IMPROVE- MENTS IN KITCHEN AND OTHER FIRE GRATES
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS STOWELL CLAPHAM of 14 Devonshire Street Keighley in the County
of York Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN KITCHEN AND OTHER FIRE GRATES" to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to Fire Grates in general but more particularly to
those which are used in connection with Kitchen Ranges, and has for its object the
construction of a fire grate which shall be free & moveable for the purpose of
cleaning or renewal, and when in use adjustable, in order that the front bars of
the Grate may be raised or lowered at will to the depth of fire required and thus
facilitate cooking by a low fire and also reduce the consumption of fuel.
For this purpose I construct the front bars of the fire grate in two parts, the
lower bar and the two sides of the Grate which are bolted to the front plates of
the Range with the Tidy attached in one part, and the moveable section of the
Grate in another part-The two sides of the last named part will be in rack form or
toothed on the face side and preserved from the action of the fire by Cheeks cast to
the sides of the fixed portion of the Grate, up and down which the moveable part
of the Grate will be raised or lowered-By preference this motion will be gained by
means of a worm, worm wheel & pinion wheels, the latter working in the racks
already described, the whole being fixed to the back of the Tidy & concealed from
view thereby.
The Grate may be made in Wrought iron Malleable iron or Cast Steel but by
preference and for cheapness I propose to use Cast iron in its construction.
Dated this fifteenth day of January 1885

page_text: I, THOMAS STOWELL CLAPHAM, of 14 Devonshire Street, Keighley, in the county
of York, Ironfounder 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:-
This invention has reference to fire grates in general but more particularly to
those which are used in connection with kitchen ranges, and has for its object
the construction of a fire grate which shall be free and moveable for the purpose of
cleaning or renewal and when in use adjustable, in order that the front bars of the
grate may be raised or lowered at will to the depth of fire required, and thus
facilitate cooking by a low fire, and also reduce the consumption of fuel.
For this purpose I construct the front bars of the fire grate in two parts, the
lower bar and the two sides of the grate which are bolted to the front plates of the
range with the tidy attached in one part and the moveable section of the grate in
another part. The two sides of the last named part will be in rack form or
toothed on the face side and preserved from the action of the fire by cheeks cast
to the sides of the fixed portion of the grate, up and down which the moveable
part of the grate will be raised or lowered.
By preference this motion is effected by means of a worm, worm wheel, and
pinion, the latter working in the racks already described the whole being fixed to
the back of the tidy and concealed from view thereby. The grate may be made in
wrought iron, malleable iron or cast steel but by preference and for economy
I propose to use cast iron in its construction.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, represents a
front elevation partly in section shewing my improvements applied to a kitchen
range. Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional elevations of the same, figure 4
represents a sectional plan of the front bars, and figure 5, a plan of the top sliding
plate.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
The bars D, are vertical and are held together by the horizontal top cross bar E,
and the bottom cross bar E¹.
The two outer bars M, consist of racks which work vertically at the back of the
pilasters A, which pilasters serve as guides to the racks and thereby steady the
whole of the front bars.
These racks M, are actuated by two pinions F, which are connected by a cross
shaft G; the pinions receive motion from a worm wheel H, caused to revolve by
means of a small crank handle J. By turning the handle J, the whole of the front
bars D, can in this manner be raised or lowered to the required height.
The front bars when lowered pass at the back of the shaft G and are concealed
by the "tidy" or front plate B.
Bearing upon the top cross bar E, and kept in position by the bracketed lugs P
is a sliding grating L, upon which cooking utensils which require to be heated can
rest. This grating is gradually drawn out as the front bars are lowered, so that it

page_text: may pass clear of the fire brick, or other back of the range K, until it assumes the
position represented in dotted lines at L¹, in figure 2, or the grating L (the side
bars of which are curved upwards at their inner extremities O to prevent their
being accidently drawn quite out) may be lifted up at the front, and then drawn
out, and replaced in recesses formed to receive them lower down at N, when they
will be in the position shown at L2, in figure 3, and in which position the grating
may be used for cooking or heating articles close to the front of the fire.
The grating L, may be replaced by a gridiron or plain hot-plate, if required,
supported in the same manner, and the bracketed lugs P, for keeping the grating L,
in position instead of being attached permanently to the top bar may be attached
thereto by set screws, by which means this arrangement of sliding top grate may
be applied to the top cross bar of an ordinary kitchen grate.
By means of this arrangement of rising and falling bars the top grating for
supporting cooking utensils or the gridiron or hot plate as the case may be can be
lowered as the fire becomes smaller, and thereby the required heat may be obtained
for the purpose of heating vessels placed upon the sliding grating without filling up
the grate with a fresh supply of coal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use of rising and falling front grate bars, for the purpose, and actuated in
the manner substantially as set forth and the method of applying the same at the
back of a tidy or front plate as described.
2. The construction and use of the sliding grating, gridiron, or hot plate,
supported by the top bar of a cooking range in the manner substantially as
described when applied to ranges fitted with my adjustable front grate bars.
Dated the 44th day of October 10.
TURNER & BAKER,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.