IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN 12ANGING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McIntyre Shaw, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN
12ANGING "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McIntyre Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1881.
_JOHN MCINTYRE SHAW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of various parts of
combined close and open fire kitchen ranges, designed to render them more generally
useful and efficient than as heretofore made.
By one improvement of the present Invention the open fire arrangement
comprises two vertical flaps or shutters, hinged or pivotted at their outer edges to
open out from the centre, and which are so constructed that they open out past the
usual position perpendicular to the back of the range, and form an outwardly
expanding or trumpet mouth flue opening behind the fire cover. The breadth of
the fire opening is, by preference, made greater than the back of the flue, and the
flaps or shutters in their open position extend from the back of the fire opening to
the flue at the back of the range. A cover shaped to fit over the shutters or sides
of the flue opening in their open position is provided and hinged or suspended
from the back of the grate to rest on the top edges of these side flaps which
are bevilled downwards from the pivotted edge. This cover may be folded up to
rest against the covings or back of the range, or when the covings do not
extend high enough it may be held up by a hooked wire or rod suspended from the
smoke plate above; or otherwise, this cover may be made to slide through a slot
and be pushed up to lie in the flue against the back of the range. The advantage
of forming the flue opening to lie in an inclined position is, that less space is taken
up on the hot plate, allowing greater freedom for cooking operations, while the
smoke and fumes are more readily drawn by the trumpet mouth opening into the
flue.
A second improvement consists in a new mode or means of directing the bot fire
gases through the flues over or under the oven as desired, so that the material

page_text: placed within the oven may be equally baked or cooked above and below. By this
improvement an open grating is fitted in the opening from the fire place to the flue
passing under the oven, and a movable grating is fitted to slide on its back surface
so as to pass over and close the flue grating, and thus close the flue when desired
so that the fire gases traverse the flue over the oven, and heat the oven from above.
The draught being greater through the flue below the oven, the fire gases traverso
that flue on the opening of the sliding grating. The sliding grating is provided
with a wire or rod passing through the front of the grate, and fitted with a handle
or knob outside.
By another improvement, the flue below and behind the pressure water boiler is
formed by loose portable bricks or fire clay slabs, in place of the usual expensive
built up flue. The bottom brick rests on flanges formed for it in the lower back
part of the range a few inches below the boiler, and the back bricks or slabs aro
slipped in between flanges formed on the cast iron sides of the flue, leaving
sufficient flue space between the bricks and the boiler.
A further improvement consists in fitting an iron plate or a slab of fire brick or
non conducting material between the fire and the pressure boiler, which can be
withdrawn when the water boiler is in use and working properly, and be inserted
to shield the boiler from the heat of the fire, and at the same time close the flue
beneath the boiler during frost, or when from any cause the boiler should have
become inoperative. This movable plate or shield is fitted to slide between vertical
or nearly vertical flanges or guides formed at each side of the fire place, and is kept
a little in front of the boiler to leave an air space between it and the boiler, so that
when the shield or plate is fitted, the action of the fire would not heat the boiler to
a degree sufficient to cause risk of explosion, and the range could be safely used as
an open fire range, or as a close fire range with the hot gases passing freely
through the oven flues.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John McIntyre Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th November 1881.
JOHN MCINTYRE SHAW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North-Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES."
My said Invention relates to improvements in the construction of various parts
of combined close and open fire kitchen ranges, designed to render them more
generally useful and efficient than as heretofore made.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings representing modifications of kitchen ranges constructed in
accordance with my Invention, and which I shall now proceed to describe. In
these Drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts
where repeated.

page_text: Figure 1 of these Drawings is a front elevation of a modification of my improved
kitchen range; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse vertical
section through the fire-grate and boiler flue; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal section
through the oven and oven flue, with part of the range in elevation; Figure 5 is a
transverse vertical section corresponding to Figure 3 of a modified arrangement of
the range; and Figures 6 and 7 are sections at right angles to each other of the fire
cover for the range.
By one improvement of my said Invention, the open fire arrangement comprises
two vertical flaps or shutters A, A, hinged or pivotted at their outer edges at top
and bottom at a, to open out from the centre where they meet when closed, as in
Figures 1 and 2, which show the close fire arrangement; and these flaps A, A, are
so constructed that they open out past the usual position perpendicular to the back
of the range and form an outwardly expanding or trumpet mouth flue opening A¹,
behind the fire-cover D¹, as indicated in Figures 3 and
which show the open
fire arrangement of the range. The flaps or shutters A, A, in their open position
extend from the back of the fire opening B at b, in Figure 2, to the flue A' at the
back of the range. A cover A2, shaped to fit over the shutters or sides A of the flue
opening A' in their open position is provided and hinged or suspended from the
back C of the grate to rest on the top edges of these side flaps A, which are
bevilled downwards from the pivotted edge at a. This cover A may be hinged, as
shewn in Figure 5, and be folded up to rest against the covings C or back of the
range, or when the covings do not extend high enough it may be held up by a
hooked wire or rod suspended from the smoke plate above. Or otherwise this
cover may be made, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, to slide up through a slot or
opening c, and be pushed up to lie in the flue against the back of the range.
Or
the cover A may be made of segmental form, and fitted with guide pieces a² on
each side of blade springs A³, fitted within the flue A¹ at the back of the grate, and
which form guides for the cover when it is perched up, and also by pressing on it
keep the cover in its upward position; or the cover A in either form may be fixed
in such a position as to cover the flaps when open. The advantage of forming the
sides A of the flue opening to lie in an inclined position is, that less space is taken
up on the hot plate D, allowing greater freedom for cooking operations, while
the smoke and fumes are more readily drawn by the trumpet mouth opening into
the flue.
A second improvement consists in a new mode or means of directing its hot fire
gases through the flues e, e', over or under the oven E, as desired, so that the
material placed within the oven may be equally baked or cooked above and below.
By this improvement an open grating F, seen particularly in Figures 3, 4, and 5, is
fitted in the opening from the fire-place to the flues e, e¹, passing under the oven,
and a movable grating F' is fitted to slide on its back surface so as to pass over
and close the flue grating F, and thus close the lower flue e' when desired, so that
the fire gases traverse the flue e over the oven E, and heat the oven from above.
The draught being greater through the flue e¹, below the oven E, owing to the flue
opening e to the chimney being below, the fire gases traverse that flue e¹ on the
opening of the sliding grating F¹. The sliding grating F¹ is provided with a wire
or rod passing through the front of the grate, and fitted with a handle or knob f
outside.
By another improvement the flue G below and behind the pressure water boiler
is formed by loose portable bricks or fire-clay slabs G1, G2, as shown particularly in
Figures 3 and 5, in place of the usual expensive built up flue. The bottom
brick G rests on flanges g formed for it in the lower back part of the range a few
inches below the boiler H, and the back brick or slabs G2 are slipped in between
flanges g' formed on the cast iron sides of the flue, leaving sufficient flue space
between the bricks G1, G2, and the boiler H.
A further improvement consists in fitting an iron plate I, or a slab or fire-brick
or non-conducting material between the fire and the pressure boiler H, which can
be withdrawn when the water boiler H is in use and working properly, and be

page_text: inserted as indicated in Figure 5, to shield the boiler H from the heat of the fire
and at the same time close the flue G beneath the boiler H during frost, or when
from any cause the boiler should have become inoperative. This movable plate or
shield I may be fitted to slide between vertical or nearly vertical flanges or guides
formed at each side of the fire-place, or be made with flanged sides to rest on the
boiler, and is kept a little in front of the boiler H to leave an air space between it
and the boiler H, so that when the shield or plate I is fitted, cool air passes between
it and the boiler as indicated by the arrows, and the action of the fire would not
heat the boiler to a degree sufficient to cause risk of explosion, while the range
could be safely used as an open fire range, with the hot gases passing freely
through the oven flues.
The fire cover D¹ is made as indicated in Figures 6 and 7, with ribs or flanges d
cast on its under side to slide in grooves a formed in the hot plate D, so that the
cover can be pushed back conveniently instead of being lifted off as usual.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by, the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent, is,-
First. The general construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of a
kitchen fire range in which is embodied the new features or improvements herein
described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement in combined open and close fire
ranges, of hinged or pivotted flaps or shutters A, A, forming when opened out an
expanding or trumpet mouth flue opening, fitted with a cover which when not in
use is passed through a slot into the chimney flue, or canted up or suspended from
the upper part of the range, substantially as herein described in reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. In kitchen fire ranges, the fitting of a sliding or other movable grating (F¹)
to cover or uncover a fixed grating (F), by uncovering which the fire gases can
pass through an oven flue to the chimney, or by closing be directed through
another flue, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth in reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. In kitchen fire ranges, the construction, or formation of the flue under
and behind the boiler, with portable bricks or slabs carried by flanges or other
fittings on the range, and in combination therewith the fitting of a shield or plate in
front of the boiler to close the flue, while also leaving a cool air space between it
and the boiler, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth in reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McIntyre Shaw, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.