AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF DOMESTIC COOKING AND IMPROVED APPARATUS AND UTENSILS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Amelia Louisa Freund at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on
the 18th February 1874.
I, AMELIA LOUISA FREUND, trading under the name of Amelia Lewis,
of Southampton Street, in the County of Middlesex, Authoress, and
Editor and Publisher of "Woman's Opinion," do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR METHOD OF
DOMESTIC COOKING AND IMPROVED APPARATUS AND UTENSILS TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system or method of domestic
cooking, and to improved apparatus and utensils to be employed in
carrying the same into practice, the object of the Invention being to
prepare food for human consumption, so that the human stomach may
be able to digest the same or assimilate the substances contained therein
to the requirements of the body more easily than if the food were pre-
pared or cooked according to the systems or methods hitherto in use.
The improved system consists in cooking or preparing the food by the
circulation round or about it of dry heat radiated from the fire or of

page_text: moist heat or steam generated thereby, from water contained within the
same utensil, whilst the said food is enclosed from contact with atmo-
spheric air.
In order to carry this system into practice I have found it necessary,
firstly, to devise a more effective heating apparatus or cooking stove, one
of such a character as to be specially adapted to the economical con-
sumption of peat or peat coal, and in which the fire is completely under
control, and secondly, to devise improved cooking utensils separately
adapted to their special requirements.
The objects I have sought to accomplish in carrying my ideas into
practical effect have been to make the fire as small as possible, and to
retain the heat developed therefrom as long as possible in order that it
may disperse itself more completely among all the cooking utensils in
use, and not be allowed to escape wastefully up the chimney or flue
immediately it is developed as in ordinary open fire-places, and in order
to accomplish these objects most effectively I have found that it is of
primary importance to have a thorough control over the fire, and this I
effect by the means subsequently explained.
The improved stove is constructed on the principle of an ordinary
brazier of iron or any other suitable metal or material, in form it may
be made either circular, oval, square, after the manner of a range, or
otherwise as desired.
The fire which by preference and for economising by the combustion
of peat or peat coal is contained within a fire box or boxes depending
from an upper hot plate, and is controlled and regulated in intensity as
desired as desired by upward draughts, which are themselves regulated
in direction and intensity as desired by draught plates. For these
purposes the upper draught plate is formed at one part with an opening
through which when it is brought opposite an opening corresponding in
position and formed in the front of the fire-box, the greatest or any
required side draught is obtained and the fire may be fed or the feeding
may be effected by supplying the fuel on to the top of the fire. At
another part this draught plate is formed with a series of openings or
has one large opening provided with bars, and through this part when
brought opposite the front opening in the fire-box a diminished draught
is obtained, and the fire can be inspected when required. And at
another part this plate is formed of the flat metal, which when brought

page_text: opposite the front opening in the fire-box closes the draught from this
direction, and has a tendency to increase the draught obtained from the
lower draught plate and so intensify the fire. The bottom draught plate
is similarly formed (with the exception of the barred opening) and
similarly controls the bottom draught. By adjusting these draught
plates the intensity of the fire may be regulated at will, and by closing
them both the fire may be almost at once put out.
The flue for conveying away the products of combustion after they
have performed their functions in effecting the cooking (heating or
warming) is formed by a circular, oval, square, or other shaped channel
or flue running round or encircling a top or hot chamber, having its
mouth placed so that the said products do not find exit thereinto till
they have completely dispersed themselves over the bottoms or exposed
portions of and in and among all the utensils in use; the said utensils
resting upon or in a hole or holes formed or made in the top plate of the
hot chamber.
An ash pan is applied to the bottom of the fire-box and retained by a
through pin, or is otherwise applied in such a manner that it can be
quickly lowered, withdrawn, or removed as desired. Stoves thus.
constructed are adapted to the economical consumption of all kinds of
fuel such as coal, coke, wood, and charcoal, but specially to the
economical consumption of peat and peat coal, the use of either of which
as regards the quantity required effects a saving of about 75 per cent.
with an increase in the heating effect in the ratio of 10 to 1 as compared
to that developed in the consumption of a similar quantity in an ordinary
open fire-place or range. The latter object is however partly obtained
by arranging the exit flue as above described, Again (as above referred
to) stoves thus constructed may be adapted as an ordinary kitchen range
and fitted with an oven and boiler, and may otherwise be adapted to other
heating and warming purposes than domestic cooking, such as the heating
or warming of public or private buildings, dwelling houses, or apartments.
Or again, the improved stove may be constructed with a series or
succession of fire-boxes adapted to an ordinary or continuous hot plate
and chamber, with upper holes, and fixed with or without the aid of
bricks.
When there is more than one fire-box or top hole in the hot chamber,
I apply to the upper part of the former a "shut off" damper, so as to
the hand
T

page_text: apply a dividing plate (depending from the top plate) to divide the
ascending heat and direct it equally to each top hole.
The improved utensils to be employed in carrying the above system
into practice consist of, or rather include, an improved roasting pan,
frizzling pan, baking oven, saucepan, three or four tier vegetable steamer,
fish steamer, and a stewing steamer, they are by preference all made
of tin.
The roasting pan, frizzling pan, and baking oven are used when
cooking or preparing the food by the dry heat, and the saucepan and
the different steamers are used when cooking or preparing the food by
the moist heat or steam.
The roasting pan is made of an outer case provided at its bottom with
a central flanged hole, the flange encircling which fits in the top hole in
the hot chamber, so that the dry heat from the fire enters through these
holes into the case. The sides of the case are connected by two cross
bars which support a removable combined meat and dripping tray or
pan, against the bottom of which the heat directly ascends and passing
the edges thereof circulates directly around or about the meat resting
thereupon.
The frizzling pan is made on the same principle, but the tray is formed
as a false bottom of the pan and is connected by side connections
thereto, so that the heat ascending as above from the fire into the pan
circulates directly round or about the food resting upon the tray.
The baking oven is formed of a double casing, between the sides of
which the heat from the fire similarly finds access, and within the inner
one of which the food to be cooked or prepared is placed.
The saucepan is formed as usual, except that it is provided at its
bottom with a projecting flange which fits in the said top hole; it is used
alone for hot water or to generate steam to effect by the moist heat the
cooking of the vegetables, fish, or other food placed in the steamers.
The vegetable steamer is formed of an outer case which fits on or in
the saucepan, but it either has no bottom or it has one perforated with
holes for the ascent of the moist heat or steam generated in the
saucepan.
The vegetables are placed in vegetable trays, having inclined sides

page_text: The trays are placed one above the other in the case so that different
vegetables may be cooked at one time; the peculiarly flavoured moisture
exuding from the top or any one however is prevented from dripping
on to and flavouring those beneath, by forming the bottoms of the trays
whole, and as already mentioned forming the steam holes in their
inclined sides.
The fish steamer may be formed on the same principle as above, but I
prefer to form its bottom somewhat like a dripping pan, the lower
projecting part of which contains the water and fits in the top hole of the
hot chamber.
The tray or trays for the fish are formed on the same principle as the
vegetable trays. The stewing steamer is constructed on a similar
principle.
Each of the above utensils is provided with a hinged or removable top
or side cover, necessary to perfect the carrying of my improved system
into practice.
In all cases this cover is retained or closed upon the utensils during
the process of cooking or preparing the food therein, so as to prevent the
access to the food of any atmospheric air during the said process. By
thus excluding the air from the food during its transmutation by the dry
or moist heat from the raw or indigestible state into the cooked state, the
object of the Invention is effected as the food is prepared, and the
digestive process is facilitated in such a manner that the human stomach
is enabled to assimilate the nutritious substances contained in the food
to the requirements of the body more casily, and with greater benefit to
the human system than if the food were cooked or prepared according to
the systems or methods hitherto in use, during the process of which
atmospheric air has access to the food.