AN IMPROVED APPA- RATUS FOR BAKING OR STEAMING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FOOD
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Burch, of Adswood Grove, Stockport, in the
County of Cheshire, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR BAKING OR STEAMING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FOOD."
led the 6th November 1877, and dated the 9th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Burch at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1877.
JOSEPH BURCH, of Adswood Grove, Stockport, in the County of Cheshire,
Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BAKING OR STEAMING ANIMAL AND
VEGETABLE FOOD."
The apparatus for cooking joints of meat, poultry, fish, &c., consists of four parts,
three of which are to be made of tin or other thin sheet metal, earthenware, or
other fire-resisting substance. They comprise,-
First. A hottom tray, the sides whereof incline or slant outwards, similar to a
rectangular dripping pan or baking dish.
Second. A deep hood or cover, which may be furnished with a valve and also a
transparent panel, and when in position it rests inverted upon the sloping sides of
the bottom tray.
Third. An inner dish, which stands in the tray upon legs sufficiently long to raise
the bottom of the dish about level with or slightly above the plane of the lower
edge of the cover when the latter is resting within the sloping sides of the tray.
The 4th part is a grid, which is supported upon feet that rest within the inner
dish, and raise it (the grid) to about level or slightly above the top edge of the sides
of the dish.
In form these several parts may be either circular, rectangular, or elliptical, regard
being had to their size, which must be relatively proportioned.
The advantages derivable from the use of this apparatus are perfect cooking, with
extreme cleanliness, less labour and attention on the part of the cook, and less loss
of weight and nutriment in the joint or article cooked thereby.
The directions for using the apparatus which, according to the way in which it is
managed, with either roast, boil, or stew, are as follows:-When it is required to
cook a joint, fowl, ham, tongue, fish, or article to be served up as boiled, into the

page_text: bottom tray must be poured a quantity of water, sufficient to fill it to the depth of
half an inch or more, and if it is desirable that the cooking proceed immediately,
the water may be at a boiling heat. The inner dish being then disposed in the
bottom tray, the grid is placed therein, and when the joint or article to be cooked
is laid upon the grid, the hood or cover is then to be adjusted over so as completely
to enclose the joint or article, its lower edge resting upon the sloping sides of the
tray; the apparatus is then to be placed in a moderately heated oven. As soon as
the water begins to boil, distillation commences, the aqueous vapour rising into the
cover condenses upon the joint, and with the juice thereof drains down into the
inner dish, whilst all the superabundant steam escapes under the bottom edge of the
cover, so that there is no pressure of steam at any time, and that portion which
remains under the cover becomes superheated. After the cooking process has
continued for, say, an hour, more or less, according to the heat of the oven and size
of the joint, the latter should be examined, for which purpose the apparatus must
be drawn forward, and the cover temporarily removed if not furnished with a
transparent eyesight piece or panel. If the bottom tray is getting dry more water
must be added in sufficient quantity to last until the joint or article is done; the
distilled water will be found in the upper dish mixed with the juice which has
fallen from the meat, and this will make excellent gravy or broth. The cover is to
be re-adjusted and the apparatus pushed back into the oven, where it must remain
until the cooking process is complete, the probable additional time required will, to
the experienced eye of the cook, be denoted by the appearance of the joint.
For cooking joints and articles which are to be served up as roast, a very little or
no water is required in the bottom tray, the steam from the meat will be found
condensed in the upper dish when the apparatus is examined, and when the joint is
nearly done it will be brown under the cover if the valve is opened and the oven is
well heated; or the cover may, to facilitate this part of the process, be entirely
removed if thought desirable, but in the latter case an extra loss of fat will result
therefrom.
Cold joints warmed up in the apparatus, with a very little water in the bottom.
tray, have the flavour of fresh-cooked meat.
Potatoes and other esculent bulks and roots may be cooked in the apparatus, as
also fruit and other puddings. For roasting potatoes and for similar purposes, such
articles, when placed on the grid in the oven, are to be covered with the hood, which
then rests upon the oven bottom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Burch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th November
1877.
JOSEPH BURCH; of Adswood Grove, Stockport, in the County of Cheshire,
Gentleman. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BAKING OR STEAMING ANIMAL AND
VEGETABLE FOOD."
My Invention, relating to the art of cooking or dressing animal and vegetable
food, such as joints of butchers' meat, poultry, hams, tongues, fish, puddings, &c,
and the apparatus and appliances connected therewith, consists of four parts, three
of which should be made of tin or other thin sheet metal, earthenware, or other
fire-resisting substance. These parts comprise,―
First. A bottom tray, the sides whereof incline a slant outwards, similar to a
rectangular dripping pan or baking dish.
Second. A deep hood or cover, which may be furnished with a valve, and also,
if desired, a transparent eyepiece or panel, and when in position it rests inverted
upon the sloping sides of the bottom tray.

page_text: Third. An inner dish, which stands in the tray upon legs sufficiently long to raise
the bottom of the dish to about level with or slightly above the plane of the lower
edge of the cover when the latter is in position, resting upon the sloping sides of
the tray.
Fourth. A grid, mounted on feet that rest inside upon the bottom of the inner
dish, and raise it (the grid) to about level or slightly above the top edge of the
sides of the dish.
In form these several parts may be either circular, rectangular, or elliptical, regard
being had to their size, which must be relatively proportioned.
The advantages derivable from the use of this apparatus are perfect cooking, with
extreme cleanliness, less labour and attention required on the part of the cook, and
less loss of weight and nutriment in the joint or article cooked therein.
I will now refer to the Drawing, and to the several parts of my Invention
separately delineated thereon, and also in combination.
Fig. 1 exhibits the bottom tray marked A, and Fig. 2, an end view of the same;
Fig. 3 shows the hood or cover (marked B) and the valve B'; Fig. 4 represents the
inside dish (marked C) on legs C 1, and Fig. 5, an end view of the same; Fig. 6
exhibits the grid (marked D), and D 1 the feet; Figs. 7 and 8, an end and a side
view of the same; Fig. 9 represents a section of the complete apparatus, viz., the
bottom tray A, wherein is placed the inner dish C that contains the grid D, on
which is shown a joint of meat entirely enclosed within the cover B, which will be
seen is resting on the sloping sides of the bottom tray; and Fig. 10 is an outside
view of the same.
As
The directions for using the apparatus, which, according to the way in which it
is managed, will either cook as roast, boiled, fried, or stewed, are as follows:- When
it is required to cook a joint, fowl, ham, tongue, fish, or other article to be served up
as boiled, into the bottom tray must be poured a sufficient quantity of water to fill
it to the depth of about half an inch or more, and if it is desirable that the cooking
proceed immediately the water may be taken at a boiling heat. The inner dish
being then disposed in the bottom tray, the grid is placed therein, and when the
joint or article to be cooked is laid upon the grid the whole is covered in by the
hood, placed so that its lower edge rests upon the sloping sides of the tray, as shown
in Fig. 9; the apparatus is then to be placed in a moderately heated oven.
soon as the water in the bottom tray begins to boil, distillation commences, the
aqueous vapour rising into the cover condenses upon the joint, and with the juice
thereof drains down into the inner dish, whilst all the superabundant steam escapes
under the bottom edges of the cover, so that there is no pressure of steam at any
time, and that portion remaining under the cover becomes superheated by the
surrounding heat, to which all parts of the apparatus are exposed. After the cooking
process has continued, say, for half an hour, more or less, according to the heat of
the oven and size of the joint, the latter should be examined, for which purpose the
apparatus must be drawn forward and the cover temporarily removed, if not
furnished with a transparent eye piece or panel. If the bottom tray is getting dry
more water must be added in sufficient quantity to last until the joint or article is
done. The distilled water will then be found in the upper dish mixed with the
juice which has fallen from the meat, and this will make excellent gravy or broth
when the cooking is finished, for which purpose the cover must be re-adjusted and
the apparatus pushed back into the oven, the probable additional time required
will, to the experienced eye of the cook, be denoted by the appearance of the joint.
For cooking joints and articles intended to be served up as roast or baked, a very
little, or in most cases, by preference, no water is required in the bottom tray, the
steam from the meat condenses thereon, and this, mixed with the gravy which has
fallen, will be found in the upper dish when the apparatus is examined; and when
the joint is nearly done it will brown under the cover if the valve B1 is opened; or
to facilitate this part of the process the cover may be entirely removed if thought
desirable, but in the latter case an extra loss of the fatty portion of the meat or
article will result therefrom..

page_text: Cold joints warmed up in the apparatus with a very little water in the bottom
tray will have the flavour of fresh-cooked meat.
Potatoes and other esculent bulbs and roots may be cooked in the apparatus, as
also fruit and other puddings, custards, and pastry; and for roasting potatoes and
similar purposes such articles, when placed on the grid in the oven and covered with
a hood of earthenware, will cook famously.
By preference for general cooking I make the bottom tray, the innér dish, and
the hood or cover of stout tinned sheets, and the grid of iron galvanized. Two or
more covers respectively, varying in height only to suit small or large-sized joints
or articles, and either of them combined with the bottom tray, the inner dish, and
the grid, forms a complete set of my cooking apparatus, which, employed in the
manner and for the purposes herein described, constitutes iny Invention.
In witness, I, the said Joseph Burch, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
JOSEPH BURCH. (L.S.)