Steam cooker consisting of a removable cylindrical pot with two wire ring handles that fits into an outer cylindrical container on a perforated cylindrical shaft mounted inside a basin attached to a shallow copper pan. Wire-rimmed pot and container have vertical folded seams; basin stamped as one piece. Side of container is embossed "WILMOT CASTLE & CO. (arched) / THE ARNOLD / AUTOMATIC / STEAM COOKER / PAT'D JULY 8 79 MAY 9 82 & SEPT 2 82 / ROCHESTER, N.Y.", all in sans serif letters.
William E. Arnold of Rochester, NY, received U.S. Patent No. 217,314 on July 8, 1879 and No. 257,810 on May 9, 1882 for his grain cooker or steamer. Wilmot Castle & Co., also of Rochester (founded by Wilmot Castle (1855-1941) in 1883 and incorporated as Wilmot Castle Co. in 1903), manufactured sterilizers and bacteriological apparatus for laboratory, medical, dental and hospital use as well as for the home. In keeping with Arnold's original intent, Wilmot Castle & Co. produced this device for culinary purposes, but they also produced "The Arnold Steam Sterilizer", which looked and functioned the same (see DL*251349.0192).
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