IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Brown, of the Firm of Brown and Green,
of Luton, in the County of Bedford, Ironfounders, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES."
Sealed the 29th September 1865, and dated the 3rd April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
April 1865.
I, FREDERICK BROWN, of the Firm of Brown and Green, of Luton, in the
County of Bedford, Ironfounders, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES," to be as follows:-
The Invention is more particularly applicable to what are known as close
fire-ranges. When the range is made with an oven on one side of the fire
and a boiler on the other, or with an oven on each side of the fire and a
boiler at the back, or when made without any boiler, I heat the oven or ovens
by a combination of the four following arrangements :-
First, an iron conducting plate placed horizontally at the bottom of the
oven, and cast on to or otherwise attached to a plate which runs parallel with
the side of the fire, and is exposed thereto, so that it receives heat direct from
the fire, a portion of which heat is conducted by the horizontal conducting
plate to heat the bottom of the oven.

page_text: Second, above the iron plate against which the fire lays, as before mentioned,
and which is exterior of the oven and parallel with the side of the fire, is a
shield of fire-brick or iron of sufficient thickness to prevent the side of the oven
being overheated by its otherwise too close proximity to the fire.
Third, the opposite side of the oven, and also the back of the oven, are
heated partly by conduction and partly in consequence of the arrangement of
the setting of the range, which is as follows:-An air-tight chamber is formed
at the side of the oven away from the fire at the back, and also under the
bottom of the oven. These chambers communicate with each other, and any
heat radiated from any part of the oven into this chamber heats the air therein,
which having no means of escape becomes in a short time exceedingly hot,
and is a valuable auxilliary in heating and keeping hot the side, the back, and
the bottom of the oven.
Fourth, the top of the oven is heated by a flue from the fire passing over it;
this flue has an outlet into the chimney, and the draught is regulated by a
damper in the usual manner.
When more than two ovens are used. I heat those next the fire in the way
above described, and the more distant ones by flues in the usual manner.
I also heat the hot plates of close ranges more effectually than heretofore by
means of a series of pins or pieces cast on the under side of the hot plate, and
projecting therefrom down towards the top of the oven, but not so as to
actually touch it; these pins or pieces becoming very hot materially assist in
heating the hot plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
BROWN, of the Firm of Brown and Green, of Luton, in the County of Bedford,
Ironfounders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 8
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederick Brown, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the 3

page_text: said Frederick Brown, 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 "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Frederick Brown, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Brown, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention is more particularly applicable to what are known as close
fire-ranges. When the range is made with an oven on one side of the fire,
or with an oven on each side of the fire, I arrange the oven or ovens in the
following manner :-
I employ an iron conducting plate placed horizontally at the bottom of the
oven, and cast on to or otherwise attached to a plate or heating lump, which
is exterior of the oven, and runs parallel with the side of the fire, and is
exposed thereto, so that it receives heat direct from the fire, a portion of which
heat is conducted by the horizontal conducting plate to heat the bottom of
the oven.
Above the iron plate or heating lump is a shield of fire-brick or iron of
sufficient thickness to prevent the side of the oven being overheated by its
otherwise too close proximity to the fire.
The side of the oven opposite to the fire, and also the back of the oven are
heated by conduction, and in setting the range an air chamber is formed
passing around these parts, and also under the bottom of the oven; this air
chamber serves to equalize the heat between the bottom back and further side
of the oven, and also to prevent the escape of heat.
The top of the oven is heated by a flue from the fire passing over it; this
flue has an outlet into the chimney, and the draught is regulated by a damper
in the usual manner.
When more than two ovens are used those next the fire may be heated in
the way above described, and the more distant ones by flues in the usual

page_text: Figure 1 is a front view, showing in perspective a close fire-range, with an
oven arranged according to my Invention; Figure 2 shows portions of the
same in section.
a is the fire-grate, which is enclosed at the front at the upper part by the
moveable front plate b, and at the top it is covered with the hot plate c,
which slides back over the fixed plate c', for the convenience of supplying the
fire with fresh fuel for broiling or grilling over the fire and for other purposes.
The hot plate c closing the top of the fire causes the draft to pass through
horizontal flues on each side of the fire; the flue on the right-hand side of
which the hot plate d forms the top serves also to heat the boiler, which it
passes over, its arrangement, however, forms no part of my Invention; it
passes up a flue similar to h¹, and the draft in it is regulated by a damper at
e before it enters the chimney. The horizontal flue f on the left-hand side
passes under the hot plate g, and over the top of the oven h, the space
between the two being two or three inches wide; h' is a vertical flue, with
which the horizontal flue f communicates; in it is the damper h³, and a short
distance above this the flue terminates in an opening into the chimney. The
oven h is constructed by preference of wrought iron, and it is heated at the
top by the fluef, as already mentioned; and to prevent the upper part of the
oven from becoming overheated, I fix at the top of the oven a lining plate
within the oven, and at a distance of, say, half an inch from the top. At the
bottom the oven is heated by the iron conducting plate i, which lies on the
bottom of the oven, or it may itself form the bottom of the oven; it is, by
preference, cast in one piece with the plate or heating lump 2, which is
exterior of the oven, and runs parallel with the side of the fire, and the fire
lies against it. In order that the conducting plate i may enter the oven, there

page_text: is, as is shown, an opening left to allow it to pass at the lower part of the side
of the oven adjacent to the fire. A space also is left, as is shown, between
the side of the oven and the heating plate or lump i, otherwise the side of
the oven might get overheated, and would rob the bottom of a portion of the
heat it would otherwise receive, and this space and the heating lump together
allow a sufficient thickness of brick or iron above to protect the side of the
oven, otherwise the brick or iron would overhang the heater plate, and soon
burn away, whilst the plate itself would not get sufficiently hot. k is a lump
of fire-brick, or it may be of cast iron, to protect the upper part of the oven
side from the excessive heat of the fire; l is an air space or chamber enclosing
the back, the bottom, and the further side of the oven, for equalizing the
temperature of these parts, and preventing the escape of heat therefrom. At
the front the oven is closed by a door h³ as heretofore. The plate b, which
shuts in the upper part of the fire, can at will be turned down into a horizontal
position, and it then serves as a shelf on which to stand pots, or kettles, or
other cooking vessels which it is desired to heat quickly. If two or more
ovens are required on the same side of the fire, the further ones may be
heated by leading the flue f around them in place of up into the chimney.
The hot plates d and g, and the covers forming part of them, I make with
projections x, x, from their under sides, as is shown on a larger scale at
Figures 3; these projections serve as heat collecting surfaces, they absorb
heat from the hot gases passing through the flues.
Having no descending flues to either oven or boiler, except where two or
more ovens are used on either side of the fire, I am enabled to leave the
mouth of the chimney wholly or sufficiently open to secure thorough venti-
lation in the kitchen, which is one of the important results or advantages of
my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the exact details described; but what I claim is,-
First, the heating and maintaining a more equable temperature in the ovens
of close fire-ranges by the combined use of a conducting plate at the bottom,
a metal or brick shield between the side of the oven and the fire, a flue
passing over the top, and an air chamber surrounding the back, bottom, and
side, as described.
I also claim the use for heating the ovens of close fire-ranges of a con-
ducting plate within or at the bottom of the oven in connection with a metal
heating plate or lump, exterior of the oven, and running along the side of the
fire, as described.

page_text: I also claim the forming the under sides of the hot plates of close fire
ranges with heat collecting projections, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
FRED. BROWN. (L.s.)