Two-staged pressure cooker

Claim 1

A two-staged pressure cooking apparatus comprising: a vessel having a closed bottom and an open top; upper lid means removably sealed onto said vessel for closing said top thereof and for sealing the interior of said vessel in a pressure-tight manner; lower lid means positioned within said vessel and extending across said vessel at a location for dividing said interior of said vessel into a lower chamber to receive therein water and an upper chamber separate from said lower chamber and to contain food to be cooked; heating means mounted adjacent said lower chamber, for heating, water contained therein to its boiling point, thereby generating steam, the pressure of which builds up in said lower chamber; first pressure regulating means in said lower lid means for, when the pressure of said steam in said lower chamber builds up to a predetermined level, passing said steam from said lower chamber through said lower lid means and into said upper chamber, whereby food in said upper chamber will be cooked by said steam; first safety relief valve means, in said lower lid means at a position spaced from said first pressure regulating means, for preventing said pressure in said lower chamber from building up to an abnormally excessive and dangerous level; second pressure regulating means in said upper lid means for, when the pressure of said steam in said upper chamber builds up to a predetermined level, venting said steam from said upper chamber through said upper lid means to the atmosphere; and second safety relief valve means, in said upper lid means at a position spaced from said second pressure regulating means, for preventing said pressure in said upper chamber from building up to an abnormally excessive and dangerous level.