AN IMPROVED TEA KETTLE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jenkin Thomas, of No. 4, Gilbert Road,
Kennington Lane, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED TEA KETTLE."
Sealed the 11th June 1869, and dated the 14th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jeukin Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th December 1868.
I, JENKIN THOMAS, of No. 4, Gilbert Road, Kennington Lane, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TEA KETTLE," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the construction of a tea kettle in such
a manner that the heating of the contents may be effected much more
speedily than has hitherto been practicable.
The said Invention consists in providing the tea kettle with a tube or
tubes formed and arranged in such a manner that the heating surface of
the kettle is greatly increased and rendered more effective.

page_text: In constructing a tea kettle according to my Invention the upper part
may be formed and provided with a handle and spout in the ordinary
Through the body of the kettle, and leading in an inclined
direction from the bottom to the upper part of the same, I introduce a
taper or funnel-shaped tube, the said tube being preferably inclined
backward from the bottom of the tea kettle, and extended slightly
beyond the surface of the same behind the lid. The said tube is made
of such a width at the bottom of the kettle that a large surface is exposed
to the heat of a fire on which the tea kettle is placed. The passage of
the air through the tube improves the draught of the fire-place, and
prevents the formation of a body of comparatively dead coals below the
kettle, while the narrow or contracted upper end of the said tube retards
the passage of the heat through the same, and insures its full effect
upon
the contents of the kettle. If desired the kettle may be provided
with two or more of these tubes arranged in any convenient manner to
extend through the kettle from the bottom to its upper-part-My-
improved tea kettles may be constructed of any required size, and of
tin, copper, cast iron, or any other suitable metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jenkin Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JENKIN
THOMAS, of No. 4, Gilbert Road, Kennington Lane, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jenkin Thomas, Her special licence
that I, the said Jenkin Thomas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Jenkin Thomas, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED TEA
KETTLE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jenkin
Thomas, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jenkin Thomas, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification :-
The object of my Invention is the construction of tea kettles in such
a manner that the heating of the contents may be effected much more
speedily than has hitherto been practicable.
The said Invention consists chiefly in providing the tea kettle with a tube
or tubes, or with one or more tubes and cups so formed and arranged as
to serve as passages for the heat and draught, so that the heating surface
is greatly increased and rendered more effective while the fire is kept
bright under the kettle by the free passage of air through the tube or
tubes.
In constructing a tea kettle according to my Invention the upper
part may be formed and provided with a handle and spout in the
ordinary manner. Through the body of the kettle, and leading in an
inclined direction from the bottom to the upper part of the same, I
introduce a taper or funnel-shaped tube, the said tube being preferably
inclined backward from the bottom of the tea kettle, and extended
The said tube
slightly beyond the surface of the same behind the lid.
is made of such a width at the bottom of the kettle that a large surface
is exposed to the heat of a fire on which the tea kettle is placed. The
passage of the air through the tube improves the draught of the fire-place,
and prevents the formation of a body of comparatively dead fuel below
the kettle, while the narrow or contracted upper end of the said tube
retards the passage of the heat through the same, and insures its full
effect upon the contents of the kettle. If desired the kettle may be
provided with two or more of these tubes arranged in any convenient

page_text: manner to extend through the kettle from the bottom to its upper part.
And in addition to these tubes I sometimes provide the bottom of the
kettle with cups or concavities to increase the heating surface. The said
kettle may be advantageously used with a gas stove or burner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an exterior side view of my improved tubular tea kettle ;
Figure 2 is a vertical section showing the said tubular kettle provided
with cups; Figure 3 is a plan of the bottom of the same; Figure 4 is
an exterior side view of a tea kettle, showing the same provided with a
number of tubes according to a modification of my Invention. Like
letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
The body a of the kettle may be constructed of any desired form and
dimensions, and of tin, copper, cast iron, or other suitable metal. It is
-provided-with-a-handle-b-and-spout c in the ordinary manner. The tea
kettle illustrated in Figure-1-is-provided-with-only-a-single-tube-d which
extends from the bottom of the kettle through the top a little to the
rear of the handle. This arrangement of the tube is the most con-
venient for a tea kettle, as the top of the tube will naturally lie towards
the back of the chimney, and therefore will not cause any inconvenience
from the heat in handling the kettle, while at the same time the current
of air and smoke passing through the tube will be conducted directly
into the chimney. I prefer to make the tube of the form shown in
this Figure, that is, with a large opening at the bottom and diminishing
towards the top of the kettle, as this form of tube gives a large opening
for admission of the heat, and at the same time its contracted upper
end prevents the heat from passing too rapidly through the tube. When
the cups e are used in combination with the tubes the same may be
conveniently arranged, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3.
concavities greatly increase the heating surface at the
kettle, and will be found advantageous when the same is used upon a
stove as the tube or tubes might then be closed with a small cap or
cover to prevent the escape of smoke through the same into the room
or apartment wherein the kettle is used.
These cups or
bottom of the
In some tea kettles and other vessels it may be more convenient to
arrange the tubes d, as shown in Figure 4. These tubes (of which I
prefer to use six) are arrange in a circle, and are made slightly larger
at the bottom than at the top of the kettle, and their upper ends which
:

page_text: extend through the top of the same are made cup or funnel shaped, and
provided with a small aperture. The tubes and cups may be secured in
the kettle by soldering, brazing, or other convenient means.
It is obvious that other arrangements of tubes besides those herein
shown might be employed, but all such arrangements are mere modifica-
tions of my Invention so long as the tubes pass in any direction through
the kettle and form passages for the heat and draught.
In witness whoreof, I, the said Jenkin Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of Junc, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JENKIN THOMAS. (L.S.)