Improvements in Appliances for Facilitating the Boiling of Eggs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Facilitating the Boiling of Eggs.
We, EDWARD BRODERICK, of Summer Lodge, Reeth, Richmond, in the County
of York, Farmer, and LONSDALE BRODERICK of 12 Booth Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in appliances for facilitating the boiling
of eggs and the chief object of our improvements is to so arrange and combine the
parts that the eggs when cooked will be raised automatically out of the boiling
water.
The chief feature of novelty in our improved appliance consists in the use of a
metal alloy or other suitable substance in combination with a wire frame or other
egg carrier. This alloy or substance is solid at ordinary temperatures but fuses or
softens at or slightly below the boiling point of water and is employed as a sensitive
solder which in its solid form retains a catch lever or equivalent but which when
fused or sufficiently softened by the heat of the water in which the eggs are boiled,
releases the catch lever or equivalent thereby allowing a spring to raise the frame
with the eggs out of the water.
I propose to surround the sensitive solder with a sleeve of some substance having
a low power of heat conductivity, so that by adjusting this sleeve and more or less
exposing the tube or part containing the sensitive solder to the action of the boiling
water the eggs can be boiled hard or soft as desired.
Dated this 16th day of February 1891
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Facilitating the Boiling of Eggs.
We, EDWARD BRODERICK, of Summer Lodge, Reeth, Richmond, in the County
of York, Farmer, and LONSDALE BRODERICK of 12 Booth Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Accountant, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in appliances for facilitating the boiling
of eggs and the chief object of our improvements is to so arrange and combine the
parts that the eggs when cooked will be raised automatically out of the boiling
water.
The chief feature of novelty in our improved appliance consists in the use of a
metal alloy or other suitable substance in combination with a wire frame or other
egg carrier. This alloy or substance is solid at ordinary temperatures but fuses or
softens at or slightly below the boiling point of water and is employed as a sensitive
solder which in its solid form retains a catch lever or equivalent but which when
fused or sufficiently softened by the heat of the water in which the eggs are boiled,
releases the catch lever or equivalent thereby allowing a spring to raise the frame
with the eggs out of the water.
We propose to surround the sensitive solder with a sleeve of some substance
having a low power of heat conductivity, so that by adjusting this sleeve and more
or less exposing the tube or part containing the sensitive solder to the action of the
boiling water the eggs can be boiled hard or soft as desired.

page_text: Different kinds of sensitive alloys may be used but that which we prefer fuses at
about 76° C. and is composed of the following metals melted and mixed together,
viz., bismuth 16 parts, tin 3 parts, lead 11 parts and cadmium 2 parts.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a view of the handle, the screw and the top plate from the side nearly
opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modification of the apparatus.
A
or other
In Fig. 1 the fusible alloy A is shown placed in the lower end of a vertical
tube B with closed bottom and to regulate the time at which it will melt the said
tube is enclosed in an outer tube C the space between the two tubes being pre-
ferably filled more or less by a substance having a low power of heat conductivity.
The outer tube C is fixed vertically and watertight to a base plate or stand D and
is say about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. The inner tube B is about a
quarter of an inch shorter than the outer tube and about three-eighths of an inch in
diameter, it is closed at its lower end by a square or angular plate G the corners of
which project and keep it in its place in the centre of the outer tube. Both
A wire Fis
tubes B and C are soldered at their upper ends to a top plate E.
placed in the inner tube B with its lower end, which is flattened, and it may be
twisted, embedded in the fusible alloy A and its upper end which passes through a
hole in the top plate E is doubled and twisted into the form of a screw H.
collar or ring I is fixed round the said wire F immediately below the top plate E
to prevent the said wire from being drawn upwards. A piece of cork
suitable substance filling the inside of the inner tube a short distance above the
fusible alloy A and having a hole through its centre through which the wire F
passes, keeps the wire in the centre of the tube and the fusible metal in its place.
The egg receptacle K which may be made of perforated tin or wire surrounds the
outer tube C above the base plate D and is movable up and down. A spiral
spring L also surrounding the outer tube rests on the base plate and always tends
to press upwards the egg receptacle K. The two ends of a wire M forming a
handle N pass downwards through holes in the top plate E and down the sides of
Part of the wire
the outer tube and are attached to the egg receptacle K.
forming the handle N is bent downwards and formed into a U shaped bend or
loop O. The loop is bent to one side with a downward slope towards its end, see
Fig. 2. The position of the loop is such that when the handle N is pressed
downwards it comes in contact with the thread on each side of the screw H and
slides upon it to the side to which it slopes sufficiently to pass; it then springs
back catching against the undersides of the thread and is thereby held down
against the upward pressure of the spring L so long as the wire F and screw is
held rigid by the fusible alloy. When the sensitive alloy A is fused the wire F is
released and the screw H is caused to rotate by the upward pressure of the
spring L acting on it through the loop O. The loop O then slides up the wire
screw H and becomes disengaged from it and the spring L raises the egg
receptacle K out of the water.
In the accompanying drawings the space between the two tubes B and C is
shown as partially filled with sand Q for the purpose of regulating the time at
which the fusible alloy will melt. The sand is run into the said space through a
hole P in the top plate E. The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is adapted for use both
in hot water and also in cold water placed on a fire to boil.
In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the apparatus above described but adapted
It differs from the first
only for use in cold water placed on a fire to boil.
arrangement in having only one tube B instead of two and in the fusible alloy A
contained therein having a higher melting point. For this purpose the fusible
alloy A is composed of say 2 parts of bismuth, 1 of tin, and 1 of lead and melts at
about 94° C.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with an egg receptacle or carrier arranged to be held by a
catch, of a sensitive solder or metal alloy having a melting point below 100° C.,
said alloy when solid serves to retain the catch but when fused releases said catch
and allows a spring to raise the egg receptacle out of the boiling water substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. The combination with a wire having its lower end embedded in a sensitive
solder or fusible metal alloy and its upper end twisted into the form of a screw, of a
wire loop engaging the screwed wire and fixed to the egg receptacle which is
arranged to be raised by a spring on release of said wire substantially as
described.
3. The improved appliance constructed and arranged substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 1.
4. The improved appliance constructed and arranged substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 3.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1891
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.