Improvements in Mixing Taps, Primarily Intended for Use with Tea, Coffee, Cocoa Urns, and the like, to enable Dissimilar Liquids to be Drawn Off in Definite Predetermined Proportions.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec.. 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mixing Taps, Primarily Intended for Use with Tea,
Coffee, Cocoa Urns, and the like, to enable Dissimilar Liquids to
be Drawn Off in Definite Predetermined Proportions.
We, HENRY COLE WILLMOTT of 23, Leighton Crescent, London, N.W.,
Manufacturers' Agent, and HERBERT SUMERLING of 165, Old Street
London, E.C., Coppersmith, 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 :-
Ordinary tea, coffee and cocoa urns are usually provided with one vessel for
containing the heated infusion, the contents of which have necessarily to be kept
constantly heated, whereby the quality and strength are considerably weakened, and
the resultant infusion, should the contents remain heated for any length of time,
prove very unpalatable.
Now, the apparatus employed in conjunction with our improved mixing tap is
provided with a separate vessel for the heated water and separate receptacles for
the infusions of either tea, coffee, cocoa or other liquid, the several vessels
communicating with the mixing tap by special passage ways under which arrange-
ment the infusion is retained constantly cool and fresh without losing its aroma and
can be withdrawn alone or combined with the heated water in the required definite
predetermined proportions.
In practice we have found it essential to the perfect working of the apparatus
that the height of the water and infusion vessels and arrangement of passage ways
should be carefully adjusted in order that the levels of the heated water and
infusions shall give the requisite proportional pressure where the liquids commingle,
whilst the construction and areas of the inlet orifices and passages in the mixing
tap regulate and govern the outflow or delivery. In order to ensure an approximate
constant pressure of the infusion we elevate the infusion vessels and connect same
to the mixing tap by vertical pipes whereby the infusion can be entirely withdrawn
from the infusion vessel without appreciably reducing the normal head or pressure
of the infusion in the pipe. A special feature in our improvements consists in
employing a mixing tap, the construction of which enables us to ensure not only
that the liquids are mixed and delivered in the requisite proportions but that all
fear of leakage due to wear and expansion of the plug or casing is entirely
obviated.
In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing we have illustrated an apparatus
embodying our improvements, A being the vessel for containing the heated water,
B the receptacles for the infusion and a the pipes communicating from the infusion
vessels B with the mixing tap or outlet from the vessel A.
Figure 2 is a side elevation and Figure 3 a plan of the mixing tap with the plug
removed.
Figures 4 to 7 represent detached elevational views of the plug in the respective
positions indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, and Figures 8 to 11 longitudinal
sections corresponding to Figures 4 to 7.
Figure 12 is a vertical section of the tap casing on line X Figure 3.
The plug of the tap can assume four different positions as shown in dotted lines,
Figure 2 and in the corresponding elevations Figurés 4 to 7 and sections Figures 8
to 11.

page_text: In the position marked 1 Figure 2 corresponding to the clevation Figure 4 and
section Figure 8 the tap is closed.
In the position marked 2 Figure 2 corresponding to the elevation Figure 5 and
section Figure 9 the infusion and water are combined and delivered in the required
proportions. The infusion by means of pipe a enters the casing at 6 and passing
through the infusion orifice c in the plug combines with the water, which latter
enters the casing at d and passes through the water passages e in the plug with the
infusion to the common outlet f.
In the position marked 3 Figure 2 corresponding to the elevation Figure 6 and
section Figure 10 the infusion alone is withdrawn. In this instance we provide a
second infusion inlet g in the plug, in direct communication with an infusion outlet /
at the opposite end of the plug, and we enlarge the tap casing at i Figure 3 to
provide for the cutting therein, corresponding to the position of the outlet h of a
slot or passage way leading to the common outlet f Figure 12. By adopting
this arrangement we are enabled to ensure the free passage of the infusion through
the plug, and obviate leakage by reducing the wear of the plug and casing to a
minimum.
In the position marked 4 Figure 2 corresponding to the elevation Figure 7 and
section Figure 11 water only may be withdrawn through the water passage e and
outlet f.
As the tap in ordinary use usually assumes the closed position 1 or open
position 2 Figure 2 a removable stop on the plug engages in a cut away portion
of the casing at k to confine the movement within the quadrant of a circle.
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 :-
The combination with an apparatus such as that shown in Figure 1 having a
vessel for heated water, separate infusion receptacles and vertical pipes of a mixing
tap formed in addition to the ordinary water passage with two infusion inlets and
an infusion outlet, the latter corresponding in position with a slot or passage
provided in an enlargement of the casing all substantially as and for the purposes
>pecified.
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BENJ. T. KING,
163, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Patent Agent to the said Henry Cole Willmott and Herbert Sumerling.