Abstract: A combustion apparatus for burning wood or coal comprises a cooking enclosure mounted above a combustion chamber enclosure. An upper space of the combustion chamber enclosure contains a combustion chamber having a floor and walls made of refractory material. The combustion chamber is closed all around except for the top. A plurality of primary air holes are provided in the floor of the combustion chamber and a plurality of secondary air holes are provided through the combustion chamber enclosure at the level of the open top of the combustion chamber. An ash pan is mounted for sliding into the combustion chamber enclosure below the combustion chamber to act as a regulator for air entering the combustion chamber enclosure. A cooking plate is pivotally mounted in the cooking enclosure so that it can be lowered into a cooking position over the open top of the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A child's toy oven comprises a housing having a baking chamber therein. An access opening is provided in a wall of the housing for communicating with the baking chamber. A slidable access door is positioned on a wall of the housing to open and close the access opening. A latch cooperates with the access door to prevent inadvertent opening of the slidable access door. The latch is pivotally secured on the access door and a stop shoulder on the housing is adapted to engage the latch to retain the access door in position closing the access opening. A spring is positioned between the latch and the access door for biasing the latch into position for engagement with the stop shoulder to preclude movement of the access door to unblock the access opening. A tray actuator external of the housing is provided to engage the latch to release it from engagement with the stop shoulder to permit movement of the access door by the tray to open the access opening and allow the tray to enter the baking chamber.

Abstract: The assembly includes a container having two side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall which define in part an interior. An openable and closable door is provided for selectively providing access to the interior, the door being able to move between closed, intermediate and open positions. There is a first apparatus, connected to the door and the container, for permitting the door to rotate about a first axis of rotation between the closed and intermediate positions. There is also a second apparatus, cooperating with the first apparatus and the door, for providing a second axis of rotation spaced apart from the first axis, and for permitting lateral movement of the first axis and arcuate movement of the door about the second axis to permit the door to move below the bottom wall of the container.

Abstract: An improved latching and locking device for use with a door, such as a door of a self-cleaning oven structure, or the like. The latching and locking device utilizes a novel scissors action, avoiding the need for overcenter devices, and providing a smooth releasable latching function while yet providing positive locking of the door when desired, such as during high temperature self-cleaning operations of the oven.

Abstract: The invention provides a stove for burning a charge of fuel by primary air directed either above or underneath through the firebed. A firebed support is defined by an array of alternating fixed and movable bars, the movable bars having a length greater than their width when viewed endwise and being rotatable between a vertical attitude in which they permit upward passage of air and downward passage of ash through said support and a horizontal attitude in which they permit build up of a layer of ash at the base of the firebed. An air distribution chamber has an inlet for primary air, a first outlet from which primary air passes to a space above the firebed and a second outlet from which primary air passes to a space below the firebed. An air diversion flap is movable between positions in which air is selectively directed through the first and through the second outlet.

Abstract: A pair of spring-loaded oven door hinge mechanisms, mounted on a domestic range body and located at the lower corners of a counterbalancing oven door lock in a partially open position upon removal of the oven door to preclude accidental tripping of the non-counterbalanced hinge mechanisms. Reinstallation of the counterbalancing oven door unlocks the spring-loaded hinge mechanisms to permit normal oven door movement between open and closed positions. Each hinge mechanism includes a fixed roller normally engageable with a hinge blade projection to provide a broil position detent mechanism. The fixed roller snaps into a deep recess or notch in a movable hinge blade upon removal of the oven door to provide positive locking of the hinge blade to maintain the associated hinge mechanism in a partially open position, thereby facilitating oven door reinstallation.

Abstract: Composite oven door and hinge which is fixedly but detachably mounted on a stove. The door is pivotal between closed, broil and open positions and the hinge provides for counterbalancing in moving between broil and open positions.

Abstract: The improved furnace of this invention may be used to produce heat by the burning of wood or other combustible matter. The furnace has a combustion chamber with a generally vertical axis and a chamber access door for loading combustible matter into the furnace. The access door in its normally closed position lies in a plane extending upwardly and outwardly from the axis of the chamber. A smoke limiting means which is positioned above the access door extends to the plane of closure of the door. This smoke limiting means limits the escape of smoke and other combustion products when the access door is open. The smoke limiting means may have a port for visually observing the interior of the chamber and for admitting a poker therein. An air injector extending through the door directs air to the burning material within the combustion chamber. The access door may have attached to it a grate extending into the chamber for holding the combustible material as it burns.

Abstract: A door opening mechanism for partially opening a door on a toaster oven wherein the oven includes a thermal timer for controlling the operation of the oven in a toast mode. The door opening mechanism includes a first lever held in a first position by the timer wherein the first lever is released upon termination of the toast mode. The mechanism further includes a resiliently biased slide held in a first position by the first lever and released to a second position upon completion of the toast mode. The slide is mechanically coupled to a lever assembly that includes second and third levers and a cam lever. The third lever and the cam lever are mechanically coupled to the oven door and are resiliently held in a first position to hold the door closed and resiliently moved to a second, door open position upon release of the first lever. The mechanism turns the mode selector switch to the off position once the toast has been removed from the oven and the door closed.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism is provided for use with an oven housing having side walls, a rear wall, an access opening opposite the rear wall and a door for the access opening wherein the door is movable through a plurality of positions between a closed position and an open position. The hinge mechanism includes a bracket rigidly mounted to the side wall of the oven structure for pivotally securing the door to the side wall of the oven housing. The bracket includes specifically designed camming surface along the top edge. A lever is pivotally secured to the door and includes first and second arm members. A spring having first and second ends is provided for biasing the lever toward the side wall of the oven housing. The first end of the spring is attached to the first arm member of the lever, and the second end of the spring is attached to the side wall of the oven housing adjacent the bracket. The second end of the lever includes a cam follower for engaging the camming surface of the bracket.

Abstract: An arcuate door stop for use in limiting the opening of the door on a clothes dryer or other appliance having a similar type of downwardly pivoting access door, has an arcuate link pivotally secured, near one end, to the door and a plurality of detents spaced from the end secured to the door, which cooperate with a transverse roller mounted on the appliance to support the door in a like plurality of different open positions including a position in which the door is displaced substantially 180.degree. from its closed position and in spaced relationship to the face of the cabinet appliance to permit unobstructed access to the interior of the appliance. A spring serves to both bias the link into engagement with the roller and to counterbalance the door.

Abstract: The invention relates to hinged supports using torsion bars for the doors of microwave ovens. For light-weight doors, the torsion bars extend beyond the sides of the doors and interlock with the oven structure to constitute the sole supporting means. For heavier doors, the torsion bars are provided with pivot shaft extensions mounted in bearings in the doors, which interlock with the oven structure. The torsion bars are preloaded to bias the doors closed in the light-weight door constructions, and operate in all cases to reduce the dead weight of the doors when in their open, horizontal positions. The side extensions interlockingly engage brackets in the oven structure aided by the weight of the doors, and permit the doors to be lifted readily therefrom.

Abstract: A counterbalancing hinge for range oven doors or the like includes the following features: (a) articulated members one of which is a bracket adapted to be secured to a supporting body structure such as a range and the other of which is an arm adapted to be received within an oven door or the like and carrying a counterbalancing spring, (b) means for selectively adjusting the counterbalancing spring, (c) door leveling means, (d) an arm latching and locking device activated when the door is removed from the arm, (e) a strain separable detent carried by the spring supporting arm to restrain the arm selectively in door-partially open position, (f) counterbalancing spring action controlling mechanism, (g) spring for retaining the door so it can be removed only when in partially open position, (h) only a screwdriver is needed for installing or removing the counterbalancing hinge relative to the installation, (i) only a screwdriver is needed to, adjust, remove or replace the counterbalancing spring.

Abstract: An appliance, such as a domestic oven, with a removable oven door hinged to the appliance. The hinge system includes a pair of hinge mechanisms, where each mechanism includes a stationary bracket supporting a pivoted door guide, a spring-loaded hinged lever carried by the door guide, and a separable mating member in the door for cooperation with the door guide. The door guide includes a slip-on self-supporting wire spring that is operable whenever there is a partial removal of the door from the door guide to cause a locking action between the door guide and the support bracket. When the door is reinstalled on the hinge mechanism, the wire spring is unlocked from the support bracket so the door may be closed.

Abstract: A microwave oven has an up-opening oven door which is hinged to be movable in an arcuate path. The door moves between a closed lower position covering an aperture to the cooking cavity in the front surface of the oven cabinet and an open upper position above the aperture. The axis of this arcuate motion is adjacent the upper edge of the oven door and internal to the oven cabinet. Connecting arms extend from pivots within the cabinet through openings in the front surface of the oven cabinet, and connect to the oven door. The front surface of the oven cabinet above the aperture is recessed such that the oven door may be opened substantially beyond a horizontal position to provide access to the oven cooking cavity.

Abstract: A combined kiln and lid prop in which the kiln has an upwardly opening lid pivotally mounted thereon, said prop being pivotally mounted on the kiln and having an upwardly extended propping position in which it is releasably retained by resting the lid thereon, an outward reclining position, and a center of gravity in the propping position outward of the pivotal mounting thereof so that the prop automatically pivots to the reclining position when the weight of the lid is removed therefrom allowing the lid fully to close.

Abstract: A door construction for an appliance such as a baking and broiling oven for domestic use. The door has a counterbalance spring mechanism at each side of the door that includes a swing link interposed between the tension spring and the hinge lever of the door to obtain a door balancing torque that substantially follows the torque of the door as it moves between a vertical closed position and a horizontal fully open position.