Improvement in Alarm Kettles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
I HENRY ROTHES STEWART MAITLAND Perrymead House Bath Lieuten int
2nd P.W.O. Yorkshire Regiment do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
According to this invention the kettle is provided with a watertight compartment
inside, extending from the top to the bottom of the kettle either (1) in a slanting
position from the back forwards, or (2), running straight down for an inch or two
from the top of hinder part of kettle and then deflected forwards.
The only
opening in the compartment is at the juncture of the dividing sheet or partition
with the bottom or sides of the kettle. The end of the dividing sheet or partition
save for this opening, would hit the bottom of the kettle very far forward, or the
front side of the kettle low down, or in such a way as not to interfere with the
interior opening of the spout. In the hinder compartment of the kettle an opening
is provided at the top or in the upper portion of the sides for the purpose of
inserting a whistle or reed.
In the foregoing description, the words front, behind, before, hinder, refer to the
position of the kettle when in its usual position on the fire the spout directed into
the room.
Dated this 5th day of January 1904
H. R. S. MAITLAND,
Lieutenant, 2nd P.W.O. Yorkshire Regt.,
Perrymead House, Bath.
Improvement in Alarm Kettles.
I, HENRY ROTHES STEWART MAITLAND of Perrymead House Bath in the
County of Somerset a Lieutenant in the Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire
Regiment 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:-
The invention relates to improvements in alarm kettles and has for its object
to give an audible indication when the water within the kettle is at boiling point.
It is generally considered desirable in order to obtain the best results that
water employed in the preparation of infusions of tea or the like should only
reach the boiling point, and should not be allowed to boil for any great length
of time, and many attempts have been made to devise a means by which a
suitable indication will be given when the proper point of boiling is reached but
they have all been more or less failures principally for the reason that the
volume of steam created extending over such a large area and with so many
ways of escape as are to be found in an ordinary kettle had not the necessary
force or volume to give the required audible indication.
A further objectionable feature of alarm kettles as hitherto constructed has
been that the lid was required to fit tightly so as to confine the steam in order to
cause the whistle to sound and the volume of steam generated would generally
force the water out of the spout in addition to sounding the whistle and it was
also necessary to fix the spout of the kettle very low down so as to insure the
[Price 8d1

page_text: water inside the kettle rising above the interior opening of the spout otherwise
the kettle required to be filled with a larger quantity of water than was at times
needed.
Now according to the present invention the kettle in a simple and inexpensive
manner is so constructed that the level of the water is independent of the position
of the spout and the steam resulting from the boiling of the water is collected
independently of the lid and ultimately conveyed through a narrow channel or
chamber to the signal or alarm device and the concentration of the vapour in this
manner completely overcomes the difficulties above pointed out.
In carrying the present invention into effect the kettle is provided with a trans-
verse partition or diaphragm which extends from the top of the kettle near to the
back thereof and beyond the lid, downward a short distance in a vertical direction
then forward in an inclined to or near to the bottom of the kettle at the front
thereof but certainly below the spout.
This partition or diaphragm is soldered to the interior of the kettle all round so
as to make a tight joint whilst at its lower end it is notched or formed with a semi-
circular or other opening to admit of the circulation of the water.
In lieu of the arrangement lastly herein before described the diaphragm may be
carried in an inclined direction from the top of the kettle to the bottom or front
thereof.
A chamber is thus formed underneath and at the back of the diaphragm and
by reason of the peculiar formation thereof the steam from nearly the entire
heating surface of the kettle is collected therein.
It is only necessary that the water should cover the opening or circulation way
of the partition or diaphragm so that the chamber is independent of the lid and
the spout and the former may therefore fit loosely and the latter may be placed
in almost any position.
At the upper part of the collecting chamber in the top of the kettle is formed
an opening which is preferably surrounded by a screw or other fitting into which
is screwed a short tube carrying at its upper part a simple form of whistle or it
might be a reed or combination and the tube might be soldered in position so that
the whole of the steam collected in the channel passes through the tube and out by
the whistle by which arrangement immediately that the water boils the steam is
collected in the chamber and a considerable volume thereof is caused to pass
through and powerfully sound the whistle or other alarm.
If desired an opening closed by a screw stopper or valve may be provided at the
upper part of the chamber so that when it is desired that the alarm shall not be
sounded the opening may be unclosed.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a kettle having the present invention
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan thereof.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1 but representing the kettle adapted for
use as a bronchitis kettle.
In the several figures in which like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference Figure 4 is drawn to a reduced scale with respect to the other figures of
the drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3 a represents the body of the kettle a' represents the
spout which is constructed and arranged in the ordinary manner and a represents
the lid which is also of ordinary construction and loosely fitting.
According to the present invention the kettle is provided with a transverse
partition or diaphragm b which extends from the top of the kettle near to the back

page_text: thereof and beyond the lid a² downward a short distance in a vertical direction a
indicated at & then forward in an inclined direction as indicated at b to or near t
the bottom of the kettle at the front thereof but certainly below the junction of
the spout a with the body a of the kettle.
This partition or diaphragm 6 is soldered or otherwise fastened to the interior of
the kettle all round so as to make a tight joint whilst at its lower end it is notched
or provided with a semicircular or other opening to admit of the circulation of
the water.
A chamber is thus formed underneath and at the back of the diaphragm b.
which gradually narrows in an upward direction and terminates in a steam
chamber having parallel sides and by reason of the peculiar formation of
the chamber the steam from nearly the entire heating surface of the hettle is.
collected in the steam chamber 6º¹.
It is only necessary that the water should cover the opening of the partition or
diaphragm so that the chamber 6° is independent of the lid a' and spout a¹ and
the former may fit loosely and the latter may be placed in almost any position.
At the upper part of the steam chamber and in the top of the kettle is
formed an opening which is preferably surrounded by a screw or it might be any
other suitable fitting a* which is fixed with the top of the kettle and into which is
screwed a short tube c' in the upper end of which is fixed a simple form of
whistle c or it might be a reed or a combination of reeds so that the whole of the
steam collected in the chamber 6* passes through the tube c¹ and out by the
whistle c by which arrangement immediately that the water boils the steam is
collected in the chamber and a considerable volume thereof is caused to pass
through and powerfully sound the whistle c or other alarm.
It is desirable that the kettle be filled up to a point above the circulation way 6*
of the partition in order to seal the same and prevent the escape therethrough of
any portion of the steam collected in the chamber 6°.
In lieu of the screw or other fitting a the tube c¹ for securing the alarm device c
in position may be soldered to the kettle.
In some cases a second opening closed by a screw stopper or valve d is formed at
the upper part of the steam chamber 6°1 so that when it is desired that the alarm
shall not be sounded the opening may be unclosed and the steam allowed to pass
freely away.
In lieu of forming the diaphragm b with a vertical part 6' as hereinbefore
described the entire diaphragm 6 may be carried in an inclined direction from the
top of the kettle to the bottom or front thereof as represented by the dotted lines
in Figure 1.
By the means herein before described I obtain at a very small additional cost a
kettle which will give a powerful alarm immediately that the water boils and
furthermore by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the parts there is little or no
tendency for the contained water to boil over even should the kettle be filled almost
to the highest point.
In the example given at Figure 4 which represents the kettle adapted for use as
a bronchitis kettle the whistle c and its tube c¹ are removed and an ordinary
bronchitis tube d fitted with a mouthpiece d intended to facilitate the inhalation
of steam is screwed into the fitting a° in substitution therefor such devices for
convenience being made interchangeable.
The device is especially valuable as a bronchitis kettle by reason of the large
volume of steam collected by the chamber 6°.
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
claim is :-
1. In a kettle the combination of a chamber at its lower end extending over the
entire area of the kettle or approximately so and at its upper end terminating in a
of the battle at the contracted

page_text: part of the chamber and an opening or circulation way at the lower part of the
chamber substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In an alarm kettle the combination of a chamber at its lower end extending
over the entire area of the kettle or approximately so and at its upper end
terminating in a contracted part an opening in the top of the kettle at the
contracted part an alarm device mounted in or connected with such opening and an
opening or circulation way at the lower part of the chamber substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
3. In a kettle the combination of a partition or diaphragm extending from the
upper part of the kettle at the rear of the lid downward to the front of the kettle
at or near the bottom thereof a circulation way at the lower part of the partition
and a means of escape for steam located at the upper part of the kettle behind the
partition substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In an alarm kettle the combination of a partition or diaphragm extending
from the upper part of the kettle at the rear of the lid downward at an inclination
to the front of the kettle at or near the bottom, a circulation way at the lower part
of the partition and an alarm device in the upper part of the kettle behind the
partition substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
5. In an alarm kettle the combination of a partition or diaphragm extending
from the upper part of the kettle at the rear of the lid downward a short distance
in a vertical direction then extending at an inclination to the front of the kettle at
or near the bottom, a circulation way at the lower part of the partition and an
alarm device at the upper part of the kettle behind the partition substantially as
herein shown and described.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1894.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.