A SHIP'S HEARTH OR STOVE, WITH COPPER AND IRON KETTLES, FOR THE DRESSING OF VICTUALS ON BOARD OF SHIPS, WHEREBY SUCH VICTUALS ARE NOT ONLY MORE COMMODIOUSLY DRESSED, BUT MUCH LESS FUEL IS CONSUMED THAN IN THE COMMON MODE OF DRESSING THE LIKE VICTUALS
Year: 1785

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, STEPHEN
BECK, of Bell Dock, Wapping, in the County of Middlesex, Brazier, sends
greeting.
WHEREAS the said Stephen Beck did, by his Petition, humbly represent
unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that he
had, with much care and attention, invented "A SHIP'S HEARTH OR STOVE,
WITH COPPER AND IRON KETTLES, FOR THE DRESSING OF VICTUALS ON BOARD OF
SHIPS, WHEREBY SUCH VICTUALS ARE NOT ONLY MORE COMMODIOUSLY DRESSED, BUT
MUCH LESS FUEL IS CONSUMED THAN IN THE COMMON MODE OF DRESSING THE LIKE
VICTUALS," and which Invention the Petitioner humbly conceived would be
of great publick use and benefit; and as he was the sole Inventor, he there-
fore most humbly prayed His said Majesty that He would be graciously
pleased to grant unto him, his executors, administrators, and assigns, His
Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, under His Great Seal of Great Britain, for
the sole and exclusive making and vending his said Invention within that
part of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years; and His said Majesty,
being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions which might
be for the publick good, was graciously pleased to condescend to his request,
and therefore, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the twenty-fifth year of His reign,
of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto the said Stephen Beck,

page_text: his exccutors, administrators, and assigns,: His special licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that he, the said Stephen Beck, his executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by himself and themselves,
or by his or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as he,
the said Stephen Beck, his executors, administrators, and 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 his said Invention within. that part of His said
Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, 'in such 'manner as to him, the said
Stephen Beck, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of them,
should in his or their discretions seem 'meet; and that the said Stephen Beck,
his executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and
enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
growing, accruing, and arisen by reason of the said Invention, for and during
the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the
said licence powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-before granted or
mentioned, tolibe granted unto him, the: said Stephen Beck, his executors;
administrators, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term
of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters. Patent, next and imme-
diately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the form of
the Statute in such case made and provided.;-in which said Letters Patent
is contained a provisoe, that if the said Stephen Beck should not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of His said Invention; and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under his hand and
scal, and cause the same be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four calendar montlis next after the date of the said Letters l'atent,
tlien the said 'Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted; should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything
therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding,
as in and by the said Letters Patent, referrence-being thereto.had, may more
fully and at large appear..
..
NOW KNOW YE,-that in compliance with the said. provisoe, he, the said
Stephen Beck, doth hereby describe and ascertain the nature of his said
Invention, and in what-manner the same is to be performed, as follows, that
is to say:
The ship's hearth, machine, or stove, is of an hexagonal form, two thirds of
the sides whereof are made of cast iron, the other part or tops with raising
of copper or rolled iron plates, and covered in with wrought-iron plate, and

page_text: a flap in the front to lift up over the top of the said iron plate, if necessary.
The back is made of cast or wrought iron in two parts, with an elbow or bend
projecting outwards toward the top (by which a considerable space of..room
is saved), with a perpendicular funnell or chimney, which forms part of the
back, and is also made of wrought or cast iron or.copper; the top part of
the funnell is formed with an elbow, and which is put on or taken off as
occasion requires, and may be varied or turned as the wind sets. In the
front of the machine is a range with four or five iron bars, with spit racks to
put on and take off occasionally, and a pan to receive the ashes, and which
also may be put on and taken off, and which pan is also made of wrought
or cast iron, as is also the bottom of the machine. On the top of, the range
is one or more iron trivets, and over the trivets is a cross bar, with hooks
whereon to hang tea kettles or boilers from. The front of the range is a sloping
form, and extending to nearly the depth of the machine, is a grate with apper-
tures or bars for the ashes to fall through, the fire in which boils to oblong or
square kettles, and also to roast one or more joint or joints of meat, and like-
wise to heat a cast-iron oven, which is placed under the grate and extends
from the front to the back and from side to side of the machine, and to which
is a cast-iron door; under which oven, and which forms the bottom, is fixed a
cast-iron plate, with a rim one inch and a half from the bottom of the
machine, which effectually prevents, the cold air from chilling the oven.
Nearly over the back part of the grate, and at the top of the machine, are
two oblong square kettles, which are made of copper or rolled iron plate,
each of which is formed or made of five pieces, the sides of which kettles or
boilers are turned down two inches and a half, or thereabouts, and the front
and back revitted to them; the bottoms are turned down one inch and a
quarter, or thereabouts, and revitted to the kettles and boilers; the said
kettles or boilers may also be made of cast iron in. one entire piece. The
covers of the kettles are made of iron plate or copper, tinned with pure grain
tin. Nearly in the center of the machine, and across the same, extending
from side to side, is a cast-iron plate with a sliding door in the middle, and
which, when the kettles or boilers are not wanted to. be used, may be let
down, which contracts the fire, but which is still sufficient to roast a joint of
meat, as also to keep the oven heated. In the same cross-iron plate are three
openings, to convey the smoke from the grate into three flues, which com-
municate with the back flue or chimney, and which flues are formed by the
sides of the machine and the outsides of the kettles or boilers, and by the
space between the kettles, and which at the same time that they convey
away the smoak, encrease the heat, and also serve to keep the kettles or

page_text: coppers boiling, if wanted. And in the front of the machine are two folding
doors, to shut to and inclose the same in case of bad weather, or when the
machine is not wanted to be used. The machine or hearth is fixed or
fastened to the decks of ships by means of rings, which are fixed to the sides
and back thereof. The hearth may be fastned or put together by rivetts or
nuts and screws. The said machine, hearth, or stove, is designed to roast,
bake, and boil at one and the same time, and by one and the same fire, by
which a great saving is made in the article of fuel, and as the coppers or
boilers are before the chimney and in the front of the machine, it can be
used without having occasion to go round the same, a Drawing or Plan
whereof is delineated in the margin of these Presents, with references to the
several parts thercof.
In witness whereof, the said Stephen Beck hath hereunto set his hand
and seal, the Tenth day of May, in the twenty-fifth year of the reign
of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God of
Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and
so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and eighty-five.
STEPHEN BECK. (L.S.)
pan
asses.
B, B, B, B, front of range, four or five bars.
C, C, C, grate or grates.
D, trivet or trivets on the top bar of the range.
E, E, openings to convey smoak from the range.
F, sliding door.
G, hook to hold up the sliding door.
H, cross-bar hooks to hang tea or other kettles on
I, Flaps to lift up.
K, K, long square kettles or boilers.
L, L, covers for ditto.
M, chimney.
N, elbow to turn or vary as the wind sets.
0, 0, hooks to hang on folding doors.
P, spit racks.
Q, Q, rings to lash the machine or hearth to the
R, entrance or mouth of the oven that goes unde

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the Tenth day of May, in the year
above mentioned, the said Stephen Beck came before our said Lord the King
in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and
every thing therein contained and specified, in form above mentioned. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the
Statute made in the sixth year of the reign of their Majesties King William
and Queen Mary of England, and so forth.
Inrolled the Tenth day of May, in the year above written.