1932 Ethelred Willson's Improved Automatic Teamaker

Ethelred Alfred Willson and Alfred John Tennison made a second GB patent application on 21st March 1932, also for ‘Improvements in Automatic Means for Heating Water, Making Tea and the Like’. The application was pubished on 23rd October 1933.

Coffee-making apparatus. WILLSON, E. A., 35, Cedar Road, Croydon, and TENNISON, A. J., 80, Littleheath Road, Selsdon, both in Surrey. March 21, 1932, No. 8294. [Class 129.] In electrical apparatus for making tea or coffee at a predetermined time, means are incorporated for ensuring the correct sequence of the operations in all circumstances. Water is heated in the vessel 2 by an electric resistance. Leads 3 connect the heating device to a socket 4 and switch 5. A spout 2a projects over the receiving vessel 6 standing on a platform 7 which is retained in contact with the flange 1b of the panel 1a by a shoulder 15a of a spring 15. In this position, the hook 14c of the bell-crank lever 14 engages a stop 1e to prevent downward movement of the support 8, platform 7, and vessel 6, the time-piece lever 13a being in the position shown in Fig. 1. At a predetermined time, the lever 13a rises and strikes the member 14a of the lever 14 and moves the member 14c of the lever to a position where it can freely pass the stop 1e. As the vessel 6 is empty, the platform 7 will be retained in its upper position by the spring 15. The upward movement of the lever 13a operates the switch 5 and closes the heating circuit so that boiling liquid from the vessel 2 will eventually pass into the vessel 6. When the quantity of boiling water in 6 is sufficient to overcome the springs 15, 10, the platform 7 will drop. The arm 8a will then strike the lever 13a to reset it, and will cause the switch 5 to interrupt the heating circuit. Removal of the vessel 6 will allow the springs to reset the platform 7.