US2887037A - Individual tea brewing device - Google Patents

Description

y 1959 J. c. SETECKA ,0

' INDIVIDUAL TEA BREWING DEVICE 7 Filed June 13,1956 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. c. SETECKA 2,887,037

INDIVIDUAL TEA BREWING DEVICE May 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13, 1956 United Patent INDIVIDUAL TEA BREWING DEVICE JohnC. Setecka, '(Jhicago, Ill. Application June.13,1956, Serial No. 591,193 SMClaims. (Cl. 99-495) This invention is directed to devices and holders for tea bags and the like, both of the disposal types, and holders and devices which are re-usable.

It is the modern practice to package tea in relatively small water pervious bags in quantities adapted to make either one or two cups of tea. Such pervious bags frequently have a string and tag attached thereto to facilitate the immersion and withdrawal of the bag from the container of water, the immersion of tea being of the desired time according to the strength of" the beverage desired by the user;

The aforesaid presentpractice has certain objectionable features and: disadvantages, onebeing that after a tea bag has. been used, it must be disposed of, usually as waste. When this is done, a tray or similar receptacle is needed to prevent objectionable dripping from the teabag. In instances where the user may desire to reuse the bag after an interval to strengthen the tea, an extra receptacle is needed or the user must store thedripping tea bag in the saucer of the cup holding-the brewed tea, which is unsanitary and results in undesired dripping from the cup of brewed teawhen it is removed from the saucer.

My. invention overcomes these disadvantages in pro viding a relativelyeasily clampabl'ecover which haspivotallyconnectedthereto ameans or device for removably holding a. tea: bag therein, and which holding device is of: such construction. as to i provide for selectively holding of the tea bag in an' upper position adjacent the cover and. above the hotwater cupor other receptacle until such tirne asithe .user may desire to initiate the immersion offthettea bag; and the brewing process.

A further; object and. accomplishment of my invention is the provision of a portable relatively inexpensive and sanitary cover for cups and other receptacleshaving novel devices pivotally connected. thereto which are adapted to releasably hold .ateabag in the desired positionseither substantially adjacent the cover or in dependingiimmersible positions according tothe desire of the; user.

A- further novel advantage and accomplishment of my invention is aprovision of aportable-inexpensive disposable cover for cups and other receptacles adapted forbrewing tea or the like and'to which flexible hingeliketabs ,or extensions secured to the tea bag. orformed pa ts thereof hingedly or pivotally connect tobags to such" cover, said covers being disposable and being formed of paper or otheryinexpensivefibrous material.

A further advantage of myxsaid holders for tea bags.

is the-elimination. of, frequent slipping:-into:- the water: of both the rstring and tag ias well asthe-tea bag, which: makes diflicult the removal LthfiI'GOf at .theproper. time. A furtherzobject.of-my invention is. toprovide devices: for the aforesaid .usesgimwhich the removable. cover is provided with anominally depending peripheral flange or, lip, in association witha structural member on theinnerportion of suchcoverjfor releasably or permanently holding tea bags, and which cover atterremoval from 2 the cup and. when inverted will provide a retaining receptacle for. the water dripping from the tea bag.

Other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds. The invention consists in certain novel features of construction. and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

This invention in preferred embodiments is illustrated in. the. accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, having numenals of reference borne on the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of my tea bag holding device looking at the normally underside thereof.

Figure 2 is a partially side elevational view and partially cross sectional view of one of my bag holding devices positioned on a conventional cup and illustrating the bag. holding device in upper position.

Figure 3 is a partially cross sectional view illustrating one of my said bag holding devices positioned upon a cup, partially shown in cross section, and showing the bag engaging portion of my device in lowered position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the metal clamp, means or yieldable clip and its pivoting means forming part of my holding device.

Figure 5 is a partially cross sectional view taken on avertical plane through a modified form of my disposable bag holding devices.

Figure 6 is an elevational view looking at the normally: underside of the cover and illustrating a tea bag having extending positions thereof secured to the under face of the cover and in a position substantially adjacent to said COVGI'.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of my disposable bag holding device and illustrating said cover in typical position on amp and the bag in depending position;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a modified form of my bag holding device and illustrating the tea bag in elevational and in depending position.

As shown onthe drawings:

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, numeral 10 designates a. cover or cover plate whichis preferably of circular tie-- sign and made of any suitable substantially rigid: ma-' terial, such as metal, plastic, fiber, or the like;

from'. teabags orthe like.

Numeral 12 designates a conventional cup which may be of varying sizes and shapes and which is illustrative ofvarying'types and sizes of receptacles. which may be Said cover 10 preferably has a radially extending grip or handle 13 formed integral used for brewing purposes.

therewith, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Secured on the normally under face of the cover 10 are of a pair of apertured ears 14 which may be of plastic,

metal or other suitable material. Said securance to said cover may beby suitable cement, asindicated at 15 in Fig. 3, or said ears or lugs may be moulded integral with said cover. Said apertured ears are. spaced apart a short distanceasillustratedtinFigs. 1 and 4. Alug, connectingnbar and. stop member 16 is suitably secured to connect the outer end positionsof said ears, for example by cement: or. equivalent fastening means. Said stop mem-' ber 16 issecuredzso that. its faceinearest the central portion of..the coveris positioned inward of the inner por tions of .the -ears totbe engagedby a-clamp or holdinge elementherein described and to limit the movement of:

such it element beyond. a. desirable depending -angular position.

A yieldable clamp, generally designated as C, and preferably made of metal,-is inner substantially U-shaped member or arm 17, formed of a doubled backflexible steel wire, and of an outer relatively longer metal arm or member 18 preferably formed of steel wire. The opposite ends of arm or member 18 are bent angularly and in Opposite directions and positioned and journaled for pivotal movement in the aligned apertures of ears 14. The shank or inner end portions of said arms or clips 17 and 18 are secured together by a metal collar or sleeve 19 WhlCh 1s squeezed tightly against same. I desire it to be understood that said arms or members 17 and 18 may be of shapes, sizes and proportions varying from the afore-described shape.

As illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the normally lower and smaller arm or clip 17 is slightly bent at its middle portion, as indicated at 21, so that when a relatively thin yieldable object is clamped between said clips or arms, the outer end portion of clip 17 will engage a greater area of such object, and in the case of flexible bags or envelopes, the inner edge portion of such bag or envelope will easily enter the gradually reduced space between the intermediate portions of said clips to effect greater frictional engagement.

Numeral 22 designates a conventional form of bag or envelope of water pervious material, and in which tea or other brew-making material is packaged and sealed by heatsealing and mechanical means.

The quantity of the dry tea is such that the resulting package is relatively and gradually thinner at and adjacent its edges, and this permits relatively easy insertion of the thinner edge portion of the bag between the adjacent metal clips 17 and 18, and permits such bag edge portion to be inserted in impingement between the gradually closer together intermediate portions of said arms or clips to eifect substantial distortion of the edge of the bags and substantial frictional engagement which will prevent the bag from slipping out when wet. The length of the longer clamp arm 18 is such that its outer end portion will normally rest on the rim of the cup while the tea bag is held in upper position.

It will be understood that the bags containing tea or other material adapted for brewing purposes are easily and quickly inserted between the clamping arms 17 and 18 in which position they will be held until later manualremoval. The size and position of the clamp or holding means is such that bags of conventional sizes will project to a degree so that the two outer corner portions of the bags will project over the upper rim of the cups as illustrated in Fig. 2. The weight of the cover will bear on the outer free portions of the bags to hold the same impinged in substantially horizontal position partially resting on the cup rims. When the user desires to start the brewing process, he will merely lift up on the handle or tab 13 to permit the clamped bag to pivot and fall downward into depending position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which position the tea is submerged in the hot Water.

The circumference and diameter of the cover is greater than that of the upper part of the cup so that the cover may merely be shifted horizontally to cause disengagement of the end of the arm 18 from the rim of the cup to thereby cause the clamp and the tea bag to drop into depending position such as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Whenever the user desires to stop the brewing, according to strength of beverage desired, he will completely remove the cover and bag from the cup and invert it, and place it on a table or other object, in which inverted position the lip or flange prevents a running off of the drip from the bag. This eliminates the undesirable and messy disposal of the wet dripping bag. A further advantage and accomplishment of my invention is in the elimination of the present practice and need for bringing to customers a separate pot of hot water and saucer, which preferably composed of anis normally poured by the customer into a separate cup to perform the brewing process, which consequently eliminates both the labor of delivery and of subsequent washing.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, I have illustrated a modified form of my invention in which the bag 22 has an integral extension or tab 23 forming an end portion thereof. Said integral tab 23 may be optionally separated from the main body of said bag by one or more transverse creases, scoring or rows of perforations 24, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Said tab 23 is suitably secured to the under face of the cover 10, which is preferably of paper or fibre, by suitable securing means, for example, a suitable strip of cement 25 shown in cross section in Figs. 5, 7 and 8. Said tea bag is so positioned and secured so as to cause its outer free corner portions to over-lie the edge or rim of cups so that the weight of the cover will aid in holding the tea bag in horizontally extending position such as illustrated in Fig. 5.

When the user desires that the beverage be brewed, he will raise the cover 10 slightly and cause the bag and its contents to drop to depending positions, such as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 in which the bag will be sub-v merged.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified construction in which a separate pre-cut paper tab or hinge member 26, having a transverse line of scoring 27, is secured by cement or adhesive 25 to the under side of the cover 10. Said hinge member 26 has one end portion of a bag 22 containing brewing material secured or connected thereto by a suitable fastening or securing means, such as one or more staples 28 shown in Fig. 8.

The afore-described forms of my individual tea brewing devices which are made principally of paper or equivalent fibrous material, may be very economically manufactured at a-cost so low as to make disposal of each thereof after use practical and advantageous.

A further advantage is that the flat portions of the fibrous cover or plate may be easily and inexpensively imprinted with a suitable advertisement, for example, either that of the tea packer or of the establishment in which the tea is served. Similarly, the covers or plates of the first form of my device herein described, whether of plastic material or the like, may likewise have permanent reproductions of the desired laudatory expression or advertisement reproduced thereon.

While I have shown the preferred forms of my invention for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details set forth can be varied widely without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim? l. device for brewing beverages comprising in combination, a plate having an integral peripheral lip, an apertured bracket secured on the normally inner face of said plate; and a pair of flexible elongated arms connected together at their inner ends and pivotally connected to said bracket one of said arms being longer than the other thereof; a collar impinging upon the longer of said arms medially of its ends and upon the other of said arms at its inner end, said arms providing a yieldable separable clip for releasably holding a bag or the like, said cllp being selectively movable to varying positions with respect to said plate.

2. device for brewing beverages comprising in combination, a plate having an integral peripheral lip, an apertured bracket secured on the normally inner face of said plate; a yieldable elongated clamp comprising a long arm and a short arm, only the long arm pivoted to said bracket; said arms being adapted to releasably hold a tea bag or the like in varying positions.

3. A device for brewing beverages comprising in combination, a cover plate for a receptacle, a pair of spaced apart dependingapertured ears mounted on said cover;

a yieldable clamp having a pair of elongated separable members adapted to releasably hold a bag or the like therebetween, the inner end portion of one of said members extending further inwardly than the other thereof and pivotally mounted in said ears; a stop member on said ears for limiting the pivotal movement of said clamp in one direction, and a collar mounted about a medial portion of one of said members and at the inner end of the other thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 916,327 Kingsbury Mar. 23, 1909 6 Blier Nov. 24, 1931 Beling Nov. 23, 1937 Trotman Oct. 21, 1952 Maloney Dec. 28, 1954 Young et a1. Dec. 27, 1955 Young et al Dec. 27, 1955 Campbell Oct. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 8, 1927

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