COFFEE-PACKAGING MACHINE

• US 3,618,642 A
• Filed: 06/08/1970
• Issued: 11/09/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jean-Guy Beaulieu
• Original Assignee: Jean-Guy Beaulieu
• Inventors: Beaulieu, Jean-Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/044,439
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 141/173,174,175,176,281,282,194,246,265,272,1 221/105,176 53/245
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/50 using rotary tables or turrets B65B43/46 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention relates to the packaging of granular material, such as coffee, in the bottom of a series of stacked cups and has special use in the dispensing of coffee into cups in this fashion for the subsequent making of a coffee beverage. The machine consists of a table and a jig for receiving the cups overlying the table. The cups are dropped into the jig and the jig moves the cups across the surface of the table and then over the edge of the table into a stacked form. As the cups move over the table, predetermined quantities of coffee are dropped into the cups so that, when they are subsequently stacked, each cup has a predetermined amount of instant coffee in the bottom. In use, one takes a cup from the stack and adds water as required to make a cup of beverage.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing a granulated material into each of a series of stacked cups comprising:

a table, a jig for a cup overlying said table;

jig drive means adapted to cyclically carry said jig in a predetermined path over the surface of said table;

the surface of said table having and edge on said predetermined path over which a cup in said jig can drop;

cup-stacking means underlying said edge of said table on said predetermined path adapted to receive cups that drop over said edge;

said jig being adapted to restrain a cup laterally but not vertically;

depositing means overlying said table and on said predetermined path in advance of said opening on said predetermined path adapted to drop a cup into said jig as said jig underlies said depositing means;

filling means overlying said table between said cup-stacking means and said depositing means adapted to drop predetermined amounts of filling into a cup retained in said jig as said jig underlies said filling means on said predetermined path.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said jig drive means cyclically carries said jigs, as aforesaid, with an intermittent movement, said depositing means and said filling means each being responsive to the presence of a cup retained in said jig when said jig underlies said depositing means and said filling means respectively to operate the depositing means and filling means respectively.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of jigs, said jig drive means comprising means for holding said plurality of jigs in a circular array, said predetermined path being a circular path.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, having a plurality of jigs, said jig drive means comprising means for holding said plurality of jigs in a circular array, said predetermined path being a circular path.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said predetermined path is a circular path.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said predetermined path is a circular path.

7. A method of dispensing a granulated material into each of a series of stacked cups comprising the steps of dropping said cups one at a time on a table, moving said cups in succession on a predetermined path on said table and then over an edge of said table, stacking said cups as they drop from said table, and depositing a predetermined amount of granulated material into said cups as they pass over said table.

8. A method as claimed In claim 5, in which said cups are moved over said table by means of a jig that restrains each cup laterally but not vertically.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which said path is vertical.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, in which said path is vertical.