IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING APPARATUS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Walker Leeds, of Woburn Place, in the County
of Middlesex, Heating and Ventilating Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Walker Leeds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd November 1880.
LEWIS WALKER LEEDS, of Woburn Place, in the County of Middlesex, Heating
and Ventilating Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING APPARATUS."
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus which is employed in cooking
by direct radiation. As only the direct radiation from the surface or face of the
fire is utilized, it is important that the greatest heat of the fire should be on such
surface or face, while for economy it is desirable that the bed or mass of burning
fuel should be not only thin but present at the same time the greatest possible
radiating surface for the amount of fuel consumed.
To accomplish these desirable results the grate, according to my Invention, is
placed preferably in an approximately vertical position, while the horizontal depth
of the fuel chamber is made very shallow and tapering, the smaller end of the taper
being at the top. The back of the said fuel chamber is constructed of a heavy
mass of fire brick or other refractory material which will retain heat and help
thereby to secure perfect combustion when fresh fuel is added. The fuel chamber
terminates at its enlarged end in the ash pit, which projects beyond the surface
of the grate bars in order to catch any burning fuel or ashes which may fall
through said grate bars. The ash pit being also employed in part to regulate
the draft and heat of the fire, as by removing the ashes the burning fuel will be
allowed to take their place, thus adding to the intensity of the beat.
To secure an intensely hot radiating surface it is desirable that the air to
promote combustion should not be entirely supplied directly upon said surface,
for this reason, the draught flue enters preferably at the back of the fuel chamber
and near its vertical centre in order to promote combustion where it is most needed.
As the draught is mainly supplied above the largest or bottom portion of the fire
chamber, it does not affect the fuel therein contained, which is intended for slow
Price I

page_text: combustion, and for the retention of a moderate heat for lengthened periods. This
arrangement will enable an almost permanent fire to be kept up with a moderate
amount of fuel, and this is a great advantage, as the fire chamber and its sides and
back of refractory material are kept in a constantly heated state.
For the purpose of providing different areas of radiating fire surface adapted to
cook large or small quantities of materials, the fire chamber may be divided by
means of a vertical wall of fire brick extending from the back to the grate bars,
the front edges of said bricks being chamfered if necessary. If said vertical wall
be placed at one third the distance from side to side of the fire chamber, a complete
apparatus is formed by said third which may be used when only a small fire is
required; or the two thirds, or the entire grate surface may be employed, depending
on the varying requirements of the household. To secure a bright hot surface on
the face of the fire, a moveable screen or cooking chamber of non heat conducting
material is employed, said screen being lined with fire clay or bricks which by
absorbing the heat from the fire become intensely hot, the heat being in part
radiated back upon the fire surface, which rapidly becomes the hottest portion of
the fire. The screen is provided with doors or hinged pieces at the sides and top,
so that when the screen is placed close to the fire, and the doors or pieces closed in,
a comparatively air tight chamber is formed, the operation in practice being as
follows-When the fire brick or mass has become thoroughly heated the screen is
removed sufficiently far from the fire to enable the material which is to be roasted
or cooked to be suspended therein; the screen is then replaced in position and the
doors or hinged pieces closed. The material is at the same time acted on from both
sides, firstly, by the direct heat from the fire, and, secondly, by the heat radiated
back by the fire brick lining of the screen. Nearly all the heat is confined within
the cooking and fire chambers, the kitchen or apartment being kept comparatively
cool, this being of great advantage where large fires are almost permanently kept
up. As the fire is confined between two hot masses of fire brick, the fuel may be
spread out thin, presenting a large beat radiating surface with but a small amount
of fuel consumed. As the front of the fire becomes very hot the grate bars are
preferably made of oblong tubes formed of thin metal, and open at top and bottom
for the free circulation of air. The top of the range or cooking apparatus above
the fire chamber is made of heavy metal provided with the usual openings for
boiling, stewing, and similar purposes, while the ovens for baking and tank for
heating water may be placed back or beyond the roasting fire.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Lewis Walker Leeds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd May 1881.
LEWIS WALKER LEEDS, of Woburn Place, in the County of Middlesex, Heating
and Ventilating Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COOKING APPARATUS."
"
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus which is employed in cooking
by direct radiation. As only the direct radiation from the surface or face of the
fire is utilized, it is important that the greatest heat of the fire should be on such
surface or face, while for economy it is desirable that the bed or mass of burning
fuel should be not only thin but present at the same time the greatest possible
radiating surface for the amount of fuel consumed. To clearly explain how these
desirable results may be obtained reference is made to the Sheet of Drawings
which form part of this Specification, in which Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of
the arrangement of parts shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 2, and in plan in
Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 1 showing the dampers; Fig. 5 is a front
elevation of the arrangement of parts shown in side sectional elevation in Fig. 6
with the screen D removed. In all the Figures like letters of reference refer to
corresponding parts of the apparatus. The grate a" according to my Invention
is placed preferably in an approximately vertical position, while the horizontal
depth of the fuel chamber A, A', is made very shallow and tapering, the smaller
end of the taper being at the top. The back of the said fuel chamber is constructed
of a heavy mass of fire brick or other refractory material B, which will retain heat
and help thereby to secure perfect combustion when fresh fuel is added. The fuel
chamber terminates at its enlarged end in the ash pit "b," which projects beyond
the surface of the grate bars in order to catch any burning fuel or ashes which may
fall through said grate bars, the ash pit being also employed in part to regulate the
draft and heat of the fire, as by removing the ashes the burning fuel will be allowed
to take their place, thus adding to the intensity of the heat. To secure an
intensely hot radiating surface it is desirable that the air to promote combustion
should not be entirely supplied directly upon said surface; for this reason the
draught flue Centers preferably at the back of the fuel chamber and near its
vertical centre, in order to promote combustion where it is most needed. As the
draught is mainly supplied above the largest or bottom portion of the fire chamber
or ash pit "b," it does not affect the fuel therein contained, which is intended for
slow combustion and for the retention of a moderate heat for lengthened periods.
This arrangement will enable an almost permanent fire to be kept up with a
moderate amount of fuel, and this is a great advantage, as the fire chamber and its
sides and back of refractory material are kept in a constantly heated state. For
the purpose of providing different areas of radiating fire surface adapted to cook
large or small quantities of materials, the fire chamber may be divided by means
of a vertical wall of fire brick "c" extending from the back to the grate. bars, the
front edges of said bricks being chamfered if necessary. If said vertical wall be
placed at one third the distance from side to side of the fire chamber, a complete
apparatus is formed by said third, which may be used when only a small fire is
required; or the two thirds or the entire grate surface may be employed, depending
on the varying requirements of the household, the draft being regulated in this
case by means of draft regulators or slides E and E¹ and dampers F and F¹. To
secure a bright hot surface on the face of the fire a moveable screen or cooking
chamber D of non heat conducting material is employed, said screen being lined
with fire clay or bricks, which by absorbing the heat from the fire becomes intensely
hot, the heat being in part radiated back upon the fire surface which rapidly

page_text: becomes the hottest portion of the fire. The screen is provided with sliding doors
or with hinged pieces G at the sides and top, so that it may be placed at varying
distances from the fire, and the doors or pieces closed in so as to form a com-
paratively air tight chamber, the operation in practice being as follows:-When
the fire brick or mass has become thoroughly heated the screen is removed
sufficiently far from the fire to enable the material which is to be roasted or cooked
to be suspended or placed within the cooking chamber; the screen is then replaced
in position, and the doors or hinged pieces closed. The material is at the same
time acted on from both sides, firstly, by the direct heat from the fire, and
secondly, by the heat radiated back from the fire brick lining of the screen. Nearly
all the heat is confined within the cooking and fire chambers, the kitchen or
apartment being kept comparatively cool, this being of great advantage where
large fires are almost permanently kept up. When it is desired to keep a moderate
fire through the night, or for lengthened periods, the doors or slide pieces may be
so arranged as to admit of the screen being brought close to the grate bars, and by
the retention of heat between the fire brick walls B and D such fire will last much
longer than if in an open fire place, while the fire being confined between two hot
masses of fire brick the fuel may be spread out thin, thus presenting a large heat
radiating surface with but a small amount of fuel consumed. As the front of the
fire becomes very hot the grate bars are preferably made of oblong tubes formed of
thin metal, and open at the top and botton for the free circulation of air. The top
of the range or cooking apparatus above the fire chamber is made of heavy metal
provided with the usual openings for boiling, stewing, and similar purposes, while
the ovens for baking and tank for heating water may be placed back or beyond the
roasting fire. In Figures 1, 2, and 3, H and H¹ represent the ovens, I and 1' the
hot water tanks or boilers. When only a moderate amount of cooking is required,
and but one third or the part A' of the fire chamber is employed, the draft slide E
and damper F may be closed and only the oven H¹ and the tank I heated. The
damper "e" is adapted for directing the heated gases either around the oven and
boiler or directly along the underside of the top plate. The screen D being
provided with a projecting binged piece "d," which may be opened out to corre-
spond with the edge of "c," as shown, or folded back when it is desired to use the
whole fire and cooking chambers. In the smaller set or arrangement of cooking
apparatus, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6, H represents the oven; I, the water
tank or boiler; and J, the range top for stewing or steaming, while in all the
Figures where it is shown K represents the dripping pans, which are preferably
countersunk in the hearth stone, in order that the screen D may be pushed close
to the fire when desired, said scrcen being preferably provided with doors in order
that the articles being roasted or cooked may from time to time be properly
attended to without the necessity of removing the screen.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and how the same may be
practically employed, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement and combination of the draft flue for the supply of air
for combustion at approximately the centre of the fire chamber at its back with
the ash pit below the line of draft, all substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Second. The moveable screen lined with fire bricks or analogous refractory
material, for receiving the direct heat radiated from and re-radiating the same
back upon the surface of the burning fuel, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Third. The moveable cooking chamber formed of or lined with fire bricks or
other non conducting materials, and provided with adjustable top and sides for
forming a comparatively air tight or close chamber of variable dimensions and at
different distances from the fire, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the division wall " C "of the fire chamber
of the screen to form the cooking chamber, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The combination of the fire brick or refractory back B grate bars and
non conducting screen, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Walker Leeds, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of May, in the year of our Lord
1881.
Signed and sealed by the said
Lewis Walker Leeds in the
presence of
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
14, Southampton Bdgs.,
Chancery Lane,
London.
LEWIS W. LEEDS. (L.S.)