A New or Improved Steamer, Boiler, Fryer, and Drainer Combined,. for Use in Cooking Fish and other Foods.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Steamer, Boiler, Fryer, and Drainer Combined,.
for Use in Cooking Fish and other Foods.
I, KATE RICHARDS, (formerly MAYOU) of 9, Sussex Street, London, S.W.,
Lecturer on Cookery, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved steamer, fish fryer, boiler, and
drainer, for use in cooking fish, vegetables, puddings, and the like, and has for its
object to provide a utensil that can be used for cooking foods by either of the
processes mentioned, the feet supporting the utensil being made adjustable, so that
they may either be folded at the sides to allow the utensil to lie flat at the bottom.
of the kettle, saucepan, or boiler, or be kept at a suitable distance above the
surface of the boiling liquid, that the cooking can be done by steaming only.
In carrying my invention into effect, the body of the utensil is made elliptical,
round, or other suitable shape, of flat metal, according to the size and shape of the
kettle or vessel in which it is to be used; holes, convenient in size, numbers, and
distances apart, are made therein, and the edges strengthened, either by a beading
wire, or by flanging up at the sides, for more conveniently holding vegetables as
may be required;. on its lower side, two or more pieces of angular metal are hinged
to the body to form feet, which are either placed downwards to support the body-
at a suitable distance above the liquid in the vessel, or bent up at the sides to
allow the utensil to lie flat in the vessel. Handles are also attached to the ends of
the utensil for lifting it in and out of the vessel; these handles are also hinged or
otherwise made adjustable, so that when put in the vessel, they may lie flat or
inclined, to permit the lid of the vessel being used to keep in the steam.
Utensils made as described will be called the "Mayou" strainers, and may be
used for either steaming, boiling, or frying the food as required; and as before.
mentioned, may be made of any suitable shape, size, or metal.
Dated this 17th day of June 1895
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Steamer, Boiler, Fryer, and Drainer Combined,..
for Use in Cooking Fish and other Foods.
I, KATE RICHARDS, (formerly MAYOU) of 9, Sussex Street, London, S. W.
Lecturer on Cookery, 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 :-
My invention relates to a new or improved steamer, fish fryer, boiler, and
drainer, for use in cooking fish, vegetables, puddings, and the like, and has for its
object to provide a utensil to be used in cooking food by either of the processes
indicated, the utensil being provided with feet which are adjustable, so that they

page_text: serve as stands to keep it and the food placed thereon at a suitable distance above
the boiling liquid in the vessel for cooking by steaming, or are folded to allow the
utensil to lie at the bottom of the vessel for frying or boiling.
The steamer is made of metal, either round, elliptical, or other shape, according
to the size and shape of the kettle or boiler in which it is to be used; holes are
made in the body of any convenient size and number, the handles (as well as the
feet) being made to fold, for readily lifting the food in and out of the vessel; the
edges of the utensil are either beaded with wire to strengthen them or flanged up
for holding vegetables and the like.
My invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying
sheet of drawings, which illustrates an elliptical steamer with folding handles at
the ends and adjustable feet at the sides.
Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the steamer resting on its feet; Fig. 2
is a transverse section of the steamer, one side resting on a foot, the other side
being shown with the foot folded for the steamer to lie at the bottom of the boiler
or vessel; the dotted lines show the alternative positions of the feet; and Fig. 3 is
a sketch of a steamer placed in a (section of) boiler for cooking the food by
steaming.
The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is the body of the steamer, with the necessary holes made therein for steaming
and draining purposes; the edges of the body being strengthened by beading;
B B are the handles, hinged or pivotted at the ends, so that they can be folded
down inside the vessel; CC are plates bent at right angles to form feet or
supports, these are hinged at D to other plates E, which are rivetted or otherwise
fastened under the body of the steamer, the hinges allow the feet to be either
folded horizontally or to serve as supports to keep the steamer above the boiling
liquid, as shown in the drawings.
A steamer constructed as described can be inserted in an ordinary fish kettle or
boiler, and with the feet in a vertical position, will keep the food above the surface
of the liquid, so that it is cooked by steaming, and when the feet are folded
horizontally, the steamer is placed at the bottom of the vessel, and the food is
cooked in the liquid.
Utensils made in this manner will be called the "Mayou" steamers, and may be
used for steaming, boiling, or frying food, and as before mentioned, may be made
of any suitable shape, size, or metal, and instead of having two feet, as shown, may
have three or more, if preferred.
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. The construction of cooking utensils, with adjustable feet or supports, to
serve as combination steamers, boilers, fryers, and drainers, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and shown, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In cooking utensils, as herein illustrated, the combination of adjustable feet
and folding handles, adapting them to the various uses indicated, substantially as
and for the purposes described and shown.
Dated this 14th day of March 1896
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.