IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COOKING POTATOES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Louis Charon, of Selwood Terrace, Brompton,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR COOKING POTATOES."
Sealed the 9th July 1866, and dated the 12th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Louis Charon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1866.
I, PIERRE LOUIS CHARON, of Selwood Terrace, Brompton, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED APPARATUS POR COOKING POTATOES," to be as follows:-
This improved apparatus consists of a vessel with a perforated bottom
somewhat similar to an ordinary potato steamer in which the potatoes are
cooked by steam over a saucepan, but with some of the perforations made
larger than the others and fitted with small conical tubes or pipes projecting
upwards about half an inch (more or less). The method of using this
apparatus is to bore a hole through the centre of each potato by means
of a taper metallic tube, and to fit this hole on to one of the small conical
tubes above named, so that the steam passes through the potato and cooks
it thoroughly in the centre as well as outside, and in less time than by the

page_text: ordinary steamer. To the larger end of the taper tube used for boring the
potatoes a dished plate is fixed having a slot or opening in the edge, which
forms a kind of "slice" for removing the potato from the small conical tube
without breaking the skin after it is cooked. The slot or opening in
the "slice" is to allow of its being pushed under the potato past the conical
tube before raising up the potato from the latter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Pierre Louis Charon in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
LOUIS CHARON, of Selwood Terrace, Brompton, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Pierre Louis Charon, Her special licence that I, the said Pierre Louis Charon,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Pierre
Louis Charon, my executors, administrators, 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, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COOKING
POTATOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Pierre Louis
Charon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 Pierre Louis Charon, 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 in writing and on reference to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, that is to say:-
This improved apparatus consists of a vessel with a perforated bottom

page_text: somewhat similar to an ordinary potato steamer in which the potatoes are
cooked by steam over a saucepan, but with some of the perforations made
larger than the others and fitted with small conical tubes or pipes projecting
upwards about half an inch, more or less. The method of using this
apparatus is to bore a hole through the centre of each potato by means of a
taper metallic tube, and to fit this hole on to one of the small conical tubes
above named, so that the steam passes through the potato and cooks it
thoroughly in the centre as well as outside, and in less time than by the
ordinary steamer. To the larger end of the taper tube used for boring the
potatoes a dished plate is fixed having a slot or opening in the edge, which
forms a kind of "slice" for removing the potato from the small conical tube
without breaking it after it is cooked. The slot or opening in the "slice"
is to allow of its being pushed under the potato past the conical tube before
raising up the potato from the latter.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improved
Apparatus for Cooking Potatoes," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus,
and Figure 2 is a vertical section through about the centre of the same; it
consists principally of a vessel formed of a cylindrical rim a, a, and a per-
forated bottom b, b; the latter may either be permanently attached to the
rim, or it may be loose (as shewn in the Drawing) and provided with
handles c, c, by means of which it can be lifted out of the rim a, a. It will
be observed that some of the perforations in the bottom b, b, are made larger
than the others, and are provided with small conical pipes or tubes d, d, pro-
jecting upwards, upon which the potatoes (after having been perforated) are
placed, as shewn in Figure 2.
Figures 3 and 4 are plan and side views of the metallic tube e, e, used for
perforating the potatoes; to one end of this tube is fixed a "slice "f, f, which
serves for removing the potatoes from the tubes after they are cooked, a slot
or opening g, g, being formed therein to allow the "slice" to be pushed under
the potato past the tubes d, d, before raising up the potato from the latter;
h, h, are handles for lifting and carrying the apparatus.
The lower part of the rim a, a, is made so as to fit on to the top of an
ordinary saucepan, whilst the lid of the said saucepan fits on to the upper

page_text: part of the said rim; and I may here observe that although I have shewn and
described the apparatus as cylindrical and adapted to be used with an ordinary
saucepan, yet it will be evident that it may be made of an oval or other form
and fitted to any other suitable vessel or steam apparatus; the steam, from
which passing through the perforations and taper tubes will cook the potatoes
thoroughly in the centre as well as outside; and in less time than by the
ordinary method.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improved Apparatus for Cooking Potatoes," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion that. I claim as my Invention the improved
apparatus for cooking potatoes above described and shewn in the Drawings,
or any modification thereof whereby the potatoes are perforated and fitted
on to tubes in such a manner that the steam shall pass through and around
them at the same time, and thus cook them thoroughly in the centre as well
as outside.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Louis Charon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES,
Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.
P. L. CHARON. (L.S.)