IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING OR KEEPING WARM FOOD FOR INFANTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grout, of 28, High Town, in the County of Hereford,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING OR
KEEPING WARM FOOD FOR INFANTS."
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 24th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grout at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1876.
JOHN GROUT, of 28, High Town, in the County of Hereford.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING OR KEEPING WARM FOOD FOR INFANTS."
This Invention has for its objects improvements in apparatus for warming or
keeping warm food for infants.
The apparatus cousists of an annular case formed of sheet metal. The sides of
the case are double, and the case is heated by means of hot water being poured into
the space between these double sides through openings at the top which are closed
by screw caps.
The case is coated with flannel or other fabric, and this covering extends over the
top of the case, and there is a slit or opening formed in the covering at the centre,
and the edges thereof are drawn together by an elastic band.
In the centre or well of the case, bottles containing infants' food are placed, and
there are partitions to retain them in their places. These partitions being of metal
also serve as heat conductors to convey heat to the bottles placed between them.
The case has a handle attached to it.
By this apparatus infants' feeding bottles may be kept warm for many hours, and
without any great variation of temperature, whereas with the apparatus at present
in use, where a night light or lamp is employed as source of heat, it is very
difficult to regulate the temperature to which the food is exposed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John Grout in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th April 1877.
JOHN GROUT, of 28, High Town, in the County of Hereford. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WARMING OR KEEPING WARM FOOD FOR INFANTS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for warming or
keeping warm food for infants.
The apparatus consists of an annular case formed of sheet metal. The sides of
the case are double, and the case is heated by means of hot water being poured into
the space between these double sides through openings at the top, which are closed
by screw caps.
The case is coated with flannel or other fabric, and this covering extends over the
top of the case, and there is a slit or opening formed in the covering at the centre
to afford access to the interior. The edges of the slit close together to retain the
heat.
In the centre or well of the case bottles containing infants' food are placed, and a
partition or partitions to retain them in their places. These partitions being of
metal also serve as heat conductors to carry heat to the bottles placed between
them. The case has a handle attached to it.
By this apparatus infants' feeding bottles may be kept warm for many hours, and
without any great variation of temperature, whereas with the apparatus at present
in use, where a night light or lamp is employed as a source of heat, it is very
difficult to regulate the temperature to which the food is exposed.
The apparatus may also be used for keeping meat and vegetables hot.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation; and Figure 2 is a plan of apparatus constructed ac-
cording to my Invention; Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 1, 1, in Figure
1; and Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2, in Figure 1.
a, a, is a case having double sides enclosing between them a space a¹ which is
intended to be filled with boiling water, and for this purpose an opening or openings
are provided. One opening only is represented in the Drawings, but two may be
provided with advantage, in order that the air may escape freely through one of
them whilst the water is poured in through the other. b is a screw cap closing the
opening into the space a¹; the case is provided with a handle c, and it is enclosed
in a thick covering of flannel or other such like fabric d to retain heat; this covering
is bound tightly around the case by the bands d¹. The cover encloses both the top
and the bottom of the case, but under the bottom the full thickness is not
maintained, because the table or surface upon which the apparatus stands will aid
materially in preventing the escape of heat in this direction. d², d², are slits in the
top of the cover which allow part of it to be turned back in order that feeding
bottles may be placed in the compartments e, e, of the interior or well of the case.
ds is a flap of thick cloth attached on one side to the cover, it is intended as an
additional protection against the escape of heat.
In the apparatus shown there are two compartments separated by a partition f
and each of a size to hold a bottle, but if desired the apparatus may be made large
enough to hold three or more bottles.
In using this apparatus, the case having been filled with boiling water, the bottles
containing cold food should be placed within it, and by the time that the food can
be required, it will be sufficiently warm, and it will be retained at a suitable
temperature for a great length of time.
A convenient, efficient, and inexpensive way of forming the covering d is to envelope
the case a in thick hair felt, then to place around this a layer of thick brown

page_text: paper, and over this paper a jacket of baize, but the external coating may be of
wood or even of thin metal.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim the construction of
apparatus for warming and keeping warm food for infants, substantially as herein-
described and represented upon the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grout, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN GROUT. (L.S.)