AN IMPROVEMENT IN KITCHENERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HARRY HUNT, of Newington Green, in the County of Middlesex, Warming
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
KITCHENERS," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to closed or open fire ranges or kitcheners, and has
particular reference to an improvement in the method of fixing and adjusting the
bottom grate of the range.
When closed fire ranges were first manufactured, considerable inconvenience was
felt by cooks in consequence of the low level at which the peculiar construction of
the kitchener necessitated the placing of the bottom grate. Attempts at remedying
this inconvenience were made by using a second, or false grate standing upon the
original one, and since then, by making the level of the grate adjustable at will.
The advantage of having the bottom grate adjustable in point of height is
obvious to every one practically acquainted with the use of cooking apparatus of
the herein described type. As a matter of course, when the fire is started it must
be as large, or nearly so, as possible, with the intention of heating up the ovens,
Toasters, and boilers. And when this has been accomplished, and the various parts
of the apparatus are fairly at work, if the cook should for any reason be desirous
of reducing the size of the fire, the only way practicable with a fixed bottom grate
would be to let the fire go down. But, letting the fire go down would cool the
upper level of the boiler, as well as of the oven, by allowing a current of cold air
to flow over the top of it; at the same time the hot plate would be cooled by
currents of air flowing under it directly into the flues after having passed over the
fire, instead of through it. It is here that my invention is of such utility, as
from making the bottom grate adjustable in point of height there results the
practicability of keeping a small bed of fire and bringing it to bear upon any
particular level of oven side or range, as, for instance, when the heat of the fire is
required in the front of the range for such a purpose as roasting joints, or at a
bigher level still for the purpose of beating the hot-plate, or current of air flowing
over the top of the oven, or boiler, and so preventing that part of the cooking
apparatus from being unduly lowered in working temperature.
I make use of a type of parallel motion in carrying out my invention, mounted
at a convenient level under the back boiler or in any equivalent position. An,
upright bar, pivotted preferably by its lower end, has jointed upon it, at different
ID O

page_text: levels, two parallel horizontal levers, the top one projecting to the front of the fire,
centrally or to the right or left hand thereof, and so forming the lever handle by
which the level of the grate can be adjusted. A second upright bar having its
lower extremity pivotted to the front end of the shorter of the above mentioned
levers and also to the upper horizontal lever, is continued upwards so as to carry
the bottom grate. A guide is fitted, conveniently, between the two upright bars
aforesaid, so as to render the motion of the bottom grate vertical, slanting, or
curved, as required, but preferably vertical.
In front of the kitchener, I fix a suitable slotted or ratchet quadrant, with which
the lever handle can conveniently engage for the purpose of retaining the bottom
grate at any desired height.
Instead of two horizontal levers, as described above, I may use one only,
suitably pivotted to the two uprights, and either of the above mentioned bars may
be single or double.
.
The back upright may be made in two parts, or links, for the sake of securing a
more perfect vertical motion on the part of the bottom grate.
An Improvement in Kitcheners.
I, HARRY HUNT, of Newington Green, in the County of Middlesex, Warming
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates to closed or open fire ranges or kitcheners, and has
particular reference to an improvement in the method of fixing and adjusting the
bottom grate of the range.
When closed fire ranges were first manufactured, considerable inconvenience was
felt by cooks in consequence of the low level at which the peculiar construction
of the kitchener necessitated the placing of the bottom grate. Attempts at
remedying this inconvenience were made by using a second, or false, grate standing
upon the original one, and since then, by making the level of the grate adjustable
at will.
The advantage of having the bottom grate adjustable in point of height, is
obvious to every one practically acquainted with the use of cooking apparatus of

page_text: the herein described type. As a matter of course, when the fire is started it must
be as large, or nearly so, as possible, with the intention of heating up the ovens,
roasters, and boilers. And when this has been accomplished, and the various parts
of the apparatus are fairly at work, if the cook should, for any reason, be desirous
of reducing the size of the fire, the only way practicable with a fixed bottom grate
would be to let the fire go down. But, letting the fire go down would cool the
upper level of the boiler, as well as of the oven, by allowing a current of cold air
to flow over the top; at the same time the hot plate would be cooled by currents
of air flowing under it directly into the flues after having passed over the fire,
instead of through it. It is here that my invention is of such utility, as
from making the bottom grate adjustable in point of height there results the
practicability of keeping a small bed of fire, and bringing it to bear upon a
particular level of ovenside or range, as, for instance, when the heat of the fire is
required in the front of the range for such a purpose as roasting joints, or at a
higher level still, for the purpose of broiling or heating the hot plate, or when it is
desired that a current of hot air should be kept flowing over the top of the oven,
or boiler and so preventing that part of the cooking apparatus from being unduly
lowered in working temperature.
In order that my invention, and the means by which the same may be carried
into practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the
same in detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings, which are to
be taken as part of this specification and read therewith, and in which like parts
are marked throughout the figures in which they occur with the same reference
letter.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a close fire kitchener fitted with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the adjustable bottom grate.
A, B, C, and D are, respectively, the ordinary hot-plate, fire back, range, and
ashes pan front of the ordinary kitchener.
E is a box conveniently fixed at the back of the ash-pit, upon a base E¹, and
serving as a base for my invention to work upon.
F is an upright bar, which is free to rock backwards and forwards upon its
lower end as the adjustable bottom grate is raised or lowered. The drawing shews
a block, G, as receiving an axis, f, passing through the lower end and so providing
the desiderated centre of oscillation.
H, H', are, respectively, a lever and a link pivotted on the bar F, and also upon
the upright bar, I, which carries the adjustable bottom grate, J.
The lever, H, projects beyond the front of the range, and terminates in a
handle, h, which being fitted with a detent, h, capable of engaging in a curved
rack, h³, enables the cook to adjust the grate J at the desired level.
The front of the box, E, is sufficiently open to permit the link and lever to pass
through it, and work freely. Two studs, h³, h³, are fixed upon either link or lever,
and which, by engaging with the front of the box, compel the bar, I, to move in a
vertical direction, thereby preventing the bottom grate, J, from jamming.
The lever, H; link, H₁; handle, h; and rack, h², are shewn as occupying a central
position, i.e. midway under the range, but I do not confine myself to placing
the parts mentioned in this position, although experience shews it to be at once
economical and efficient.
The full lines in Fig. 1 show the bottom grate fixed as high as it can be, the
fire being, although a small one, capable of exerting its full heating power upon
the hot plate.
The dotted lines shew the position of the various parts of my invention, con-
structed as illustrated in the figure when the bottom grate is at its lowest point,
that is with a full fire on.
•
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified form of my invention.
The upright bar, I, is widely bifurcated as shewn in Fig. 3; the two bifur.
cations i, i, sliding in two grooves, i, fixed at the respective sides of the ash-pit,

page_text: The lever H, is connected by means of a link j, to an eye K, conveniently
situated for the purpose.
Fig. 5 is a modified construction of my invention as the same is illustrated in
Fig. 4 The link, j, is introduced between the lever H and the vertical bar I; the
lever being straightened if prefered or convenient.
In putting my invention into practical operation, I would have it distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details illustrated in the
accompanying figures, as it is clear that the same may be varied without departing
from the scope of my invention, but having now particularly described and
ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1. The combination of the bottom grate J carried on a vertical bar, (or its
equivalent), I, both capable of vertical adjustment by means of a lever H, which is
provided with a suitable detent, for retaining it in the desired position; the whole
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures 1 and 4.
2. The combination of lever H; link, H'; guide pins, h³, working against a
vertical surface; and rocking bar F; substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying figure 1.
3. The combination of bottom grate, J; bifurcated carrying bar, I; and its
guides, ¹, ¿¹, with lever H, having its fulcrum at any convenient point; substan-
tially as described with reference to the accompanying figures 4 and 5.
100
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PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C., 2
Agents for the Applicant.