IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO COOKING STOVES OR RANGES FOR GAS AND SOLID FUELS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fletcher, of Warrington, in the county of
Lancaster, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO COOKING
STOVES OR RANGES FOR GAS AND SOLID FUELS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fletcher at the
"
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1883.
THOMAS FLETCHER of Warrington in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND APPLICABLE TO COOKING STOVES OR RANGES FOR GAS AND SOLID FUEL
This Invention relates to Cooking Stoves or Ranges and has for its object to
enable the ovens of such stoves or ranges to be used for cooking by the simultaneous
or alternative use of gas or of the ordinary fuel without structural alteration of the
range or stove.
".
°
In carrying out my Invention I attach to the latch of the oven door a false latch
or use some other equivalent arrangement which will allow the door of the oven to
be nearly closed and fastened in that position as for example by the engagement of
the false latch with the catch. The false latch or other equivalent device is so
arranged that when the oven door is fastened thereby there shall be left an opening
or space between the door and the oven sufficient to allow room for a gas supply
pipe and for the passage of the air needed for the combustion of the gas and for
ventilation At the bottom of the oven or in any other position that may be
required a gas burner or burners is placed as is customary in ordinary gas heated
ovens,
In a stove or range, to which my Improvements have been applied the heated
gases arising from the combustion of the gas raise the interior of the oven within a
very short time to the temperature required for cooking. If the gas is used in,
conjunction with the ordinary fire it is therefore possible to commence cooking.
before the fire is lighted and the gas may be turned down as soon as the fire has
acquired the required intensity. It is also possible by regulating the supply of the
gas or the burners in operation to employ the gas continuously-in-conjunction with
a moderate fire or to cook with the gas burners alone.
4.1
This combination ensures a considerable economy of fuel and enables the
advantages of an ordinary fire to be secured for existing ranges or stoves at a
small cost.
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page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th August 1883.
THOMAS FLETCHER of Warrington in the County of Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND APPLICABLE TO COOKING STOVES OR RANGES FOR GAS AND SOLID FUEL"
This Invention relates to Cooking Stoves or Ranges and has for its object to
enable the ovens of such stoves or ranges to be used for cooking by the simultaneous
or alternative use of gas or of the ordinary solid fuel without structural alteration
of the range or stove.
And in order that my improvements may be more readily understood I have
hercunto appended a sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference, similar
letters denoting similar parts.
In carrying out my invention I attach to the end of the latch of the oven door a
false latch as shown in Figs 1 and 2 or some equivalent device or arrangement
which will allow the oven door to be nearly closed and fastened in that position as
for example by the engagement of the false latch with the catch. Fig 1 shows in
side view and Fig 2 in front view a convenient form of the false later as attached-
to the oven latch the end of which is shewn by dotted lines When the oven door
is nearly closed the part of the false latch engages with the catch and the door is
held in that position-The amount of opening left is determined by the thickness
of the part a and is generally about half an inch The false latch may be secured
to the oven latch by means of a thumb screw 6 Instead of using a false latch I
may employ a false catch as shown in Fig 3 which is attached to the true catch
and is provided with a notch c into which the door latch falls-The notch c is
formed at the distance of about half an inch from the oven side or jamb d so that
the door may be held open to about that extent. The position of the true catch is
shown in dotted lines
The opening thus provided between the oven door and the oven serves for the
passage of the air needed for the combustion of the gas within the oven, for
ventilation and for allowing space for the gas supply pipe. The gas burner or
burners are placed on the bottom of the oven or in any required position therein as
is customary in internally heated gas ovens.
In a stove or range to which my improvements have been applied the heated
products of the combustion of the gas raise the temperature of the oven within a
very short time to the degree required for cooking-If the gas is used in a
conjunction with the ordinary fire it is therefore possible to commence cooking
before the fire is lighted and the gas may be turned down as soon as the fire has
acquired the desired intensity-It is also possible by regulating the supply of ges
or the number of burners in operation at the same time to employ the gas con-
tinuously in conjunction with a moderate fire or to cook with gas alone-This
combination ensures a considerable economy of fuel and enables the advantages of
an ordinary gas stove to be secured for existing ranges or stoves at a small cost.
Having now described the nature of my Improvements and the best methods
known to me for carrying the same into practical effect I desire it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details as the same may be varied without
departing from my Invention but that what I claim is,
The use of gas as a heating agent in the ovens of ordinary ranges or stoves by

page_text: the means substantially as described without requiring any permanent or structural
alteration of any portion of the range and in such a manner that either gas or solid
fuel may be used alone or both in conjunction,
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth day
of August one thousand eight hundred and eighty three
THOS FLETCHER
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