NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR THE COOKING OF EGGS BUT WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED FOR COOKING OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Darling of Glasgow in the County of Lanark
North Britain for an Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE FOR THE COOKING OF EGGS BUT WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED FOR
COOKING OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD"
11
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Darling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1883.
"NEW
JOHN DARLING of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR THE COOKING OF EGGS BUT
WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED FOR COOKING OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD,"
This Invention which relates to a new or improved apparatus which is specially
applicable for the cooking of eggs or other articles of food in regard to which the
cooking operation is required to be stopped at any exact instant of time, consists
of a vessel wherein is contained a tray capable of being vertically moved upwards
or downwards therein.-Oa this tray the eggs or other articles to be cooked are
laid, and during the cooking operation are wholly or partially immersed in the
water contained in the vessel.-The tray is carried in, or upon one or more vertical
guides and is provided with one or more spiral springs at its under side.-In the
neighbourhood of the vertical guides, a vertical hollow or tube is situated, or this
tube may be in the centre of the vessel in which case the vertical guides may be
dispensed with. In this tube is placed a spring having a prong which when pushed
forward projects through the bottom part of the tube and coming over an attach-
ment of the tray prevents the spiral spring or springs from forcing the tray
upwards.
When using the apparatus for boiling eggs or cooking other food the tray is
depressed so as to be immersed together with the eggs or other food in the water
and the spring with its prong drawn or pushed forwards in order to retain the
tray at the bottom of the vessel, and when the parts are relatively in this position,
a piece of soluble substance such as hard salt, soda, alum, or an equivalent
substance which having a given bulk will dissolve in the water in a constant
Price 1

page_text: period of time, is dropped thereinto and keeps the spring and prong in the holding
down position until the piece of soluble substance is dissolved. The period of
solution corresponds with the period necessary to properly boil an egg., or eggs, or
other food placed thereon and at the moment of solution of the said substance the
spring and prong are released so that the spring or springs, at the underside of the
tray, instantly lift the tray and the eggs or other food that are placed thereon
up out of the water or other liquid in which the boiling operation has taken
place.
In place of using the soluble substance which on its melting will release the
prong at the proper time in the manner hereinbefore described, clock-work
mechanism of any well known type may be applied, which on being set to effect a
release of the prong at any required period enables the tray and its contents to be
forced by the spring up out of the water, or the action of the steam produced by
the boiling operation may be caused to effect the release of the prong in the
following manner. A portion of the water is confined within a small cylinder
fitted with a moveable piston and piston rod, the latter being connected, by a lever
or othewise, to a catch piece acting upon the prong.-An indicator is applied
which may be set to release the prong at any given instant or position of the
piston in the said cylinder and as the piston is moved by the pressure of the steam
generated in the closed cylinder acting in opposition to a spring, as the pressure
of the steam thus produced rises, it gradually lifts the piston until it reaches that
point at which the indicator is set to effect the release of the prong.
In place of having the lifting apparatus attached to or contained permanently in
the vessel in which the boiling operation takes place it may be made a separate
apparatus which may be lifted in and out of the vessel containing the
the boiling water
and form an ornamental utensil which may be placed to hold the food on the
table, In this case the tube containing the prong preferably placed at the centre
of the apparatus and it may be provided with a pin for holding the parts of the
apparatus in their lowest position after the boiling operation has been completed.
The vessel in which the boiling operation takes place may also be made ornamental
and either permanently attached to or not permanently attached to the automatic
lifting apparatus.
When the apparatus is made as last herein before described it may be provided
with either a spirit lamp or an attachment to a gas tube for heating it by means
of a Bunsen or other burner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office
7th December 1883.
on the
"NEW
JOHN DARLING of Glasgow in the County of Lanark North Britain
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR THE COOKING OF EGGS BUT
WHICH MAY ALSO BE USED FOR COOKING OTHER ARTICLES OF FOOD."
My said Invention relates to new or improved cooking apparatus specially
applicable for the cooking of eggs but which may also be used for other articles of
food in regard to which the cooking operation is required to be stopped at any
exact instant of time.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now
proceed to set forth the system mode or manner in or under which the same
is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings and to the Letters and Figures marked thereon that
is to say:
Figure 1, is a vertical section of one form of apparatus constructed in accordance
with my said Invention.
Figure 2, is a plan and Figure 3, a side elevation of the same.
Within the vessel A, is a tray B, capable of being vertically moved upwards or
downwards therein. On this tray the eggs or other articles to be cooked are laid
and during the cooking operation are wholly or partially immersed in the water
contained in the vessel A.-The tray B, has formed upon it a vertical tube b,
preferably of right-angular shape as shewn in Figure 2, the said tube being open
along its one side as shewn at 6* Figure 1.
The tube b, is capable of sliding vertically over a correspondingly shaped tubular
guide a, which is soldered or otherwise attached to and projects from the inner
side of the vessel A, the part b, being held in position thereto by the socket
piece a¹, Figure 1, which projects from the inner side of the vessel A, the tray B,
being further guided by the vertical rod or portion a³, soldered or otherwise
secured and projecting from the inner side of the vessel A.-The tray B, is
supported upon a spiral spring b¹, and when using the apparatus for boiling eggs
or cooking other food the tray B, is depressed so as to be immersed together with
the eggs or other food in the water.-The tray in its descent comes in contact
with a catch consisting of two prongs d, d', the said catch being pivoted at d², to
the bottom of the vessel and held in position by the spiral spring d³ e, being a
lump of soluble material hereinafter referred to. The parts of the catch being
situate as shewn in Figure 1, within the vertical tubular guide a, when the tray B,
reaches the bottom of the vessel the prong d, is caused to project through the open
part a*, of the tubular guide a, and simultaneously through an opening 6*1, in the
side of the tube b, of the tray B, the parts of the catch being thus brought into
the position shewn by the dot and pick lines and when in this position the piece
of soluble substance e, such as hard salt soda, alum or an equivalent substance which
having a given bulk will dissolve in the water in a constant period of time, which
has been previously dropped through the open side b*, of the tube B, and has
rested upon the prong or projection d, as shewn in Figure 1, falls, when the tray B,
is depressed down to the bottom of the vessel, on to the back of the projection d',
the catch being as hereinbefore described pushed forward by the tray into the
position shewn by the dot and pick lines; the substance e, thus acts as a wedge
piece and prevents the tray rising until the piece of soluble substance is dissolved.
The period of solution corresponds with the period necessary to properly boil an

page_text: egg or eggs or other food and at the moment of solution of the said substance the
spring b¹, and prong d, of the catch are released so that the said spring instantly
lifts the tray with the eggs or other food that are placed thereon up out of the
water or other liquid in which the boiling operation has taken place.
In place of using the soluble substance which on its melting will release the
prong at the proper time in the manner herein before described, clock-work
mechanism of any well known type may be applied which on being set to effect a
release of the prong at any required period enables the tray and its contents to be
forced by the spring up out of the water, or the action of the steam produced by
the boiling operation may be caused to effect the release of the prong in the
following manner: -A portion of the water is confined within a small cylinder
fitted with a moveable piston and piston rod, the latter being connected by a lever
or otherwise to a catch piece acting upon the prong.-An indicator is applied which
may be set to release the prong at any given instant or position of the piston in
the said cylinder and as the piston is moved by the pressure of the steam generated
in the closed cylinder acting in opposition to a spring, as the pressure of the steam
thus produced rises it gradually lifts the piston until it reaches that point at which
the indicator is set to effect the release of the prong.
•
In place of having the lifting apparatus attached to or contained permanently in
the vessel in which the boiling operation takes place it may be made a separate
apparatus which may be lifted in and out of the vessel containing the boiling water
and form an ornamental utensil which may be placed to hold the food on the table,
the tube containing the prong or catch being in this case preferably placed at the
centre of the apparatus and provided with a pin for holding the parts of the
apparatus in their lowest position after the boiling operation has been completed.
Figure 4, is an elevation of this modification of my said Invention, Figure 5, an
elevation partly in section, Figure 6, a plan and Figure 7, a sectional plan, on the
line a, y, Figure 8,
Figures 8, and 9, being a further elevation and Figure 10, a further sectional
elevation.
The tube F, containing the prong G, is supported upon a disc or false bottom I,
preferably perforated with holes i, Figure 7. Upon the tube F, slides the tray J,
which may be also ornamentally perforated with holes j, Figures 6, and 7, the said
tray being shewn applicable for retaining eggs and constructed after the manner of
an ordinary egg stand, the rings j', supporting the eggs in position upon the tray
and over the recesses 2, Fig. 10. the said recesses ³, being also preferably perforated
as shewn at j³, Figures 6, and 7.-The tray J, has formed upon it two guide rods j³,
culminating in a ring or handle 1, and between the said guides and in a central
position over the tray is a tube or plunger j³, having within it at its base a spiral
spring, the arrangement being such that the tray when in its normal position is
held in its highest position under the teusion of the spring upon the tube F, as
shewn in Figures 4, and 5.
When using the apparatus the tray is depressed against the spring jo, into its
lowest position Figures 8, 9, and 10, the pin P, being preferably inserted through
the hole f, in the tube F, and the corresponding hole j', in the top of the apparatus.―
The tray in this position has caused the projection g, to be depressed against the
tension of its spring g', and the prong G, is simultaneously projected out through
the aperture f¹, Figures 4, and 5, of the tube F, the action of the prong being
such that simultaneously with the approach of the hole j³, Fig. 4. formed in the one
side of the part J', of the tray to a position opposite the prong G, the said prong
is caused to project through the said hole 18, as shewn in Figure 9.-The piece of
soluble substance e, now dropped into the, aperture f¹, Figures 4, 5, and 8, and
acts as a wedge to prevent the prong G, escaping from the hole 28, in the part J,
of the tray, the position of the soluble substance e, and the prong G, being now in
the position indicated by the dot and pick lines Figure 5; the tray is now loaded
with the eggs or other food to be boiled or cooked and the pin P, if it has been
used being withdrawn the apparatus is now placed within the boiling utensil and

page_text: in a similar manner as described with regard to the first arrangement illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the soluble substance melts in the given time, the prong G,
under the action of its spring g', being released from the hole ja, in the part J³, of
the tray and the tray is thus caused to rise up out of the water under the action of
its spring, to stop the cooking or boiling action at the required period of time,
the position of the parts at this period being shewn in Figures 4, and 5.
If desired the pin P, may again be used to keep the tray in its lowest position
which may be more convenient when placing the apparatus upon the table.
The vessel in which the boiling operation takes place may also be made orna-
mental and either permanently attached to or not permanently attached to the
automatic lifting apparatus.
When the apparatus is made as last herein before described it may be provided
with either a spirit lamp or an attachment to a gas tube for heating it by means
of a Bünsen or other burner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the system mode or manner in or under which the same is or
may be used or practically carried into effect I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
For cooking eggs and other articles of food the apparatus as shewn or equivalent
apparatus for automatically stopping the cooking operation at any exact instant of
time and the tray or carrier of which apparatus is released so as to raise the eggs
or other articles of food up out of the water or liquid in which they are or have
been heated or boiled substantially as hereinbefore described.
In Witness Whereof I the said John Darling have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixth day of December In the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
JOHN DARLING
(L.S.)