An Apparatus for Automatically. Straining Off an Infusion of Tea within a Limited Space of Time, and so Avoiding an Excess of Tannin being drawn by the Water being left too long in contact with the Tea Leaves.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Automatically. Straining Off an Infusion of Tea
within a Limited Space of Time, and so Avoiding an Excess of
Tannin being drawn by the Water being left too long in contact
with the Tea Leaves.
I JAMES HENRY BARBER of Kandy in the Island of Ceylon Tea Planter do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the production of a wholesome infusion of tea
for use, by employing an apparatus to strain off the infusion automatically within a
limited space of time, and so avoid an excess of tannin being drawn by the water
being left too long in contact with the leaves thereby dispensing with the necessity
of personally watching and timing the infusion while the tea is made.
This is secured by the employment of the following apparatus (which is placed
within a vessel of the same capacity as the teapot with which it is used) and is
hereafter called the infuser.
The liquid filtered through the apparatus will pass into the tea pot through an
aperture at the bottom of the infuser, which is placed over the tea pot. The
apparatus attains its objects, first by filtering the liquid without which filtration
the passage would be clogged, and the regular flow of the infused liquor prevented.
And next by regulating the flow so as to ensure the liquor passing into the tea pot
within a limited period of time, say within 4, 5, 6 or 7 minutes as may be desired.
For the proper filtering of the liquid an apparatus of the following design is
employed.
Two hollow cylinders of different sizes having their ends closed and placed one
within the other. In the bottom of each cylinder is a circular aperture through
which passes a tube more fully described below. The outer larger cylinder is
perforated near the bottom all round its circumference, while the inner and smaller
one is similarly drilled with small perforations near the top. Inside the inner
cylinder is placed a small tube which passes through the apertures at the bottom of
the cylinders and through the bottom of the infuser, and which conveys the infusion
of the tea from the infuser to the tea pot. The cylinders and tube combined con-
stitute a special kind of filter, and the liquid rising through the perforations at or
near the bottom of the large (outermost) cylinder descends through the perforations
at or near the top of the smaller (inner) cylinder into it and through the tube placed
within it (which tube is likewise perforated for further filtration) into the tea pot.
This tube is made of suitable length, so as to protrude to the extent of about a
quarter of an inch below the bottom of the infuser into the tea pot on which the
infuser is placed when in use.
For the purpose of regulating the flow of water, and placing the same under the
control of the operator, I make the outer or projecting end of the tube jagged or
denticulated in such a manner that the points may be brought together or separated
with ease.
The aperture may thus be widened or narrowed as desired, and the flow of the
liquid from the infuser into the tea pot accelerated or retarded accordingly. The
apparatus when in use should be placed within the infuser with the small tube
protruding through a small aperture at the bottom of the infuser into the tea pot.
The tea leaf is then placed within the infuser but outside the apparatus and boiling
water poured upon it. The water then gradually passes through the apparatus into
the tea pot in the time limited producing an infusion of tea of the strength desired .

page_text: The time taken up in the flow of the liquid being determined by the extent to
which the teeth of the small tube have been pressed together.
Dated this Sixth day of October-1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:*
An Apparatus for Automatically Straining Off an Infusion of Tea
within a Limited Space of Time, and so Avoiding an Excess of
Tannin being drawn by the Water being left too long in contact
with the Tea Leaves.
I JAMES HENRY BARBER of Kandy in the Island of Ceylon Tea Planter do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has for its object the production of a wholesome infusion of tea
for use, by employing an apparatus to strain off the infusion automatically within a
limited space of time and so avoid an excess of tannin being drawn by the water
being left too long in contact with the leaves thereby dispensing with the necessity
of personally watching and timing the infusion while the tea is made.
This is secured by the employment of the following apparatus (which is placed
within a vessel of the same capacity as the tea pot with which it is used) and is
hereafter called the infuser.
The liquid filtered through the apparatus will pass into the teapot through an
aperture at the bottom of the infuser, which is placed over the teapot.
The apparatus attains its objects, first by filtering the liquid, without which 2
filtration the passage would be clogged, and the regular flow of the infused liquor
prevented. And next by regulating the flow so as to ensure the liquor passing into
the teapot within a limited period of time, say within 4, 5, 6 or 7 minutes as may
be-desired.
For the proper filtering of the liquid, an apparatus of the following design is 3
employed.
Two hollow cylinders of different sizes having their ends closed and placed one
within the other. In the bottom of each cylinder is a circular aperture through
which passes a tube more fully described below. The outer larger cylinder is
perforated near the bottom all round its circumference while the inner and smaller 3
one is similarly drilled with small perforations near the top. Inside the inner
cylinder is placed a small tube which passes through the apertures at the bottom of
the cylinders and through the bottom of the infuser and which-conveys the infusion
of the tea from the infuser to the teapot. The cylinders and tube combined con-
stitute a special kind of filter; and the liquid rising through the perforations at or 4
near the bottom of the large (outermost) cylinder descends through the perforations
at or near the top of the smaller (inner) cylinder into it and through the tube
placed within it (which tube is likewise perforated for further filtration) into the
teapot. This tube is made of suitable length so as to protrude to the extent of
about a quarter of an inch below the bottom of the infuser into the teapot, on which 4
the infuser is placed when in use.
For the purpose of regulating the flow of water and placing the same under the
control of the operator, I make the outer or projecting end of the tube jagged or
denticulated in such a manner that the points may be brought together or separated
with ease.
The aperture may thus be widened or narrowed as desired, and the flow of the
liquid from the infuser into the teapot accelerated or retarded accordingly. The
apparatus when in use should be placed within the infuser with the small tube
protruding through a small aperture at the bottom of the infuser into the teapot.
5

page_text: The tea leaf is then placed within the infuser but outside the apparatus and boiling.
water poured upon it. The water then gradually passes through the apparatus
into the teapot in the time limited producing an infusion of tea of the strength
desired. The time taken up in the flow of the liquid being determined by the
extent to which the teeth of the small tube have been pressed together.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure A is a cross section of
the teapot and of the lower part of the infuser, and the apparatus in position for
use Figure 1 shows the apparatus Figure 2 the inner cylinder and Figures 3 & 34
the tube with the denticulations open and closed; the figures are drawn to a scale
of the size that will be ordinarily used. Similar letters in all the figures represent
similar parts.
A is the outer cylinder which is placed in the infuser having a circular aperture
in the centre of the bottom at b and perforations all round the lower part of its
circumference c. c. c. c.
d is the smaller and inner cylinder having also a circular aperture at e of the
same size as the aperture 6 above mentioned there are also perforations round the
upper part of the circumference of this cylinder at f. f. f. f. This cylinder is placed
within the cylinder A in such a position that the aperture e is exactly over the
aperture b, is a tube closed at the upper end and having round the upper part of
its circumference perforations similar to those in " a " and "d" the lower end
jagged or denticulated as shown at """""1" shows the denticulations open
and "" the same denticulations closed, this tube & is placed within the inner
cylinder and through the apertures of the inner and outer cylinders and of the
infuser through the bottom of which it projects to the extent of about of an inch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The apparatus as a whole.
2. The arrangement for filtration by which the smallest particles of solid matter
avo bent out of the infusion