Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
I, MALCOM COCKBURN, of Gowan Bank Iron Works, Falkirk, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of
parts of cooking ranges, and comprises devices for changing from a close-fire to an
open-fire range or vice versa with a single action, together with devices for varying
the size of the fire box.
In carrying out my Invention according to one modification a close-fire arrangement
is converted into an open-fire arrangement by drawing forward a horizontal plate
fitted to slide into and out of a horizontal slot or opening in the back casing of the
range at a suitable moderate distance above the level of the hob and sufficiently high
to allow of the free passage of smoke or gases from the fire directly into the flue at
the back of the casing through an opening under the horizontal sliding plate. The
opening last referred to has two doors which are hinged to its sides and are closed or
opened accordingly as the horizontal plate pushed in or drawn out, this action
being effected by means of pins on short arms formed on the doors and which engage
in grooves formed on the underside of the horizontal plate. Where the space for a
flue behind the back casing is narrow the horizontal plate is made with a hinged part
which can be turned up to allow a passage upwards when the plate is in its innermost
position.
According to another modification the horizontal plate is arranged to move
upwards instead of horizontally when converting a close-fire into an open-fire
arrangement. A vertical plate made in one piece with the horizontal plate closes
the back opening when the horizontal plate is down and rises with it. The horizontal
plate is also made with side plates, with lower pieces hinged to them or fitted to them
telescopically so as to allow of a sufficiently high position of the horizontal plate
when raised without requiring great depth of the spaces into which the sides have

page_text: to descend when the horizontal plate is lowered. Beneath the horizontal plate grooves
are formed in the side plates to receive the fire cover when changing to the open-fire
arrangement.
In order to be able to vary the size of the fire box the bottom grating is made
movable vertically within the front sides and back, and is formed with legs which are
either made with rack teeth to be acted on by toothed sectors on a rocking spindle, or
are connected by links to levers on the rocking spindle. The rocking spindle has
fixed on it a hand lever in a convenient position and this lever is arranged to be
capable of a small lateral movement besides the up and down movement for raising
and lowering the grating. The hand lever moves beside a toothed rack and is
retained in any desired position after being adjusted by being moved laterally so as
to engage in the rack. Or a toothed sector is fixed on the rocking spindle and
arranged to engage with the edge of a slot in the front plate of the range or on any
suitable catch from which it is disengaged by a small lateral or vertical movement
when required. The toothed sector is formed with a socket to receive the end of a
poker or rod for moving it by.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of January 1998
EDMUND HUNT,
Per pro David Ferguson,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, MALCOM COCKBURN, of Gowan Bank Iron Works, Falkirk, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of
parts of cooking ranges and comprises devices for changing from a close-fire to an
open-fire range or vice versa, with a single action of the parts forming the hood,
together with devices for varying the size of the fire box.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and showing my improvements.
Figures, 1, and 2, on the accompanying sheet of drawings are respectively a plan
and a front elevation showing the top of a range as fitted with one modification of
my improved apparatus as arranged for an open fire; figures, 3, and 4, being vertical
sections as at right angles to figures, 1, and 2, the one with parts in the open-fire and
the other with parts in the close-fire position. Figures, 5, and 6, are views of details
hereinafter referred 10. Figures, 7, and 8, are perspective views showing a second
modification with parts in the close-fire and open-fire conditions respectively.
Figures, 9, and 10, are similar views of a third modification with parts in the
open-fire and close-fire conditions respectively and figure, 11, is a perspective view
of the device for varying the size of the firebox. In these drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my invention according to the modification shown in figures, 1, to G,
of the drawings a close-fire arrangement is converted into an open-fire arrangement
by removing the fire cover, 21, and drawing forward a horizontal plate, 12, (shown
separately in plan as turned over in figure 5) fitted to slide into and out of a
horizontal slot or opening in the back casing, 13, of the range at a suitable moderate
distance above the level of the hob, 14, and sufficiently high to allow of the free passage
of smoke or gases from the fire directly into the flue, 15, at the back of the casing, 13,
through an opening under the horizontal plate, 12. The horizontal plate, 12, when
pushed back into the close-fire position slides on guides, 16, formed for it in the flue, 15.
The opening in the casing, 13, has two doors, 17, (one of which is shown in plan and
in front elevation in figure, 6.) which are hinged to its sides and are closed or opened
accordingly as the horizontal plate, 12, is pushed in or drawn out, this action being
effected by means of pins, 18, on short arms, 19, formed on the doors, 17, and which
engage in grooves, 20, formed on the underside of the horizontal plate, 12. Where
the space for a flue (15) behind the back casing (15) is narrow the horizontal
plate, (12) may if desired be made with a hinged part which can be turned up to
allow a passage upwards when the plate is in its innermost position.

page_text: According to the second modification shown in figures, 7, and 8, the horizontal
plate, 12, is arranged to move upwards instead of horizontally when converting a
close-fire into an open-fire arrangement. A vertical plate, 22, made in one piece with
the horizontal plate, 12, closes the back opening when the horizontal plate, 12, is
down and rises with it. The up and down motion may be effected in any convenient
way, as for example, by having a toothed rack, 23, fixed to the inner edge of the
horizontal plate, 12, and extending up the flue, 15. The rack, 23, gears with a
toothed sector, 24, on a rocking spindle, 25, which has fixed on its outer end a hand
lever, 26, which moves beside a toothed rack, 27, on the back casing, 13, and when
the horizontal plate, 12, has been raised it is retained in that position by engaging
the hand lever, 26, in the rack, 27. The horizontal plate, 12, is also made with side
plates, 28, with lower pieces, 29, hinged to them which lower pieces, 29, when the
horizontal plate, 12, is lowered turn sideways into slots formed for them in each
side, 30 and extending under the hob plate, 14, thus allowing of a sufficiently high
position of the horizontal plate, 12, when raised without requiring great depth of the
space into which the sides. 28, 29, have to descend when the horizontal plate. 12, is
lowered. Beneath the horizontal plate, 12, grooves are formed in the side plates, 28,
to receive the fire cover, 21, when changing to the open-fire arrangement, in which
position the cover, 21, is shown in figures, 7, to 10. Or the lower plates, 29), may be
arranged to turn towards the centre so as when lowered to rest on the top of
the boiler.
The modification shown in figures, 9, and 10, differs from that shown in figures, 7,
and 8, in having the lower pieces, 29, fitted telescopically to the side plates, 28,
instead of being hinged so that they slide into the side plates, 28, when the horizontal
plate, 12, is lowered.
In order to be able to vary the size of the fire box the bottom grating, 31
(figure 11) is made movable vertically within the front, sides, and back, and is
formed with legs, 32, at the sides (one leg only being seen in the drawing) which are
made with rack teeth to be acted on by toothed sectors, 38, on a rocking spindle, 34.
The rocking spinille, 34, has fixed on it a hand lever, 85, in a convenient position and
this lever is arranged to be capable of a small lateral movement besides the up and
down movement for raising and lowering the grating, 31. The band lever, 35, moves
beside a toothed rack, 36, and is retained in any desired position after being adjusted
by being moved laterally so as to engage in the rack, 36. Or one of the toothed
sectors, 33, fixed on the rocking spindle, 34, may be formed with a notched part, 39,
arranged to engage with the edge of a slot in the front plate of the range or on any
suitable catch from which it is disengaged by a small lateral or vertical movement
when required. The part, 39, is formed with a socket to receive the end of a poker
or rod for moving it by. Instead of forming the legs, 32, with rack teeth to be acted
on by toothed sectors they may be connected by links to levers on the rocking
spindle. 34. The bottom grating, 31, has attached to its back edge a plate, 37, which
when the bottom grating, 31, is raised, rises with it and closes the flue opening in the
back of the fire box, which would then be beneath the grating, 31, and thus prevents
cold air passing below the grate through this opening and acting on the boiler, 38,
which extends round the back of the range.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In cooking ranges the improved construction and combination of parts for
converting a close-fire range to an open-fire range and vice versi substantially as
herein before described with reference to figures, 1, to 6, of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In cooking ranges the improved construction and combination of parts for
converting a close-fire range to an open-fire range and vice versa substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to figures, 7, and 8, of the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 3. In cooking ranges the improved construction and combination of parts for
converting a close-fire range to an open-fire range and vice versa substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to figures, 9, and 10, of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In cooking ranges making the grate bottom movable vertically by means of legs
at the sides with rack-and-pinion or link-and-lever connections with a horizontal
spindle parallel to the front of the range substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of October 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.