IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE COOKING APPARATUS
Year: 1885

page_text: Messrs ALEXANDER, LOGIN LINEFF, and WILLIAM JONES, Consulting Engineers
of 9 Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE COOKING APPARATUS
to be as follows:-
2.
>
Our improved field cooking apparatus is designed for cooking food for large
companies of soldiers, emigrants, or workmen in the field; it can be put in
working order on any flat bit of ground at a moment's notice; the cooking can
begin immediately and the apparatus is easily packed when the cooking is over.
"
Our field cooking apparatus consists of a number of galvanized iron, steel, or tin
vessels of any suitable shape, by preference rectangular, with flat or rounded
bottom. Each vessel or cooker is provided with a pair of wings or side pieces
corresponding with the shape of the bottom of the vessels; these wings are hinged
or otherwise fixed at the sides so as to form a flue under the vessel when arranged
on the ground for cooking; the hinged wings or side pieces can be folded under the
bottom or over the sides of the vessels when the latter have to be packed. Wings
fixed otherwise can be removed and packed seperately. A number of such vessels
put on the ground in a horizontal line "each end on form a Blue and with a small
telescopic chimney fixed to one end of the row of vessels, the apparatus in its
simplest form is complete. Each vessel is provided with necessary handles, and
lids, and can be used for stewing, boiling, baking etc; steaming potatoes or
vegetables, or used as hot water vessels for making tea, coffee etc. Moreover each
cooker can be fitted with another vessel on the top, which may be used as a
steamer for vegetables and the like, and the heat and steam of the cookers thus
utilised. The respective vessels are made to telescope, or nest, so as to fit one into
the other when packed.
In order to start cooking the only preparation necessary is to put the vessels in
a horizontal row with their wings opened, place the chimney to the last vessel, or
in the centre of the complete set of cookers, scrape some dust, or earth round the
wings where they join each other, and light the fire under the end vessel or
vessels.
In a larger apparatus the chimney is attached to a baking oven, with a series of
baking dishes and the heat escaping into the chimney can be thus further utilised,

page_text: This oven can be used also for baking bread or roasting large Joints. The upper
part of it can be used as a hot plate for a variety of purposes. At the same time,
this oven is adapted to receive all the cookers, steamers, baking dishes, and in fact,
contain, when packed, the whole apparatus.
When the cooking has to be done for large companies, a large number of cookers
can be used and arranged so as to have a common chimney (resp. baking oven) in
the centre with the firing on both ends. Or the cookers can be arranged in the
shape of a T,+ or a star, with a central chimney and oven.
In somes cases we dispense with wings by giving to the bottom part of the cookers
the shape of a saddle. Thus when the vessels are arranged in a horizontal row on
the ground they form a flue of themselves.
Another modification of wings or side pieces we propose, is to have them
seperate from the vessels and hinged to each other in a form of a chain band. Two
such chain bands hinged to the bottom part of the chimney, or oven and spread on
the ground in two parallel sigzag lines will form a flue when the cookers are put
on the top of the links. These chains can be easily folded, and will take very little
room in the lower part of the oven or chimney base, or smoke box.
The advantages of our apparatus are as follows:-
Its lightness, and compactness. Easy control during the process of cooking, as
the whole contents of each cooker can be inspected. No piling of various parts one
over the other, and consequent exposure of the apparatus to the wind, and rain.
The metal of the cookers is never exposed to the direct action of the flame, unless
the cooker is nearly empty. Large heating surface compared with the surface
exposed to the influence of the cool air. No trenches have to be dug to fix the
apparatus-it is quite ready for fixing on any tolerably level piece of ground.
Great facility to combine together, two, three, or more companies kitchens, and work
them under one supervision. With additional parts as above described any superior
cooking can be managed.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Field Cooking Apparatus for Military and other Purposes.
"
We ALEXANDER LOGIN LINEFF and WILLIAM JONES both of 9 Buckingham
Street Adelphi, Strand W.C. Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "FIELD COOKING APPARATUS FOR MILITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our improved Field Cooking Apparatus is designed for cooking food for large
companies of soldiers, emigrants or workmen in the field it can be put in working
order on any flat piece of ground at a moments notice; the cooking can begin
immediately and the apparatus is easily packed when the cooking is over.
Our field cooking apparatus consists of a number of galvanized iron steel or tin
vessels of any suitable shape, by preference rectangular with flat or rounded bottom.
Each vessel or cooker is provided with a pair of wings or side pieces corresponding
with the shape of the bottom of the vessels; these wings are hinged or otherwise
fixed at the sides so as to form a flue under the vessel when arranged on the ground
for cooking; the hinged wings or side pieces can be folded under the bottom or
over the sides of the vessels when the latter have to be packed. Wings fixed
otherwise can be removed and packed separately-A number of such vessels put
on the ground in a horizontal line "each end on " form a flue and with a small
telescopic chimney fixed to one end of the row of vessels the apparatus in its
simplest form is complete-Each vessel is provided with necessary handles and lids
and can be used for stewing boiling baking & steaming potatoes or vegetable or
used as hot water vessels for making tea coffee &c. Moreover each cooker can be
fitted with another vessel on the top which may be used as a steamer for
vegetables and the like and the heat and steam of the cookers thus utilised-
The respective vessels are made to telescope or nest so as to fit one into the other
when packed.
In order to start cooking the only prepartion necessary is to put the vessels
in a horizontal row with their wings opened place the chimney to the last vessel
or in the centre of the complete set of cookers, scrape some dust or earth round
the wings where they join each other and light the fire under the end vessel or
vessels.
In a larger apparatus the chimney is attached to a baking oven with a series of
baking dishes and the heat escaping into the chimney can be further utilized-This
oven can be used also for baking bread or roasting large joints. The upper part of
it can be used as a hot plate for a variety of purposes-At the same time this oven
is adapted to receive all the cookers steamers baking dishes and in fact contain
when packed the whole apparatus.
When the cooking has to be done for large companies a larger number of cookers
can be used and arranged so as to have a common chimney (or baking oven) in the.
centre with the firing on both ends-Or the cookers can be arranged in the shape'
of a Tor a star with a central chimney or a star with a central chimney and
oven.

page_text: In some cases we dispense with wings by giving to the bottom part of the
cookers the shape of a saddle-Thus when the vessels are arranged in a horizontal
row on the ground they form a flue of themselves.
Another modification of wings or side pieces we propose is to have them separate
from the vessels and hinged to each other in a form of a chain band-Two such
chain bands hinged to the bottom part of the chimey or oven and spread on the
ground in two parallel zigzag. lines will form a flue when the cookers are put on
the top of the links.
These chains can be easily folded and will take up very little room in the lower
part of the oven or chimney base or smoke box.
The advantages of our apparatus are as follows:-
Its lightness and compactness-Easy control during the process of cooking as the
whole contents of each cooker can be inspected-No piling of various parts one
over the other and consequent exposure of the apparatus to the wind and rain-
The metal of the cookers is never exposed to the direct action of the flames unless
the cooker is nearly empty-Large heating surface compared with the surface
exposed to the influence of the cool air-No trenches have to be dug to fix the
apparatus it is quite ready for fixing on any tolerably level piece of ground-Great
facility to combine together, two, three or more companies kitchens and work them
under one supervision With additional parts as abovo described any superior
cooking can be managed.
Our cooking apparatus is designed for cooking for large or small companies of
soldiers emigrants workmen or pleasure parties in the field and to obviate the
necessity of digging trenches as is the case with field apparatus now in use-Our
field Kitchen can be put in working order at a moments notice and cooking can
begin immediately the whole apparatus is easily packed and carried when cooking
is over. The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view of one form of the
apparatus Figure 1º details of the chimney.
Figure 2 an outline plan of the apparatus and Figure 3 a view of the same
packed for transit.
Figure 4 is an elevation and Figure 5 an outline plan of the apparatus with an
Oven and the chimney in the centre. Figure 6 shews it packed for transit.
Figure 40 is a section of the oven F.
Figure 7 is an elevation and Figure 8 an outline plan of the Apparatus with the
nesting pans having tapered sides-Figure 9 shews the whole packed for transit.
Figure 10 is an elevation and Figure 11 a Plan of a single apparatus shewn
packed for transit in Figure 12-Figure 13 shows two single apparatus arranged
in series so that the one fire serves for both.
Figures 14 and 15 shew a similar apparatus to that shewn in Figures 10 and 12.
Figures 16 and 17 are side elevations of two forms of the simple cooker with wings.
Figures 7 14 and 18 shew modifications.
Our field kitchen consists of a number of vessels or cookers A made of tin, iron
steel or other suitable material and having by preference a rectangular shape as
shewn in Figure 1 with rounded or sharp corners and flat bottoms. These vessels
or cookers may be tapered down on two sides as shewn in Figure 1 or on all four
so as shown in Fig. 7 so as to allow easy nesting; in the latter case all cookers of a
set are made of the same size. They are provided with handles and lids can be
used for stewing boiling baking & or for steaming potatoes vegetables or as hot
water vessels for making tea coffee &. For steaming potatoes and vegetables we
fit to the cookers separate vessels B Figure 14 with perforated bottoms in order
to utilize the heat and steam. Likewise we make small vessels of the same
description to be used as strainers when making tea coffee &° as will be well,
understood.
The fire box and flue of our apparatus is formed by two chain bands C arranged
on the ground and the Cookers A are put side by side on the top of these. The
Chain bands Care hinged to a smoke box D the latter carrying the Chimney E

page_text: which can be detached from the box and moreover is made on the telescopic.
principle for packing. The chain bands are formed by plates of iron C hinged to
each other at C¹ so that when the chain is pulled out of the smoke box it forms a
zigzag line which gives stability to the chain as clearly shewn in the plans.
Figures 2 and 5. The hinges may be constructed so as not to open beyond a
certain limit for this purpose if desired. The plates at the bottom are provided
with holes or openings C to allow free access of air to the wood or other fuel
which is burned between the two lines of chain plates under the cookers: Besides
this every alternate plate has preferably a larger hole to facilitate the raking of
ashes and fire or to introduce more fuel at any part of the flue where greater heat,
is required.
These chain plates or chain trenches take the place of the trenches usually dug
in the ground and are a most important feature in this Invention.
The length of the chain is regulated by the number of cookers but in any case
there must be one plate C³ extra on each chain to be used as a door for regulating.
the draught and to enable the cookers to be put wider apart when the cooking has
to be done slowly.
In order to start cooking the only preparation necessary is to put the chimney
into an opening provided in the smoke box pull out the chains light the fire and.
place the cookers on the chains.
The fire in figure 1 is located under the first cookers between the chain trench just
inside the doors C³ the products of combustion being drawn along underneath the
cookers to the Chimney E.
The cooking is under perfect control as the cookers can be shifted from one part.
of the chain to another according to amount of heat required by their contents.
When the chains are of the same width through the whole length as in figure 1
the cookers which must be arranged when starting the cooking on the chain as
close to each other as possible have only the two ends tapered and the other two
sides parallel as in order to make the cookers nest the width of each cooker
belonging to one set must be gradually decreasing. In order to have all the
cookers the same size the chains may be arranged on both sides of the Smoke Box
so as to carry the cookers over each side with two separate fires, this arrangement
is shown in Figure 7. The Chains are cut on the top edge so as to let the cookers'
slope thus the bottom edges touch at each apex formed on the chain.
Fig. 7a shews a modification of the cooker, one side only being vertical and the
remaining side and ends slanted. These cookers are all of the same size and nest'
into each other. The chain trench is in this case level on top. Sometimes we use
cross pieces of light hoop Iron which are put across the chain trench to fill up the
space between those cookers which have their adjacent sides slanting.
The chain may be also made of separate plates connected at the bottom ends by'
a piece of ordinary chain and having on the alternate links hooks and notches so
as to form when put together an angle as shown in fig. 18 in section and elevation..
The open space between the ends of the two links serves to admit the air to
facilitate the combustion or for stoking purposes.
In a larger apparatus intended for field hospitals or camps & where the diet has
to be much varied, an oven F. Figures 4 and 5 is attached thus the heat escaping
from under the cookers is further utilized and the oven can be used for baking
bread or roasting large joints and the upper part of it as a hotplate for a variety of
purposes. At the same time the oven is adapted to receive all the cookers,.
steamers, baking dishes & and in fact contains the whole apparatus when packed
for transport as shewn in Figure 6.
The form shown in Figures 4 and 5 is intended for a large amount of cooking
and to be fired at both ends; nevertheless if desired, the chain trench & at one
side of the oven F may be dispensed with and the apparatus fired from one end.
only. Or the oven may be used alone both sides of the chain trenches being.
folded and the stoking done at the small door F* underneath the oven.

page_text: The oven F. consists of the simple shell as shewn by Figures 4. 4° 5 and 6, and
has inside the inner shell or lining F1 which forms the oven proper; the products
of combustion pass from the chain trenches beneath the bottom of the oven, then
into the space F2 and find their way into the chimney after passing two baffle
plates F between the inner and outer shaft of the oven.
As the whole of the products of combustion have to pass through the narrow
space F the outside of the oven becomes very hot and considerable heat may be
imparted by radiation or contact to the cookers A. placed against the oven sides
while the top makes an excellent hot plate.
The trays or dishes F are adapted to slide in and out upon suitable bearers
within the oven proper, these bearers being made hinged and folding close to the
inner shell when the apparatus has to be packed-All of this will be readily
understood by reference to Figure 4° of the drawings.
For small companies and where only one cooker has to be used, said cooker is
placed upon the fire box D. Figure 10 to which the chimney is attached and in
which the cooker nests when packed as shown in Figure 12-This fire box D. bas
holes G. all round its upper part and has no bottom so as to admit the cooker;
there is besides an opening for firing with a hinged door C³ and another opening
for the escape of smoke through the Chimney E. which telescopes for packing and
is fixed by means of two slides on the fire box with corresponding flanges on the
bottom length of the chimney as shown in Figures 11 and 13-To start cooking
the cooker is taken out of the fire box the latter put on the ground upside down
the chimney fixed in its proper place and the cooker put in the opening of the
bottom (now the top) of the fire box A. Steamer B Figure 14 with perforated
bottom gridiron and frying pan, are added to the set and all next in the cooker.
Fig. 14 shews a modification of the same Kitchen with addition of an oven―
The arrangement of the latter and the nesting of the cookers is exactly the same as
in the large apparatus fig. 4.
The above apparatus can be worked in combination i.e. two three or more
apparatus can be worked with the same fire, one chimney on the last apparatus
serving to carry the smoke as shewn in Figure 13. In such case the fire doors C³
are made on the side of the fire box and the opening for the chimney on the other
side in a diagonal direction-Thus if the fires boxes of several apparatus are put
together so that the fire door of the second faces the chimney opening of the first,
and so on the fire will circulate under the cookers through all fire boxes and escape
through the chimney fixed to the last fire box of the set.
A wind guard I Figure 1ª may be placed upon the top of the chimney, it is
simply as flat or slightly curved plate slotted at its lower end so that some parts or
figures J are outside the chimney and some parts inside and is easily turned in the
direction required.
The manner of nesting the Figure 1 apparatus is shown in Figure 3 the
cookers A are removed and piled one inside the other the chain plates C. are
folded up in the smoke box D as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the Chimney
is removed and the sections run one inside the other and the smoke box with the
Chain plates and the Chimney are placed inside the nest of Cookers the lids K
placed on top and the whole fastened in any convenient manner as by a strap L
passed under the handles as clearly shown on Figure 3 where the inner portions
are shown in dotted lines.
The manner of nesting the figure 7 apparatus is practically the same, the chain
plates are folded inside the smoke box as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, the
Cookers are nested as in Figure 9, the chimney shut up as before and Chimney and
Fire box placed inside the nest of Cookers and the lids placed on top and the
whole fastened as before and looking as in Figure 9.
The nesting of the Figure 4 apparatus is practically the same as the others
excepting that everything fits inside the oven instead of inside the Cookers the
apparatus when packed for transit is shown in Figure 6.

page_text: The forms shown in Figures 16 & 17 consist of the Cookers A. Figure 16 to
which are hinged or jointed the wings M; the dotted lines shew these wings folded
and the full lines shew them opened ready for use. The Cookers thus fitted
are placed side by side the open spaces between the wings M forming a flue a, at
one end of which is the fire and a Chimney at the other-In figure 17 the wings M
are dispensed with the Cookers being formed with bottoms hollowed so as to form
the flue at a when the Cookers are placed side by side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained in the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a field cooking apparatus. the chain plates or "chain trenches" such a C.
adapted for use in place of the dug trenches constructed and operating substantially
as specified.
2. In a field cooking apparatus a chain trench such as C. constructed of plates C.
hinged or jointed together at C¹ the end plates C 3 whereof are adapted to be used
as doors substantially as specified.
3. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with a "chain trench" such as
described of a smoke box D. to which said Chain trench is flexibly connected and
into which it is adapted to fold substantially in the manner specified.
"
4. In a field cooking apparatus, the combination with a chain trench such as
described of vessels or Cookers" A. adapted to be placed side by side upon said
chain trench substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.
5. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with a chain trench C. smoke
box D and chimney E. of vessels or Cookers A. adapted to "nest'
» one within
another and to contain when packed said chain trench smoke box and chimney
substantially as specified.
6. In a field cooking apparatus, the combination with a chain trench C. of an
oven F. adapted to receive the heat from the fire or fires within said trench and to
contain when packed the whole of the rest of the apparatus substantially as
specified.
7. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with smoke box D having an
oven F above it of chain trenches C extending in opposite directions from it
substantially as specified and shewn in figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
8. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with the smoke box D having
two sets of train trenches C flexibly connected with its opposite sides and a
chimney E on top of all of which can be packed within said smoke box of
cookers A adapted to "nest' one within another and to contain when packed
said smoke box and its contents substantially as specified and illustrated in
Figures 7, and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
"
9. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with a reversible fire box D of
a cooker A adapted to fit in or upon the smaller opening of one face of said fire box
and to be packed inside through the larger opening substantially as specified and
shewn in Figures 10 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.
10. In a field cooking apparatus the combination with a reversible fire box D of
an oven F adapted to fit in or upon the smaller opening of one face of the said
fire box and to be packed inside through the larger opening and to contain the
cookers A substantially as specified and shewn in figure 14° of the accompanying
drawings.
11. In a field cooking apparatus the combination of 2 fire boxes such as D so
arranged and connected together that the heated gases and products of combustion
from one shall pass into the other or others substantially as specified.
12. In a field cooking apparatus the method of combining two fire boxes D by
connecting the fire door of one with the chimney opening of the next substantially
as specified.

page_text: 13. In Field cooking apparatus the method substantially as specified of heating
two or more apparatus with one fire by connecting them in series.
14. The herein described construction of Cookers such as A provided with
wings M or in such manner that when placed side by side a flue a is formed
substantially as specified and shown in Figs. 16 and 17 of the accompanying
Drawings.
15. In a field cooking apparatus the method of facilitating the nesting of cookers
of the same size whose adjacent sides are parallel when placed upon the trenches
which consists in making one side of each Cooker vertical while the others are
slanted substantially as specified.
16. In a chain trench such as described the plates C, whose upper surfaces are
inclined in reverse directions substantially in the manner and for the purposes
specified and shown in Fig. 7. of the accompanying Drawings.