Improvements applicable to Tea and Coffee Pots, and to Saucepans and like Cooking Utensils.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements applicable to Tea and Coffee Pots, and to Saucepans
and like Cooking Utensils.
I, MARGARET BAIN, of 128 Byres Road, Dowanhill, in the City of Glasgow,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows .-
This invention relates to an improved straining device applicable to tea and
coffee pots and urns of ordinary kinds by means of which the infusion of tea or
coffee made therein may be automatically separated from the spent leaves or
grounds after the lapse of the time necessary to effect the infusion, the device being
also applicable to saucepans and the cooking utensils for boiling and steaming
ice, potatoes and other food stuffs.
The improved device is composed of a stramer, into which as applied to a tea or
coffee pot o un the dry tea or coffee is placed, and which is suspended in the ten
o1 coffee pot duectly under the lid. To the underside of the strainer is attached
a cylindrical or other shaped vessel closed at its upper, and open at its lower end,
which latter dips into and may reach to within a short distance of the bottom of
the tea or coffee pot At the upper closed end of this vessel and passing through
the strainer is a tube, preferably fitted with a small valve, by means of which
communication may be established between the inside of the lower vessel and the
atmosphere above the stramer.
In the operation of the apparatus the diy tea or coffee 18 placed in the stiame
and boiling water poured in and allowed to percolate through it into the pot until
the level of the leaves or grounds is reached the latter being completely
submerged, an being meanwhile confined in the lower vessel, which serves as a
displacer of part of the contents of the pot or urn. After the lapse of the
interval necessary to complete the infusion of the tea or coffee, the valve is opened
and the confined air being allowed to escape, the infused liquor rises in the ai
vessel and the general level within the toa oi coffee pot is correspondingly lowered
so that it no longer remains in contact with the wet leaves of grounds on the
strainer.
The tea or coffee may then be poured in the usual way without disturbing the
contents of the strainer. In lieu of or in addition to providing a valvo in the air
pipe, a minute orifice may be formed through which the air may escape during the
process of infusion of the tea or coffee, in which case the level of the liquor in the
pot is automatically lowered out of contact with the leaves independently of
the operation of a valve. Or for the like purpose the valve may conveniently be
made of the screw down type and so fitted that when partially screwed down the
air may gradually escape, but when fully seated the air may be retained for any
time within the air vessel under the strainer.
Tho device when applied to a saucepan or similar cooking utensil is provided
with a valve on the air pipe which is kept closed to retain air within the air
vessel o displacer during the operation of boiling such food stuffs as rice or
potatoes which are placed in the strainer under the level of the water as raised by
the displacer. When the boiling operation is completed the air valve is openod to
permit of the escape of the air and consequent lowering of the water level under

page_text: the strainer when further boiling of the water serves to steam the contents of the
strainer.
Dated this 9th day of May 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements applicable to Tea and Coffee Pots, and to Saucepans
and like Cooking Utensils.
I, MARGARET BAIN, of 128 Bytes Road, Dowanhill, in the City of Glasgow,
do hereby declare the nature of this mvention and in what manuel the same is to
be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This invention relates to an improved straining device applicable to tea and
coffee pots and urns of ordinary kinds by means of which the infusion of tea or
coffee made therein may be automatically separated from the spent leaves or
grounds after the lapse of time necessary to effect the infusion, the device being
also applicable to saucepans and like cooking utensils for boiling and steaming
rice, potatoes and other food stuffs
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan
of a ten-pot showing my invention applied thereto.
The improved device is composed of a strainer A into which as applied to a tea
or coffee pot or uin the dry ten o coffee is placed and which is suspended in the
tea or coffee pot B directly under the lid B. To the underside of the straiuer A
18 attached a cylindrical, domed, or other shaped vessel C closed at its upper and
open at its lower end which latter dips into and may reach to within a short
distance of the bottom of the tea or coffee pot. At the upper closed end of this
vessel and passing through the strainer is a tube D, preferably fitted with a small
valve E, by means of which communication may be established between the inside
of the lower vessel and the atmosphere above the strainer.
In the operation of the apparatus the dry tea or coffee is placed in the stramet A
and boiling water poured in and allowed to percolate through it into the pot B
until the level of the leaves or grounds is reached, the latter being completely
Bubmerged air being meanwhile confined in the lower vessel C which serves as a
displacer of part of the contents of the pot or urn. After the lapse of the
interval necessary to complete the infusion of the tea or coffee, the valve is opened
preferably by depressing a plunger F htted in the central knob G on the lid, and
the air confined in the vessel C being allowed to escape, the infused liquor rises
in the air vessel and the general level within the tea or coffee pot is correspondingly
lowered so that it no longer remains in contact with the wet leaves or grounds on
the strainer.
The tea or coffee may then be poured in the usual way without disturbing the
contents of the strainer.
In lieu of or in addition to providing a valve in the air pipe, a minute orifice
may be formed though which the air may escape during the process of infusion of
the tea or coffee, in which case the level of the liquor in the pot 18 automatically
lowered out of contact with the leaves independently of the operation of a valve.
Or for the like purpose the valve may conveniently be made of the screw down
type and so fitted that when partially screwed down the air may gradually escape,
but when fully seated the air may be retained for any time within the air vessel
under the strainer.

page_text: The device when applied to a saucepan or similar cooking utensil is provided
with a valve ou the air pipe which is kept closed to retain air within the air vessel
o displacer during the operation of boiling such food stuffs as rice or potatoes
which are placed in the strainer under the level of the water as raised by the
displacer. When the boiling operation is completed the air valve 18 opened to
permit of the escape of the air and consequent lowering of the water level under-
the stramer when further boiling of the water serves to steam the contents of the
stramer.
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 1
claim 18.-
1. In a cooking vessel, the combination of a strainer, a displace located beneath
the same, an air tube connected with said displacer, a valve in said air tube, and
means extending to the exterior of said vessel and adapted to operate said valve
to permit the discharge of an from said displacer, substantially as described.
2 In a cooking vessel, the combination of the strainer, a displacer beneath the
same, an air tube connected with said displacer and extending upward therefrom,
a spring actuated valve adapted to normally close the exit from said air tube,
and means to operate said valve to permit the discharge of air from said displacer,
substantially as described.
3. In a tea-pot or cooking utensil the combination of the strainer A, displacer C,
air tube D provided with valve E and the plunger F in the pot lid for opening
the valve substantially as described.
1004
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.