Year: 1897

page_text: DONALD MCPHERSON, 13, Glenallen Street, Belfast, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
To a pot or vessel of tin or other metal is attached by casting or otherwise an
upright handle at an angle of about forty-five degrees divided longitudinally
and forming two sides or supports. These sides are each pierced with a hole (at
some distance above the upper edge of the pot) into which is placed a pin or bolt
carrying a tube or arm moving vertically between the sides into which the handle
is divided. To one end of this tube is suspended a small vessel capable of being
filled with water by lowering it into the pot and having a small hole or outlet
in the bottom. Into the other end of the tube is pushed a weight, moving up &
down in the tube and serving as a counterpoise to the vessel when filled with water.
At the top of the sides of the handle or supports there are two small notches, one
in each side, for the purpose of supporting a second tube or arm, sufficiently longer
than the lower arm and also working vertically. One end of this (the upper)
tube also carries a vessel of wire or perforated metal capable like the other of
dipping into the pot, and the tube or arm is counterpoised at the other end by a
weight sliding up and down in the tube. Underneath this upper arm or tube is a
conical wing, which impinges on the lower tube or arm and having a corner on
which a trigger engages automatically. This upper arm is removable at pleasure.
The counterpoise (which is graduated) of the lower tube or arm, having been
pulled out or pushed into the tube, according to the time required for boiling, the
small vessel suspended at the other end is lowered into the water, (contained in
the pot) to be filled. The eggs to be boiled are then placed in the cage or vessel
suspended at the end of the upper tube or arm and the spuds or supporting pins
of the tube having been placed in the notches at the top of the handle or supports,
the vessel with the eggs is lowered into the water. On doing this the conical wing
already mentioned engages automatically on the small trigger and at the same
time the vessel on the lower arm is raised simultaneously out of the water. In
the meantime the water contained in the vessel suspended on the lower arm begins
to escape from the small hole or outlet in the bottom and when sufficient has
escaped, it is raised upwards by the counterpoise. In the act of rising, the lower
arm tilts on the upper arm, and the small wing is disengaged from the trigger
already mentioned, and which kept the upper tube or arm in position, and the
cage containing the eggs is raised simultaneously out of the water by the counter-
poise. It is thus unnecessary to watch the time for the eggs to boil, as they are
raised automatically out of the water when cooked, and the time required can be
guaged by the graduated weight attached to the lower tube or arm. Instead of
tubes to form the arms, I may use solid arms and I may attach the counterpoise
weights in a different manner to that already described. Further I may make
the supports of the arms or tubes moveable or separate so that they can be attached
by a spring or springs, or by thumb-screws, or otherwise to the rim of any ordinary

page_text: pot, saucepan or vessel, or the appliance may be made separately and placed within
any pot or vessel.
Dated this blacanth 1807
1. DONALD MCPHERSON, 13, Glenallen Street, Belfast. Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to ho per-
fornued, in be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a device for application to saucepans and such like
by means of which the boiling of eggs can be automatically regulated,
The device can be either fitted permanently to or made one with a pot or vessel
or it can be removably clamped thereto; or, if so desired, it may be so male as
to be capable of being simply placed in the pot or vessel.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings which shows a device capable of being
clamped to the rim or any ordinary cooking pot or vessel.
Fig. is a vertical section of a tin pot with the device clamped thereto. In this
figure the cage or basket for the eggs is shown as raised up out of the water.
Fig. 2 is a similar side view (partly in section) but showing the egg-cage or
hosket as lowered into the water.
Fig. 3 is a back view of the device.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference numerals wherever
repeated indicate the same parts.
is the tin pot, 2 represents the water in the pot, 3 is a clump attached to the
device and provided with a pinching thumb-screw 4 whereby the device can be
clamped in place.
Made one with (as shown) or secured to the clamp 3 is a jaw or handle arranged
at about an angle of 45° and divided longitudinally so as to form two sides or
supports 5, 6. Each side is pierced with a hole 6 and through these holes a
fulcrum piu (or bolt) 7 is passed. Upon this fulcrum pin a tubular lever or arm S,
capable of moving vertically between the sides 5.5°, is carried.
Suspended from the inner end of this lever, by means of a pin 9 and slotted bar 10,
is a small vessel 11 capable of being filled with water by lowering it into the pot,
and which is provided with a small hole or outlet 11 in its bottom. Into the
outer end of the tubular lever 8 is pushed the stem 12" of a weight 12 which
can he moved up and down within the lever and which serves as a counter-poise
to the vessel 11 when filled with water. The stem 12" which is preferably slit
at its end as shown at Fig. 1, can be graduated if so desired.
The vessel 11 moves up and down within a vertical tube or simply vertical
guides 13 whose bottom rests, or may rest, upon the bottom of the pot 1. Work-
ing also in the guides 18 is a weight 14 which is connected by a chain 15, running
over A small pulley 16. with a wire or partially or wholly perforated
metal cage 17. This cage 17, into which the eggs to be boiled
placed. has a handle 18 to which the end of the chain is secured by the hook 19.
The pulley 16 is carried by a jawed bracket 20 secured to the guides 13. The
weight 14, which serves as a counter-poise to the cage 17, has made in one with it,
at the underside, a slotted extension 21. The pin 9 of the lever & passes through,
are

page_text: as will be seen, both the slot of the bar 10 and the slot of the extension 21.
wing or catch 22 is made in one with the extension 21.
A
A trigger 23, whose lower end can be brought to bear against a slide 24 attached
to the upperside of the lever S. is hinged to the tube 13, at 27. This trigger
is provided with a cut out part 23ª into which the catch 22 can enter.
25 is a handle which is attached to the weight 14 and passes upwards through
the guide sleeve 26 at the top of the guides 13.
As will be seen the cage 17 is not round but is of D shape. The flattened side
of the case is provided with a guide-tube 28 through which passes, freely, a guide
rod 29 attached to the projecting foot 30 of the tube 13.
The modus operandi is as follows:
The graduated counterpoise 12 having been pulled out or pushed into the tubular
lever S. according to the time required for boiling the eggs, the vessel 11 is
lowered into the water in the pot 1 to be filled. When it is filled the eggs are
placed in the cage 17 and the latter lowered into the water, in the manner shown
at Fig. 2, by merely pulling up the handle 25. When doing this the vessel 11 is
lifted up out of the water, and, at the same time, the wing or catch 22 is auto-
matically engaged with the recess 23 of the trigger 23 thereby locking the parts
in position. Immediately the vessel 11 is raised up out of the water of the pot the
water in it begins to run out through the hole or outlet in the bottom and
when sufficient has escaped the weight of the counterpoise 12 overcomes the weight
of the vessel 11 whereupon the inner end of the lever 8 moves upwards to an
extent sufficient (see flotted lines Fig. 2) to disengage the trigger from the
catch 22. Immediately the trigger 23 is disengaged from the catch 22 the
weight 14 falls down and, at the same time, of course, lifts the cage and its con-
tents out of the water. It is thus unnecessary to watch the time for the eggs to
boil, as they are raised automatically out of the water when cooked and the time
required can be gauged by the graduated weight 12 fitted in the lever 8.
The weight 14 must, of course, he sufficiently heavy to more than counter
balance the weight of the cage and its contents.
The pin 9 can, during the movements of the lever 8, move freely within the slots
of the extension 21 and bar 10.
The details of the device can be altered or modified without departing from the
principle of the invention.
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
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. An automatic egg boiler so constructed that when water in a vessel suspended
from a weighted arm or lever has run out to a certain extent one end of said arm
or lever automatically rises and disengages a catch whereupon a weight falls and
hereby raises the receptacle, with the eggs in it, out of the pot, substantially as
lescribed.
2. An automatic egg boiler constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially
s hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of Jul 1808
H. ]). FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.