IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COOKING RANGES OR KITCHENERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Dow, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North
Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
COOKING RANGES OR KITCHENERS,”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Dow at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1880.
DAVID Dow, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COOKING RANGES OR KITCHENERS."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cooking,
close fire, or Leamington ranges or kitcheners, specially designed to preserve all
their advantages as cooking ranges, while removing their disadvantages by com-
bining with them an open fire arrangement, which gives all the brightness and
cheerful appearance of the open fire range with its ventilating power (which is
actually increased by the arrangement in this Invention), effectually removing the
close vitiated atmosphere and odours proceeding from the cooking operations, which
are the chief drawbacks or disadvantages of the ordinary close fire range, and so
constructed that by a little manipulation they can be applied to act most efficiently
separately, either as open or close fire ranges, or simultaneously as both open and.
close fire ranges combined.
The whole is performed by appliances simple in themselves, requiring little
manipulation, easily understood, and not liable to get out of order, and at a trifling
cost.
And the essential nature and novelty of the Invention consists in fitting a
movable or travelling box flue into-the-cove- plates-at-the-back-of-an-ordinary close
fire range, or into the brick or mason work should no cove plates be in use, pre-
ferably near the centre, and opposite an opening in the hot plate, which is fitted with
a lifting fire cover, towards and from which it can be drawn or pushed, so that the
smoke and hot gases may pass from this opening through a door way in the bottom
of the travelling box flue when the range is open. The movable or travelling flue
is preferably made in the form of an oblong box, close at the sides and top but
open at the back, and fitted closely in a recess in the wall or in a built flue, and at
the back of the cove plates should they be in use, or to the mason or brick work. if
not, so as to be flush with these or project only a short distance when this flue is

page_text: closed. An arched or other opening or door-way is made in this box at the front,
close to the bottom or upper face of the hot plate, and a close fitting door plate is
fitted to or formed on the hot plate at the back of range and within the box flue,
which forms a close door for the opening in front when the flue is in its back
position.
The box fluo is mounted on a pair of small wheels on each side, which preferably
run in grooves or on rails formed on the hot plate to facilitate its withdrawal from
its inner to its outer position, or vice versa, or it may be by other equivalent means,
which operations are effected by drawing or pushing it by a knob or handle on the
front plate of the box flue, and when the flue is drawn to its furthest out position,
that is, with its outer edge close to the fire opening, and an inner flange on it close
against the cove plates, the lifting fire cover in front of it is removed, and the
products of combustion pass directly from the opening in the hot plate into the
opening or doorway in the box flue and are carried through by the natural draught
of the chimney, and the heated gases being carried in a diagonal line the front
plate of the box and the knob or handle are left cool enough for handling. The
vitiated air of the room, as well as the smell and odours of the cooking that may
be going on in vessels on the usual openings in the hot plate and in the ovens, are
also carried off by the draught through the flue door-way. The draught being very
considerable the fire is kept bright and free from smoke, and dross or a cheap
quality of coal can be burned with advantage when the open fire arrangement is
being worked as described in the foregoing. The close fire range vent plate or roof
plate remains close, the same as if no open fire arrangement was in use, and the flue
outlet into the vent is at the back of the vent plate or roof plate, passing from the
top of box flue at the back and up behind the roof plate or vent plate in the same
manner as the ordinary flues of close fire ranges, and in the same manner as the
flues pass that work the ovens or boilers of the range.
On account of the vent plate or roof plate not requiring to be opened in any
way the same powerful draught is obtained when working as open fire as is obtained
by a close fire range flue.
The travelling box flue may often be made close at the back as well as at the
sides and top, with an opening or doorway at the top of its back plate for allowing
the smoke and gases or products of combustion to pass out of the box flue, and
corresponding with the inlet doorway in the bottom at the front of the box flue.
When the fire is too strong the travelling box flue can be pushed back slightly
and so reduce the draught, or the damper in the roof plate of the vent may be
drawn a little, and by these means the strength of fire can be regulated to a nicety
to any power that may be desired. When intended to be used as a close fire range
only the box flue is pushed back till it reaches the cove plates, or wall if no cove
plates are in use, where an overlapping ornamental flange or moulding on the front
edge of the box flue fits close, and at the same time closes up against the fixed door
inside the box flue, making all close and practically air tight as if no open fire
arrangement were in use. The lifting fire cover is also now replaced on the hot
plate opening, and the fire gases circulate in the ordinary manner over and around
the ovens or boilers fitted on each side of the fire, and heat any cooking or other
dishes or receptacles which may be fitted in the usual openings in the hot plate,
the products of combustion passing off ultimately by the usual flues provided at
each side of the new central box flue, and which may be closed, if desired, by
dampers when the central box flue is open and the range working as an open fire
range, but with an ordinary proportioned fire space in the range. The central box
flue can be opened and the open fire arrangement allowed to work freely without
shutting off the other flues, thereby obtaining the benefits of the open fire without
closing off or losing the ordinary close fire range flues for cooking, and consequently
obtaining the advantages of the open fire for ventilation at the moment the heaviest
cooking may be proceeding in the ovens or on the hot plate by means of the
ordinary close fire range flues.
The new central travelling box flues may be applied and fitted to existing forms

page_text: of ranges or kitcheners at a comparatively small cost, and gives a superior finished
appearance to such ranges, and these may also be in the manner described made to
act both as close fire or open fire ranges separately, or simultaneously as open fire
and close fire ranges combined, having the advantages of both acting at the same
moment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Dow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th August
1880.
DAVID DOW, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North-Britain.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COOKING RANGES OR KITCHENERS."
"IMPROVE-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cooking,
close-fire, or Leamington ranges or kitcheners, specially designed to preserve all
their advantages as cooking ranges while removing their disadvantages, by
combining with them an open fire arrangement, which gives all the brightness and
cheerful appearance of the open fire range with its ventilating power (which is
actually increased by the arrangements of this Invention), effectually removing the
close vitiated atmosphere and odours proceding from the cooking operations, which
are the chief drawback or disadvantage of the ordinary close fire range; and the
improved ranges are so constructed that by a little manipulation they can be
applied to act more efficiently separately either as open or close fire ranges,
or simultaneously as both open and closed fire ranges combined.
The whole is performed by appliances simple in themselves, requiring little
manipulation, easily understood, not liable to get out of order, and fitted at a
trifling cost.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or put into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings for this purpose, representing
modifications of my improvements in and as applied to cooking ranges, which I
shall now proceed to describe. In these Drawings the same reference letters are
used to mark the same or like parts where they are shown or repeated.
Figure 1 is a front perspective elevation of a modification-of-my-improved
combined open and close fire range, shown arranged or fitted as a close range;
Figure 2 is a front elevation in perspective of the same, showing its fire arrange-
ment as open, and the ventilating box flue drawn out; and Figure 3 is a
corresponding transverse vertical section taken as through the line 1--1 in
Figure 2; Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of a slightly modified construction
of my improved combined open and cluse fire range, and Figures 5 and 6 are
detached perspective views, showing the travelling box flue to be hereinafter
referred to.
Referring to these Drawings, the improved range is constructed with a movable

page_text: or travelling box flue A fitting into the cove plates B at the back of an ordinary
close fire range (or into the brick or mason work should no cove plates be in use),
preferably near the centre, and opposite an opening c in the hot plate C, which is
fitted with a lifting fire cover C¹, towards and from which opening c the box
flue A can be drawn or pushed, so that the smoke and hot gases may pass from this
opening c through a doorway A¹ in the bottom of the travelling box flue A when
the range is open, as shown in Figure 2. The movable or travelling flue A is
preferably made in the form of an oblong box A, as shown detached in Figure 5,
close at the sides A", A", and top A¹¹, but open at the back and fitted closely in
a recess in the wall, or in a built flue D¹, and at the back of the cove plates B, or to
the mason or brick work if no cove plates are in use, so as to be flush with the
cove-plates B in front, or project only a short distance when this flue is closed.
The arched or other opening or doorway A¹ is made in this box A at the front, close
to the bottom at the upper face of the hot plate C of the range, and a close fitting
door-plate A is fitted to or formed on the hot plate C at the back of the range
against the brickwork, and within the box flue A, which forms a close door for the
opening A' in front when the box flue A is in its back position. The box flue
may be mounted on a pair of small wheels on each side, which would run in
grooves or on rails on the hot plate C to facilitate its withdrawal from its inner to
its outer position, or vice versa, or it may simply slide along the hot plate in
grooves or between ridges formed on it, or it may be by other equivalent means.
These operations are effected by drawing or pushing the box flue A by knobs or
handles a on its front plate A, and when the flue A is drawn to its furthest out
position, that is, with its outer edge A close to the fire opening c, and an inner
flange on it at A³ close against the back of the cove plates B, then the lifting fire
cover C' in front of it is removed and the products of combustion pass directly from
the opening c in the hot plate C into the opening or doorway A¹ in the box flue A
and are carried through by the natural draught of the chimney; and the heated
gases being carried in a diagonal line up into the built flue D, the front plate of the
box A and the knob or handle a are left cool enough for handling.
The travelling or movable box flue A may be made to stand any height to answer
circumstances. When the range has cove plates it is preferably made to stand the
same height as the cove plates, so forming in appearance one of the pannelled cove
plates B when in its back position, and generally it would be in harmony with
these, whether in back or forward position, but need not necessarily be the height
of the coves.
It can be adjusted to any height, from merely the size of the opening
or doorway A¹ upwards, as shown on the Drawings. This latter method will be
preferable when the range is made with skirting only. The vitiated air of the
room, as well as the smell and odours of the cooking that may be going on in vessels
on the usual openings in the hot plate and in the ovens, are also carried off by the
draught through the flue doorway; the draught being very considerable the fire is
kept bright and free from smoke, so that dross or a cheap quality of coal can be
burned with advantage.
The doorway A¹ is kept sufficiently small that the air passing through passes
immediately over the fire, and is so heated before entering the door of box flue A
that only the products of combustion and heated air enter the flue A, D, thereby
securing a thorough draught in the flue, and the circulation of heated air passing
over the fire and into the flue gives effectual ventilation. Were a large doorway A¹,
or a doorway wide off or open from the fire, used, cold or imperfectly heated air
would enter thereby, giving both imperfect draught and imperfect ventilation, and 5
would stop or greatly weaken the other flues, so that the range could not work
simultaneously.
The success of the improved arrangements depends on bringing a flue entrance A¹
of small size close up to the back of the fire, and constructing it so as to be practi-
cally air-tight, the movable or travelling flue arrangement A being for the purpose 5
of giving the full breadth of the hot plate clear for cooking purposes when the open
fire arrangement is not in use, it being usual and desirable that cooking ranges of

page_text: the kind should have hot plates of much greater breadth or depth from front to back
than the fire.
When the open fire arrangement is being worked as described in the foregoing
the close fire range vent plate or roof plate E remains close, the same as if no open
fire arrangement was in use, and the flue outlet D into the vent is at the back of
the vent plate or roof plate E, passing from the top of the box flue A at the back
and up behind the roof plate or vent plate E, in the same manner as the ordinary
flues of close fire ranges, and in the same manner as the flues f, g, pass that work
the ovens F or boilers G of the range.
On account of the vent plate or roof plate E not requiring to be opened in any
way, and with the small opening or door A' in the flue box A, the same powerful
draught is obtained when working an open fire as is obtained by a close fire range
flue. The travelling box flue A may also be made close at the back D', as well as
at the sides A and top A", with an opening or doorway at the top of this back
plate D¹, for allowing the smoke and gases or products of combustion to pass out of
the box flue, and corresponding with the inlet doorway A¹ in the bottom at the
front of the box flue, and an angled plate might be fitted behind the front plate A,
as shown by the dotted lines at A* in Figure 3.
When the fire is too strong the travelling box flue A can be pushed back slightly,
and so reduce the draught, or the damper at e in the roof plate E of the vent may
be drawn a little, and by these means the strength of the fire can be regulated to a
nicety to any power that may be desired. When intended to be used as a close fire
range only the box flue A is pushed back till it reaches the cove plates B, as shown
in Figure 1 (or the wall if no cove plates are in use), when an overlapping orna-
mental flange or moulding a¹ on the front edge of the box flue A fits close, and the
front plate of the box A at the same time closes up against the fixed door A² inside
the box flue A, making all close and practically air tight, as if no open fire arrange-
ment were in use. The lifting fire cover C₁ is also now replaced on the hot plate
opening c, and the fire gases circulate in the ordinary manner over and around the
ovens For boilers G fitted on each side of the fire, and heat any cooking or other
dishes or receptacles which may be fitted in the usual openings C, C, in the hot
plate C, the products of combustion passing off ultimately by the usual flues f, g,
provided at each side of the new central box flue A, and which may be closed, if
desired, by dampers f, g, when the central box flue A is open and the range working
as an open fire range; but with an ordinary proportioned fire space in the range
the central box flue A can be opened and the open fire arrangement allowed to work
freely without shutting off the other Blues f, g, thereby obtaining the benefits of the
open fire without closing off or losing the ordinary close fire range flues for cooking,
and consequently obtaining the advantages of the open fire for ventilation and
cooking at the moment the heaviest cooking may be proceeding in the ovens F or
on the hot plate C, by means of the ordinary close fire range flues.
The modification of my improved combined open and close fire range shown in
Figure 4, and in the detached perspective view of the travelling box flue A, Figure 6,
is more particularly applicable with ranges having no cove plates, but a mere
skirting B at the back. In this arrangement the box flue A is reduced in size to
a small arched or almost semi-cylindrical shell A, preferably with a flanged
moulding a' and A³ at the front and back ends, to fit close against the outer or
inner face of the brickwork_or_skirting-BL when the flue-A is in its inward or
outward position respectively. With this construction of box flue A no fixed door
is required at the back (corresponding to the door A² shown in Figure 3), the
arched flue A in its inward position being self-closing by contact of the end at A³
with the built brick-work or masonry at the back of the flue D. A blower A* is
however provided to regulate the size of the opening A¹ of this box flue A, and for
this purpose it is suspended by a pin or spike a on it, fitting into holes in an
upright bar a fixed over the front part of the box flue A, or any other equivalent
means of fixing this blower may be used; and this blower A' can be hung at any

page_text: desired height or position to vary or regulate the size of opening A' in the
flue A, in order to give the greatest power obtainable when the range is used as an
open fire range, or placed in its lowest position to close the opening A¹ entirely
when the flue is pushed back and the range is acting as a close one; but the box
flue A being self regulating by drawing out or pushing back the blower may or
may not be used. The ordinary skirting B' is made with projections high enough
and opening for the travelling flue A to work through, the back flange A³ of the
flue A striking against the brickwork or the back of skirting when the flue is in
its forward position, the other flange on the travelling flue A striking against the
front of skirting when the flue is in its back position. A plate could be made
when required, and built into the wall, or fixed down to hot plate of range, for the
travelling flue to strike against. In like manner this is applied to a range with
cove plates; or the circular opening A³ may be left in the cove plate B for the
travelling flue to work through, and the flue would be of an area corresponding
with the circular opening A¹, built up at back of cove plates in the usual manner.
When there is not space at the back of the range for the back traverse of the
travelling flue this flue could be made of light material, such as sheet iron, with
metal flanges and mouldings fitted together, and so could easily be lifted or moved
away by the hand altogether when an open fire arrangement was not in use, and
the blower A* again could be used for closing the opening in coves in skirting, or
in plate, as mentioned before; or an ordinary damper could be used for cutting off
the flue. In the case of being intended for lifting away a small projection to form
a socket would be used on the cove plate, skirting, or special door plate, and no
striking or overlapping flanges would then be needed on the movable flue A. The
hot plate C could be made deeper at the back of the fire, and have any depth at
the sides above the ovens and boilers; and the hot plate could be so reduced in
depth at the back of the fire by placing this flue A on as a fixture, instead of
sliding. The arrangement of a blower A for regulating the size of opening of the
box flue A may also be applied with advantage to the construction of travelling
box A, shown in Figure 1 to 3 and 5.
When the movable flue A is constructed only the height of doorway it might be
made flat on the top, with a lifting-off cup in the top, so that it could be used as a
small hot plate for placing a pot on. Though not so shown in the Drawings it is
preferred that the width of fire should be greater than the size of lifting off fire
cover C, that is to say, the hot plate C would extend on each side over the fire, as
shown dotted at C2 in Figure 1, and the doorway A¹ is made smaller to correspond.
The result obtained is that when the open fire arrangement is working the flue A
will only draw from the centre of fire, leaving greater power to the side flues for
working the ovens or boilers.
In small ranges, and where it would be satisfactory to have the fire and hot
plate the same depth, then the Invention could be applied by merely having the
small circular or other shaped chimney or doorway in the cove plate or masonry or
brickwork immediately at back of fire, and closed or opened by means of lifting
door that could be hooked on or off at pleasure, hung or fixed on in any of the
usual methods, the flue D passing up the back, and built in the usual manner, of
size or capacity corresponding with the area of the doorway. The blower A*
described would suit for closing or opening this doorway.
If a pressure hot-water boiler is placed at back of the movable or travelling
box flue A it will have a heating flue on its front side, passing from the open fire
when it is in use, and may have the ordinary flue at the back in the usual manner,
but with this arrangement will have double flues when open fire is working. In
like manner the hot air could be conducted to and utilized for other heating
purposes.
The new central travelling box flue A may be applied and fitted to existing forms
of ranges or kitcheners at a comparatively small cost, and gives a superior finished
appearance to such ranges; and these may also be, in the manner described, made

page_text: to act both as close fire or open fire ranges separately; or simultaneously, as open
fire and close fire ranges combined, having the advantage of both acting at the same
moment.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and construction of cooking ranges fitted with
movable or travelling box flues A, arranged to act as and give the advantages of
combined or separate acting open and close fire ranges, all substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The arrangement or construction and application to cooking ranges of a
movable or travelling box flue A fitted to slide out or in at the back of their fire
place, and open or close the flue passage automatically, all substantially as and for
purposes herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings..
In witness whereof, I, the said David Dow, have hereunto set my hand and
Beal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
D. DOW. (L.S.)