Water-boiling container with switch-on-dry and steam sensitive thermally responsive control units

In a water boiling container having an electric heating element for heating liquid contained therein, the improvement comprising a thermally-responsive electrical control for controlling operation of said heating element, said control including a switch-on-dry protector switch unit enclosed by a first housing and adapted to make electrical connection with the cold ends of said electric heating element of said container and including thermally sensitive switch means effective, in use, to interrupt the electrical supply to the heating element should the element overheat through being switched on when the container is dry, said control further including a steam-sensitive unit enclosed by a second, separate housing removably mounted on said protector switch unit housing, said steam-sensitive unit including an overcentre spring mechanism and a thermally-responsive actuator for operating said mechanism, the control including means for the impingement on said actuator of said steam-sensitive unit of vapor or steam issuing from the outlet of a passage leading to the interior of the container, the electrical parts of said protector switch unit being shielded from such vapor or steam by a body portion of said steam-sensitive unit, a mechanical link being provided between said overcentre spring mechanism of said steam-sensitive unit and the switch means of said protector switch unit so that on said overcentre spring mechanism being tripped by said actuator, said link serves mechanically to operate said switch means of the protector switch unit, said protector switch unit and said first housing being separable from said steam-sensitive unit whereby said first housing and protector switch unit can be mounted on a container in the absence of said steam-sensitive unit.