IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES FOR CULINARY PURPOSES, AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER FOR BATHS AND OTHER USES
Year: 1840

page_text: W. & P. S. STEELE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILKINSON
STEELE, and PATRICK SANDERSON STEELE, Manufacturing and Furnishing
Ironmongers, George Street, Edinburgh, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifth day of February, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Wilkinson
Steele and Patrick Sanderson Steele, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said Wilkinson Steele and Patrick Sander-
son Steele, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Wilkinson Steele and Patrick Sanderson Steele, our exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick
upon Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHEN RANGES FOR CULINARY
PURPOSES, AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER FOR BATHS AND
OTHER USES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging us,
the said Wilkinson Steele and Patrick Sanderson Steele, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
to cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's
Chancellary in England. within six calendar months next and immediately.
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Wilkinson Steele and Patrick Sanderson Steele, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed, are particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention consists of improvements in the construction of the range
boiler, and of the addition of a separate vessel, with its appurts., for heating
water for baths, and other purposes to be hereafter described, by means of the
kitchen fire, and also of the combination of the said improved boiler and heat-
ing vessel, with the ovens and hot table in ordinary use, in such a way as all
or either of them may be heated by the fire of the kitchen range, and thereby
rendered more convenient and economical in the consumption of fuel than has
hitherto been attained by any other arrangement of the parts. We shall now
proceed to describe these improvements in detail. Kitchen ranges or grates
have hitherto been combined with one or more ovens, and. with a back or what
is generally termed an boiler. Boilers of this description generally rise no
higher than the level of the upper bar or hob of the grate, so that hot water
cannot be drawn off therefrom to places sufficiently high for the general pur-
poses of domestic economy; for example, to as high a level as to be suitable for
the supply of a series of washing tubs placed on the same level as the kitchen
floor. In the annexed Drawing, which is made to a scale of one inch to the
foot, and in which the same letters of reference apply to the same parts where-
ever they occur, Figure I., which is an clevation of our improved range,
A represents a boiler calculated to obviate these defects, and which is made
sufficiently high to admit of water being drawn off from it at any suitable level
for the purposes aforesaid, and to leave space at the top of the boiler for the
generation of steam for culinary purposes. We prefer making this boiler,
where circumstances will permit, about two feet, more or less, above the level
of the bars of the range. In addition to the advantage of this increase of
height of the boiler, we also supply the means of cleansing out the inside of the
boiler much more effectually than has hitherto been attained by other means,
and are thereby enabled to heat the water at a less expence of fuel. In order
to effect this, we proceed to state that in Figure II, which is a back view of
our improved apparatus, B represents the supply pipes the orifice of which we
carry up within the boiler to the level of the top of the angle of the front of
the boiler, as is shown by the dotted lines, instead of fixing it at the bottom or
end, as is cominonly done. This is further illustrated by reference to Figure IV.,
which is a section of our improved range, in which Figure the pipe-B.is exhi-

page_text: bited as ascending to the top of the angle of the boiler, but in some instances
we carry up this pipe still further within the boiler, or to any height sufficient
to effect the cleansing out of the boiler in the way to be presently described.
In Figure III.; C is an exit pipe, opening at the bottom of the boiler, but on a
level with the inside thereof, so that the water to be used for culinary or other
purposes is drawn off at that level, as also the water to be drawn off during the
process of cleansing the boiler. This pipe C is led under the floor of the
kitchen flat, and from thence to the nearest cisspool, drain, or sewer of the
house, at which point, or at any other intermediate place, a stop-cock is
attached for opening or shutting this pipe during the cleansing of the boiler or
otherwise, and between this stop-cock and the boiler we attach branch pipes to
the pipe C, for leading hot water from the boiler to the various places on the
ground floor, or wherever it may be wanted. To supply this boiler with water,
either for culinary purposes or otherwise, or for cleansing it out, a small
auxiliary cistern is to be placed in any convenient situation, so as to be capable
of filling the boiler to within about nine inches from the top, such space being
necessary for the generation of steam for purposes to be afterwards described,
the level of the water in this cistern being regulated by a ball-cock, in the usual
way. By the description already given, we have to state that one important
feature of our Invention is effected, which is that we are thereby enabled com-
pletely to stir up any sediment or other matter collecting at the bottom of the
boiler, by opening the stop-cock on the end of the pipe C; it is through it
discharged into the cesspool to which it may be attached, and thence into the
drain. Or, instead of this arrangement, the supply pipe B may be introduced
at the end of the boiler furthest from the cleansing pipe, so as to cause the
water descending from the small cistern to sweep along the bottom of the
boiler, and to cleanse it out through the pipe C. This boiler is also provided
with a steam valve D, and a pipe E, seen in Figures II. and IV., for conveying
steam to the cooking apparatus, or for heating closets or presses in the usual
way. The boiler may be formed of plate iron or other suitable material; and
in order to make it as efficient as possible for heating water and producing
steam, we cause the fire of the kitchen grate to act on the front, bottom, and
back of the boiler; and to cause the fire to act on the bottom and back
of the boiler, we shut up the space below the grate with a face plate F,
Figure I., of iron or other suitable material, so that no cold air can get in
behind the boiler, by which also any draught there can only take place by
drawing in the heat and flame of the fire through bars G, seen in Figures I.,
II., III, and IV., and over their tops at an aperture H, seen in Figure III.,
below the boiler; and the intensity of the heat is regulated by opening or

page_text: shutting, in a greater or less degree, one or other or both of dampers I, placed
at the top of the flues seen in Figures I., II., III., and IV. The face plate F
is provided with a door K, opening with hinges, and a suitable fastening
thereto, which is opened as occasion requires for clearing out the ash-pit below
the grate bars G, and to facilitate which clearing, these bars G are cast in
separate pieces to admit of their being taken out, and thus open a passage to
admit of the whole space behind being cleared out. These bars are formed or
cast with T ends, and rest upon horizontal bars at each extremity thereof. We
do not think it necessary to give a particular description of the ovens, as they
are not materially different from those in ordinary use; but we may here state,
both ovens are completely ventilated by means of pipes L and M, seen in
Figures II. and III., from the back of each oven, and these are terminated by
slide valves N at the top of the ovens, as seen in section, Figure IV.;. to admit
a current of fresh air slide valves O are fitted into the front plate, Figure I.,
and these open beneath the slip or false bottom of each oven, the space between
the two bottoms being divided into two or more compartments, so that the
entering air becomes heated in circulating through these divisions under the
slip or false bottom, and rising up through apertures in the bottom, circulates
freely through every part of the oven before it passes off by the ventilating
pipes L and M; and to effect a more perfect ventilation of the air, the shelves
of the ovens are constructed of open or trellis work, as shewn in Figure VI. on
an enlarged scale, and thereby prevents anything undergoing the process of
cooking from being chilled by air admitted through an aperture in the oven
doors, as has been the case hitherto. This heating of the air, previous to its
coming in contact with the dishes, also prevents that condensation of their
vapours which takes place by allowing cold air to act upon them in the usual
way, an evil which renders baking or roasting much less perfect than is attain-
able by our method of ventilating. The ovens are so constructed that they are
heated by the fire of the range passing into their flues at an opening P, seen
in Figure 1V., after which the heat circulates around the ovens in the direction
of the arrows, seen on the front plate of the ovens, Figure I. and then
up a fluc.Q, Figures I. and III., into the chimney; and to regulate the
draught, this flue is provided with a damper R, seen in Figures I., II.,
and III. The bottom and side of the lowest oven are protected from
the intensity of the fire by means of safe plates or saddles S, seen in
Figure IV., and the ends or checks of the grate are also protected by safe
plates T, seen in Figures I. and IV. The combination of the boiling table
or hot plate with the range, so as to heat that table by means of the range fire,
forms another feature of our improvements; but as its construction is nearly

page_text: the same as those in common use, we do not deem it necessary to describe its
parts more minutely farther than to state that it is fitted up with a hot press,
the folding doors of which are seen at U, Figure I.; and in order to heat this
table we cause a portion of the flame and smoke or heat of the fire to pass into
the flues of the table, and to circulate under the top plate, which is provided
with a flue plate for that purpose, but which is not scen in the Drawing, and
from thence the flame and smoke pass up a flue V, seen in Figures I. and III.,
and which flue is provided with a damper W, seen in the same Figures, by the
opening or shutting of which the temperature of the table is regulated. The
aperture at which the fire enters the flues of the table is similar to that already
described for the ovens, and seen in Figure IV. at P. The boiling table is
also provided with a ventilating door, but which is not seen in the Drawing;
it is fitted into the cheek plate, and opening behind a face plate X, Figure I.
for the purpose of preventing any vapour or burnt smell, arising from the cooking,
finding its way through the house, and this vapour flies off by the door, and
escapes behind another face plate Y, above the range fire into the chimney.
We place this table or the ovens on either side of the fire, as the case may
require. We shall next describe our method of raising the temperature of
water for baths and other uses. Our apparatus for such purposes consists of
a heating vessel a, a reservoir, Figure V., and pipes b and c between them.
The heating vessel a, seen in Figures I. and III., may be placed at either end
of the range, but whichever relative position is preferred, the fire is made to act
upon its front, bottom, and back, in the same way as has been already described
in reference to the boiler A for culinary purposes. It is constructed of strong
sheet iron or other suitable material, and is securely rivetted, and the top
thereof bolted down, so as to resist the pressure of water within it, nearly in the
same way as are vessels for similar purposes. To this vessel the pipes b and c,
seen in Figures I., II., and V., are attached, and the pipe b is made to descend
within the heating vessel till within about one and a half inches of the bottom,
and the other end of this pipe leads to the reservoir and opens about an inch
above the bottom of said reservoir, or as far above it as to prevent any sedi-
ment which might otherwise descend by that pipe along with the water, and
which reservoir is placed at a higher level than the baths, and through this pipe
the water from the reservoir descends into the heating vessel to be there heated
and forced up again into the reservoir, and the other pipe c leads from the top
of the heating vessel, and terminates at or about six inches above the bottom
of the said reservoir, as seen in Figure V., and by this pipe hot water ascends
up into the reservoir by the greater gravity of the cold water in the pipe b.
These pipes are made of iron, copper, or other metal within the heating vessel,

page_text: and extend to the point d, Figure I., above the lintel of the jambs and beyond
that point they may be made of lead of suitable strength to withstand
pressure, but the different parts may be formed of any other suitable material.
These pipes and c must be cased in, throughout their length, in wood or other
suitable non-conducting material, and the space between the pipes and the
wood (if wood be used for the casing) to be filled up with tow for obviating
any tendency of cold air entering by any imperfection in the joinings of such
case, from coming in contact with the pipes, the object of which precaution is
to prevent the dissipation of the heat, which would occur were they left exposed.
These pipes are connected to the reservoir by soldered joints or otherwise, and
the portions thereof from the top of the heating vessel to the point d by means
of flanges, screws, or other suitable couplings. The parts now described form
the essentials of the heating apparatus, and they act in manner following. The
water in the reservoir descends into the heating vessel, and being there heated
by the fire, the hottest portion of the water in the heating vessel rises to its
top, and gradually heats the water in the pipe c, its specific gravity gradually
becoming less than that of the water in the pipe 6, whereupon the water in the
pipe c begins to ascend until it is discharged into the reservoir, and during this
discharge of hot water into the reservoir, colder water descends from thence
through the pipe b into the heating vessel, as has been already stated, and so
on, the hot water ascends and the colder descends continuously, and thus circu-
lating, until at length the body of water in the reservoir becomes nearly as hot
as that in the heating vessel, or sufficiently so for the purposes required; and
thus a great quantity of water is kept in constant readiness at no expence of fuel
beyond that required for the kitchen grate, and the quantity of water being con-
siderable, as already stated, it retains its heat for a great length of time even after
the fire has burnt down, and can be used in the bath at all times, even at midnight,
in case of sudden illness or other emergency. In order to take off the water
to the baths or to any other place where wanted, a pipe e, seen in Figure V., is
inserted into the bottom of the reservoir, and upon the opening of this pipe
there, another pipe f, seen also in Figure V., is fitted by means of a screw or
other coupling; this pipe f turns upon a joint immediately above its coupling
to the pipe e, so that its upper orifice can be moved to any level in the reser-
voir, and so drain off the water there, at whatever level it may be; and to effect
this rising or falling of the mouth of this pipe f, a float ball is attached to it, in
such a way as to keep the upper orifice of the pipe about three inches below
the surface of the water in the reservoir; and to adjust the buoyancy of this
float ball to the degree of depth required, a weight g, also seen in Figure V., is
attached to the pipe f, so that the depth of the orifice of that pipe below the

page_text: surface of the water in the reservoir can be easily regulated at pleasure by
shifting the weight up or down the pipe, as the case may require. The object
of this pipe f is to run off the hottest portion of the water in the reservoir into
the baths, and this can be done only by drawing off near the surface, as the
natural tendency of heat is to ascend. Our apparatus being so arranged, hot
water is run off from the reservoir through the pipes f and e immediately on a
stop-cock or valve on that pipe being opened in connection with the bath or
other place where the water requires to be drawn. In addition to the parts
now described, the reservoir is provided with a supply pipe h, see Figure V.,
the orifice of which is led down to the bottom of the reservoir, so as to occasion
as little intermixture of the cold water with the hot as possible. The supply
of cold water is regulated by means of a stop-cock and ball on the pipe h, in the
usual way, and a waste pipe i is placed for clearing out the reservoir, and as
an overflow pipe for carrying off any surplus water in the event of any derange-
ment of the ball cock on the supply pipe h. In order to cleanse this heating
vessel a, a pipe k is attached to it, seen in Figure III., and having a stop-cock
on it, at or near the same point as the cock on the pipe C, it proceeds along the
floor of the kitchen flat in the same direction as does the cleansing pipe C of
the boiler A, and a little beyond the stop-cock of this pipe it is joined to the
said pipe C, and which latter pipe (on opening the cock of the pipe k) then
serves as a discharge pipe for both the boiler and heating vessel, and thereafter
communicates with the cisspool, or the drain, or sewer, as already described, in
regard to the boiler A. It is obvious, however, that access must be provided
for using the stop-cocks at the junction above referred to, and in order to this,
an opening must be made in the floor for the purpose, and may be covered with
plate of iron or a stone, fitted into a suitable recess cut for its reception; or
the cleansing water of the heating vessel may be discharged at any other point
more convenient. In either case, during the time that the water within the
heating vessel is being run off, pure water is allowed to descend into it from
the reservoir above, and falling into it, stirs up all sediment, and thus clears
out the heating vessel in the same way as is described for the range boiler A.
In both cases it is necessary that the exit or discharge pipes should be of greater
area than those by which the water runs into the boiler or heating vessel during
the cleansing process, otherwise the water cannot be emptied from these vessels
fast enough to form a space for the entering water falling into, which would
render the attempt at cleansing abortive. In conclusion, we would state that
in the description of our improved kitchen range we have referred to parts
already known and in use, and exhibited parts in the Drawing of which no
notice has been taken, such as the spit racks, dripping pan, rests, cleaning doors,
a

page_text: and the like, all of which parts we disclaim as not being of our Invention.
But we declare that what we do claim as our improvements are the use and
application of a boiler for the purpose of economically heating a greater
quantity of water than has hitherto been effected by the ordinary range boilers
in general use; also the heating apparatus and its connexion with the reservoir
for the purpose of storing up a large body of hot water, and the application of
the jointed pipe to the said reservoir, and its float ball and regulating weight, for
the specific purpose of drawing off the hottest water for supplying baths or other
purposes, as well as the peculiar methods by which we clean out the boiler and
heating apparatus. And, lastly, we claim the application of the whole, when
combined, for the purposes of heating the hot plate, ovens, and boiler, and
apparatus for raising the temperature of water for baths and other uses by the
fire of the range, however these parts already specified may be arranged, or
whatever may be the dimensions, materials, or modifications that shall be
adopted in their construction, to all of which we claim the exclusive right and
privilege.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilkinson Steele, for myself and on
behalf of the said Patrick Sanderson Steele, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.