in addition to the hot water cistern, we lead branch
pipes to a steaming or hot closet, whereby we are enabled to carry on
simultaneously a variety of cooking operations from resources deriving
heat from one fire.
When the warm air chamber is applied in connection with the furnace
of a baking oven we prefer to make it curvilinear in form, making the
concave side in conjunction with a brick arch form the roof of the
oven, so that the smoke and products of combustion forming the waste
heat from the furnace act on the warm air chamber and heat the air
contained within it.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John William Lewis and George Wood in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WILLIAM LEWIS, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Sanitary Engineer, and GEORGE WOOD, of the Place, Contractor, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John William Lewis and
George Wood, Her special licence that we, the said John William
Lewis and George Wood, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John William Lewis and George Wood, our
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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STOVES OR RANGES FOR HEATING, DRYING, COOKING, AND BAKING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John William
Lewis and George Wood, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John William Lewis and George
Wood, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference
being had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improvements in stoves or ranges for heating,
drying, cooking, and baking, and is illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in Figures 1 to 24 on Sheets 1 to 4.
We will firstly proceed to describe that part of our improvements
relating to stoves for heating, and which is illustrated in different forms
on the accompanying Drawings in Figures 1 to 19 on Sheets 1 to 3.
"
Surrounding the sides and back of the fire of any ordinary stove front
we construct a warm air chamber which we call the "main box
1 by
placing at some inches apart and parallel or concentric with each other,
two wrought iron or metal plates 2, 3, which we secure to the back of

page_text: the stove front directly (see Figure 19) or otherwise to an intermediate
flat plate 4 or inner frame of metal, see Figures 4 and 10.
Between the plates 2, 3, and at suitable distances apart, we place a
series of metal feathers, or baffling plates, or corrugated gills 5 to
increase the heating surface of the main box 1, and to prevent the too
rapid egress of the air therefrom.
On or to the bottom of the main box 1 we attach or form a secondary
metal box which we call the "auxiliary box" 6, and which projects
forward until its front face is in the same plane as the firc-bars 7 (sec
Figures 2 and 17) and in plan assimilates thereto. Its bottom we pierce
with an inlet hole or holes 8 of suitable size for the admission of cold
air, and its top we also pierce with a hole 9 of corresponding size (sce
Figures 2 and 8), or with two or more holes 9 (see Figures 17 and 19)
communicating with the interior of the main box 1.
We also provide the interior of the auxiliary box 6 with diaphragms
or baffling plates similar and for similar purposes to those 5.
Part of the upper surface of the auxiliary box 6 we place immediately
underneath the bottom grate or bars 7 supporting the fire, and this part
we make with a suitable slope or inclination towards the front hearth
(see Figures 2, 8, and 17) so as to allow the ashes to fall therconto and
leave the air free access to the under side of the fire.
The object effected by the auxiliary box 6 is the utilizing of the heat
radiated from the bottom grate or bars 7 downwards towards the hearth
in heating the air previously to its entrance into the main box.
On the top of the main box and at a suitable height completely
covering the fire, and with its front edge or face closely jointed up to
the back of the stove front, we place a "superheating box" 10 (agreeing
in form with the main box) which we make cither with one com-
partment (see Figures 2 and 17) for the circulation and heating of air
only, or with a horizontal plate or diaphragm 11 dividing it into a top
and a bottom compartment (see Figure 8) the latter for the entry and
heating of the air, and the former for the collection of the smoke and
products of combustion from the fire. The upper plate of this super-
heating box we make so as to allow of removal for cleaning purposes.
When the superheating box is thus arranged with two compartments
(Figure 8) we provide the interior of the main box at a suitable height

page_text: above the fire with three smoke pipes or flues 12, 13, (see Figures 7, 8,
and 11) (one 12 on each side of the fire, and one 13 at the back) for
conveying the smoke and products of combustion up and into the smoke
compartment of the superheating box, from the air compartment of
which we convey the air in its warmed state by one, two, or more
tubes 14 through the smoke compartment, and the upper ends of these
tubes we arrange so that they can be joined on to other tubes which can
be carried to any point desired. But when we arrange the superheating
box with only one compartment for heating air we provide but one
smoke tube 13 (see Figures 2, 5, 16, and 17) which we carry through or
up the back of the main box and pass through the superheating box so
as to project above it sufficiently high as to allow of proper junctions
being attached for conveying the smoke into the chimney or main
smoke flue. Or we can form the superheating box out of the plates 2, 3,
forming the main chamber by arranging them in a concave form con-
centrically with each other, and passing through and between them a
double flanged smoke-tight pipe.
When we construct the stoves more especially for ventilating purposes
we can dispense with the superheating box in its previously described
form and with that portion of the auxiliary box immediately underlieing
the bottom grate, but we retain that portion thereof situated underneath
the main box, but omit its cold air inlet 8 and its communication 9 with
the main box. As thus altered the functions of the auxiliary box are
changed as its use is now to feed the fire with air which may be drawn
from the apartment containing the stove, we therefore call it in its
present condition a "vitiated air box" (see Figures 14 and 15). At
either one or both of its ends or at the back we pierce a hole of suitable
size and connect this orifice with a duct 15 which we call a " vitiated
air duct or inlet pipe, and which may lead from any part of the apart-
ment from which it may be desirable to withdraw the vitiated air.
"
The faces of the vitiated air box exposed to the ash-pit we pierce with
outlet holes 16 of suitable size for the escape of the vitiated air or
products, so that the same may be withdrawn into the fire.
To give the warm air developed in the main box its hygrometric
properties before its egress from the warm air pipes or ducts 14 we provide
in the mouth of each of such pipe or duct a warm air exit valve 17 with
a double frame; one of which is made so as to open and allow of the

page_text: iusertion of a small vapor trough 18 containing pure or medicated
water, after which it is closed so as to conceal the trough in the interior
of the duct 14.
The heated air in its passage along the duct and over the trough 18
thus absorbs the requisite quantity of moisture.
That part of our improvements in stoves or ranges for cooking, baking,
heating, and drying, is illustrated in Figures 20 to 24 on Sheet 4 of the
accompanying Drawings, and consists in placing at the back of the fire
a self contained wrought iron or metal chamber or main box 1 (of square,
oblong, or other suitable form or shape) provided with one, two, or more
through smoke tubes 13 in combination with baffling plates similar to
those 5 previously described, and in combining therewith and connecting
thereto two or more auxiliary metal boxes 6 placed below the main box
lieing above on a level with or below the bottom grate or bars 7 of the
range and acted upon directly by the fire. The cold air enters the
auxiliary boxes at 8 and traversing their interiors enters the main box
at 9, and after circulating therein escapes therefrom at the upper end
at 19 into a pipe or pipes or other suitable conduit or duct equivalent to
those 14 above described, whereby it may be conveyed to an adjoining
drying closet or to any room that it may be desired to warm.
If used in connection with a drying closet we combine with the warm
air pipe or duct another pipe or duct which we call a "vitiated air
pipe" or conduit 20, and which we place by preference at a lower
elevation than the warm air pipe or conduit and lead it from the drying
closet in the most direct course practicable into the ash-pit of the range
where the vitiated products are liberated and drawn through the fire and
into the smoke flue, by which means we withdraw the vapor, and other
vitiated products from the closet.
If the range have a back hot water boiler we place the main box at
the back of the same and in close contact therewith (see Figure 21).
On the side of the fire next the oven 24 we place a smaller metal hot
air chamber 21 which we provide with interior baffling plates, and place
so that the fire has direct contact with one of its sides (see Figures 22
and 23). This chamber 21 we provide with a small air valve 22 to admit
cold air, and we provide at its opposite end a pipe 23 which has com-
munication with the interior of the oven 24. The hot air developed in

page_text: the chamber 21 is admitted into the oven 24, as required, by the pipe 23
SO as to have the effect of raising its temperature, thus assisting
materially in increasing its capabilities.
For the purpose of providing large quantities of hot water for
domestic and other purposes without necessitating the employment of a
boiler of equivalent or large capacity in direct contact with the fire, we
provide and place at the back of the fire a small high-pressure boiler 25
and attach to it a flow pipe 26 and a return pipe 27, and these pipes we
lead direct to a capacious hot water cistern 28 (formed of sheet copper or
other metal, or other suitable material, and of any convenient form) which
we place either in direct connection with the range, and contained in
the same outer frame and chimney recess (but not in direct contact with
the fire) or otherwise in any convenient position in the same room as
that containing the range, or in an adjacent or other room convenient
for the purpose, placing it at the same or at a higher level than the
boiler and supplying it at its lower part with cold water by a self-
feeding apparatus in the usual way or otherwise intermittently by
hand. The effect of this is, that the water constantly circulating
between the boiler 25 and the cistern 28 becomes eventually of a
uniformly high temperature.
If necessary in addition to the cistern 28 we lead branch pipes to a
steaming or hot closet, whereby we are enabled to carry on simul-
taneously a variety of cooking operations from resources deriving heat
from one fire.
When the main chamber is applied in connection with the furnace of
a large baking oven, we prefer to make it curvilinear in form, making
the concave side in connection with a brick arch form the roof of the
oven, so that the smoke and products of combustion forming the waste
heat from the furnace act on the said chamber and heat the air contained
within it.
29 represents the fire-chamber of the range; 30, fire-clay lumps to
form the flue; 31, smoke and fire-flue; 32, combustion chamber under
oven; 33, flues on each side of oven; 34, exit pipe and valve for
escape of steam, vapor, and excess of hot air from oven; 35, damper
for regulating draught of oven flues; 36, damper to control draught of
flues 13; 37, movable hot hearth or plate placed directly above the
fire; 39, draw-off cock from cistern 28; and 40, movable plug in hot

page_text: closet, and the other 20 for conveying away from such closet all vapor,
steam, or other vitiated air or products into the ash-pit and smoke flue
of the range.
Eighth. The peculiar arrangement and adaptation of a closet for
drying purposes in combination with a cooking range.
Ninth. The arrangement and adaptation of a hot-air chamber 21
with the whole of one of its sides exposed to the direct action of the fire,
and in height equal to the depth of the fire, and in combining such
chamber 21 with the oven 24 for increasing when desirable the
temperature of the oven.
And, Tenth. The arrangement of a circulating hot-water cistern 28 in
combination with a small hot-water boiler 25, such cistern being either
immediately adjacent to such boiler and enclosed in the same frame,
as and forming part of the cooking range, or otherwise separate from
the range and in any convenient position in the same room as that
containing the range, or in any adjacent or other room convenient for
the purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Lewis, on behalf of
myself and of the said George Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.