THE BETTER AND MORE EFFECTUAL HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Hughes, of 3, Donegal Place, Belfast,
Ireland, for the Invention of "THE BETTER AND MORE EFFECTUAL HEATING
OF BAKERS' OVENS."
Sealed the 1st May 1855, and dated the 30th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th December 1854.
I, BERNARD HUGHES, of 3, Donegall Place, Belfast, Ireland, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE BETTER AND MORE EFFECTUAL
HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS " to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of baker's oven, whereby the
heat derived from the burning fuel is more economically employed than here-
tofore. The flame and heated gases from the fire-place are conducted under
the floor of the oven by a serpentine flue, which leads to a vertical flue made
in the brickwork at the back of the oven. The heated gases thence pass up
to a zig-zag flue which leads to the chimney, and presents a heating surface
to the top of the oven. A second vertical flue, provided with a damper, is
employed for regulating the heat of the lower flue, by opening (when
required) a more direct passage for the traverse upwards of the flame and
gases of combustion.

page_text: The advantages to be derived from this Invention are as follows, viz. :-
1st, greater cleanliness in the manufacture of bread, as the fire has not
to be taken from the flue whilst the bread is baking, and the oven will
not require to be cleaned.
2nd, a great saving of time, for the oven being always heated, the baker 5
will not have to stop until the oven is re-heated after drawing the batch.
3rd, a great saving in the cost of fuel, for the full force of the blaze not
being required, slack, cinders, &c. may be used as fuel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Bernard Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
HUGHES, of 3, Donegal Place, Belfast, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Bernard Hughes, Her special license that I, the said Bernard
Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Bernard Hughes, 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 "THE
BETTER AND MORE EFFECTUAL HEATING OF BAKERS' OVENS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Bernard Hughes, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bernard Hughes, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: This Invention relates to a novel construction of bakers' ovens, whereby
the heat derived from the burning fuel is more economically employed than
heretofore. The flame and heated gases from the fire-place are conducted
under the sole or floor of the oven by a serpentine flue (provided with a
damper), and by means of a vertical flue made in the brickwork, eighteen
inches from the side of the oven; the heated gases pass from thence up to
another curved flue, which is conducted over the top of the oven.
This upper
flue terminates at the centre, and presents a heating surface to the top of
the oven. From this flue the heated gases and smoke are conducted to the
chimney by another flue, provided with a damper.
A second vertical flue, rising from the fire-place, and made in the brick-
work, eighteen inches from the side of the oven, and also provided with a
damper, is used for throwing the heated gases and flame direct to the upper
flue, instead of allowing them previously to traverse the lower serpentine flue.
There is also another vertical flue made in the brickwork, eighteen inches
from the side of the oven, rising with the first vertical flue from the serpen-
tine flue, and running parallel with it. This flue is provided with a damper,
and leads direct to the chimney. By means of these dampers, the direction
and quantity of the gases may be regulated; and the oven can be heated or
cooled at any particular place, either at the front of the sole, the back of the
sole, or at the top of the oven, without heating or cooling any other part. The
flues and dampers are so constructed and arranged, that this regulation of
the heat can be effected while the bread is in the oven, and as there will be
indicators to indicate the heat of the sole and top of the oven, the heat of any
part can be regulated with facility and nicety.
A great saving of time in conducting baking operations in this oven arises
from the fact that the oven can always be kept at a uniform heat, so that as
soon as one batch comes out another can be put in; and as the operations of
charging and discharging the oven will not occupy more than five minutes, one
of these ovens will bake as much bread as three ordinary ovens, and will
require fewer men to attend to it; the labor, moreover, will not be so
laborious, and only one-third of the fuel usually employed will be required;
the operation of baking can also be carried on with greater cleanliness than
heretofore. The bread is put on two tins, which can be put in or taken out
of the oven in two minutes. The improved oven is built of fire brick and
mortar, and the bottom flues are covered with fire tiles; the sole of the oven
is laid with common tiles, and the top of the oven and top flues are
covered with T iron, or railway iron, with tiles laid across the bars and covered
with cinders and sand on the top. The dimensions of the oven, as shewn in

page_text: the accompanying Drawing, are eight feet six inches in length, by eight feet
nine inches in breadth in the clear, and eleven feet eight inches in length by
fifteen feet in breadth on the outside; but these dimensions may be varied, if
thought' desirable. The door, being made to extend the whole breadth of the
oven, is constructed in three parts, and is suspended by chains which pass over
pulleys, the centre part of the door being eighteen inches broad, and the other
two parts equal in size. These ovens may be regularly and constantly heated,
and may be made of any convenient size or shape of baking surface, not
more than twelve feet square; or, if required for baking biscuit, they may be
constructed as portable ovens, and, if required, several ovens may be placed
together, so as to form an oven of any size required; they may also be built
of any material or materials suitable for building bakers' ovens.
In order, however, that the Invention may be clearly understood, I have
shewn in the accompanying Drawing various views of my improved oven, so
that the internal construction of the oven may be clearly seen.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the oven, shewing the doors suspended by
chains in front of the entrance to the interior; Fig. 2 is a side elevation;
Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, shewing
the arrangement of the flues below the hearth of the oven; Fig. 5 is a
similar view, shewing the arrangement of the flues above the oven.
A, A,
(Fig. 4) is the fire-place; B, B, is the serpentine flue, running under the
sole or floor of the oven; C (Fig. 4) is a damper in the serpentine flue B,
and is used to let the flame and heated gases pass, when required, from
the fire-place direct to the back part of the sole of the oven; D (Fig. 5)
is a vertical flue, rising from the serpentine flue B, and leading to the flue
E, above the roof of the oven, and thereby presents an extended heating
surface to the top of the oven. After the heated gases have passed along
the flue E, they rise up a short vertical flue at E, E, and are conducted
by the flue I to the chimney.
F is a vertical flue, provided with a damper F, F, (Fig. 2.) This flue Frises
from the serpentine flue B, and leads direct to the chimney. This flue is used
either for heating the sole (if the top be hot enough), or for blowing off the
heat if it be too hot. This latter object is effected by slacking, or putting out
the fire, and allowing cold air to pass through the serpentine flue B.
G (Fig. 5) is a vertical flue, provided with a damper G, G. (Fig. 2,) and
rises from the fire-place A. This flue is employed to let the heat pass direct
to the top of the oven (when the sole is hot enough), or for blowing off the
heat from the top if it be too hot. The heat is reduced by slacking, or putting
out the fire, and allowing the cold air to pass through the upper flue E.

page_text: The flue I is employed to conduct the heated gases and smoke from the
upper flue E, where it rises at E, E, to the chimney; this flue is also provided
with a damper, just before entering the chimney.
L is the damper in the flue I, and is the principal damper in the oven, for
by opening it the heat is made to pass round every part of the oven. When
the fire is burnt clear, by partly closing the damper L, so as to leave a
small passage for air, it will prevent most of the heat from escaping from the
top of the oven; or by closing it when the oven has been heated for some time,
it will not only prevent any escape, but the oven will gather heat for several
hours after the fire has burned down. H, Fig. 4, is a man-hole, which is
closed with a block, and is used for cleaning the flues when required; there
is also another man-hole in the flue I, placed above, where the upper flue E
rises at the centre.
Having now described my Invention for "The Better and more Effectual
Heating of Bakers' Ovens," and the means of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as new, the adaptation or employment of upper and lower flues or pas-
sages for the passage or transmission of the heat from the fire-place to the
different parts of the oven. I also claim the application to such flues of
dampers, for the purpose of controlling or regulating the heat of the oven and
governing the direction in which the heated gases shall pass from the fire-place
to the chimney..
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Hughes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
DANIEL QUIN,
Fall Road, Belfast.
HUGH M'ALISTER,
John St., Belfast.
BERNARD HUGHES. (L.S.)