Wagner Ware Skillet Oven 1275-1 & 1275-2

[Michael Fraley]

Will try and keep this short. I purchased a WW Skillet Oven several months ago (1275-1 & 1275-2) off e-bay. My cousin ID it in the BB for me since I do not have one and it says the unit (1275-1 & 2 ) should set on a ring or base. I purchase separately three months ago a ring with handle from e-bay that I thought was for wood burning stoves as an adaptor ring of sorts. Since I have cleaned and seasoned both the ring and the skillet oven I did a trial fit and the skillet oven sets perfectly within the ring as though it was made for that purpose. This site is my last hope in finding out if the ring I have is for the skillet oven I have. I posted pictures of both pieces on another site and was basically told that I need to prove the ring was made for the skillet oven before I could actually say I have the complete set. Since the ring has no mfg. # or brand name I have no way of knowing this. The handle of the ring looks exactly like most all Wagner Ware skillet handles only smaller in size. I will try and post a picture but first I would like to know if anyone has a similar piece that's complete with the ring/base as described in the BB?

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Michael. Welcome to WAGS. I have seen the skillet ovens top and bottoms plenty times but have never seen a ring with my own eyes nor have I ever seen one for sale in person or otherwise. I would think that the ring would be marked, but maybe not. I don't ever recall seeing that piece you have pictured. Does the oven sit upon it or into it? The reason I ask is because for it to sit upon it would be no big deal but if it fits within it, then I'd say you are on to something for sure. Thanks for posting this. I hope its the real deal too. Has anybody else ever seen one of these? Thanks.  :)

[Michael Fraley]

The picture shown in the first post is the bottom side of the ring. I will try and attach the ring only as it would set in place atop a stove. The raised heat ring of the skillet oven sets perfectly in the middle of the groove of the ring itself. My logic was that the purpose was to keep the raised lettering of the skillet oven from wearing off while cooking thus preserving the name and date of the pieces themselves. Again....the handle of the ring base looks to be that of Wagner but on a smaller scale. The handle of the ring base does not touch the skillet oven anywhere when placed upon the base. There is approximately 1/16th inch play in the grove when the skillet sets on it which again has me believing the base was made for the skillet oven by either Wagner or one of its plants that knew the dimensions. I'm not trying to sale anyone on my quest but simply trying to authenticate the base as mentioned in the BB. I went to the patent info regarding the skillet oven which was applied for by H.H. Chaffee "the inventor" filed June 25th, 1920 and again there was no reference to a particular part number or mfg. of the ring base in his application.
Again....Any authentic data of this mystery ring base would be appreciative. 

[Jim Fuchs]

 Michael, here is a short take on what is involved with the Skillet Oven. What the patent is showing is an annular RAISED "base" if you will. Picture a "high" base waffle iron. It has a "socket", or lug on one side, and a cut out for the handle of the skillet oven opposite of that. The skillet oven rests on a "ledge" inside this raised annular base. This traps the heat inside the area for quicker cooking. Note the "ball member" and handle do not carry the weight of the oven, that's the purpose of the "ledge" inside the raised base. I would guess this piece to be several inches in height.
          The "insert" is just that. It goes inside the oven (w/ means of attachment" to cook other foods . The adaptor ring you have does not go with the oven. It appears to be an adaptor plate for a stove that would have several other plates to allow different size openings (ie: 6", 8", ect).
            
              Edit to add: In other words, the skillet oven fits inside the adaptor ring.  ;)

[Michael Fraley]

Jim,
First....Thank you for your kind reply. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to reply to my post. I am afraid I cannot agree with the logic you have put forth simply because I have read the patent verbiage several times and the logic you have concluded refers to the inner works of the patent as written by H.H. Chaffee in his application for a skillet oven. Anyone that has the Blue Book can see that the picture shown and the description written below the picture are not as what was originally proposed in his patent application. I am not sure that the skillet oven proposed was ever produced but I am no expert by any means when it comes to some of these pieces of cast iron. My thinking is that Wagner found it to be cost prohibitive when considering all the parts and assembly time to make one skillet and simply scraped all the inner works and just made the two halves instead. I am by no means trying to prove the base ring I have is for that skillet but when I measure the heat ring of the two skillet halves, (#8) which are 8 7/8" as shown in the 1924 Wagner Catalogue it sure appears to be an exact fit.
I tried to set another #8 skillet (Griswold Iron Mountain) with heat ring on the ring base and it doesn't even come close. I know that there are different dimensions for different mfg.'s. but if the ring base I have is suppose to be an adaptor than the groove should be wide enough to accommodate a variety of skillets instead of just one. I know I am sounding argumentative but I have researched so much on this one particular item that I am loosing sleep trying to get a sound conclusion. I will try and paste the link of the USPT that I read which has an excellent description and complete clear drawings, but I am not sure of the WAGS rules so it may or may not be attached to this post.
Again....Thank you so much for your time and efforts. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US1349494.pdf

[Jim Fuchs]

Well Michael, then we can agree to disagree. Sorry I couldn't help. Good luck. I am not sure what your base ring is for, but have no doubt it is not for the skillet oven. I can see why you're having difficulty in finding the information. Neat piece though. :)

[Michael Fraley]

Jim.....Thanks again for your reply. I see that you are a five star WAGS member which means you know a lot about cast iron.
I understand your explanation regarding the "waffle iron type base" you were explaining but again I did not conclude that from what I read regarding the patent description. If it required such a special base I would think Mr. Chaffee would have made a separate application patent with the USPT. My difficulty is finding anyone that can produce a picture or other data regarding the subject matter.
A lot of people say they have seen the skillet oven but again I have not seen any other photographs other than the ones I have posted.
I feel like I am looking for a part to a 1958 Ford Edsel that may or may not exist. Sorry that I have angered you so much......Have a nice day and keep up your good work. Who knows...You may come across something that's actually made for this mystery skillet oven.

[Jim Fuchs]

No worries here Michael. Those do show up on occasion (e-bay had a few), but have never seen any other part(s). Hope you do find the others. Not sure it was even made, and not sure about the patent, as it wasn't assigned to Wagner. Another member mentioned that to me, and I agree. Would be neat if they were actually made...I hope you find one!  :)

[Michael Fraley]

Jim.....Thanks again for your most helpful data. I did the same research and never did see that Mr. Chaffee assigned his patent to Wagner or anyone else. Confused as I may be it clearly states on my skillet halves that it was patented by Wagner on Aug. 10th, 1920 which means somewhere there was paper work submitted to the USPT for the skillet....I would think???
Sometimes we see the phrase "Pat.'D Applied for with a date" on cast iron pieces which I would think it was done to protect copy rights I assume. In any case, I think the BB should revise the page 238 some day to be less confusing if in fact H.H.Chaffee did not assign his design to Wagner. I have viewed about 600 of the patent data base I have access to regarding cast iron and never did find any similarities to the 1275-1 & 1275-2 Skillet Ovens. I am sure I do not have the only one in existence so out there somewhere somebody has something that ties these skillets and accessories back to Wagner. Since I am only a guest and not a member I can not query the WAGS members for this info.
I am not a collector for profit nor do I sale anything to anyone else. I became interested in cast iron about a year ago thru my cousin which has a house full of cast iron handed down by our family over the years. For her 70th birthday I bought her the BB & the RB so she could evaluate what she has and when it was made. I got hooked helping her find old pieces and see where it has taken me. I personally like the #3 range type pieces and smaller.....they don't take up so much space and are easy to display. I paid $250 for the skillet oven which makes it the most I have paid for any piece so I don't know what's it worth nor do I care. The ring base cost me $20 and serves as the resting place for the skillet oven and it will be a part of it regardless. In my data search I did find a somewhat similar ring base (Patent # 333,894 Jan. 5th, 1886) for a draft attachment for frying pans. It was used in conjunction with a dome type cover to capture the cooking odors and re-direct them back to the cook stove burner caps.
I still hope someone can jump in and tell the facts regarding these pieces just for a piece of mind.
Once again.....Thank you so much and the WAGS organization for reading my post and replying to me. I promise not to bug anyone any longer....
Regards,