Fire-places and Kitchen Utensils. 307 



Of some Attempts to simplify the Construction of the 



Roaster. 



Finding that much more heat was always com- 

 municated to the under sides of roasters, especially 

 as they were first constructed (with flat bottoms), than 

 was there wanted, meditating on the means I could 

 employ to defend the bottom of the dripping-pan from 

 this excessive heat, without at the same time exposing 

 the bottom of the roaster to the danger of being soon 

 destroyed, in consequence of the accumulation of it 

 on its passage upwards being prevented, it occurred 

 to me that if the bottom of the roaster were covered 

 with a shallow iron pan turned upside down, with a 

 row of holes from side to side at the farther end of it, 

 and if a certain quantity of fresh air could occasionally 

 be admitted under this inverted pan, this cold air, on 

 coming into contact with the bottom of the roaster, 

 would take off the heat, and, becoming specifically 

 lighter on being heated, would pass upwards through 

 the holes at the farther end of this pan into the roaster, 

 serving at the same time three useful purposes ; namely, 

 to defend the dripping-pan ; to cool the bottom of the 

 roaster; and to assist in heating the inside of the 

 roaster above, where heat is most wanted. This in- 

 vention was put in practice, and was found to answer 

 very well all the purposes for which it was contrived. 

 It was likewise found that with proper management 

 the current of heated air from below the inverted 

 pan might be so regulated as to roast meat very well 

 without making any use of the blowpipes ; and con- 

 sequently that roasters might be constructed without 

 blowpipes. 



