Patent ID: 7004360

Claim:
A tea kettle comprising: a) a kettle body defining a chamber; b) a spout having a passageway in communication with the chamber; c) a ball seat disposed within the passageway of the spout and having an opening therethrough; d) a whistle attached to the kettle body and in communication with the chamber independent of the opening of ball seat; and e) a ball positioned and sized to roll in the passageway of the spout, said ball having a diameter greater than a diameter of the opening of said ball seat so that said ball closes the opening of said ball seat when the tea kettle is resting on generally horizontal surface so that steam is directed through said whistle when a boiling liquid is in the chamber of said kettle body and said ball rolls away from the ball seat opening when the tea kettle is tipped so that a liquid in the chamber may flow through the ball seat opening and the passageway of the spout; and f) a strainer disposed in the passageway of the spout and positioned so as to prevent the ball from rolling out of the passageway of the spout when the kettle is tilted.