Improvements in Kitchen Ranges, Cooking Apparatus, and Appliances Connected therewith.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Kitchen Ranges, Cooking Apparatus, and
Appliances Connected therewith.
I HEDLEY STANLEY MOORWOOD, of the Harleston Iron Works, Harleston Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES, COOKING APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH to be as follows:-
Although this Invention may be applied to various kinds of Ranges it is more
particularly applicable to the class of Cooking apparatus called a close Fire Range or
Kitchener, similar to what is familiarly known as a "Leamington Range," some
modern types of which are made so that they can be converted from close to open or
partially open ranges at will, and "vice versa."
"
My Invention relates to some portion of the apparatus and appliances employed in
such conversion and has for its objects the providing of a more simple and expeditious
means of carrying the same into effect than is the case by the means ordinarily in use.
I do this in the following manner, and for the convenience of description I shall
hereinafter refer to the Range or Cooking apparatus to which my Invention may be
applied, as a "close" or an open Range as the case may be, and although my
Invention may be applied to various kinds of ranges, a description of it as applied to
a cooking apparatus of the "Leamington Range" type will suffice.
"
A close range of this kind when used as such, has a cover over the fire place called
a hot plate, which is generally, if not always, provided with a circular opening over
the fire through which the fuel may be put to make or replenish the fire, or on, or
into which opening, a kettle, pan, or other cooking utensil may be placed for heating,
and when not so used, this opening is closed with a close fitting lid or cover.

page_text: The products of combustion have thus free play under the hot plate and cover, and
are conducted from the fire place either through an oven or boiler flues or both, or
through a separate flue to the chimney provided in the back of the range for the
purpose, such last named flue being connected with the oven and boiler flues
previously named.
In converting such a close range into an open Range, it is necessary to remove or
change the position of that part of the "Hot plate" which covers the fire place, and
also to provide the means of carrying off the smoke and other products of combustion
to the flue or chimney. The conversion of such a Range from close to open is
generally effected by entirely removing that portion of the hot plate which covers the
fire, and opening a passage to the flue at a higher level, by means of a pair of folding
or sliding doors placed in the back of the range.
In combination with my improved arrangement, instead of removing this portion
of the hot plate altogether, I simply make it so that it will slide backwards and
forwards when the Range is required to be open or closed; when required to be open,
I push or slide this portion of the hot plate back into a recess provided for the
purpose in the back of the Range or Flue; but as to this part of the arrangement I
lay no claim as to novelty.
In lieu of the folding or sliding doors such as are at present in use, I employ a
specially constructed appliance or appliances (which constitutes the essential feature
of my Invention,) by means of which I can open or close the high level communi-
cation to the chimney flue, thus, when the sliding part of the hot plate is pushed back
and the fire place is opened, the smoke and other products of combustion are at once
conducted by means of this appliance into the Chimney flue and thereby prevented
escaping elsewhere, and when the sliding portion of the hot plate is brought forward
and the fire place is closed the high level communication is likewise closed, and the
smoke and other waste products of combustion are conducted to the flues as first
described in the usual manner.
My specially constructed appliance or appliances, comprises,
First, a vertical back plate with a rectangular opening placed at the back of the
range.
Secondly, this opening is fitted with an apron or cover which is hung from the top
front part of the opening upon a hinge, spindle, pivots or trunnions in such a manner
that when it hangs plumb or nearly so, it closes the opening, the bottom of which is
in line or parallel with the top of the hot plate; this cover is made flat on the faces
or edges which come in contact with the back plate and hot plate, but it is curved on
the front to a radius equal in length or thereabouts to the vertical height of the
opening in the back plate.
This form of cover therefore necessitates the sides being shaped like the segment of
a circle struck from the same radius.
Thirdly, the apron or cover last described is opened, supported and closed by means
of two sector shaped plates, which fit, one on either side of the rectangular opening
on a spindle, pivot, or trunnions fixed at the bottom back part of the opening, each of
these sectors would represent the fourth part of a circle struck from a radius equal in
length or thereabouts to the vertical height of the opening in the back plate, thus,
when the cover or apron is open the front edge of each sector is moved forward
until it rests horizontally on the hot plate, the back edge of the sector being at an
angle of ninety degrees to the front edge thus stands vertically and in line with the
back edge of the back plate.
The apron or cover is shut by turning the sectors back into the opening until their
front edges stand vertically inside the opening.
The sectors may be actuated by a rod, lever or handle, attached to them or
connected with either or both of their spindles or trunnions or otherwise, and the
sectors may be connected together with a suitable stay or stays, by which they may
be kept parallel to each other.
As a modification of the foregoing, the sectors may be actuated, and the apron or
cover opened or closed simultaneously with the sliding backwards and forwards of

page_text: the hot plate, the reciprocal motion being communicated from the hot plate to the
sectors by means of a suitably formed lever or levers, or by means of spur gear, rack
and pinion pulley and chain or by other equivalent means.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the apron or cover is open
it is supported by the sectors on each side, the curved front of the cover corre-
sponding to the arc of the sectors and together forming a hood shaped opening with
close sides through which the smoke and products of combustion are conveyed from
the open fire to the flue or Chimney.
Dated this 8th day of Februan, 1007

page_text: Appliances Connected therewith.
I HEDLEY STANLEY MOORWOOD, of the Harleston Iron Works, Harleston Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES, COOKING APPARATUS AND
APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Although this Invention may be applied to various kinds of Ranges it is more
particularly applicable to the class of cooking apparatus called a close Fire Range or
Kitchener, similar to what is familiarly known as a Leamington Range" some
modern types of which are made so that they can be converted from close to open or
partially open ranges at will, and " vice versa."
My Invention relates to some portion of the apparatus and appliances employed in
such conversion and has for its objects the providing of a more simple and expeditious
means of carrying the same into effect than is the case by the means ordinarily in use.
I do this in the following manner, and for the convenience of description I shall
hereinafter refer to the range or cooking apparatus to which my Invention may be
applied, as a "close" or an "
open "Range as the case may be, and although ny
Invention may be applied to various kinds of ranges, a description of it as applied to
a cooking apparatus of the Leamington Range type will suffice.
A close range of this kind when used as such, has a cover over the fire place called
a hot plate, which is generally, if not always provided with a circular opening over
the fire through which the fuel may be put to make or replenish the fire, or on, or
into which opening, a kettle, pan, or other Cooking utensil may be placed for heating,
and when not so used, this opening is closed with a close fitting lid or cover.
The products of combustion have thus free play under the hot plate and cover, and
are conducted from the fire place either through an oven or boiler flues or both, or
through a separate flue to the chimney provided in the back of the range for the
purpose, such last named flue being connected with the oven and boiler flues
previously named.
In converting such a close range into an open range, it is necessary to remove or
change the position of that part of the "Hot plate" which covers the fire place, and
also to provide the means of carrying off the smoke and other products of combustion
to the flue or chimney. The conversion of such a range from close to open is
generally effected by entirely removing that portion of the hot plate which covers the
fire, and opening a passage to the flue at a higher level, by means of a pair of folding
or sliding doors placed in the back of the range.
In combination with my improved arrangement, instead of removing this portion
of the hot plate altogether, it may be constructed so that it will slide backwards and

page_text: forwards when the range is required to be open or closed; thus, when required to be
open this portion of the hot plate may be pushed back or slid into a recess provided
for the purpose in the back of the range or fluc, but as to this part of the arrangement
I lay no claim as to novelty.
In lieu of the folding or sliding doors such as are at present in use, I employ a
specially constructed appliance or appliances (which constitutes the essential feature
of my invention) by means of which I can open or close the high level communi-
cation to the chimney flue, thus, when the removable or sliding part of the hot plate
is entirely removed or pushed back and the fire place is opened, the smoke and other
products of combustion are at once conducted by means of this appliance into the
chimney flue and thereby prevented escaping elsewhere, and when the removable or
sliding portion of the hot plate is replaced or brought forward and the fire place is
closed the high level communication being likewise closed, the smoke and other waste
products of combustion are conducted to the flues as first described in the usual
manner.
My specially constructed appliance or appliances, comprises,
First, a vertical back plate with a rectangular opening placed at the back of the
range.
Secondly, this opening is fitted with an apron or cover which is hung from the top
front part of the opening upon a hinge, spindle, pivots or trunnions in such a manner
that when it hangs plumb or nearly so it closes the opening, the bottom of which is
in line or parallel with the top of the hot plate; this cover may be made flat on the
faces or edges which come in contact with the back plate and hot plate, but it is
curved on the front to a radius equal in length or thereabouts to the vertical height of
the opening in the back plate.
This form of cover therefore necessitates the sides being shaped like the segment of
a circle struck from the same radius, or, as a modification of this form of cover it may
be made curved on the faces or edges which come in contact with the back plate.
The back plate being provided with two cheeks or strips curved to a radius, corre-
sponding to the front of the cover which may then be made without sides.
:
Thirdly The apron or cover last described is opened, supported and closed by
means of two sector shaped plates, which fit, one on either side of the rectangular
opening on a spindle, pivot, or trunnions fixed at the bottom part of the opening,
each of these sectors would represent the fourth part of a circle struck from a radius
equal in length or thereabouts to the vertical height of the opening in the back plate,
thus, when the cover or apron is open the front edge of each sector is moved forward
until it rests horizontally in the hot plate, the back edge of the sector being at an
angle of ninety degrees or thereabouts to its front edges, thus stands vertically or
nearly so and in line with the back edge of the back plate.
The apron or cover is shut by turning the sectors back into the opening until their
front edges stand vertically or nearly so inside the opening.
The sectors may be actuated by a rod, lever or handle, attached to them or
connected with either or both of their spindles or trunnions or otherwise, and the
sectors may be connected together with a suitable stay or stays, by which they may
be kept parallel to each other.
As a modification of the foregoing, the sectors may be actuated, and the apron or
cover opened or closed simultaneously with the sliding backwards and forwards of the
hot plate the reciprocal motion being communicated from the hot plate to the sectors
by means of a suitably formed lever or levers or by means of spur gear, rack and
pinion pulley and chain or by other equivalent means. As for example, a pinion or
toothed quadrant may be fixed on to the spindle pivot or trunnions of the sectors
arranged to gear with a rack or formed on the hot plate.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the apron or cover is open
it is supported by the sectors on each side, the curved front of the cover corresponding
to the arc of the sectors and together forming a hood shaped opening with close
sides through which the smoke and products of combustion are conveyed from the
open fire to the flue or chimney.

page_text: My invention will be better understood on reference to the accompanying two
sheets of drawings in which
Fig. 1, (Sheet 1.) represents the front elevation of my invention as applied to a
cooking apparatus of the Leamington range type as it would appear when open.
Fig. 2, (Sheet 1.) being a section of the same as open.
Fig. 3, (Sheet 1.) being a section of the same as shut.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6, Sheet 2, are similar representations illustrating one of the devices
referred to in the modification of the means employed for actuating the sectors and
by means of which the apron or cover is opened or closed simultaneously with the
sliding backwards and forwards of the hot plate.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
a is the vertical back plate.
b, is the rectangular opening in the same.
c, is the apron or cover.
d, is the hinge spindle pivot or trunnion on which the same as hung.
e, is the hot plate.
ff, is the sector shaped plate or plates which support the apron or cover when
open.
9, is the spindle pivot or trunnion on which the same move.
h, is the stay by means of which the sectors may be connected together and kept
parallel to each other the position of this stay may however be varied according to
circumstances.
i, is a boss which may be attached to one or both of the spindles of the sector
plates provided with a hole or holes into which a poker or other lever may be inserted
and by means of which the sector plates may be moved up or down, the apron or
cover being thereby opened or closed as required; other means as indicated in the
specification may be employed for this purpose which would be too numerous to
illustrate.
jis the fire place, and the arrows indicate the direction of the smoke or other
products of combustion, and k is the flue.
1, is the pinion or toothed quadrant & m, is the rack on the Hot plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
(1) In a range or cooking apparatus, the arrangement and combination of parts
and appliances, by means of which such range or cooking apparatus may be converted
into a close or open range in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein
described and set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1887.