Improvements in the Method of and in Means and Appliances for Preparing Infusions of Tea and other Beverages.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 11th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
Improvements in the Method of and in Means and Appliances for
Preparing Infusions of Tea and other Beverages.
I, RICHARD LEWIS, of 4 Victoria Villas, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Tea Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows
The object of my invention is to provide improved means and appliances for
preparing infusions of tea and other beverages; my invention being more particularly
applicable to the preparation of infusions of tea for the purpose of tasting samples,
but also applicable to other analogous purposes.
In carrying out my invention I mount a vessel for containing hot water, upon pivots,
supported at each end by suitable standards, so that it may be capable of rotating
upon such pivots. This vessel has a number of spouts, all of equal height, in order
that when the vessel is inclined upon its pivots, each spout may deliver an equal
quantity of hot water into a like number of pots, or other receptacles. These spouts
are fitted with movable plugs or cocks for shutting off one or more, as required.
In some cases I place one or more lamp or lamps or gas jets under the vessel to
keep the water hot, or cause it to boil; but boiling water may be placed in the vessel,
and used, without the aid of lamps.
In front of, and below the level of the hot water vessel, I place a shelf, also mounted
on pivots, and so balanced as to have a constant tendency to retain a horizontal
position. Upon this shelf I fix a number of pots in such a manner that, when the
shelf is tilted, the pots do not fall off the shelf. In preparing tea for tasting, measured
quantities of tea are placed in the pots on the shelf. The hot water vessel is then
inclined, and an equal quantity of hot water is simultaneously poured into each pot,
whereby equal infusions of the several samples are obtained. A number of cups are
placed in front of and below the level of the pots, into which cups the pots are drained

page_text: for tasting. I sometimes fit the shelf holding the pots with clockwork of the "alarm"
description, or other suitable contrivance, whereby the shelf is tilted after the lapse
of a certain number of minutes.
A shelf is also fitted for holding a number of samples of the tea to be tested.
It is obvious that my apparatus may be so modified that the tea may be placed in
the vessel itself, and that it may be used for delivering properly made tea into cups, to
be served in coffee shops and the like, and that the apparatus may be used for other
beverages, whether hot or cold.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and in Means and Appliances for
Preparing Infusions of Tea and other Beverages.
I, RICHARD LEWIS, of 4 Victoria Villas, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Tea
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is to provide improved moans and appliances for
preparing infusions of tea and other beverages; my Invention being more particularly
applicable to the preparation of infusion of tea for the purpose of tasting samples,
but also applicable to other analogous purposes.
In carrying out my Invention I mount a vessel for containing hot water, upon
pivots, supported at each end by suitable standards, so that it may be capable of
rotating upon such pivots. This vessel has a number of spouts, all of equal height,
in order that when the vessel is inclined upon its pivots, each spout may simultaneously
deliver an equal quantity of hot water into a like number of pots, or other receptacles.
These spouts are fitted with movable plugs or cocks for shutting off one or more, as
required.
In some cases I place one or more lamp or lamps or gas jets under the vessel to
keep the water hot, or cause it to boil; but boiling water may be placed in the vessel
and used without the aid of lamps.
In front of, and below the level of the hot water vessel, I place a shelf, also mounted
on pivots, and so balanced as to have a constant tendency to retain a horizontal
position. Upon this shelf I fix a number of pots in such a manner that, when the
shelf is tilted, the pots do not fall off the shelf. In preparing tea for tasting,
measured quantities of tea are placed in the pots on the shelf. The hot water vessel
is inclined, and an equal quantity of hot water is simultaneously poured into each
pot, whereby equal infusions of the several samples are obtained. A number of
cups are placed in front of and below the level of the pots, into which cups the
pots are drained for tasting. I sometimes fit the shelf holding the pots with clock-
work, of the "alarm" description, or other suitable contrivance, whereby the shelf is
tilted after the lapse of a certain number of minutes.
And in order that my said Invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the hot water vessel. Fig. 2 is an end view of the
same. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, showing the vessel tilted for pouring out hot
water into the pots, for making the infusions. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the two
trays for holding the pots and cups. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same. Fig. 6 is a
section showing the position of the pot on the upper pivotted tray, while drawing,
and Fig. 7 is a section, shewing the position of the pot, when pouring into a cup.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a plan, and Fig. 9 an end elevation, shewing a modification of my invention,
in which the vessel a is made stationary.
e e are
a is the hot water vessel, b is an ordinary gas burner tube fitted with an ordinary
Bunsen supply c.
dd are the frames upon which the vessel a is mounted.
regulating screws, to adjust the height and level of the apparatus. f is a lid covering
the opening for supplying water to the vessel. 99 are two handles for tilting the
vessel, as shown in Fig. 3. h h are the spouts, which are all placed at one level, and
fitted with the longitudinal bar ¹ to keep them in line. Each spout is fitted with a
stopper i, or a tap or analogous contrivance, for stopping one or more of the spouts,
as required.
Each end of the vessel a is fitted with two projecting pins or pivots a¹ a', by which
the vessel is supported.
m is a tray fitted at each end with a standard n, the standards having recesses for
the pins o to rest in. p is another tray, the two ends of which (p¹) are formed as
shewn in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. oo are two pins attached to the sides for supporting the
tray, when placed in position for drawing and pouring. s is an opening for inserting
the fingers, when carrying the tray p.
When filling the pots kk, the tray p is placed upon the tray m, in front of the
vessel a, as shewn in Fig. 3, with the measured quantity of tea in each pot.
When
the pots have been filled from the vessel a, the lids are put on, and the tray p is raised
to the position shewn in Figs. 5 and 6. The lower front edge of the tray p rests
against the stops n', which stops keep the tray level. The front edges of the pots
rest against the ledges p³.
r is a bent metallic bar, pivotted to the sides at 1, the outer ends of the pivots
being also utilised as handles. The bar can be turned from the position shewn in
Fig. 6 to the position shewn in Figs. 4 and 7, whereby the parts are securely held
to the tray p, when tilted for pouring into the cups t t, as shewn in Figs. 4 and 7.
My Invention may be modified in various ways, and may be arranged so that the tea
may be placed in the vessel a, and such vessel used for delivering properly made tea
into cups.
The vessel a may (if preferred) be made stationary, as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9 and
fitted with pipes h from the bottom, such pipes being fitted with taps w, arranged for
simultaneous opening by means of a bare fitted to the levers of the taps, or by other
obvious analogous arrangements.
The apparatus may also be used for other beverages, whether hot or cold.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The manufacture and use of the vessel a, mounted upon four pivots a¹, or their
equivalents, and fitted with two or more spouts hh, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
2. In combination with the vessel a, mounted and operated as aforesaid, the
application and use of the trays m and p, with their respective fittings, severally
operating substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
3. The general construction, arrangement and combination of the several and
respective parts, together constituting my Invention of Improvements in the method
of, and in means and appliances for, preparing infusions of tea and other beverages,
substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
Dated Oth June 1980
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.