Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 4th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
We, WILLIAM MITOHELL, Ironfounder, of Parkhouse Iron Works, Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, and WILLIAM MORRISON, of the same place, Foreman Grate Fitter,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This Invention comprises certain new and improved arrangements and combinations
of the parts of the fire-grates of cooking or kitchen ranges, grates, or stoves for the
purpose of converting these, by the simple motion of a few of the parts, either into
close or open burning fire grates or ranges, and of the parts and means for raising or
lowering the grate bottom, so as to regulate the height and depth of the fire; which
improvements will be more simple and efficient in their action and more durable and
less liable to derangement than such fire-grates and fittings have been as heretofore
constructed and used in the said ranges for the like purposes.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist all as follows:-
According to one simple arrangement and combination of the improvements, the
usual portable top closing-in plate over the fire-grate (with its removable disc and
ring plates for using or inserting different sized cooking pots and pans) and herein-
after termed the " cover plate" is fitted to slide horizontally backwards and forwards
off and over the fire on guides under its side edges formed on the upper fixed plates
or sides of the fire-grate. When this cover plate is pushed back off the fire over the
usual fixed back plate between the back of the fire and the vertical cove plates, it
opens the top of the fire, and by its motion back, acting on levers or other equivalent,
closes a swivel or sliding damper fitted in the usual flue leading from the back of the
fire to the chimney immediately under the said fixed back plate and over the water
heater when that is used.
The back motion of this fire covering plate is by very simple means also made to
raise up an improved convertible flue fitted over this back plate of the grate, so as to
convey the hot gases through it and an opening in the cove plate to the chimney
from the fire as this and the flue are both so opened. This improved raising and
lowering or converting flue arrangement (for so making the grate either open or

page_text: close) is formed of a horizontal top or plate with vertical sides projecting down
through vertical recesses in the top plates and back part of the grate, so as to form a
flue over the back plate when required, through its open front and back ends when
raised over the back plate and part of the fire, and wide enough for the fire plate
cover to be pushed freely within and between its two vertical sides, which would have
inclined or curved projections (or equivalent cam acting surfaces or grooves) formed
on their inner sides or surfaces leading from near the top in front to the lower and
horizontal part at the back, all so that the back end edges of the top closing fire plate,
or projections on it when pushed back, would act on these inclined projections and
raise, open, and hold up the flue; and when pulled forward, close up the fire and
allow the flue to fall and close by its own weight, or pull it down when that is
preferred, and also open the damper of the under flue inside the grate leading to the
chimney as the upper outer one closes. The cove plate would be formed with a
suitable sized opening into the chimney over the back plato, opposite the open back
end of this flue when in its raised position; and the flue would have a vertical
plate above the back end of its horizontal top to close this opening when in its
lowest closed position. The edges of this back vertical closing end of the flue
would preferably be made to work in grooved slides on the cove plates to guide
the flue in its vertical raising and lowering motion, although other equivalent means
of guiding it might be employed; while the top plate of this flue would be fitted
with a removable disc and ring plates for removal and use for heating different
sizes of pans when the fire and flue were open. By these improvements the heavy
fire cover plate would never require to be lifted, but it would be formed with a
sunk recess in the centre of its top back and front ends for pushing it back off,
and drawing it forward over the fire by the hand bar or other equivalent for lifting
the top rings under the cooking utensils.
By another improvement a mechanical arrangement equivalent to that described
for raising and lowering the flue for open and close fire grates, is used to raise
and lower the inner grid or barred bottom of the fire grate, and which would bo
fitted with vertical guides to the sides of the fire grate and have inclined or curved
raising and lowering end plates projecting down through the fixed bottom of the
grate, so that the projections on the inner part of the two side bars of the pushing
in and drawing out barred fret plate under and in front of the fire grate would act
on the said lower inclined end plates of, and so carry and raise and lower the
movable bottom of the grate respectively, according as this fret plate is pushed in
or drawn out by the usual handles in front, and so raise or lower the grate bottom
and give a shallow or deep fire always near the top of the grate as desired. But
instead of putting the raising and lowering inclined or curved cam acting plates on
the under side of the moving grate bottom they might be put on the top of the
moving side bars of the fret plate, or they might be made to oscillate or turn on
centres on the ends of the grate; and in either of these cases the acting parts
might be made so as to be put into or out of action, so that the fret plate might be used
without raising or lowering the movable bottom of the grate. Notches may be
formed on the under side of the side bars of the moving fret plate which would
retain it and also the moving bottom bars of the grate at the postitions and heights
to which they were set.
DJ: L 1
1
1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Close and Open Cooking
Ranges.
We, WILLIAM MITCHELL, Ironfounder, of Parkhouse Iron Works, Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, and WILLIAM MORRISON, of the same place, Foreman Grate Fitter, do
hereby declare the nature of our 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention comprises certain new and improved arrangements and combinations
of the parts of the fire-grates of cooking or kitchen ranges, grates, or stoves for the
purpose of converting these, by the simple motion of a few of the parts, either into
close or open burning fire grates or ranges, and of the parts and means for raising
and lowering the grate bottom, so as to regulate the height and depth of the fire;
which improvements will be more simple and efficient in their action, and more
durable and less liable to derangement than such fire grates and fittings have been
as heretofore constructed and used in the said ranges for the like purposes.
And in order that our said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figure 1 is a
front elevation with the ordinary front door a removed off its hinges a¹, of a close
and open kitchen or cooking range or grate A as fitted with our improvements; and
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken through the centre of the fire grate B in
Figure 1 both with the range or grate B in its close form and the bottom fire bars C,
in their lowest position. Figure 3 is a section corresponding to Figure 2, but to an
enlarged scale, and showing the range in its open form, and the fire bars C, in their
raised position. While Figure 4 is a front sectional elevation through the fire-place,
corresponding to and at right angles to Figure 3. And Figure 5 is a plan of the
top cover and grate.
Referring to these Drawings, the nature and novelty of the invention consist all as
follows: According to one simple arrangement and combination of the improve-
ments as shown in these Figures, the usual portable top closing-in plate D over the
fire-grate B (with its removable disc and ring plates for using or inserting different
sized cooking pots and pans and hereinafter termed the "cover plate" D) is fitted to
slide horizontally backwards and forwards off and over the fire on guide flanges b,
under its side edges formed on the upper fixed plates or sides B1, B2, of the fire-grate.
When this cover plate D is pushed back off the fire over the usual fixed back plate B¹

page_text: behind the fire and under the vertical cove plates and chimney E, it opens the top of
the fire place B, and by its motion back closes the flue B³ behind the firegrate
immediately under the said fixed back plate B¹, and it might be over or behind the
water heater when that is used, the fire when in this closed form ventilates as shown
in Figures 3 and 4 over and round under the oven F into and up from the bottom of
the flue B³ as indicated by the arrows in these Figures, and especially in Figure 2, up
the chimney E when the grate is acting as a close range. The back motion of this
fire covering plate D is by very simple means also made to raise up an improved
convertible Hue G fitted over this back plate B₁ of the grate, so as to convey the hot
gases through it and an opening E¹ in the lower part of the cove plate or front
plate E of the chimney E, from the fire, as this opening E' and the flue G are both
so opened. This improved raising and lowering or converting flue arrangement G
(for so making the grate either open or close) is formed of a horizontal top or plate G
with vertical sides GT projecting down through vertical recesses g in the top plates B³, B³,
or their flanges band back part of the grate, so as to form a flue chamber G, as
shown particularly in Figure 3 over the back plate when required, through its open
front and back ends when raised over the back plate and part of the fire, and wide
enough for the fire plate cover D, to be pushed freely within and between its two
vertical sides G¹, G', which would have inclined or curved projections G³ (or equivalent
cam acting surfaces or grooves) formed on their inner sides or surfaces leading from
near the top in front to the lower and horizontal part at the back, all so that the back
bevelled edges d of the top closing fire plate D, or projections on it, when pushed
back, would act on these inclined projections G2 and raise, open, and hold up the
fluo G, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and close the back flue B³, through the plate B₁;
and when pulled forward, close up the fire and allow the flue G to fall and close by
its own weight, or pull it down when that is preferred, and also open the under flue B³,
up through the plate B'. The cove plate or lower part of the chimney E", is formed
with a suitable sized opening E¹ into the chimney E over the back plate B¹; opposite
the open back end of this flue G, when in its raised position; and the flue G has a
vertical plate G1, above the back end of its horizontal top G to close this opening E¹
when in its lowest closed position all as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The side edges of
this back vertical closing end G" of the fluo G, is preferably made to work in
grooved slides at E' formed on the cove plates or front sides of the lower part E", of
the chimney E, to guide the flue G in its vertical raising and lowering motion,
although other equivalent means of guiding it might be employed; while the top
plate G of this flue may in large grates be fitted with a removable disc and ring
plates for removal and use for heating different sizes of pans when the fire and flue
were open. By these improvements the heavy fire cover plate D would never require
to be lifted, but it would be formed with a sunk recess or hole at d' in the centre of
its front end for pushing it back off, and drawing it forward over the fire grate B by
the hand bar or other equivalent for lifting the top rings under the cooking utensils.
The lower horizontal grate bars C of the fire place B, are in this arrangement shown
as raised and lowered by a vertical plate C, with dovetailed grooves at the sides c¹,
working in fixed guides at c¹¹, on the inside of the front plate C, under the ordinary
sliding fret plate H, and raised and lowered by a horizontal slot c in the plate ¹
having a lateral crank pin of the crank arm working in it, this crank arm having
an acting spindle and boss C2 working out through the plate C", and turned by a
poker or other equivalent in front, to raise the bars C, which aro held in any raised
position by the ratchet pawl C³ taking into ratchet teeth in the boss C³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of close and
open cooking ranges, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In close and open cooking ranges, the fitting of a portable top fire

page_text: covering or closing-in plate D to slide horizontally on guides 6 under its convertible
flue G so that when pushed back it opens the top of the fire, and by its motion back
closes the flue leading from the fire to the back of the chimney, and raises the
convertible open flue to convey the hot gases to the chimney, and thus enable the
grate to be used either as an open or close cooking range, substantially as herein
described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In close and open cooking ranges, the fitting of a raising and lowering or
convertible flue G, operated by the sliding back of the closing in plate D, so that
when in its raised position it forms a flue G, over the back plate, and is closed in its
lowest position, while the gases ascend up behind to the chimney, substantially as
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.