US1140740A - Gas-range. - Google Patents

Description

M. J. GREEN.

GAS RANGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1914.

Patent-ed May 25, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO-, PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

MICHAEL J'. GREEN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 ECLIPSE GA$ STOVE COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, lLLlNols, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

GAS-RANGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MIoHAnL J. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Ranges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas ranges adapted for cooking, especially to those used in hotels, restaurants, and other places where large quantities of food are cooked, and has more particular reference to that type of gas range having a cooking top and ovens and a single set of gas burners for heating both the cooking top and the ovens. In this tvpe of gas range the ovens are arranged beneath the cooking top leaving a heating compartment between the said top and ovens, and burners are arranged in the heating compartment extending across one end thereof. The air heated by the burners passes between the cooking top and the ovens to the far end of the compartment at which point it is carried downwardly and passed under the ovens to a flue outlet. By this means boththe cooking top and the ovens are heated by a single set of burners. In the use of these gas ranges it is often desirable to heat only the cooking top or a portion thereof, but this could not be done in ranges of this type as they have been heretofore constructed.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a gas range of the above character in which the air heated by the burners may be used to heat either the cooking top and ovens together in the above described manner or to heat only the cooking top.

Another object of my invention is to provide a gas range which will require a minimum expenditure of gas for the various uses to which the range is put.

A further object of my invention is the provision in a gas range embodying ovens and a cooking top, of novel means for heating the ovens and cooking top whereby the cooking top may be heated separately with a relatively small expenditure of gas, and whereby the gas range may be operated more economically. To do this without the use of special or auxiliary burners for the purpose or using an unnecessary amount of gas in the operation, I have provided means for diverting the heated air from its ignated generally by passage below the ovens and confining the course of the heated air to the heating compartment immediately below the cooking top, whereby only the cooking top will be heated, the front portion thereof being maintained at the highest temperature. More particularly, I have provided means whereby heated air entering at one end of the heating compartment may be carried in a path lengthwise thereof below the front portion of the cooking top and then returned in a path below the rear portion of the cooking top and expelled through a flue opening located adjacent the entrance end of said compartment. By'this means the front portion of the cooking top will bemaintained at a high temperature with a minimum expenditure of gas, and since the course of the heated air does not lead to the ovens but is returned along the back portion of the cooking top, a maximum amount of the heat generated is utilized in heating the cooking top, the front portion thereof receiving the greatest amount of heat.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a gas range of the above described type, means whereby the air may be shunted from its regular heating course to pass directly to the flue outlet for the purpose of insuring an easy draft when the range is started in operation.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2, illustrating a gas range embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the gas range taken on the line 22 of view-of the back of the gas range at the flue outlet end thereof.

Froman inspection of the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, it will be observed that the gas range per se is somewhat diagrammatically shown in that various parts have been omitted, and slight attention paid to the details of construction except to those relating to the imrovements pertaining to this invention.

The body or outer casing of the range desthe reference character Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary 4B, is rectangular in form, open at its top,

the casing 4. In the drawing two ovens are shown, but it is obvious that the oven space may be subdivided in any desirable manner. The ovens are so arranged within the casing that they form with said casing and the cooking top 5 a continuous conduit 7 extending above, below, and at the sides of lighting the same.

7 any suitable construction.

the ovens, the continuity of the conduit being broken by the partition 7.

The conduit located intermediate the top of the ovens and the cooking top and designated generally by the reference character 8 forms the heating compartment in which gas burners are positioned and the heat is generated. A plurality of gas burners 11 arranged at one end of the heating compartment 8 extend across said end so that a flame covering the entire width of the compartment may be directed thereinto. The burners may be of any suitable construction and so connected that the entire set of burners need not be operated simultaneously, since it is desirable at times to utilize only the burners at one side of the compartment. The means for controlling the burners are not shown since such means are well known in the art and may be of A pilot burner 12 is positioned adjacent the burners 11 for A flue outlet 13 leads from the oven heating compartment at a point directly below the partition 7.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when all the burners are in operation, a sheet of flame will be directed into the compartment 8 throughout the entire width thereof, and that the natural draft from the chimney through the flue outlet 13 will draw the air heated by the burners over the top of the ovens to the far end of the heating compartment, down the conduit 14, and under the ovens to the flue outlet 13.- Thus both the cooking top and the ovens are heated by one set of burners, the cooking top being heated throughout its entire width with the hottest portion thereof in the immediate range of the flame; and under such use the gas range may be said to be in full-capacity operation.

The ovens are spaced apart to provide a vertical conduit between the opposed ends thereof as shown in Fig. 2 and communication through this conduit between the heating compartment 8 and the conduit below the ovens is controlled by a damper 15 which may be operated from the front of the range. I11 the drawings the damper is shown closed, but by drawing the slidable member of the damper forwardly, heated air from the compartment 8 may pass downwardly through the vertical conduit to the conduit below the ovens thereby heating the ovens to a higher degree of temperature.

There are times, however, in the use of gas ranges of the above described type, when it is neither necessary to use the ovens nor to maintain the'entire cooking top at a high temperature throughout its entire width. It is obvious that the expenditure of gas in the above described operation of the range would be very much out of proportion to heat required for heating only the cooking top and that the range, would be ineflicient in its operation for this purpose. To make the range eflicient for all the uses to which it is put, I have provided means for controlling the heated air ina novel manner, which will now be described.

The heating compartment 8 is subdivided into front and back compartments 10 and 20 respectively, by a partition which extends lengthwise of the heating compartment intermediate the sides thereof. This partition in the form of a vertical wall 16 extends from a point 17 in the heating compartment spaced from the inside of the con duit 14, to the point 18. This wall is shown as formed of a plurality of fire-brick sections, but may be of any suitable construction. It will be noted that the wall 16 forms no obstruction to passage of air laterally of the heating compartment 8 at each end thereof. A closure or gate 19 pivotally mounted at 21 on the back wall of the heating compartment 8 adjacent the burner end thereof is adapted to form a partition between the burner portion of the heating compartment 8 and the end of the compartment 20 adjacent thereto. The back compartment 20 is provided with a flue outlet 22 adjacent the gate 19 at the side opposite the burners, the said flue being connected through a conduit 23 at the back of the range with the flue outlet 13. The gate 19 is so arranged that when in open position, as shown in full lines in the drawings, it will partition the burner portion of the heating compartment from the outlet end of the back compartment 20, and when swung to the position indicated in dotted lines it will close the flue outlet 22 and establish communication between the said burner portion of the compartment and the back compartment 20. An operating member 24 [attached to the gate 19 extends to the outer side of the casing 4 in accessible position to be manually operated for swinging the gate to its several positions. It will be noted that the said gate is obliquely arranged with respect to the back of the casing when in open position whereby the flame from the when all of the burners are used.

tion of the range.

With the gate 19 in open position as shown in Fig. 1 it is obvious that the natural draft from thechimney or flue will draw-air from the inlet end of the heating compartment 8 in the path shown by the arrows. This is the course of least resistance, since it takes considerably more draft to draw air down through the conduit lit and under the ovens to the flue outlet 13. It is apparent, therefore, that whatever number of burners are lighted the flame will be directed to the front compartmentlO. The heated air will be carried lengthwise of the cooking top immediately below the front portion thereof, then turned in its course at the far end of the compartment 8 and carried in an opposite direction below the back portion of the cooking top to the flue outlet 22. The air therefore, expends its heat upon substantially the entire cooking top and its greatest heat upon the front portion thereof, thereby maintaining the cooking top at a high temperature without the expenditure of an unnecessary amount of gas. When it is desired to heat the front of the cooking top in a short time all of the burners would be lighted, and after the desired heat is obtained, the burners at the back side of the range would be shut oif. By confining the heated air to the narrow compartments 10 and 20, the amount of gas used to maintain the cooking top at a given temperature may be reduced to a minimum.

When starting the range in operation the air in the chimney is generally dead and often cold, thereby making it difficult to obtain a natural draft to carry on the opera- It is obvious that the shorter the passage between the gas burners and the flue outlet, the easier will be the starting operation. Therefore, by moving the gate to a half open position, the length of the air passage through the range will be materially lessened, since the incoming air will pass from the burners directly through the gate opening and to the flue outlet 22. When both the cooking top and ovens are to be used simultaneously, the gate 19 would be closed thereby permitting direct passage of heated air fro-m the burners to the conduit 14 and under the ovens to the flue outlet 13 as was above described.

It is believed that one preferred embodiment of my invention has been described with sufficient particularity to insure an understanding thereof, but it should be obvious that my invention is not circumscribed by the details of construction employed for purposes of illustration, but is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas range, the combination of a cooking top, a heating compartment arranged below the same, gas burners at one end of said compartment, a flue outlet at the back of the compartment adjacent to the burners, a partition extending lengthwise of the compartment intermediate the sides of the same and terminating short of the ends of the compartment, and means for closing the burner end of the compartment from the flue opening by a movable partition extending from the back of the compartment to the said first named partition, whereby heated air may pass from the burners lengthwise of the compartment at the front side of said first named partition and thence to the back side of said partition and to said flue outlet and whereby upon moving the second named partition out of cooperation with the first named partition the heated air may pass from the burners lengthwise of the compartment at both sides of the first named partition.

2. In a gas range, the combination of a cooking top, a heating compartment arranged below the same, gas burners extending crosswise of the compartment at one end thereof, a flue outlet at the back portion of the compartment adjacent to the burner end thereof, a vertical wall extending lengthwise of the compartment intermediate the sides thereof and terminating within the ends of the compartment whereby air may pass crosswise of the compartment at both ends thereof, and means extending from the back of the compartment forwardly to said wall and arranged to cut off direct communication between the burner portion of the compartment and said flue outlet and the adjoining end of the compartment at the rear of the vertical wall, said means being operable to permit passage of heated air from the burners lengthwise of the compartmerit directly to both sides of the vertical wal 3. In a gas range, the combination of a cooking top, a heating compartment 'arranged below the same, gas burners extending crosswise of the compartment at one end thereof, a flue outlet at the back portion of the compartment adjacent to the burner end thereof, a vertical wall extending lengthwise of the compartment intermediate the sides thereof and terminating within the ends of the compartment whereby air may pass crosswise of the compartment at both ends thereof, and a gate or closure pivotally mounted at the back of the compartment at the burner side of the flue outlet and being arranged to close said outlet and to swing to an open position wherein to cut off direct passage of air from the burner end of the compartment to the compartment at the back of the vertical wall.

4. In a gas range, the combination of a cooking top, a heating compartment arranged below the same, one end of the compartment constructed to permit heated air to enter the same throughout substantially the entire width thereof, a flue outlet at the back portion of the compartment adjacent to the inlet end thereof, means dividing the compartment lengthwise into a front and back compartment and permitting heated air to pass from said entrance end to both of said compartments and to communicate between the said two compartments at the opposite end thereof, and means for closing the flue outlet and the back compartment at the airentrance end thereof from communication with the air entrance of the heating compartment.

- 5. A range comprising a cooking top, a heating compartment disposed immediately below the same and having an entrance at one end throughout substantially the entire width of the compartment and an outlet at its opposite end, means for entering heated .air into said compartment through its en- 7 trance end throughout substantially the entire width of said end or a limited portion thereof whereby said heated air may pass lengthwise of the compartment to the outlet at its opposite end, and means whereby heated air entered through said entrance end may be guided at will in a current passing lengthwise of the compartment along the front portion thereof to said opposite end and crosswise in the compartment to the back portion thereof and then lengthwise of the compartment at the said back portion and toward the entrance end thereof, and means for discharging the said current of air from the rear portion. of the comparting compartment, a cooking top overlying ment at a point adjacent to the entrance end thereof.

6. In a range, the combination of a heatthe same, means for entering heated air into the heating compartment at one end thereof across substantially the entire width of the compartment, and means for directing said heated air, at will, either lengthwise of the heating compartment throughout its width and to its farther end or lengthwise of the compartment to said farther end and confined to a limited portion of the width of the compartment and then directly crosswise of the compartment and then lengthwise ment.

7. A range comprising an oven, a heating compartment above the oven having an entrance across one end thereof and an out let at the rear portion of the compartment in proximity to the said entrance, a conduit extending from the opposite end of the compartment downwardly and beneath the oven and having a flue outlet, and a cooking top surmounting said heating compartment, in combination with means for heating air, means for directing the heated air into the heating compartment across substantially the entire width of said entrance thereof, whereby said heated air may pass lengthwise of the heating compartment throughout the width thereof and to the conduit at the opposite end thereof and thence to the said heated air into one end of the heating compartment across substantially the entire width of said end, the heating compartment having a flue outlet in proximity to a side thereof and the air entrance end,1'a Vertical partitiondividing the heating compartment lengthwise into two compartments and terminating at its ends within the ends of the general heating compartment whereby to permit free passage of heated air directly between the twocompartments at the ends thereof, and means for directing at will the said heated air from said entrance end into one of said compartments and preventing I direct passage to the other compartment and the flue outlet, whereby said heated air will pass lengthwise of the compartment into which it has been directed, to its opposite end, crosswise of the general heating compartment to the other compartment, and thence lengthwise thereof to the flue outlet.

MICHAEL J. GREEN. itnesses:

JOHN F. MOCANNA, DELLA ATKINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

Images