AN IMPROVED DUTCH OVEN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DUTCH OVEN."-A communication
from abroad by Acarithe Ioanny Deier of Peric Franca
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th October 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED DUTCH OVEN," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
-
The said Invention relates to an improved Dutch oven, termed an
automatic Dutch oven, constructed to utilize directly the action of the
O current of warm air produced by the fire-place to cause the turning in.
a uniform and continuous manner of the substance to be roasted.

page_text: The said apparatus is composed of a vertical metallic cylinder with
two openings arranged facing each other, and one of which is designed to
receive the grate while the other, which may be closed or not as desired
by a door, serves to introduce the substance or piece to be roasted, the
same being placed on a vertical spit, or preferably suspended on a hook
in such manner that its centre of gravity is always on its axis of
rotation. The said apparatus is surmounted by a wheel with inclined
vanes working like a turbine under the action of the current of warm
air from the fire-place, and which is designed to impart a rotative
movement to the device which supports the substance to be roasted.
This apparatus constitutes a portable Dutch oven, very simple and
inexpensive, occupying little space, and working automatically without
the aid of a turn-spit under the sole and direct action of the warm air
or gases from the fire-place.
It will be understood that this improved apparatus may be con-
structed of any size, and will work in connection with a lateral
fire-place in which is burned coal or gas or any other combustible
material.
The aforesaid cylinder is formed of tin, sheet iron, or other suitable
metal. The lower part of the cylinder is closed by a bottom of con-
venient form for holding the gravy, and inclined to facilitate the basting
of the piece being roasted. The centre of this bottom is provided with a
step or bearing for the spit or for a turning frame which carries the
hook. The upper part of the said cylinder is provided with a metal
cross bar perforated with a central hole for the reception of the upper
end of the said spit or a spindle on the said frame. This cross bar is
removable to facilitate the introduction and removal of the said spit or
frame.
The said wheel or turbine is a disc of sheet iron, tin, or other suitable
thin metal cut radially into sections, which are bent to form the vanes
or wings, the exterior extremities thereof being soldered to a hoop of
copper or other metal. At the centre the said wheel has soldered to it a
metal boss fitted on the upper end of the said spit or spindle, this boss is
cup shaped, and perforated with holes through which the gravy is poured
in basting.
Instead of providing the upper part of the said cylinder with a cross
bar I may close it with a head perforated with holes to permit the

page_text: passage of the warm air for actuating the wheel or turbine. In either
case the lower point of the spit or turning part is supported in the
said step or bearing, and its upper extremities terminated by a square
portion which fits the said boss of the wheel, and permits the same to
be taken off as desired for introducing or removing the substance to be
roasted. I prefer that the said wheel should have a diameter slightly
greater than that of the cylinder.
The fire-place of our Dutch oven is a metal furnace or stove, which
may be supported on feet, and enter more or less into the opening in
the cylinder; or it may be attached to the cylinder by means of metallic
hooks or in any other suitable manner. This furnace may be casily
removed by a handle fixed on it, and it is furnished with a grating or
bars. At the lower part of this grating is fixed a metal piece which
prevents the falling of ashes into the bottom of the cylinder. The
bottom of the said furnace is provided with an ash pan attached to the
door, which serves to regulate the draft. The top is provided with a
hinged door which facilitates the introduction of the fucl; and the said
furnace may be provided with a socket for the insertion of a bar for
removing the said furnace without danger of burning.
The cylinder of the said apparatus is supported on iron fcet, and
furnished with handles for lifting it, and with a cock for drawing off the
gravy accumulated in the bottom of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED DUTCH OVEN," a communication to me from
abroad by Agarithe Joanny Dejey, of Paris, France, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to an improved Dutch oven, termed an
automatic Dutch oven, constructed to utilize directly the action of the
current of warm air produced by the fire-place to cause the turning in a
uniform and continuous manner of the substance to be roasted.
The said apparatus is composed of a vertical metallic cylinder with two
openings arranged facing each other, and one of which is designed to
receive the grate, while the other, which may be closed or not as desired
by a door, serves to introduce the substance or piece to be roasted, the
same being placed on a vertical spit, or preferably suspended on a hook in
such manner that its centre of gravity is always on its axis of rotation.
The said apparatus is surmounted by a wheel with inclined vanes
working like a turbine under the action of the current of warm air from
the fire-place, and which is designed to impart a rotative movement to
the device which supports the substance to be roasted.
This apparatus constitutes a portable Dutch oven, very simple and
inexpensive, occupying little space, and working automatically without

page_text: the aid of a turnspit under the sole and direct action of the warm air or
gases from the fire-place.
It will be understood that this improved apparatus may be con-
structed of any size, and will work in connection with a lateral
fire-place, in which is burned coal or gas or any other combustible
material.
By referring to the Drawing it will be seen that the said apparatus has
a cylinder A formed of tin, sheet iron, or other suitable metal and
having two openings, of which the one B serves for the introduction of
the piece to be roasted, and for watching the progress of the roasting,
and may, as above stated, be closed by a hinged door like an ordinary
Dutch oven, the other opening being placed opposite and destined to
receive the movable fire-place herein-after described.
The lower part of the cylinder A is closed_by a bottom C of convenient
form for holding the gravy, and inclined to the bottom of the opening B
to facilitate the basting of the piece being roasted. The centre of this
bottom C is provided with a step or bearing D, upon which rests the
lower extremity or pivot of the spit or of a turning frame which carries
the hook. The upper part of the said cylinder A is provided with a
metal cross bar G perforated with a central hole H for the reception of
the upper end of the said spit or a spindle on the said frame. This cross
bar is removable to facilitate the introduction and removal of the spit or
frame upon which the roast is supported.
The said wheel or turbine K is a disc of sheet iron, tin, or other
suitable thin metal cut radially into sections, which are bent to form the
vanes or wings, the exterior extremities thereof being soldered to a hoop L
of copper or other metal. At the centre the said wheel has soldered to
it a metal boss M fitted on the upper end of the said spit or spindle;
this boss is cup shaped, and perforated with holes I, through which is
poured the gravy that accumulates at the lower part of the apparatus,
so that it will be distributed upon the meat being roasted.
Instead of providing the upper part of the said cylinder A. with a cross
bar I may close it with a head perforated with holes to permit the
passage of the warm air for actuating the wheel or turbine. These
openings may be formed by means of cuts or slits slightly raised on one
side, so as to form a series of slopes, which by deflecting the ascending

page_text: current of warm air augment its action upon the vanes of the upper
turbinc.
As above specified the roast may be placed upon a spit formed simply
of a rod E furnished with a pin F, like an ordinary spit; or (which is
preferable) it may be suspended upon a turning apparatus N formed of
two rods with a space between them, but united at their upper and
lower ends. In either case the lower point P of the spit or turning part
is supported in the said step or bearing D, and its upper extremity is
terminated by a square portion Q, which fits the central boss M of
the wheel K, and permits the same to be taken off as desired for intro-
ducing or removing the piece to be roasted. By giving the said wheel a
diameter slightly greater than that of the cylinder A, I utilize for
augmenting the power of the apparatus the action of the ascending
current of warm air which exists at the circumference of the cylinder A,
and which by reason of the high temperature of the latter rises con-
tinually along its sides.
The fire-places of my Dutch oven is a metal furnace or stove R, which
may be supported on metal fect, and enters more or less into tho
opening in the cylinder A.; or it may be attached to the cylinder by
means of metallic hooks, or in any other suitable manner. This furnace
may be easily removed by a handle S fixed on it, and it is furnished with
a strong metal grating T. At the lower part of this grating is fixed a
metal guard which prevents the falling of ashes into the bottom C of the
apparatus. The bottom of the furnace R is provided with an ash pan U,
which may be opened or closed by means of the door V, which serves to
regulate the draft, and consequently the activity of the fire. The top or
upper part is provided with a hinged door X, which facilitates the intro-
duction of the fuel, and the said furnace may be provided with a metal
socket for the insertion of a hook Y (Figure 7) for removing the said
furnace without danger of burning.
The said apparatus is supported on iron feet J, and furnished with
handles Z for lifting it, and with a cock W for drawing off the gravy
accumulated in the bottom C of the apparatus.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction or arrangement herein described and shewn, but

page_text: may adapt any equivalents or modifications thereof that will advan-
tageously serve my purpose; and I claim,―
The improved apparatus or automatic Dutch oven above described and
shewn in the accompanying Drawing, the essential characteristics of
which apparatus are the direct utilization of the upward force of the
warm air arising from the fire-place for turning the piece being roasted
on the spit or suspension piece in the centre of the said apparatus.
Also the special means above described for utilizing the force of the
warm air for putting in motion the rotating part of the said apparatus,
and which consists of a plate furnished with inclined vanes operating
like a turbine, and applied directly to the upper end of the said spit or
suspension picce, as above described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand
and cool this Eleventh day of Anril in the
Witness,
JAS. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WM. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)