AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF GAS, WITH OR WITHOUT OTHER FUEL, FOR COOKING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION OF GAS, WITH OR
WITHOUT OTHER FUEL, FOR COOKING AND HEATING PURPOSES."
A com-
munication from abroad by Albanus Webster Morton, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION
OF GAS, WITH OR WITHOUT OTHER FUEL, FOR COOKING AND HEATING PURPOSES."
[A communication from abroad by Albanus Webster Morton, of Brooklyn, New
York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus designed for utilising the
combustion of gas for cooking and heating purposes.
The said Invention comprises a novel combination with an oven of a heat
radiating bottom, through which heat is transmitted to the interior of the oven
froin any suitable heat giving device external thereto, and a system of naked gas
jets arranged in the top of the oven to provide a practically continuous sheet of
naked flame in the upper part of the oven, so that the article to be baked or cooked
is subjected simultaneously to the heat radiated or transmitted from the bottom,
and to the action of the naked flames of the gas jets at the top, a more efficient
cooking of the articles being by this means secured, and also a greatly increased
browning effect, so termed, upon the upper parts of said articles, whether the same
be loaves of bread or similar articles, or joints of meat or the like.
The said Invention also comprises an oven having a series of gas jets in its upper
part, and in its lower part a heat radiating bottom, and in its side certain openngs
with a jacket, having between it and the oven a space, and provided at top and
bottom with openings, whereby the caloric of a heated apparatus external to the

page_text: burner may be advantageously applied to supplement the action of a suitable burner
placed within the oven.
The said Invention also comprises a novel combination of flanges with a series
of gas jets, which constitute a burner in the upper part of the oven, which oven is
constructed with openings in it to permit the escape of the gaseous products of
combustion from the aforesaid burner.
The said Invention also comprises a gas heater or series of burners for use in
heating or culinary operations constructed with gas outlets arranged to produce
impinging flames in immediate contact with the material or subtance of which the
burners are made, so that the burner being itself heated by contact with the flame
is caused to radiate sensible heat to a greater extent than the naked or unassisted
flame would do.
The said Invention also comprises a gas heater composed of a series of prism
shaped burners, the gas outlets of which are arranged to secure the contact or
impingement of the flames with each other to produce a sheet of flame, which from
its peculiarities has a very efficient heating effect when placed within an oven or
little cooking device.
The said Invention also comprises the combination with this prism shaped series
of burners of a downwardly projecting flange extended entirely around the
circumference of said series of burners to suitably control the lateral expansion of
the sheet flame within due limits.
The said Invention also comprises the combination of platinum foil or other
equivalent refractory substance with the series of burners arranged to heat the
said foil or substance to incandescence, so that a sufficient degree of light is produced
to enable the apparatus and its operation to be readily inspected, and this with
the expenditure of a very inconsiderable quantity of heat for the light producing
effect.
The said Invention also comprises a novel combination of baffling device, a gas
chamber, a series of burners, gas inlet pipes, and means for admitting air to the
said gas inlet pipes, the said parts being arranged in such relation with each other
that a due and uniform supply of gas and air is provided to the burner or series of
gas jets within the oven. Although it is intended that all the hereinbefore specified
features of the Invention be more particularly applied for cooking purposes and
like culinary operations, some of said features may be also applied to other uses.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide an oven, and surround the
same with a jacket, between which and the oven itself there is a space. In the
upper part of the sides of the oven are openings, and at the lower part of the back
end of the oven are other openings. The latter communicate with the outer
atmosphere, but the former openings communicate with the aforesaid space, which
in its turn communicates with the outer atmosphere by means of openings in the
top of the jacket. Placed upon the said top of the jacket is a perforated plate, which
has a circumferential perforated flange by which it is attached in place upon the
top of the jacket. In the bottom of the jacket, and communicating with the space,
is a large opening; the devices for heating the bottom, which I term the radiating
bottom of the oven, are placed underneath this opening, so that the flame from the
heating apparatus, whether the same be a gas jet, petroleum stove, so termed, or
otherwise, will be directed against the bottom to heat the same, so that heat will
be radiated from said bottom up into the oven. The products of combustion from
the heating of the device during such heating of the bottom passing upward through
the space, and then outward through the openings into and through the space
enclosed by the perforated plate and its flange. A tea kettle or other culinary
utensil may be placed upon the plate to be heated.
In the upper part of the oven is a series or system of gas jets or burners; these
burners are formed by means of suitable holes or openings provided in the opposite
sides of each of a number of parallel prism shaped downwardly projecting ridges,
the direction of the holes or openings being such that the gas is impelled in directions
oblique to the horizontal, so that the jets of flame from any two adjacent surfaces

page_text: of two opposite ridges will tend to cross each other.
65
The holes through which the
gas issues, as just mentioned, are staggered," so to speak, that is to say, the holes
in the faces of one of the ridges are placed opposite the spaces between the holes
in the opposite ridges, so that the slanting flames as they approach or cross
cach other will be as it were interlocked, and thereby provide a sheet of flame
the different jets of which interlock with each other, and each flame being propelled
in a slanting direction towards its opposing flames; by this means the sheet of flame
provided in the top of the oven is made of great thickness, is uniformly diffused, and
is very effective in the heating action. All of the burners formned as aforesaid com-
municate with a large conduit, which in its turn is supplied with combustible gas
mingled with any suitable proportion of atmospheric air in order to produce the
most perfect combustion of gas as it issues from the jets. This mingled air and
gas may be supplied in any ordinary or suitable manner, as for example, through
openings at one end of the conduit, which openings in their turn communicate by
any suitable means with an inlet pipe through which the mingled gas and
atmospheric air is provided, the proportion being such as to avoid the formation of
explosive mixture. In order that the flame products of combustion from the
burners may not too rapidly escape from the oven burner, reflecting flanges are
placed at each lateral edge of the system of the said burners. The escape of the
hot products of combustion is principally through the upper openings in the oven
into the aforesaid space, meanwhile air for the support of combustion at the burners
is supplied from the outside through the rear openings in the jacket.
•
If the oven is circular instead of rectangular the series of prismatic ridges instead
of being straight and parallel may be formed in concentric circles, and even in a
rectangular oven the ridges instead of running in straight and unbroken parallelism
may be divided transversely by depression, so as to make the ridges comprise
parallel series of pyramidal downwardly projecting parts, from the sloping sides of
which the jets are caused to issue obliquely through perforations in the same
manner as from the parallel but sloping sides of the prismatic ridges.
According to a modification of the said Invention I construct an apparatus as
follows, that is to say :-I provide a series of parallel burners, each of which
burners is prism-shaped. The walls of each one are perforated with holes or gas
outlets as hereinbefore described. Inasmuch as the walls of each burner are
substantially at right angles to the corresponding walls of the adjacent burners, it
follows that the gas in issuing through the outlets of each burner will flow outward
and downward at an angle to the gas jets issuing from the burners next adjoining;
it follows therefore that the flames from each burner will impinge against the
corresponding flames from the burners next adjacent. Where the outlets of a
burner are placed directly opposite the corresponding outlets of the adjoining
burners the flames will impinge at their extremities, but when said outlets are
placed opposite the spaces between the outlets of the adjoining burners the flames
will interlock and impinge more or less at their edges, but in either case the result
is a sheet of flame of inherently intense character, but having itself a comparatively
light heat radiating power; but inasmuch as the sheet of flame aforesaid is in close
contact with the cast iron or other material of which the burners are made, the said
cast iron or other material is highly heated, and inasmuch as it rapidly releases
the heat after it has received it, the amount of sensible heat radiated from the
burners is much greater and much more effective for practical purposes than could
be obtained from the flames alone if the latter were placed at such distances from
the burners themselves that the substance of said burners could not absorb heat
from the flames and then radiate said heat as described. In order that the flame
may not be dispersed laterally away from the burners a circumferential flange is
placed around the same in such manner as to confine the flame within due limits
at all the circumferential portions of the system of burners. It is to be observed
that while the material or substance of the burners is heated by the contact with
the flame to a degree sufficient to enable it to radiate heat, as just explained, this
heating of the burners themselves is not carried to a degree practically sufficient

page_text: for the generation of light. To accomplish this last indicated result recourse must
be had to a material of a more refractory character, applied in such position and in
Various refractory
such proportions that it may be heated to a white heat.
materials may be used for this purpose, but in practice platinum foil is to be
preferred. This is attached at the lowest portions of the burners and the foil
preferably cut into thin strips or fringes at its extremities in order that by its
state of fine subdivision its rapid and high heating may be secured.
Placed within the aforesaid chamber opposite the inlet from each of the gas
pipes is a narrow plate which I denominate a "baffle"; this plate or baffle is so
placed in relation to the inlet of the adjoining gas pipes as to render it necessary
for the mingled gas and air from the said gas pipe to pass around the lateral edges
of said plate or baffle instead of passing direct into the chamber; the object of this
arrangement is to prevent any explosion of the mingled gas and air in the chamber
from passing to the pipes.
The burners may, when preferred, be made of circular form and placed con-
centrically parallel with each other. The one form or the other may be adopted
according as the circumferential contour of the apparatus is desired to be
rectangular or circular.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
April 1881.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE COMBUSTION
OF GAS, WITH OR WITHOUT OTHER FUEL, FOR COOKING AND HEATING PURPOSES."
A communication from abroad by Albanus Webster Morton, of Brooklyn, New
York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus designed for utilizing the
combustion of gas for cooking and heating purposes.
The said Invention comprises a novel combination with an oven, of a heat
radiating bottom, through which heat is transmitted to the interior of the oven from
any suitable heat giving device external thereto, and a system of naked gas jets
arranged in the top of the oven to provide a practically continuous sheet of naked
flame in the upper part of the said oven, so that the article to be baked or cooked
is subjected simultaneously to the heat radiated or transmitted from the bottom,
and to the action of the naked flames of the gas jets at the top, a more efficient
cooking of the articles being by this means secured, and also a greatly increased
browning effect, so termed, upon the upper parts of said articles, whether the samo
be loaves of bread or similar articles, or joints of meat or the like.
The said Invention also comprises an oven having a series of gas jets in its upper
part, and in its lower part a heat radiating bottom, and in its side certain openings,
with a jacket having between it and the oven a space, and provided at top and
bottom with openings, whereby the caloric of a heating apparatus external to the
burner may be advantageously applied to supplement the action of a suitable burner
placed within the oven.
The said Invention also comprises a novel combination of flanges with a series
of gas jets, which constitute a burner in the upper part of the oven, which oven is
constructed with openings in it to permit the escape of the gaseous products of
combustion from the aforesaid burner.
The said Invention also comprises a gas heater or series of burners for use in
heating or culinary operations, constructed with gas outlets arranged to produce
impinging flames in immediate contact with the inaterial or substance of which the
burners are made, so that the burner being itself heated by contact with the flame
is caused to radiate sensible heat to a greater extent than the naked or unassisted
flame would do.
The said Invention also comprises a gas heater composed of a series of prism
shaped burners, the gas outlets of which are arranged to secure the contact or
impingement of the flames with each other to produce a sheet of flame, which from
its peculiarities has a very efficient heating effect when placed within an oven or
similar cooking device.
The said Invention also comprises the combination with this prism shaped series
of burners of a downwardly projecting flange extended entirely around the
circumference of the said series of burners to suitably control the lateral expansion
of the sheet of flame within due limits.
The said Invention also comprises the combination of platinum foil or other
equivalent refractory substance with the series of burners arranged to heat the said
foil or substance to incandescence, so that a sufficient degree of light is produced to
enable the apparatus and its operation to be readily inspected, and this with the
expenditure of a very inconsiderable quantity of heat for the light producing
effect.

page_text: The said Invention also comprises a novel combination of a baffing device, a gas
chamber, a series of burners, gas inlet pipes, and means for admitting air to the
said gas inlet pipes, the said parts being arranged in such relation to each other
that a due and uniform supply of gas and air is provided to the burner or series of
of gas jets within the oven. Although it is intended that all the herein before
specified features of the said Invention shall be more particularly applied for
cooking purposes and like culinary operations, some of said features may be also
applied to other uses.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a gas oven or stove embracing some of
the features of the said Invention, and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is an inverted plan of a series of gas burners designed to be placed in
the upper part of the said oven.
Figure 4 is a transverse section drawn to an enlarged scale, and
Figure 5 an inverted plan of an apparatus embracing certain other features of the
said Invention.
Figure 6 is an inverted plan, and
Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section, also drawn to an enlarged scale,
representing certain modifications of the last named features of the said
Invention.
Having reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, A represents the oven to which access is
had by a door B, suitably provided at one end; this oven is surrounded by a
jacket C, between which and the oven itself is a space D. In the upper part of the
sides of the oven are openings a, and at the lower part of the back end of the oven
are other openings b. These openings b communicate with the outer atmosphere,
but the openings a communicate with the space D, which in its turn communicates
with the outer atmosphere by means of openings c in the top of the jacket.C.
Placed upon the said top of the jacket C is a perforated plate E, which has a
circumferential perforated flange e, by which it is secured in place upon the top of
the jacket C, in other words, upon the top of the apparatus as represented in
Figures 1 and 2. In the bottom of the said jacket C and communicating with the
space D is a large opening F; the devices for heating the bottom f, which I term
the radiating bottom of the oven, are placed underneath this opening F, so that the
flame from the heating apparatus, whether the same be a gas jet, petroleum stove,
so termed, or otherwise, will be directed against the bottom f to heat the same, so
that heat will be radiated from the said bottom f up into the oven A. The
products of combustion from the heating device during such heating of the bottom f
pass upward through the space D, and then outward through the openings c into
and through the space enclosed by the perforated plate E and its flange e. A tea-
kettle or other culinary utensil may be placed upon the plate E to be heated.
In the upper part of the oven A is a series or system of gas jets or burners g;
these burners are formed by means of suitable holes or openings provided in the
opposite sides of each of a number of parallel prism shaped downwardly projecting
ridges indicated at i, the direction of the holes or openings being such that the gas
is impelled in directions oblique to a horizontal plane, so that the jets of flame from
any two adjacent surfaces of two opposite ridges i will tend to cross each other.
The holes through which the gas issues as just mentioned are staggered so to speak,
that is to say, the holes in the faces of one of the ridges are arranged opposite the
spaces between the holes in the opposite ridges, so that the slanting frames as they
approach to cross each other will be as it were interlocked, and thereby provide a
sheet of flame, the different jets of which interlock with each other, and each flame
being propelled in a slanting direction towards its opposing flames; by this means
the sheet of flame provided in the top of the oven A is made of great thickness, is

page_text: uniformly diffused, and is very effective in the heating action. All of the burners g
formed as aforesaid communicate with a large conduit K, which in its turn is
supplied with combustible gas mingled with any suitable proportion of atmospheric
air in order to produce the most perfect combustion of the gas as it issues from the
jets. This mingled air and gas may be supplied in any ordinary or suitable
manner, as, for example, through openings a¹ at one end of the conduit K, which
openings in their turn communicate by any suitable means with an inlet pipe m,
through which the mingled gas and atinospheric air is supplied, the proportion
being such as to avoid the formation of an explosive mixture; the proportions
ordinarily employed in the "Bunsen" burner may be stated as approximately those to
be preferred. In order that the flame products of combustion from the burners may
not too rapidly escape from the oven A deflecting flanges 61 are placed at each
lateral edge of the system of the said burners. The escape of the hot products of
combustion is principally through the openings a into the space D; meanwhile air
for the support of combustion at the burners is supplied from the outside through
the openings b. In the operation of the said Invention the loaves, joints, or other
articles to be cooked are placed in the oven A, the radiating bottom f is heated by
external means hereinbefore explained, and the gas jets g are ignited, and the door
being closed the article to be cooked is simultaneously subjected to the heating
action of the radiating bottom fand of the heat radiated and diffused direct from
the naked flames of the gas burners g, from which it results that a most efficient
cooking action is exerted upon the article, and its upper surface is much more
effectually browned, as is desirable in the most excellent cooking, than is possible by
any other means; and furthermore owing to the offective manner in which the heat
is distributed, diffused, and controlled within the oven, and the manner in which it
is applied to the article to be cooked, a very material economy of fuel in proportion
to the cooking effects and actual advantages is obtained. Thus, for example,
my oven constructed, and operating as above set forth, and having its series of
burners formed with one hundred and sixty perforations of one-eighth inch
diameter each, and a superficial area of fifty square inches, requires less gas than a
plain faced system of burners having only one hundred and thirteen perforations of
the same size, and thirty two square inches of superficial surface. In practice the
proportions of my said Invention may be varied.
If the oven is circular instead of rectangular the series of prismatic ridges instead
of being straight and parallel may be formed in concentric circles, and even in a
rectangular oven the ridges instead of running in straight and unbroken parallelism
may be divided transversely by depressions, so as to make the ridges comprise
parallel series of pyramidal downwardly projecting parts, from the sloping sides of
which the jets are caused to issue obliquely through perforations in the same
manner as from the parallel but sloping sides of the prismatic ridges, shewn in the
Drawing and herein before set forth.
Having reference now to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, g, g, represent a series of parallel
burners, each of which burners is prism shaped, as represented more clearly in
Figures 4 and 7. The walls of each one aro perforated with holes or gas outlets, as
herein before shewn with regard to Figures 1, 2, and 3. Inasmuch as the walls of
each burner g are substantially at right angles to the corresponding walls of the
adjacent burners, it follows that the gas in issuing through the outlets of each
burner will flow outward and downward at an angle to the gas jets issuing from
the burners next adjoining; it follows therefore that the flames from the each
burner g will impinge against the corresponding flames from the burners next
adjacent. Where the outlets of a burner are placed directly opposite the corre-
sponding outlets of the adjoining burners the flames will impinge at their
extremities; but when said outlets are placed opposite the spaces between the
outlets of the adjoining burners, as represented in Figure 5, and also as shewn in
Figure 3, the flames will interlock and impinge more at less at their edges; but in
either case the result is a sheet of flame of inherently intense character, but having
itself a comparatively slight heat radiating power; but inasmuch as the sheet of

page_text: flame aforesaid is in close contact with the cast iron or other material of which the
burners g is made the said cast iron or other material is highly heated; and
inasmuch as it rapidly releases the beat after it has received it, the amount
of sensible heat radiated from the burners is much greater and much more effective
for practical purposes than could be obtained from the flames alone, if the latter
were placed at such distances from the burners themselves, that the substance of
said burners could not absorb heat from the flanies, and then radiate said heat, as
described. In order that the flame may not be dispersed laterally away from the
burners g, a circumferential flange A¹ is placed around the same, in such a manner
as to contine the flame within due limits at all the circumferential portions of the
system of burners. It is to be observed that while the material or substance of the
burners is heated by the contact with the flame to a degree sufficient to enable it
to radiate heat, as just explained, this heating of the burners themselves is not
carried to a degree practically sufficient for the generation of light. To accomplish
this last indicated result recourse must be had to a material of a more refractory
character, applied in such position and in such proportions that it may be heated
to a white heat. Various refractory materials may be used for this purpose, but in
practice platinum foil is to be preferred. This is attached at the lowest portions
of the burners, as represented at r, and the foil is preferably cut into thin strips or
fringes at its extremities, as represented in Figures 5 and 6, in order that by its
state of fine subdivision its rapid and high heating may be secured. In the
operation of the burners, as herein before explained, the platinum foil is immersed
in the flame, and being thereby heated to a white heat is caused to emit light; and
inasmuch as the platinum or equivalent inaterial at this incandescent stage
possesses a heat radiating power many times greater than that of the blue flames
issuing from the burners, it follows that the heating power of the apparatus is
very materially increased thereby. Furthermore, when the apparatus is used under
circumstances where light is more or less to be desired, as for example, in a Franklin
stove so termed, the light-giving effect secured by the platinum, or its equivalent,
as described, is of no small utility.
2'
In order that the gas mingled with the air necessary for its combustion may be
properly passed to the burners there is provided above the latter, as in the apparatus
just herein described, the chamber K, into which at a' are extended the gas pipes m
for supplying the gas to the chamber K, each of tho said gas pipes being provided
with means for the inlet of atmospheric air, as for example, the perforations 8, so
that gas
and air commingled pass into the chamber K, thence to the burners 9. and
thence out through the outlet orifices of the said burners, where when ignited it
burns with the characteristic blue flame of a "Bunsen" burner.
Placed within the chamber K opposite the inlet from each of the gas pipes m is a
narrow plate B' which I denominate a "baffle"; this plate or baffle B₁ is so placed
in relation to the inlet of the adjoining gas pipes mas to render it necessary for
the mingled gas and air from the said gas pipe to pass around the lateral edges of
the said plate or baffle instead of passing direct into the chamber K; the object of
this arrangement is to prevent any explosion of the mingled gas and air in the
chamber K from extending to the pipes m, and it has been found in practice that
the effect desired is effectually secured.
In Figures 4 and 5 the burners g are shown as straight and parallel with each
other, but when preferred they may be made of circular form and placed concentric
with each other, as represented in Figures 6 and 7. The one form or the other
may be adopted according as the circumferential contour of the apparatus is desired
to be rectangular or circular.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a gas cooking or heating oven a heat radiating bottom and a series of
gas jets placed in the top of the said oven, the whole combined and arranged to
permit the article to be baked, to be placed between and simultaneously subjected

page_text: to the action of the heat radiating bottom f and of the naked flames of the gas jets,
or the heat directly radiated from the said flames' burner, all substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. The oven having a series of gas jets g in its upper part, and at its lower
part the heat radiating bottom f, and in its sides the openings a in combination
with the jacket C having between it and the oven the space D, and provided at its
bottom with the opening F, and at the top with the openings c, all substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
Third. The flanges b' in combination with the series of gas jets g placed in the
upper part of the oven, the said oven being constructed with the openings a¹ in its
sides, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fourth. A gas heater or series of burners having gas outlets attached to produco
impinging flames in immediate contact with the material or substance of which the
burners are made, in order that the burner being itself heated by contact with the
flaine may radiate sensible heat to a greater extent than the naked or unassisted
flame, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fifth. A gas heater composed of a series of prism shaped burners 7, the gas
outlets of which are arranged to secure the contact or impingement of the flames,
all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the prism shaped series of burners g of the flango A¹
extending entirely around the circumference of the said series, all substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
Seventh. In a burner for gas stoves and the like the combination of the platinum
foil or other refractory substance with the burners arranged in relation with each
other as described, whereby light is produced by a comparatively sinall portion of
the caloric of the flames, while the major part of said caloric is applied to heating
the metal of the burners in order that heat may be radiated therefrom, all
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Eighth. The baffle B' in combination with the chamber K, the series of burners g
and the gas inlet pipes m provided with means for the admission of atmospheric
air, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lako, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty ono.
W. RORT LAKE (LS)