Disclosed are improvements in a coffee-making machine of the type having an elevated cool or cold water basin from which cool or cold water drains into a fill tube extending down to adjacent the bottom of a hot water reservoir, the fill tube being suspended from the underside of the cover or lid on the reservoir. The cool or cold water displaces hot water to a spray head disposed over a brewing funnel. One specific improvement pertains to the means by which the cold water basin is attached to the reservoir lid. Another specific improvement pertains to the means by which the upper end of the fill tube is suspended from the reservoir lid. The combination of these improvements provides a convenient, secure and economical means of assembling these related components of the coffee-making machine.

This invention relates, generally, to innovations in coffee-making machines 
or brewers of the general type that have a cold (or cool) water basin 
mounted on top of a hot water tank or reservoir and wherein cold water 
flows or drains by gravity from the basin into the upper end of a fill 
tube which extends to adjacent the bottom of the hot water reservoir. The 
cold water which discharges from the bottom end of the fill tube displaces 
an equal volume of hot water from the top of the reservoir into a hot 
water siphon tube having a sprayhead on its down-turned discharge end. The 
displaced hot water sprays onto ground coffee supported on a paper filter 
lining the interior of a brewing funnel. Brewed coffee discharges from an 
outlet opening in the bottom of the funnel into a decanter resting on a 
warmer. 
Coffee-making machines of the foregoing type are disclosed in the following 
patents to J. C. Martin: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,385,201 May 28, 1968; 3,494,276 
Feb. 10, 1970; 3,736,155 May 29, 1973; 3,793,934 Feb. 26, 1974 and 
4,094,233 June 13, 1978; D. L. Daugherty U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,552 Nov. 8, 
1983; K. W. Stover U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,981 Aug. 14, 1984; D. L. Daugherty 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,775 Oct. 6, 1984; J. D. Zimmerman U.S. Pat. No. 
4,478,139 Oct. 23, 1984; and D. L. Daugherty U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,757 Mar. 
12, 1985. 
More particularly, the present inventions relates to both (1) novel means 
for detachably mounting the cold water basins on the covers or lids on the 
hot water reservoirs of coffee-making machines of the foregoing type, and 
(2) novel means for suspending the fill tubes from the undersides of the 
covers or lids so as to receive the cold water from the cold water basin. 
In the coffee-making machines disclosed in the above-identified patents 
and in known commercial coffee-making machines, several different 
satisfactory means have been used for the foregoing purposes. The novel 
means of the present invention are more economical than the prior means in 
respect to component cost and ease of assembly in production, and result 
in products equal to or better quality than those of the prior art.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 a coffee-making machine is indicated generally at 10 which 
has a base indicated generally at 11, a trunk indicated generally at 12 
and a superstructure indicated generally at 13. In addition to supporting 
the superstructure 13, the trunk 12 also provides a housing for a hot 
water reservoir or tank 15. The superstructure 13 houses a cold or cool 
water basin indicated generally at 16 and has a overhang or cantilever 
portion underneath which a pair of guide and support rails 17--17 are 
attached so as to support a brewing funnel indicated generally at 18. 
Fresh brewed coffee discharges from a center outlet 20 in the bottom of 
the funnel 18 into a carafe or decanter 21 which rests on a warmer 22 
located in the platform 11. 
The top wall 23 of the superstructure 13 serves as a cover for the cold 
water basin 16 and is provided with a pour-in opening in the form of a 
screen 24 which is provided with a hinged cover 25 (FIG. 1). The cold 
water poured into the basin 16 drains by way of a fill tube 26 into the 
lower portion of the hot water reservoir 15. As the cold or cool water 
enters or discharges into the bottom of the hot water tank 15 it displaces 
hot water from the upper portion which flows through a hot water siphon 
tube 27 to a sprayhead 28 positioned underneath a raised portion 30 in the 
bottom of wall 31 on the overhang portion of the superstructure 13. 
Hot water from the sprayhead 28 discharges onto ground coffee resting on a 
disposable fluted paper filter 33 lining the funnel 18. 
The foregoing construction and operation of the coffee brewing machine 10 
are well known and described in the above-listed patents. 
As stated above, the present invention is directed to improved means for 
mounting the cold water basin 16 on the cover lid 34 of the hot water tank 
or reservoir 15 and of supporting the fill tube 26 from the underside of 
the lid 34. For a detailed description of this improved mounting, 
connecting and supporting means reference may now be had particularly to 
FIGS. 3-9. 
The cold water basin 16 can be formed of plastic or metal. However, in 
commercial production there are advantages in injection molding the cold 
water basins 16 from suitable known plastic materials. The basin 16 is 
formed with a sump 40 (FIG. 3) with a central drain opening 41 in its 
bottom. The location of the sump 40 is such that it is in registration or 
centered over the cold water fill tube 26. Since cold water flows or 
drains from the basin 16 downwardly into the fill tube 26, it is necessary 
to provide for fluid flow communication between the opening 41 in the sump 
40 and the upper end fill tube 26. It is also required to suitably suspend 
or support the fill tube 26 by its upper end underneath the cover lid 34 
of the hot water reservoir or tank 15. 
A key feature of construction for connecting the bottom of the sump 40 and 
the drain opening 41 therein with the upper end of the fill tube 26 is a 
specially formed opening 42 (FIG. 4) in the lid 34. While the lid 34 can 
be formed of either plastic or metal it is preferably formed of sheet 
metal which is economical and lends itself to production in large 
quantities at low cost and with a high degree of accuracy. The opening 42 
is formed in such a way that it constitutes an integrally formed nut of 
approximately one, but not exceeding one, thread and with an axial length 
of not exceeding one pitch. The circular edge of the material forming the 
opening 42 is of such internal diameter and configuration as to mate with 
one exterior thread on the shank 43 of a tubular bolt indicated generally 
at 44 (FIG. 3). Preferably, the opening is interrupted by a notch 39 (FIG. 
4) which serves a pilot opening for shank 43 of bolt 44. The head 45 of 
the bolt 44 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed notches or 
slots 46. These slots 46 permit the bolt 44 to be rotated for tightening 
or loosening by inserting a tool or straight object between the two 
opposing slots 46. 
It will be seen from FIG. 3 that the length of the shank 43 on the tubular 
bolt 44 is such that the end of the bolt projects below the underside of 
the lid 34 at appreciable distance. This allows water from the basin 16 to 
discharge into the upper end of the fill tube 26 which is received 
telescopically over a pair of semicylindrical flanges 50 integrally formed 
as part of a stamping indicated generally at 51 in FIGS. 7-9. When the lid 
34 is formed of sheet metal, the stamping 51 is also likewise formed of 
sheet metal so that the diametrically opposed horizontal wings 52--52 can 
be spot welded to the underside of the lid 34. 
An aperture 53 (FIG. 7) is formed in one of the semicylindrical flanges 52 
and the corresponding opening is formed in the upper end of the fill tube 
26 for accepting a self-tapping screw 54 (FIG. 3) which serves to secure 
the fill tube 26 in assembled relationship with the stamping 51 as shown 
in FIG. 3. 
The connection between the bottom of the sump 40 and the fill tube 26 is 
rendered fluid tight by providing a washer or gasket 55 (FIG. 3) between 
the bottom of the sump 40 and the top of the lid 34. 
Preferably, the upper edge or margin of the cold water basin 16 is 
integrally formed so as to provide a continuous downwardly facing groove 
60 (FIG. 2) therearound which fits over the conforming upper edge of the 
housing sidewall 62 as shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the cold water basin 
16 is supported both from its upper peripheral edge 63 and by the bottom 
of the sump 40 connected to the cover lid 34. 
The reservoir cover lid 34, cold water basin 16 and stamping 51 can each 
and all be readily produced in commercial quantities at low cost. It will 
be further appreciated that the stamping 51 can be readily assembled to 
the underside of the cover 34 by spot welding and the fill tube 26 in turn 
readily assembled to the underside of the cove 34 by placing the upper end 
thereof over the semicylindrical flanges 50 and then inserting the screw 
54. Likewise, it will be appreciated that the cold water basin 16 can be 
readily assembled to the lid 34 when the latter is in place on the hot 
water tank 15 by inserting the hollow bolt 44 downwardly through the 
opening 41, placing the washer 55 over the protruding end of the bolt and 
then inserting the bolt shank in the integrally formed sheet metal nut 42 
followed by rotation of the bolt head 45 so as to tighten the resulting 
connection and render it water-tight. 
From time to time, depending on the amount of usage and the hardness or 
softness of the water used in the brewer 10, it is necessary or desirable 
to service the hot water tank 15 to remove deposits of lime. This can be 
readily accomplished by removing the sprayhead 28 and top cover 23 and 
then unscrewing the bolt 44 whereupon the cold water basin 16 can be 
lifted out through the top opening in the superstructure 13. This allows 
full access to the cover lid 34 which in turn can be readily removed along 
with the fill tube 26, heater element 64 (FIG. 3) and hot water siphon 
tube 27.