Improvements in Appliances or Vessels for Cooking by Steam, for Domestic and other Analogous Purposes
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances or Vessels for Cooking by Steam, for
Domestic and other Analogous Purposes.
1, JANE PARISH of No. 6, Maynard Street Leicester in the county of Leicester, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
"
This invention relates to Improvements in appliances or vessels for cooking. by
steam; for domestic and other analogous purposes, and has for its object an improved
means of cooking by steaming without using two appliances at one time, and produc-
ing food properly steamed and cooked by a much smaller supply of water than is now
the case, also to facilitate the supply of water to the vessel or pan without having to remove
the lid from off the vessel, pan or other culinary vessel used in cooking for boiling and
steaming vegetables, rice, meal, and the like, or in steaming fish, poaching eggs, and other
analogous purposes. To carry this into effect I make what is commoly called a sauce-
pan" if of tin I cause a slot to be cut out in the side near the bottom, or in a line with
the bottom and cover it with a piece of wire net, or perforated plate then solder on the
outer face a feed box, or may be a tube, and hinge thereto a lid for the purpose of
pouring in water when that in the pan has boiled down, without removing the lid to
cause an escape of steam, I put inside the pan a disc or plate fitting properly therein
which has upon its under side a flange about two inches deep according to the capacity
of the pan, the flango resting on the bottom of the pan-a passage is made for the
steain to escape from the underside of the plate or disc by having several holes in the
flange, and the steam enters the pan or steaning chamber through a circle of small
holes in the plate or disc about half an inch or thereabouts from the edge, by this
means the steam circulates round the interior of the pan, or what I will call the steam
box or chamber holding the food, meat or fish to be steamed, round the edge of the
upper face of the plate or disc is a rim to keep anything placed loose on the plate,
such as rice, or meal from getting off by the plate or disc having to be removed from
the pan when the food is cooked, wire handles or their equivalents being fitted to the
plate or disc and fitting to the sides of the pan.
By this method of steaming only sufficient water is required to be put into the pan
to come to the under side of the inserted plate or dise the pan being put upon the
fire, or stove, the water boils under the plate or disc, the steam making its way
through the holes in the flange and up through the circle of holes in the plate or
disc, the feeding box or tube upon the outer side being kept closed.
It would appear that by the rapid boiling of the water in such
stnall space in
the pan that it would force itself through the perforated plate, or wire net of the
feeding box or tube but such is not the case, of course the supply of water is regulated
by the person in charge, and the pan can always be kept boiling by thus feeding it
without having to remove the lid, and if it is desired that all the water is to be
emptied out of the pan without removing the lid, when potatoes have to be perfectly
dry after having been steamed the water left at the botton can be poured out through
the feed box or tube thus the vegetable will be perfectly dry and properly
drained.
This invention will be found invaluable for steaming food or forage for cattle
which of necessity requires to be steamed as dry as possible.
For this purpose the appliance will be especially constructed having a steam
chamber in which the food or forage will be placed upon a plate or disc inserted in
the manner herein before described, and a feed box or tube on the outer side for the
supply of water.

page_text: For steaming chops, steaks, and the like I use a plate or disc not perforated and
having the rim on its upper face deep enough to hold the gravy, sufficient water is
put in to come nearly up to the plate or disc, the upper face of which being dry and
the steam only escaping up through the sides in a sufficient quantity to keep the pan
from burning.
I am aware that pans have been made baving steam jackets or inner pans, but by
my invention of a plate or disc for the purpose referred to the steam jacket will be
entirely superseded.
In my appliances just sufficient steam is maintained in the chamber to keep the
sides of the vessel from burning.
I can make the aforesaid appliance in any shape other than circular to suit the
various shaped cooking apparatus or stoves which may be constructed from time to
time.
Dated this 1st day of November 1888.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances or Vessels for Cooking by Steam, for
Domestic and other Analogous Purposes.
I, JANE PARISH of No. 6 Maynard Street Leicester in the county of Leicester,
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 relates to improvements in appliances or vessels for cooking by
steam; for domestic and other analogous. purposes the object of which is to provide an
improved means of cooking by steam in one pan or appliance without using a pan
and steamer which require two appliances to be used at one time in ordinary culinary
articles by my invention any person without any necessary trouble, or want of
knowledge in cooking can produce the articles consumed in every day use in a proper
manner and the food properly steamed by a much smaller supply of water than is
now the case, also to facilitate the supply of water to the vessel or pan without
having to remove the lid or cover of the vessel, pan or other utensil used for broiling,
or boiling and steaming vegetables, rice, meal and the like, or steaming fish, poaching
eggs and other domestic purposes.
The method or means for carrying out my invention is illustrated in the drawings
annexed of which Figure 1. is a view partly in section of one form of my cocking
appliance, and Figure is a circular flat top view of the cooker as applied to a
cooking pan or saucepan," or iron pot, in the pan or boiling pot, or outer chamber A,
at a'. I cut out a hole and cover it internally with a piece of wire net, or may be a
perforated plate a³, then solder on the outside a feed box B, or may be a tube
extending up the outside, "denoted by the broken line c," or 1 may make in the side of
the cover an indent (not shewn) sufficiently large enough to admit of the water been
supplied from the top between the inner and outer vessels, and binge thereto a
lid c. In either case, into this box or tube the water is poured, or fed when that
already in the bottom of the pan has boiled down without the cook having to open
the steam chamber by detaching any portion of the vessel or removing the lid and so
cause the steam to escape, inside the pan or boiling pot A, is the dished out disc or
plate D, fitting properly therein, and upon its under side is a carried a hollow
support or perforated steam chimney E, about two inches in depth, according to the
capacity of the pan A, the lower free end of the support resting upon the bottom of
the pan, the holes e in the said steam chimney are made at intervals to allow the
steam to escape and make its way through the circle of holes F, in the flange of the
plate or disc into the steam chamber, or cooking pan, the steam is thus allowed to

page_text: circulate round the vessel or chamber in the direction indicated by the arrows, that
portion of the steam chamber which is immediately over the food being quite dry, a
rim is formed round the edge of the plate or disc to keep such food as rice, ineal,
or potatoes G, from falling off when the plate is taken out of the cooking pan, or
iron pot when sufficiently cooked, wire handles or their equivalent H, are attached to
the side of the cooker, "as shown in figure 2," that it can be lifted out, or I may
employ the cover or inner steam chamber I, this can be fitted to the plate or disc,
and placed in the inside of the pan A, the lid ), being made so that the person taking
hold of the handle J', the cover and cooker can be taken out of the pan together, I
may hinge the lid of the steam chamber, or make it loose from the other portion I,
if made as shown the cover can be so attached and fitting to the rim of the plate by
the pins and slots of a suitable shape made in the cover that by turning it
after lifting it with the plate out of the cooking pan, it can be seperated from the
plate.
By supplying the boiling pot with water to the height marked K, about level with
the top of the feed hole a¹ and place the vessel or utensil on the cooking stove, or
fire grate the water will be found sufficient to boil without touching the cooking plate
or disc D the steam making its way to the top of the interior of the chimney E the
heat becomes centralized immediately under the articles being cooked, while the upper
face of the cooker is perfectly dry as before stated, the lid of the feed box B, or
tube C, being kept closed, if the steam in the inner chamber, or cover I, becomes
overcharged it finds its way through the outer circle of holes in the flange and works
up the space between the outer and inner chambers-It would appear that by the
rapid boiling of such a small quantity of water in such a confined and small space in
the pan that the water would force itself into the steam chamber, through the holes
in the perforated plate, or through the feeding box B, but such is not the case, of
course the supply of water requires to be regulated by the person in charge, and the
pan can be kept continually boiling by thus feeding it, or if it is desired to empty
all the water out of the boiling pan A, or outer chamber when cooking potatoes
to properly dry them, open the lid c¹ and pour out when they will be perfectly dry,
and vegetables of whatever kind when taken out will be found to be in proper
condition for the table.
This invention will also be found invaluable for the purpose of steaming the food or
forage to be given to cattle which of necessity is required to be steamed and then
made absolutely dry, this arrangement consists of a steam chamber I, the food or
forage being placed upon a plate or base, D, and carries a lid, or door J, with a tight
joint which can be opened when the forage is sufficiently steamed, no special drawing
is made of this construction but will be well understood by reference to the drawings
but it may be made of any suitable shape or size, and have the feed box B, or tube C
upon the outer side, the fire to be arranged in a fire grate of any ordinary construction
made underneath the bottom of the outer chamber A. For cooking or steaming
chops, steaks and the like the flange of the plate or disc D, is not perforated, the rim fi
on the edge of the upper face being made deeper, or deep enough to hold the gravy,
in this case sufficient water is put in that it comes to the top or thereabouts of the
feed box B, the steam escaping up over the edge of the plate and round the sides of
the pan A, and is sufficient to keep the pan from burning, the cover I in this case not
being used.
I am aware that pans or cooking appliances have been made having steam jackets
or inner pans, and external feed, but not a dished out cooking plate or dise of any
shape square, oblong, oval or circular and having a support or chimney by which
means the heat is kept iminediately under the article to be cocked, the steam
entering the steam chainber radially, or through radial holes for the purpose herein-
before referred to.
The appliance can be made to suit any existing shaped cooking apparatus, or
stoves, or iron cooking pots and the like, and any form of outer cover may be used
so long as they are fitted that no steam escapes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion. and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
:
1. In cooking utensils or culinary articles the employment of a cooking plate D
with the perforated' support or chimney E, fitting in a cooking pan, or iron pot as
before described.
2. In a cooking vessel or utensil for domestic use, the outer pan or boiling pot A,
the plate D, and support or chimney E, and inner cover I, attaclied thereto in
combination with the feed box B or tube C. for the purpose referred to.
3. In a cooking vessel or utensil or appliance to be used for steaming forage for
cattle the outer pan or chamber A perforated plate or disc D, and support or
cbimney E, and inner chamber I, and external feed box B, or tube C. substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 1st day of August 1889.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent, Leicester, Agent for the Applicant.