Automatic machine for the production of coffee from roasted coffee beans

• US 4,188,863 A
• Filed: 10/19/1978
• Issued: 02/19/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucio Grossi
• Original Assignee: Lucio Grossi
• Inventors: Grossi, Lucio
• Primary Examiner(s): Jenkins, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/952,819
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 99/286, 99/288, 99/289 R, 99/289 T, 99/289 D, 99/289 P, 99/302 P, 99/302 R
• US Class Current: 99/286
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3609 Loose coffee being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3619 Means to remove coffee after brewing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08

Abstract

An automatic coffee-making machine comprising a grinder delivering ground coffee to a metering device storing a metered quantity of ground coffee and of releasing the metered quantity to a delivery chute displaceable from an inoperative position to an operative position above a fixed filter carrier in which is disposed a lower filter for the support of delivered ground coffee. The grinder is driven by a motor responsive to the delivery of a metered quantity of ground coffee to disconnect the motor from the grinder. A piston and cylinder arrangement delivers a measured quantity of hot water to the fixed filter carrier and is displaceable between a lower position to confine the ground coffee therein and to deliver hot water thereto and an upper position. The piston and cylinder arrangement is angularly displaced by camming surfaces responsive to the displacement between the lower and upper positions, and is displaced between the lower by a motor-driven linkage mechanism which also upper positions and displaces the lower filter to raise used ground coffee to an ejection position. The chute is angularly displaced by the piston and cylinder arrangement to the operative position in which it opens the metering device to receive and deliver the metered quantity of ground coffee to the fixed filter carrier in readiness for the next cycle of operation.

Claims

1. An automatic machine for the production of coffee from coffee beams comprising a support frame, a grinder supported by said frame, a metering device associated with said grinder to receive ground coffee and displaceable between an open and a closed position, a motor operable to drive said grinder, clutch plates interposed between said motor and said grinder to transmit drive, lever means associated with said metering device and operable by said metering device to control the engagement of said clutch plates to interrupt the drive from the motor to the grinder, a displaceable water dispensing piston and cylinder arrangement operable to heat and dispense water and including an upper filter, a source of water, the piston having a rod and means associated with the rod of the piston operable to raise said cylinder and to control the flow of water from said source to said cylinder while said cylinder is being raised from a lower to an upper position, spring means connected to said piston rod and operable to apply through said piston at the end of the return stroke thereof a pressure upon water in said cylinder, deflecting means operable to displace the cylinder at the end of the upward stroke of the piston, a pallet connected to and displaceable with said cylinder, a fixed filter carrier into which said cylinder extends in the lower position and free of said cylinder in the upper position thereof, a lower filter within said fixed filter carrier for the support of ground coffee, rod and spring means operable to displace said lower filter within said fixed filter carrier in preparation for the ejection by said pallet of a pellet of used ground coffee supported thereon, a chute displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position above said fixed filter carrier for the supply of ground coffee thereto and operatively associated with said metering device to open and close said metering device by such displacement and receive a metered quantity of coffee therefrom and program means driven by said motor and operable in timed sequential relationship to raise said piston and cylinder arrangement, supply water to said cylinder from said source, raise said lower filter, expel a pellet of used ground coffee therefrom, return said lower filter, deliver ground coffee thereto, return said piston and cylinder arrangement and supply water to said fixed filter carrier.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which said piston and cylinder arrangement is arranged to receive water from said source to one side of said piston and valve means is provided operable by displacement of said piston and cylinder arrangement to place said one side of said piston with the other side.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which said piston has a limited degree of lost motion relative to said cylinder to allow the water to flow from one side thereof to the other.

4. A machine according to claim 1 including a reduction gear connected to said motor, a connecting rod and crank system connected to said motor through said reduction gear and including a linkage system connected to said cylinder raising means and projections on said cylinder operable to limit the displacement of said cylinder when being raised to allow displacement of said piston relative thereto.

5. Machine according to claim 4 characterised by the fact that said connecting rod and crank system are constituted substantially of linkage movements with oscillating rods connected to said means for raising the cylinder, said cylinder being moreover equipped with lateral projections for arresting it in a position such as to leave the piston free to slide, overcoming the friction between piston and cylinder.

6. A machine according to claim 1 in which the means for raising said water dispensing cylinder includes a pressure applying piston and cylinder arrangement incorporating spring means operable to transmit a pressure to the water in said dispensing cylinder.

7. A machine according to claim 1 including a displaceable rod operable to displace said piston, and wherein said program means includes cam means driven by said motor and operable to drive said displaceable rod.

8. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said piston is slidably sealed in the cylinder and is equipped with a valve adapted for causing the water to pass from the upper part to the lower part of the piston, said valve being substantially machined, leaving the rod free to slide for a short distance in the piston during the first portion of movement, the valve opening when the cylinder ascends and closing when the cylinder bears upon the fixed lower filter support.

9. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said means for raising the cylinder are constituted of cylinders, inside which there slides a piston equipped with a rod incorporating a spring precompressed between the piston head on the side towards the rod and the base of the cylinder, said spring acting as elastic means for applying pressure to the water.

10. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said cam means for deflecting the cylinder are constituted of eccentric pins associated with the rod for operating the piston and disposed in such a manner as to strike against fixed stops.

11. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that the means for raising the lower filter are constituted of rods, capable of being raised in conjunction with the piston rod and acting in opposition to springs connecting a pin which operates the lower movable filter, said rods being moreover capable of being displaced by the impact of an inclined plane projecting from said rods against fixed stops, thus permitting the instantaneous return of the lower filter.

12. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said further means for the displacing of the chute are constituted of connecting rods, associated with return springs, and coupled to the cylinder.

13. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said means for coupling said clutch plates are constituted of a sliding rod, acting upon said levers for coupling and uncoupling the clutch plates, and actuated by the piston rod.

14. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that the metering of the water into the cylinder is actuated by means of a slidable rod with adjustable stroke, associated with a return spring and operated by the piston rod, said slidable rod acting upon a lever associated with a return spring constituting the means for arresting the passage of the water supplied from a vessel above.

15. Machine according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that said adjustment of the quantity of coffee ground in the metering device is obtained by means of the deformation of an elastic membrane wall by means of a micrometer screw.

16. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the grinder has a support shaft, the support frame has an outer ring constituting a support bearing for the grinder support shaft, and further comprising a system of levers acting to displace the outer ring axially for adjustment of the grain size of the grinder.

17. An automatic machine for the production of drinking coffee from coffee beans comprising a grinder for grinding the beans, a motor for driving the grinder, a metering device for receiving ground coffee from said grinder, latch means responsive to a metered quantity of coffee in said metering device to disconnect said motor from said grinder, a source of water, a water dispensing displaceable piston and cylinder arrangement, normally closed means for supplying water from said source to said dispensing piston and cylinder arrangement, opening means associated with said piston and cylinder arrangement and operable by displacement thereof to open said normally closed water supply means, water heating means associated with said dispensing piston and cylinder arrangement, a fixed filter support, a lower filter within said fixed filter support for supporting ground coffee and displaceable between a lower coffee making position and an upper position for the ejection of used coffee, a chute displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position for the delivery of ground coffee from said metering device to said fixed filter support, connecting means between said chute and said metering device operable to open said metering device to said chute in response to displacement of said chute to the operative position, a pallet displaceable with said dispensing piston and cylinder arrangement and operable to eject used coffee in the upper position of said lower filter, camming means associated with said piston and cylinder arrangement responsive to displacement thereof to angularly displace the piston and cylinder arrangement and said pallet, a projection associated with said dispensing cylinder operable to enter said fixed filter support to confine the ground coffee therein and to supply water thereto from said dispensing cylinder and displaceable with said cylinder between a position in which it extends into said fixed filter support and a position free therefrom, a linkage system driven by said motor operable sequentially to displace said piston and cylinder arrangement away from said fixed filter support to free said projection therefrom and to open said normally closed water supply means, displace said lower filter to said upper position, angularly displace said piston and cylinder arrangement and said pallet to eject used coffee, bring said chute to the operative position to deliver a metered quantity of ground coffee to said fixed filter support and return the piston and cylinder arrangement, the lower filter and the chute to an initial starting position.

18. Automatic machine for the production of coffee from coffee beans characterised by the fact that it is constituted of a support frame composed of two plates, incorporating a grinder with metering device capable of being opened, the grinder being connected to a motor by means of a clutch with face-plate engagement and capable of being actuated by said metering device through a system of levers, a connecting rod and crank system with programmed arrest being connected to said motor through a reduction gear, this system being adapted for causing a heated hydraulic group to recede from and approach towards a heated, fixed filter carrier, this hydraulic group being constituted of a cylinder with piston incorporating the upper filter, having a combined function of water heater, pressure cylinder for the water and used pellet expeller, the piston rod being equipped with rod-shaped means adapted for raising said cylinder while it is being supplied with water under gravity, and connected to springs adapted for generating the pressure of the piston itself upon the water at the end of the return stroke, eccentric or similar means being associated with the rod of said piston and with said cylinder, these means being combined with fixed members adapted for causing the cylinder to deflect from a fixed filter carrier beneath it at the end of the upward stroke of the piston, rod-shaped means being moreover provided, associated with springs and other fixed means, adapted for raising the lower filter together with the used pellet simultaneously with the ascent of the cylinder, in such a way that said pellet can be expelled by pallet means associated with said cylinder, further rod-shaped means, coupled to the cylinder during the rotation and opposed by return springs, being provided both for displacing a chute connecting the metering device with said fixed filter carrier and causing simultaneous opening and closing of the metering device itself, and also for bringing the cylinder into alignment with said fixed filter carrier at the commencement of the return stroke, this occurring in a position such as to enable the cylinder to center upon and become supported upon said fixed filter carrier, so as then to permit the piston subjected to the load of the springs to compress the water heated in the cylinder onto the powder beneath, thus delivering the coffee, and finally cam means or the like being provided for arresting the motor, and also other rod-shaped means, actuated by the rod of said piston during the delivery of the coffee and acting upon sliding levers adapted for coupling the clutch plate of the grinder to the motor in a position ready for commencing a succeeding cycle.