IMPROVEMENTS IN TEA CADDIES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Tilden George Thomson, of the City of Manchester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TEA CADDIES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES."
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Tilden George Thomson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1878.
TILDEN GEORGE THOMSON, of the City of Manchester.
CADDIES AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TEA
Hitherto much disappointment and annoyance has been felt owing to the want
of some definite means of measuring tea and proportioning the same to the quantity
of liquid required so as always to produce the same quality in the beverage. Now
this Invention consists in so combining a tea caddy and pair of scales together that
the tea can be weighed in proportion to the quantity required with equal facility
to the use of an ordinary spoon, and whereby absolute certainty in quality is
ensured. In performing my Invention provide a cabinet, in the lower front
portion of which is a drawer to contain the tea, either in one, two, or more com-
partments. The upper part of the cabinet is arranged with a hinged lid or cover,
which when open discloses a pair of scales, by preference upon the steelyard
principle. These scales are readily accessible, the whole front of the cabinet above
the drawer being raised with the lid, and the pan of the scales which is loose and
hooked on to the steelyard forms the scoop or spoon for dipping into the tea drawer,
and when hooked on the scale beam acts as a pan for weighing the tea. A sliding
weight upon the steelyard, which is graduated, serves to proportion the weight of
tea to the quantity of liquid required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Tilden George Thomson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1879.
TILDEN GEORGE THOMSON, of the City of Manchester.
CADDIES AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TEA
Hitherto much disappointment and annoyance has been felt owing to the want
of some definite means of measuring tea and proportioning the same to the quantity
[Price 4d.]

page_text: of liquid required so as always to produce the same quality in the beverage. Now
this Invention consists in so combining a tea caddy and pair of scales together that
the ten can be weighed in proportion to the quantity required with equal facility
to the use of an ordinary spoon, and whereby absolute certainty in quality is
ensured. In performing my Invention I provide a cabinet, in the lower front
portion of which is a drawer to contain the tea, either in one, two, or more com-
partments. The upper part of the cabinet is arranged with a hinged lid or cover,
which when open discloses a pair of scales, by preference upon the steelyard
principle. These scales are readily accessible, the whole front of the cabinet above
the drawer being raised with the lid, and the pan of the scales which is loose and
hooked on to the steelyard forms the scoop or spoon for dipping into the tea drawer,
and when hooked on the scale beam acts as a pan for weighing the tea. A sliding
weight upon the steelyard, which is graduated, serves to proportion the weight of
tea to the quantity of liquid required.
And in order that this my said Invention may be better understood and more
readily carried into effect I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
of the same, drawn about one-half full size, in which Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2
a side sectional view (along the line a-b in Fig. 1) of my improved caddy. Similar
letters on both the views are used to denote similar parts.
A is the lower portion of the cabinet containing the drawer B for holding the
tea, which may be divided into any desired number of compartments. The upper
portion C of the cabinet is hinged at D, and so can be thrown back, as seen in
Fig. 2. E is the pair of scales fixed to the platform F immediately above the
drawer B, and is wholly enclosed by the upper part of the cabinet when in the
closed position seen dotted in Fig. 2. I prefer to use a steelyard arrangement of
scales with sliding weight G and loose pan or scoop H resting in the hanger I, as
seen more clearly in Fig. 2. This arrangement of the scoop is very convenient as
it serves the double purpose of a means of taking the tea out of the drawer and
holding it during the weighing. I prefer the sliding weight G as it enables me to
divide the steelyard J in a very convenient manner, viz., into divisions, shewing
the amount of tea to be used for one, two, or more persons. For instance, number 1
on the steelyard shews the proper quantity to be used for making half a pint of tea,
which I have taken as an average quantity for one person; number 2 will make one
pint or sufficient for two persons; number 3 for three persons, and so on.
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the arrangement of scales
nor to this division, as an ordinary loose weight scale might be employed, but it would
obviously be a less convenient way of carrying out my Invention. The scales also
might be arranged to fold down on to the platform F with the closing of the upper
portion or lid C of the cabinet, but these I should regard as modifications of iny
Invention. It will also be obvious that the same combination of caddy and scales
would be useful for coffee. I claim,-
.
The improved tea caddy, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated.
on the accompanying Drawing
In witness whereof, I, the said Tilden George Thomson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 17th day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.