Musical tea kettle
AssigneePhysical Systems, Inc.
InventorsCharles G. Hutter, III, Raymond R. Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A musical tea kettle is provided for playing a selected tune or the like when water within the kettle is heated to a boiling condition. The tea kettle includes a kettle body having an upper opening within which is mounted a steam driven whistle unit having a steam powered shuttle valve assembly for supplying steam to a plurality of steam whistles. When water within the kettle is boiled, the shuttle valve assembly drives a rotatable valve plate having valve ports therein for discharging steam to the plurality of steam whistles mounted on the shuttle valve assembly, wherein the valve ports are arranged in position and size to operate the steam whistles in a timed pattern to play the selected tune.
Claims21
A musical tea kettle, comprising:
- a kettle body adapted for receiving a supply of water to be heated to a boiling condition to generate steam, said kettle body having an upper opening formed therein;
- and
- a whistle unit mounted on said kettle body in a position generally closing said opening, said whistle unit including a plurality of steam whistles and means for supplying steam generated within said kettle body to said steam whistles in a timed, regulated pattern to play a selected tune.
A musical tea kettle, comprising:
- a kettle body adapted for receiving a supply of water to be heated to a boiling condition to generate steam, said kettle body having an upper opening formed therein;
- and
- a handle assembly mounted on said kettle body for manual handling of the tea kettle, said handle assembly including a whistle unit supported in a position generally closing said opening, said whistle unit including a plurality of steam whistles and means for supplying steam generated within said kettle body to said steam whistles in a timed, regulated pattern to play a selected tune;
- said handle assembly including means for moving said whistle unit between a first position substantially closing said opening and a second position permitting water passage through said opening.
A musical tea kettle, comprising:
- a kettle body adapted for receiving a supply of water to be heated to a boiling condition to generate steam, said kettle body having an upper opening formed therein;
- a housing mounted generally within said kettle body opening, said housing having a plurality of steam ports and an exit port formed therein;
- a plurality of steam whistles mounted at the topside of said housing in respective communication with said steam ports;
- a valve plate rotatably mounted at the underside of said housing and having a plurality of valve ports formed therein for rotation in a predetermined sequence into alignment with said steam ports, said valve plate including a generally annular set of downwardly projecting driven teeth;
- a generally cup-shaped cylinder supported in an upwardly open position within said housing for reciprocation along a generally vertical axis through a limited stroke toward and away from said valve plate;
- means for preventing relative rotation between said housing and said cylinder;
- an annular set of first drive teeth on said cylinder for meshed engagement with said driven teeth;
- a piston supported within said cylinder for reciprocation generally along said vertical axis through a limited stroke toward and away from said valve plate;
- spring means reacting between said piston and cylinder to urge said piston toward said valve plate and to urge said cylinder away from said valve plate;
- an annular set of second drive teeth on said piston for meshed engagement with said driven teeth;
- means for preventing relative rotation between said piston and said cylinder, and for retaining said piston in an orientation with said second drive teeth disposed one-half tooth out of phase relative to said first drive teeth;
- and
- a generally sleeve-shaped shuttle valve for variably applying steam pressure generated within said kettle body to said piston and cylinder to reciprocate said piston and cylinder in opposite directions along said vertical axis such that said first and second drive teeth engage and disengage said driven teeth in sequence to rotate said valve plate in half-tooth increments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.