An Improved Tea Infuser.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov.,
1897
An Improved Tea Infuser.
I, NEWTON LIVINGSTONE SCOTT of 55, Schubert Road, Putney, 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:
My Invention relates to an improved appliance for use in infusing tea in the
teapot and it consists essentially of a tea container and infuser of a reticulated
or perforated structure which is adapted to be supported within the teapot so
as to keep the contained tea immersed in the water in the tea-pot as long as
may be necessary for infusion, and then withdraw it when the infusion is com-
plete, the particular object of the invention being to render the infuser readily
adaptable to fit nearly all the variously shaped mouths or cover apertures of
teapots of different sizes and patterns.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of
the specification, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation and Figure 2
a plan view of the infuser adapted to fit various sizes of circular mouthed tea-
pots, Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 a section of an adapter for use with the
said infuser in order to support it when applied to a teapot having an oblong
or oval mouth.
The infuser consists of a receptacle A of substantially cylindrical form the
sides and bottom of which are made of woven wire or perforated sheet metal
and provided at top with a mouth or flange B adapted to rest on the edge of
the mouth of the pot and support the container in position therein, a hinged
or removable lid C being also provided to close the top of the container when in
use so as to prevent loss of heat. The body of the container if made of iron or
other suitable wire work may either be woven in one piece of the final shape,
or it may be built up from sheet wire gauze in any manner common to wire-
working. The mouth B may either be of the bell mouth shape shown in full
lines or it might be a straight cone or flared as shown in the dotted lines at b
or it might be a flat flange as at 61 adapted merely to rest on the top of the
pot around the lid aperture the mouth B in any case making a sufficiently
tight closure of the mouth of the pot to prevent excessive loss of heat. The
mouth B of whichever form it may be made is formed with a straight cylind-
rical neck portion 62 to which the upper edges of the sides A would be soldered.
If desired the infuser may be provided with a handle affixed to the flaring mouth B
for lifting it by.
The Adapter D shown in Figures 3 and 4 is a flat plate of sheet metal pre-
ferably such as may be easily cut to shape if necessary in order that it may
fit snugly in the recess usually countersunk around the edges of the mouth of
the teapot in place of the lid. This adapter plate D is provided with an aper-
ture d to receive the neck portion 62 of the infuser whose bell or flanged mouth
rests upon the plate D which is supported as above described upon the top of
the teapot, and the lid of the teapot is of course thrown back when the infuser
is in use, but the mouth of the teapot is sufficiently closed by the infuser sus-

page_text: pended therein, to prevent undue cooling of the contents of the pot during the
short period necessary for infusion.
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 herein described tea container and infuser provided with a flaring or
flanged mouth, whereby it is adapted to be suspended within the teapot and to fit
circular mouths of various sizes, and with a lid or cover for closing it substantially
as specified and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2. The combination with the herein described tea container and infuser, of
the adapter described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 for use with a teapot
having other than a circular mouth, substantially as specified.
Dated the 4th day of October 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agents.