Improvements in Apparatus used in the Making of Infusions and Maintaining a Supply of Hot Water or Liquid.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1393-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Making of Infusions and
Maintaining a Supply of Hot Water or Liquid.
We JAMES CHILDS, of Cedar Lea, Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, and CHARLES JOHN JONES, of 24 Eastcheap, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 13952 of 1884 was described a steam
boiler heated by gas flames and kept constantly under light pressure by the gas
being for the most part cut off when the pressure rose beyond a certain limit.
In another Patent No. 4834 of 1885 is described apparatus for keeping the
steam jackets of steam heated vessels supplied with steam from such a steam
boiler and for preventing the steam pressure in such jackets from rising beyond a
certain limit.
In other Patents Nos. 14578 of 1888 and 14405 of 1890 is described apparatus
for making infusions in which provision is made for admitting boiling water from
such a steam boiler to the bottom of a vessel in which an infusion is to be made
and for afterwards admitting steam from the boiler to the top of the vessel to drive
the infusion out through a perforated false bottom with which the vessel is provided.
Our present improvements relate to apparatus of the above kind.
To keep the water in the steam boiler at a uniform level we employ a partially
counterbalanced float of stone or glazed porcelain or like material acting on a tap
or valve on a pipe leading from a supply cistern both the tap and counterbalance
being within the boiler so that no spindle passing out through a stuffing box in the
side of the boiler is required.
In place of using jackets supplied with steam from the steam boiler for keeping
the contents of steam jacketted vessels heated, we employ a pipe from the steam
space of the boiler rising up through the interior of the vessel so that it is
surrounded by the liquid which the vessel contains-any water condensing in this
pipe will then flow back directly to the boiler and the vessels will be kept heated
without any escape of steam or condensed water from the boiler. The steam pipe
we provide at the top with a small cock by which any air collecting in the pipe
may from time to time be allowed to escape.
One great advantage of keeping the contents of urns or vessels heated in this
way is that the urns or vessels themselves may be of glass or porcelain or like
material and the contents kept heated without the transmission of heat through the
material of which the vessel is formed.
In this way also there is less loss of heat than when the vessels are heated by
exterior steam jackets.
In this way also the liquid in the uru may be kept constantly at any desired
temperature say at 180° or 190° Fahrenheit as the apparatus can readily be so
adjusted that when the liquid gets at about this temperature the pressure in the
steam boiler rises and the gas is for the most part cut off from the gas burners by
which the boiler is heated. There is therefore no liability of the liquid boiling
away to waste.
When used for maintaining a supply of hot water the vessel may be kept supplied
with water by a ball cock on a water supply pipe coming from a cistern.
In infusion apparatus in which the infusion when made is drawn off into a
receiving vessel or reservoir to be drawn off as required for use as described in the
Specification No. 14405 of 1890 we keep the supply of infusion in such reservoir
constantly heated in the same way.
The urn or vessel may be formed with an opening at the bottom and an edge or

page_text: flange around this opening be clamped to a pedestal with draw off cock and with
the steam pipe rising up through the pedestal.
When the infusions are made as described in the Specifications 14578 of 1888
and 14405 of 1890 and boiling water is admitted below a perforated false bottom
over which the material to be infused is spread we mount the vessels in such a way
that a rocking motion may be given to them after they have been for the most part
filled with water. In this way the infusion is materially improved.
A single infusion apparatus may for this purpose be jointed by a horizontal
joint pin to the top of a standard which consists of or bas within it two concentric
pipes the inner one for the supply of hot water from the boiler the outer one for
steam. Immediately over the joint is a multiple way cock-the steam and water
pass to passages in the cock by passages in the joint when the cock is brought
into a horizontal position. Above the cock is a seat for the lower part of the vessel
in which the infusion is to be made to rest on-the upper part of the vessel which
may be of dome shape is on one side hinged to the seat and on the opposite side
locked to it by a curved bolt or latch. When so locked the lower part of the
vessel is held between the dome and seat and tight joints made between them.
In
other respects the vessel is formed as described in the Specification No. 14405
of 1890 with a water passage to the bottom of the vessel and a steam passage to the
top. The steam pipe which comes down from the top of the dome comes over and
fits to the end of a steam passage in the seat. By turning the cock to a suitable
position hot water may be admitted beneath the perforated false bottom of the
lower part of the vessel and whilst this goes on air passes out from the dome
through the cock to an outlet. The escape of water from this outlet shows that the
vessel is full and then by a quarter turn the cock is closed. The infusion vessel
may then be rocked or agitated to hasten the preparation of the infusion.
Another quarter turn of the cock connects the infusion vessel with a draw off
spout and at the same time admits steam at the top of the dome to expel the
contents of the vessel.
Similarly if two infusion making vessels are used one on either side of a reservoir
or receiving vessel the reservoir may be on the top of the standard and the infusion
making vessels be carried by side arms which extend out from it. The admission
of steam or water to either vessel may be controlled by a four way cock on the
standard where the arms branch out from it-two passages being formed through
each arm one for water to pass to the bottom of the vessel the other for steam to
pass to the top. The plug of the cock has two right angled passages formed in it
parallel with one another and at a distance apart one for steam the other for
water the water inlet to the shell of the cock is on its underside the steam inlet
on the upper side. In the shell are two sets of four ports one set for the steam the
other for the water.
When one end of the water passage in the plug of the cock is over the water
supply port in the shell the other end of the water passage is opposite to the water
passage through one or other of the arms-and water passes to the bottom of the
vessel that that arm carries. As water enters the vessel air passes away by the
steam pipe which leads from the top of the vessel and down through the steam
passage in the arm to the cock and out through an outlet orifice in the under side
of the shell provided for the purpose.
By a quarter turn of the plug the water supply is shut off and one end of the
steam passage in the plug of the cock is brought opposite an opening through the
shell and steam passes to it whilst the other end is brought opposite to the steam
passage through the arm and steam therefore passes to the top of the infusion
vessel and the infusion is driven from the vessel through the water passage in the
arm and through the cock into the receiving vessel. In this way the one cock
serves for both infusion vessels.
JAS. CHILDS.
CHARLES J. JONES.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus used in the Making of Infusions and
Maintaining a Supply of Hot Water or Liquid.
We, JAMES CHILDS, of Cedar Lea, Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, and CHARLES JOHN JONES, of 24 Eastcheap, in the City of London,
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:-
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 13952 of 1884 was described a steam
boiler heated by gas flames and kept constantly under light pressure by the gas
being for the most part cut off when the pressure rose beyond a certain limit.
In another Patent No. 4834 of 1885 is described apparatus for keeping the steam
jackets of steam heated vessels supplied with steam from such a steam boiler and
for preventing the steam pressure in such jackets from rising beyond a certain
limit.
In other Patents Nos. 14578 of 1888 and 14405 of 1890 is described apparatus for
making infusions in which provision is made for admitting boiling water from
such a steam boiler to the bottom of a vessel in which an infusion is to be made
and for afterwards admitting steam from the boiler to the top of the vessel to
drive the infusion out through a perforated false bottom with which the vessel is
provided.
Our present inprovements relate to apparatus of the above kind.
To keep the water in the steam boiler at a uniform level we employ a partially
counterbalanced float of stone or glazed porcelain or like material acting on a tap
or valve on a pipe leading from a supply cistern both the tap and counterbalance
being within the boiler so that no spindle passing out through a stuffing box in the
side of the boiler is required.
Figure of the drawings annexed is a vertical section of a boiler the supply of
water to which is controlled in the manner above described. A is the water supply
pipe. B a valve normally held up against a valve seat at its end by a float acting
against the valve stem which descends a short distance into the interior of the
boiler. C is a lever turning on a centre at C¹ one arm of it comes below the stem
of the valve B and carries a ball or float D of stone or glazed porcelain or like
material. The other arm of the lever carries a weight E which may be of metal
and which counterbalances the ball D to such an extent that it will act as
a float.
In place of using jackets supplied with steam from the steam boiler for keeping
the contents of steam jacketted vessels heated, we employ a pipe from the steam
space of the boiler rising up through the interior of the vessel so that it is
surrounded by the liquid which the vessel contains any water condensing in this pipe
will then flow back directly to the boiler and the vessels will be kept heated without
any escape of steam or condensed water from the boiler. The steam pipe we
provide at the top with a small cock by which any air collecting in the pipe may
from time to time be allowed to escape.
One great advantage of keeping the contents of urns or vessels heated in this
way is that the urns or vessels themselves may be of glass or porcelain like material
and the contents kept heated without the transmission of heat through the material
of which the vessel is formed.
In this way also there is less loss of heat than when the vessels are heated by
exterior steam jackets.
In this way also the liquid in the urn may be kept constantly at any desired
temperature say at 180° or 190° Fahrenheit as the apparatus can readily be so
adjusted that when the liquid gets at about this temperature the pressure in the
steam boiler rises and the gas is for the most part cut off from the gas burners by

page_text: '
which the boiler is heated. There is therefore no liability of the liquid boiling
away to waste.
When used for maintaining a supply of hot water the vessel may be kept supplied
with water by a ball cock on a water supply pipe coming from a cistern.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a vessel in which a continuous supply of water
may be maintained say at 180° or 190° Fahrenheit by a steam pipe rising up into
it from a boiler below. F is a small steam boiler heated as described in the
Specification of the Patent No. 13952 of 1884. G is a steam pipe rising up from
it into the vessel H within which the supply of hot water is to be maintained.
G' is a small cock at the top of the pipe G by which air may be allowed to escape
from it. I is a ball cock for controlling the supply of water to the vessel H.
Figure 3 shews an urn heated in the same way. J is the urn preferably of
porcelain, a short tube at the top of the upper metal portion of a pedestal K passes
through an opening in the bottom of the urn-a flange formed around the tube
forms a support for the urn to rest on and a ring L screwed on to the top of the
tube holds the urn securely. G is a steam pipe rising up from the boiler into
the interior of the urn. G an air cock at the top of the pipe G and M a tap by
which the contents of the urn may be drawn off.
In place of the steam pipe G'being made to rise up to the top of the urn it may
as shewn at Figure 4 be made to form a steam chamber within the interior of the 2
lower part of the urn and a pipe M' is led up from the entrance end of the draw off
cock M through the steam chamber to the interior of the urn to permit the contents
of the urn to pass to the draw off cock. The steam chamber is formed in one piece
with the ring L-the upper end of the pipe M' comes opposite to a hole formed
through the top of the steam chamber and when 'the steam chamber has been
screwed into place a tight solder joint is formed around the end of the pipe. To
provide for the escape of air from the interior of the steam chamber a pipe G' is
made to rise up from a small air cock G¹ nearly to the top of the steam chamber.
Where a number of urns are to be kept heated by steam from one boiler their
steam pipes G may all open into one steam pipe which slopes downwards and
opens at its lower end Gx into the top of the boiler as shewn at Figure 1.
In infusion apparatus in which the infusion when made is drawn off into a
receiving vessel or reservoir to be drawn off as required for use as described in
the Specification No. 14405 of 1890 we keep the supply of infusion in such
reservoir constantly heated in the same way and also form the urn or vessel in the
way above described.
When the infusions are made as described in the Specifications 14578 of 1888
and 14405 of 1890 and boiling water is admitted below a perforated false bottom
over which the material to be infused is spread we mount the vessels in such a way
that a rocking motion may be given to them after they have been for the most
part filled with water. In this way the infusion is materially improved.
A single infusion apparatus may for this purpose be jointed by a horizontal joint
pin to the top of a standard which consists of or has within it two pipes one for the
supply of hot water from the boiler the other one for steam. Immediately over
the joint is a multiple way cock the steam and water pass to passages in the cock
by passages in the joint pin when the cock is brought into a horizontal position.
Above the cock is a seat for the lower part of the vessel in which the infusion is to
be made to rest on the upper part of the vessel which may be of dome shape is
on one side hinged to the seat and on the opposite side locked to it by a curved
bolt or latch. When so locked the lower part of the vessel is held between the dome
and seat and tight joints made between them. In other respects the vessel is
formed as described in the Specification No. 14405 of 1890 with a water passage to
the bottom of the vessel and a steam passage to the top. The steam pipe which
comes down from the top of the dome comes over and fits to the end of a steam
passage in the seat. By turning the cock to a suitable position hot water may be
admitted beneath the perforated false bottom of the lower part of the vessel and
whilst this goes on air passes out from the dome through the cock to an outlet,

page_text: The escape of water from this outlet shows that the vessel is full and then by a
quarter turn the cock is closed. The infusion vessel may then be rocked or
agitated to hasten the preparation of the infusion.
Another quarter turn of the cock connects the infusion vessel with a draw off*
spout and at the same time admits steam at the top of the dome to expel the
contents of the vessel.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 shew an apparatus in which two pairs of infusion
apparatus are carried on two horizontal joint pins.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the apparatus with one pair of the infusion
vessels in section.
Figure 6 is a vertical section through the standard.
Figure 7 is an elevation partly in section of one pair of the infusion vessels
taken at right angles to Figure 5. Figures 8 and 9 shew the plug of tap of one
of the vessels turned into positions for filling and emptying the vessel.
In these figures N is a standard with two horizontal joint pins O extending from
it in opposite directions.
In each are two passages 0102-the passage O' is kept supplied with boiling
water through a pipe Ox which descends to below the level of the water in the
steam boiler and the other 0 is supplied with steam from the interior of the
standard N which is open to the steam space of the boiler.
The shell P which turns around each joint pin O is formed to receive the plugs Q
of two other taps at right angles to the joint pin and on opposite sides of it and
beyond each of the plugs the shell is formed as a seat R for carrying one
of the infusion vessels.
The upper part S of the infusion vessel is hinged at R¹ to the seat R-the lower
part S' of the infusion vessel is placed loosely on to the seat R the upper part is
shut down over it and locked by the catch T. Pare nozzles through which liquid
is drawn off from the vessel.
The material to be infused is placed on a perforated false bottom of the part S'
as in former Patents granted to us.
Wheu an infusion vessel has had a quantity of coffee or material from which
infusion is to be made and the vessel bas been closed; the vessel then being in a
vertical position above the joint pin O can have boiling water admitted to it by
turning the plug of its tap into the position shewn at Fig. 8 boiling water then
passes from the passage O₁ of the plug O through the small passage of the
plug to the interior of the infusion vessel below the perforated false bottom of
the part S. At the same time air is allowed to escape from the interior of the
vessel through the passage S' and passage Q2 in the plug to a small passage P² led
along the draw off nozzle P. When water commences to
from the passage P³
pass
it is known that the proper quantity of water has passed into the infusion vessel
and a quarter turn is given to the plug Q which brings it into the position shewn
in Figure 7-all the passages formed through the plug are then closed.
The pair of infusion vessels can now be turned on the joint O so as to bring
the vessel which has now been filled with boiling water into a position below the
joint pin so inverting the vessel and thoroughly mixing any of the ground
material from which the infusion is being made and which might previously have
been floating on the top of the water thoroughly with the water. The ground
material is prevented from passing into the passage S by a fine perforated
grating S as shewn. Afterwards the vessel may be turned back to its former
position and when the infusion is ready it may be drawn off through the nozzle P¹
by giving a further quarter turn to the plug Q to bring it into the position shewn
in Figure 9. Liquid then passes off through the passage Qin the plug to the
nozzle whilst at the same time steam can pass to the top of the vessel from the
passage in the joint pin O so that the infusion is forced out by the pressure of
steam above it.
V is an urn or vessel for containing a supply of milk which may be kept heated
in the manner herein before described.

page_text: W is a tap from which boiling water may be drawn off from the boiler.
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 of a steam boiler heated by gas in such a way that the
supply of gas is diminished when the steam pressure rises beyond a certain point,
a water supply pipe opening into the upper part of the boiler, an inlet valve at the
end of the supply pipe kept closed when the water level is at the desired height by
the action of a partially counterbalanced ball of stone or glazed porcelain or like
impervious material acting as a float but which opens by the pressure of water
above it when the ball drops substantially as described.
2. The combination of apparatus for continuously maintaining a supply of hot
liquid consisting of a boiler heated by gas in such a way that the supply of
gas is
diminished when the steam pressure rises beyond a certain point, a steam pipe rising
from the top of the boiler into a vessel containing the liquid to be kept heated
and a tap for allowing air to pass off from the top of the steam pipe substantially
as described.
3. The combination of apparatus for maintaining a continuous supply of hot
water substantially as described with reference to Figure 2.
4. The construction of steam heated urns substantially as described with
reference to Figures 3 and 4.
5. The construction of apparatus for making infusions in such a way that the
vessel in which infusion is to be made may be turned over and rocked around a
joint pin and through this joint pin may have boiling water admitted to it below a
perforated false bottom on which the material to be infused rests and afterwards
may have the infusion forced out from it by steam admitted through the same joint
pin substantially as described.
6. The combination of an infusion vessel carried by a shell or block which can
be turned around a horizontal joint pin that has steam and water passages formed
along it to supply steam and water to inlet passages of a second tap formed in the
shell or block whenever the infusion vessel is above or it might be below the joint
pin so that when the vessel is in this position it can by the turning of the plug of
this second tap be filled either with boiling water or have infusion forced out from
it by steam pressure substantially as described.
7. The construction of apparatus for making infusions
before described and illustrated at Figures 5 to 9.
Deted this 15th day of March 1902
substantially as herein
J. A. CHILDS.
CHARLES J. JONES.