Dual chamber coffee mill

A coffee mill with two bins for holding two types of coffee. The bins slope downwardly and inwardly to provide two adjacent bin outlets. These outlets feed into the entrance to a coffee grinder. A slider plate and a baffle plate are slidingly mounted between the outlets and the entrance, and can be used to close the outlets altogether or to partially or entirely close all of one outlet, leaving the other outlet open. The slider plate removably interfits with the baffle plate so that moving the baffle plate causes both plates to slide together, in order to determine the coffee mix. When the two plates are in the position in which the slider plate covers both bin outlets, the slider plate fits within and is carried by a supporting frame proximate to the outlets. As a result, the bin and the slider plate can be lifted, and the slider plate will seal the bin outlets and prevent spillage of the coffee beans remaining in the bins. The baffle plate separates from the slider plate at this time and remains in position over the grinder entrance, closing it.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a domestic coffee mill used to mix and grind 
coffee beans just prior to use, and, in particular, to one which can mix 
different coffee beans in desired proportions, and to one in which the 
coffee bean bins can be sealed so that they can be removed from the 
grinder without the beans spilling from their bins. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Various mills exist for grinding coffee beans. They are primarily for 
commercial uses, and have complex systems for proportioning coffee bean 
mixture; and they are not designed for easy cleaning. The present 
invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing for a simple mixture 
control which also serves to close the coffee bin outlets so that the bins 
can be readily removed from the coffee mill. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This coffee mill contains two bins which can hold two different types of 
coffee beans. The two bins slope downwardly and inwardly to provide two 
bin outlets, adjacent to one another. These outlets feed into the entrance 
to the coffee grinder itself. A slider plate is slidingly mounted between 
the outlets and the grinder entrance, and can be used to close the outlets 
altogether or to partially or entirely close all of one outlet. A baffle 
plate carrying the slider plate is slidingly mounted on the top of the 
grinder entrance and has a hole in it which can permit coffee beans to 
flow from both bins or to close the outlet on the other of the bins. The 
slider plate removably interfits with the baffle plate so that moving the 
baffle plate serves to slide both plates together, in order to determine 
the coffee mix. 
When the two plates are in the position in which the slider plate covers 
both bin outlets, the slider plate fits within and is carried by a 
supporting frame proximate to the outlets. As a result, the bin and the 
slider plate can be lifted, and the slider plate will seal the bin outlets 
and prevent spillage of any coffee beans remaining in the bins. The baffle 
plate separates from the slider plate at that time and remains in position 
over the grinder entrance, closing it. Thus, convenient access to the 
grinder portion of the unit is obtained, for cleaning or maintenance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Our coffee mill 1 is shown in FIG. 1. It includes lower housing 3, upper 
housing 5, removable top 6, and a receiving container for ground coffee 
13. One side of lower housing 3 carries blend control arm 7, grind control 
9, and quantity control knob 11. Our invention is directed to the blending 
of coffee beans in different proportions before grinding, however, not to 
the grinding itself. Any customary grinder can be used. 
Two coffee bean bins 15 and 17 (bins "A" and "B", respectively) hold the 
coffee beans 19 (see FIG. 2). The bins are carried by the upper housing 5, 
which, itself, forms part of their structure. Both bins have sloping 
bottoms, sloping toward the center; and there are adjacent outlets, one at 
the bottom of each bin, outlet 16 for bin 15, and outlet 18 for bin 17. 
Preferably, outlets 16 and 18 are of the same size. 
Grinder 25 has a grinding auger 29 which grinds coffee beans and feeds them 
to a spillway 31 for ground coffee, the spillway leading to receiving 
container 13. Grinder 25 has an upper entrance opening 27 for receiving 
coffee beans; and bin outlets 16 and 18 feed into entrance opening 27. The 
bin outlets together have a shape and size corresponding to that of the 
entrance opening 27. Thus, coffee beans can pour from outlets 16 and 18 
into entrance opening 27. 
A slider plate 35 and a baffle plate 41 are positioned between the outlets 
16 and 18 and the entrance opening 27; They are mounted for horizontal 
sliding movement from side to side relative to the two coffee bins (i.e., 
fore and aft as seen in FIG. 1; and from left to right and right to left 
as seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7). Baffle plate 41 slides in cradle 
support 42 which has guides 45. Slider plate 35 is carried by baffle plate 
41, and slides with it. Sliding is controlled by control arm 7 which 
extends from the baffle plate. 
Slider plate 35 is large enough to cover and, so, close both bin outlets 16 
and 18 when it is over them. When the slider plate is in this closed 
position, it fits within and can be carried by slider plate support frame 
39, mounted just below and around outlet 18. Slider plate 35 carries two 
downwardly extending tabs or ridges 37 (which are transverse to the 
direction of sliding). These tabs 37 removably fit within corresponding 
grooves or slots 49 on the upper surface of the baffle plate 41 (See FIGS. 
3 and 3A). Thus, when the slider plate tabs 37 are fitted into the slots 
49, the slider plate and the baffle plate slide together as a unit. 
Alternatively, the tabs can be on the baffle plate and the slots on the 
slider plate. As will be described below, however, the slider plate 
separates from the baffle plate when the upper housing 5 (with coffee bins 
15 and 17) is lifted from the lower housing 3. 
The baffle plate fits over the grinder entrance opening 27, and is 
slidingly held by cradle support 42. It has an opening in it commensurate 
with the two openings 16 and 18 and commensurate with entrance opening 27. 
To the right of the opening (as seen in FIGS. 2, and 4 to 8), it has a 
gate portion 45, for blocking coffee bean flow; and, to the left, it has a 
slide plate support portion, with slots 49 to receive slider plate tabs 
37. Blend control arm 7 extends from the baffle plate 41 through the side 
of the lower housing 3, for adjustment of mix proportion. 
In use, top 6 is removed from upper housing 5, and different kinds of 
coffee beans are put into bins A and B. The desired mix proportion is set 
by sliding blend control arm 7, which moves baffle plate 41 and slider 
plate 35 together. Some of the various mix proportions to which these 
plates can be set are shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6. 
In FIG. 2, the plates are positioned such that slider plate 35 does not 
block either of the outlets 16 and 18; and baffle plate 41 is set so that 
its opening 43 is under the openings. Equal proportions of each type of 
bean can then flow through the outlets and into grinder entrance opening 
27. 
In FIG. 4, the plates have been moved to the left. Now slider plate 35 is 
not blocking either outlet 16 or 18; and baffle plate opening 43 is only 
below outlet 16, with its gate portion 45 blocking outlet 18. Now the mix 
will consist solely of beans from bin B. 
In FIG. 5, the slider plate 35 is blocking about two-thirds of outlet 16 
(as is slider plate support 47 of baffle plate 41); and nothing is 
blocking outlet 18. The resulting proportion will be for a ratio of about 
1:3 between beans from bin A and beans from bin B. 
In FIG. 6, slider plate 35 is blocking neither outlet; and the opening 43 
in baffle plate 41 is exposing only about a third of outlet 18. The result 
will be a proportion of A beans to B beans of about 3:1. 
Other degrees of mixture can be obtained in a similar manner, running from 
0% A and 100% B to 100% A and 0% B. 
When one desires to remove the bins from the coffee mill, this can be done 
without the coffee beans spilling out the bin openings 16 and 18. The user 
simply moves blend control arm 7 to the right (as seen in the drawings); 
and the baffle plate 41 and slider plate 35 will move to the right, so 
that the slider plate covers the bin openings, and the slide plate support 
portion 47 of the baffle plate 41 covers the entrance opening 27 of 
grinder 25. With this movement to the right, the slider plate will also 
enter the slider plate supporting frame 39, where it will be held against 
the outlets 16 and 18. Upper housing 5 is then lifted, causing the tabs 37 
of slider plate 35 to lift out of slots 49 in baffle plate 41. This leaves 
baffle plate 41 over grinder entrance opening 27, while the slider plate 
35 travels with the bins 15 an 17 and keeps them closed. The procedure is 
reversed to replace the bins.