IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHENERS OR CLOSE RANGES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Court, of No. 136, Brompton Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Stove and Range Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHENERS OR CLOSE RANGES."
Scaled the 16th October 1874, and dated the 9th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Court at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th July 1874.
I, JOHN COURT, of No. 136, Brompton Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Stove and Range Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHENERS OR CLOSE RANGES,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is novel arrangements of the parts of
kitcheners or close ranges whereby fuel can be economized, greater
heat obtained than is usual, the apartment ventilated, steam and fumes
from the cooking carried directly from the stove down a shaft into the
furnace and the flue without affecting the draught, the cooking being
also expedited and improved.

page_text: I arrange an opening or a series of small openings leading into a
large one at the upper part of a close grate or range, by which a supply
of air can be caused to pass down the back or the sides of the range
to feed the fire from the back or side portions, instead of having a
portion of the front open, or providing it with front bottom apertures
as at present. By this means the air to feed the furnace is admitted
to the fire in a heated state, and is better prepared to assist the com-
bustion of the fuel, and also to economize it.
I also arrange a double or spaced frame or plate in the spaces between
the side of the fire-cheek and the oven, with an aperture at the lower
part for air to enter and circulate up and then down the frame. before it
enters the oven, from which it can be led into the flue. By this means
the meat or other substance within the oven partakes of a flavour similar
to that obtained by roasting before an open fire. Other apertures are
formed in the side cheeks by which air can enter and pass in contact
with the side cheeks, at the upper part of which it can pass through
openings into the fire.
The boiler side of the range can have an open, double, or spaced
frame arranged in it to supply air to the top portion of the fire also. A
portion of the air that passes down the back passage is free to rise inside
the cheeks and mingle with the top part of the fire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Court in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COURT, of 136, Brompton Road, in the County of Middlesex, Stove and
Range Manufacturer, send greeting.
. >
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 3
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for, Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Court, Her special
licence that I, the said John Court, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said John Court, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
6 within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KITCHENERS
OR CLOSE RANGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Court, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
O describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Court, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is novel arrangements of the parts of
kitcheners or close ranges whereby fuel can be economized, greater
heat obtained than is usual, the apartment ventilated, steam and fumes
from the cooking carried directly from the stove down a shaft into the
furnace and the flue without affecting the draught, the cooking being
also expedited and improved.
I arrange an opening or a series of small openings leading into a
5 large one at the upper part of a close grate or range by which a supply
of air can be caused to passed down the back or the sides of the range to
feed the fire from the back or side portions, instead of having a portion
of the front open, or providing it with front bottom apertures as at
present. By my means the air to feed the furnace is admitted to the
fire in a heated state, and is better prepared to assist the combustion of
the fuel, and also to economize it.
I also arrange a double or spaced frame or plate in the space between.
the side of the fire cheek and the oven, with an aperture at the lower
part for air to enter and circulate up and then down the frame before it
5 enters the oven from which it can be led into the flue. By this means
the meat or other substance within the oven partakes of a flavour similar

page_text: formed in the side cheeks by which air can enter and pass in contact
with the side cheeks, at the upper part of which it can pass through
openings into the fire.
The boiler side of the range can have an open, double, or spaced
frame arranged in it to supply air to the top portion of the fire also. A.
portion of the air that passes down the back passage is free to rise inside
the cheeks and mingle, with the top part of the fire.
My Invention is clearly represented in the accompanying Drawings,
in which Figure 1 shows a transverse section of a kitchener or close
range with the first of my improvements fitted thereto for supplying
heated air to the fire-grate. In the view I have shown the kitchener as
having a rising and falling bottom, this being capable of fixation at any
part of the grate proper, to limit the area of the fuel space so that the
amount of fire and heat can be restricted as desired. The roof a of the
chimney space in front or above the kitchener has a depending ledge b,
so that the air entering from the room becomes more or less heated
before it enters the back channel c. The mouth d may extend the
whole width of the chimney opening or throughout a portion of the
width only, and I prefer to contract the down-take gradually towards
the lower bend or junction e to the width of the fire-grate only, but the
down take may, and also the junction, be kept the full width, as
desired. I make the outlet portion of the junction e somewhat narrow
or flattish to produce an equal and comparatively thin spread of air into
the back, or it may into one or both of the sides, of the fire, the oxygen
of the air there combining with the hydrogen of the fuel for the perfect
combustion of the latter, and the consumption of the smoke arising from
it. The air thus supplied being heated in its travel down the channel c
and the junction e, and rendered more useful in developing heat in the
gases, both in the fire itself and in the flue passage or passages while
on their way to the chimney h, the flues being arranged as in ordinary
kitcheners or close ranges, over and under the oven before they pass
into the uptake.
•

page_text: travel round both ovens, after which the escaping gases commingle.
again and pass up the same chimney. Dampers or valves may be fitted
to slide in from the front to shut off the flue passage of either oven,
when the whole of the heat from the fire can be concentrated for the
purpose of heating the other.
I have shown the movable grate bottom as being fitted with rack and
pinion j, by which the fire area can be increased or diminished by
turning the shaft or spindle k, but the air outlet f is always beneath
the grate, whatever position the latter may occupy. The air to feed
the fire then passes up through the bottom, the front doors 1, 1, of
which there are two, made to fit tight,) being kept shut to prevent the
entrance of cold air through the front bars m, m. This plan of feeding
the fire is of great moment, especially while stew, or other, pots or
saucepans are upon the top plate n because the steam and odour arising
from them rise into the pocketed portion p and get carried into the
down-take channel, and then into the fire, where they become consumed,:
thus obviating the steam going into the room and effecting the more
perfect ventilation of the same.
i
I have shown the top of the air channel as completely open, but it
may be provided with a flap or sliding plate to limit the amount of
opening, or perforations may be made in the back plate, the main.
feature, and which I claim in this part of my Invention, being "sup-
plying air to the back or to the sides of the fire of a kitchener or close
range to economize fuel, to produce perfect combustion, and to ventilate
the room in which the range is fitted, the latter being effected by the
superior draught or current of air created, the front of the range being
completely shut up, as herein-before described, and as shown in the
Drawing, but without reference to the movable grate bottom, that being
only indicated because I prefer a movable bottom to a fixed one."
Figure 2 represents a transverse section of a kitchener or close range
in which the air from the back channel c is led into a passage » formed
at the side of the oven, the passage being between the cheeks of the fire-
grate and the side wall t of the oven, for the purpose of causing the air
on its way to the flue to become heated to a high degree before it com-
mingles with the gases and smoke emitted and passing from the fire, in
which state the air is better prepared to give off its caloric and effect an
"

page_text: I arrange an up passage w leading from an air opening & at the front of
the kitchener or close range to a down passage y, from which the atmo-
spheric air passes direct into the oven in a highly heated state, or it may
pass, for the better distribution, under a perforated plate, as in
Figure 3, which shows a kitchener or close range complete, the plate =
acting as a false bottom to the oven, in the manner shown, and
perforated near the edges for the heated air, being by this means broken
up into finely divided streams, and be thereby caused to spread itself
equally within the oven for the purpose described, the air and steam
being permitted to escape into the flue by opening a valve, the handle
'
of which is anon at A

page_text: more of my improvements herein-before set forth is or are employed, as
and for the purposes exemplified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Court, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.