Improvements in Apparatus for Making Infusions of Tea and other Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 12th Jan. 1892-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Infusions of Tea and other
Materials.
I, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME of Holme Wood. Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention I employ a small vessel in conjunction with an
ordinary tea pot there being a connection between the two so arranged as to enable
a strong infusion to be first made in the small vessel and then drawn off quickly
when desired into the tea pot and afterwards diluted as required.
The small vessel may either be suspended in the ordinary tea pot or be placed
over it the former having a plug or valve in its bottom for drawing off the infusion
through a strainer into the tea pot means being provided for holding up the plug
or keeping the valve open. Or the small vessel may contain a bent syphon tube
one leg of which reaches nearly but not quite to its bottom whilst the other leg
passes through the bottom into the tea pot.
In making the infusion the tea is placed in the small vessel and a quantity of
water is poured upon it care being taken that the water does not reach to the top
of the syphon.
After the water has stood upon the tea for the desired time a further quantity is
added until the surface rises above the head of the syphon, syphonic action is
thereupon set up drawing off the infusion into the tea pot, the strength of the
infusion depending upon the quantity of water added.
Dated this 13th day of April 1891.
CARPMAEL & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Infusions of Tea and other
Materials.
I, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME of Holme Wood, Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Engineer, 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 :-
According to this invention I employ a small vessel in conjunction with an
ordinary tea pot there being a connection between the two so arranged as to
enable a strong infusion to be first made in the small vessel and then drawn off
quickly when desired into the tea pot and afterwards diluted as required.
The small vessel may either be suspended in the ordinary tea pot or be placed
over it the former having a plug or valve in its bottom for drawing off the
infusion through a strainer into the tea pot means being provided for holding up
the plug or keeping the valve open. Or the small vessel may contain a bent syphon
tube one leg of which reaches nearly but not quite to its bottom whilst the other
leg passes through the bottom into the tea pot.
In making the infusion the tea is placed in the small vessel and a quantity of
water is poured upon it care being taken that the water does not reach to the top
of the syphon.
After the water has stood upon the tea for the desired time a further quantity is
added until the surface rises above the head of the syphon, syphonic action is

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 3, 5 and 6 show sections of tea pots made in accordance with my
invention.
In Figures and 3 the small vessel for making the strong infusion is placed
within the tea pot-In Figure 5 it is placed above it and jointed thereto-In
Figure 6 it is placed above it but is not jointed thereto and in this form can be
applied to any ordinary tea pot.
To describe each more fully-In Figures 1 and 2-A B C D is the small
vessel suspended in and at the upper part of the tea pot. In this vessel a strong
infusion of the tea is made-the tea being placed therein and boiling water poured
upon it.
In Figure 1-the small vessel is furnished with a bent tube or syphon E-
having the shorter leg near to the bottom of the vessel or coming quite to the
bottom as shown but with gaps e to admit of the passage of water and the longer
leg passes through the bottom of the vessel. When the infusion has to be made
the tea is placed in the vessel and boiling water poured on to the level F G of the
underside of the bend of the syphon. It is allowed to stand infusing for say
5 minutes and when desired to draw off the infusion more water is poured in to
cover the top HJ of the syphon when the infusion will run into the tea pot and
continue running so long as water is poured into the vessel-leaving the tea leaves
behind and so preventing the extraction of the tannin which takes place when the
leaves are allowed to remain too long in the water.
In Figure 3-instead of a syphon a plug P is employed. The infusion is made
as in Figure 1-and when desired to draw it off the plug is raised and is kept
suspended by a bent wire as shown resting on the top of a tube-by a frictional
grip as shown in Figure 10 or other mechanical arrangement. Sufficient water is
poured through and the plug again lowered the leaves being left in the small
vessel. In this arrangement a strainer is employed and is shown at SS.
strainer may also be employed in connection with the syphon as is shown in
Figures 5 and 6 and marked S S.
A
In Figures 1 and 3 the small vessel does not occupy the whole mouth of the tea
pot but a vacancy is left at V-
-as is shown more clearly by the plans Figure 2 and
Figure 4 of the tops of the pots respectively which vacancy allows the depth of
water in the pot to be seen and also admits of water being poured in to the pot
without passing through the leaves in the small vessel.
In Figure 5 the small vessel is hinged at K to the upper part of the pot-which
allows the pot to be uncovered for the purpose of pouring in water or for seeing
the depth in the pot. The syphon is in this Figure 5 shown self contained—that is
it is formed of a round tube with a division passing up the centre to nearly the top.
This form of syphon is also shown in Figure 6-and in section at Figure 7-and
also on a larger scale in Figure 8 and section Figure 9-a horizontal strainer S S
Figure 5 is used. It will be observed that in Figures 1 and 5 the bottom of the
small vessel is made deeper in the centre which enables the infusion to be more
completely drawn off.
Figure 6 shows the small vessel placed on the top of an ordinary tea pot. It is
fitted with syphon arrangement and horizontal strainer S S. With this arrange-
ment it is convenient to use a float and indicator to show the amount of water in
the pot.
To effect this 1 fix a small vertical tube in the small vessel and use a
Roat and a wire leading through it. When the float rises on the water the top of
the wire rises. In the large view Figure 8-this tube is shown as part of the
syphon and passes through it in the centre from the bottom to the top.
Figure 10 shews a small vessel like Figure 6 but provided with a plug instead of
syphon. The tube for the indicator passes through the plug. The plug when
raised is held up by the friction of the conical part K above the plug caused by

page_text: coming in contact with the inside of the vertical tube attached to the strainer S S―
which is mechanically fixed in its position.
In these drawings certain forms of pots are shown but my apparatus can be
adapted to any form of tea pot-and whether made in metal-tin-earthenware or
other material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a tea pot, a small vessel and a connection between the
two so arranged as to enable an infusion to be made in the small vessel and then
drawn off quickly into the pot when desired substantially as described.
2. Apparatus substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of January 1892.
JAMES EDWARD RANSOME.