Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Teawaker?
A teawaker is a bedside appliance which combines the functions of an alarm clock and a teamaker to wake you up in the morning with a hot cup of tea. Here’s a lovely definition of the usual operation of a teawaker from website visitor Dave:
The basic operation of a teawaker is a sealed kettle with a tube passing from the bottom of the kettle out into the tea pot. As the water heats nothing much happens. The water will expand but that will be taken up by the air in the kettle. However, when the kettle boils the water is converted to steam which generates an enormous pressure (like a steam train!) and forces the water out and into the pot. It is quite violent so the tea gets a good stir!
There are two cut-out switches in most tea makers. One ensures that the pot is present so that you can’t boil water out into the open. The other is a thermostat bolted with good thermal contact to the actual element. The thermostat works by having a fixed contact and a sprung contact made of a bi-metallic material. As the element heats up the bi-metallic contact strip gradually bends away from the fixed contact until at a certain temperature it opens the circuit - hopefully slightly above boiling point! - and cuts off the kettle.
The bi-metallic element consists of two different metals. Thin strips of the two metals are bonded together - like a thin strip of plywood. Each metal has a different coefficient of expansion, so as the combination heats up, one of the strips will expand more than the other and the combined strip will bend. A suitable contact is welded to this strip in such a way as to either MAKE when the desired temperature is reached (ie an alarm) or to BREAK when the temperature is reached (ie a cut-out, as in our kettle).
What is Teawaker.com?
Teawaker.com is an independent website run by Sheridan, a teawaker collector, as an online community for other enthusiasts. The website is not connected with any manufacturer, retailer or repairer, although from time to time we may publish information supplied by them. You can find out more about Sheridan and the volunteers who contribute to this site on the “About” pages.
Who invented the Teawaker?
The first known inventor of the teawaker was Samuel Rowbottom. On 17 December 1891 Samuel applied for a patent for his gas powered Automatic Tea Making Apparatus. This was granted in 1892. On May 2nd 1932 George Absolom submitted an application for a patent on his invention, theh first fully electric automatic tea maker. The Patent (number 400672) was passed on November 2nd 1933. Take a look at our model pages for the full chronology.
Where did the names Teawaker and Teasmade come from?
“Teesmade” with two e’s was the name given to the first electric automatic tea maker by its inventor, George Absolom, in 1932. It predates the use of the word “teasmade” by about four years. George Absolom applied for a Registered Design using the name Teesmade, but this was not accepted by the Patent Office on the grounds that the unit was not made on the River Tees and this might confuse the public. Geographic trademarks were invariably refused at this time, indeed the Patent Office passed legislation to forbid them in 1938. This legislation has since been relaxed.
Although the name could not be formally protected, from 1932 onwards George Absolom continued to trade as Teesmade Co. Goblin, who introduced their “Teasmade” in 1936, were in no position to object, as the name had the indisputable advantage of prior use. One can only guess at Goblin’s frustration as they reluctantly turned a blind eye to their competitor.
The name Teasmade was trademarked by Goblin and has been passed down via Morphy Richards to Littlewoods, who own it now. As the word Teasmade is a trademark, it is not used generically on this website. Sheridan, the site owner, coined the new word “Teawaker” to resolve this problem and provide a hitherto unavailable generic name to include all automatic tea makers featuring an alarm clock.
More coming soon…