Apparatus for flavoring and packaging coffee

A method and apparatus for flavoring coffee with a particular flavoring ingredient in situ within the package. The apparatus includes a hopper for containing a supply of coffee and a connected feed tube through which the coffee is delivered in measured amounts into the lower end of a tube of sheet material or web which is being continuously formed about the coffee feed tube to define the package for the coffee. A flavoring feed tube connected in communication to a reservoir containing a supply of flavoring material is disposed along the coffee feed tube and through which the flavoring material is circulated for injecting a predetermined amount of flavoring material into the coffee being delivered into the lower end of the continuously formed tube. The lower end of the continuous tube containing the predetermined amount of coffee and flavoring material is thereafter sealed and separated from the remainder of the continuous tube to define an individual package of flavored coffee, and the sequence repeated. The arrangement is such that the changeover of the apparatus from one flavor to another flavor is effected with a minimum of effort and/or cleaning.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for flavoring coffee with 
a predetermined flavor in situ within the package as the package is being 
formed. 
PRIOR ART 
Heretofore, a selected flavor was added to a batch of coffee in which the 
mixing of the flavoring ingredient and the coffee was achieved by tumbling 
in bulk fashion; after which the flavored or blended coffee was processed 
for packaging into individual packages by conventionally known packaging 
machinery. A noted disadvantage with respect to this method of flavoring 
coffee was that coffee so flavored would permeate throughout the entire 
filling equipment or machine during a packaging operation, thereby making 
the changeover of the filling equipment or machine from one flavor to 
another flavor a tedious and time consuming operation necessitated by the 
detailed cleaning of the filling equipment or machine to remove any 
flavoring residue in readying the equipment to handle another batch of 
differently flavored coffee. 
Various types of filling apparatuses are known as evidenced by U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 1,951,694; 2,808,858; 3,086,336; 3,184,112; 3,297,061; 3,482,373; 
4,606,174; 4,608,810; 4,748,697; 4,922,975 and 4,964,259. However, these 
known filling apparatuses and/or methods are not considered suitable for 
effecting the flavoring and packaging of coffee into individual packages 
or containers as contemplated herein. 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvement 
method and apparatus by which flavored coffee is packaged in individual 
packages in which the coffee is flavored in situ within the package as the 
package is being formed. 
Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for flavoring coffee 
with various flavors whereby the changeover from one flavor to another can 
be effected in a minimum of time and with a minimum of cleaning of the 
filling apparatus. 
Other features and advantages will become readily apparent in view of the 
specification and drawings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to a coffee filling apparatus which has a hopper 
for containing a supply of unflavored coffee. Connected to the hopper is a 
coffee feed tube for directing the coffee to a bagging station. The 
apparatus is provided with a supply of web sheet material in the form of a 
roll from which the web material is fed and formed into a continuous 
cylindrical tube about the coffee feed tube. A conveyor or drive advances 
the tube of sheet material toward the bagging station. Disposed adjacent 
the bagging station, the apparatus is provided with a sealing and cutting 
station where the end of the tube of sheet material is sealed, severing 
the preceding portion of the sheet material which has been filled with 
coffee from the tube of sheet material. Extending along the coffee fill 
tube and disposed within the tube of sheet material are one or more 
flavoring fill tubes which also extend to the bagging station. The 
respective flavoring fill tubes are connected in communication with a 
corresponding reservoir containing a specific flavoring ingredient, e.g. 
chocolate, vanilla, Kaluaha, cherry, etc. Operatively associated with the 
reservoir is a circulating pump and a control valve for regulating the 
amount of the flavoring material to be mixed with the coffee. The 
arrangement is such that as a predetermined amount of coffee is delivered 
to the lower end of the tube of sheet material at the bagging station, a 
predetermined amount of flavoring material is injected into the coffee, 
whereby the flavoring material is combined or mixed in situ within the bag 
or package being formed for containing the coffee. Thereafter, the filled 
portion of the tube of sheet material is incrementally advanced to the 
cutting and severing station, where a cutter seals the upper end of the 
filled portion of the tubular sheet of material and severs the filled 
portion from the tubular sheet material while at the same time effecting a 
seal at the lower end of the tube of sheet material in preparation for 
receiving the next predetermined amount of coffee and flavoring material. 
Accordingly, the operation is successively repeated.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a form of the invention 
embodying the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a hopper 11 
for containing a supply of unflavored coffee 12. Connected to the lower 
end of the hopper 11 is a coffee feed tube 13 which extends toward the 
bagging or filling station 14. In the illustrated embodiment, a forming 
tube 15 is coaxially disposed in spaced relationship about the coffee fill 
tube 13. The apparatus 10 is also provided with means for supporting 
thereon a supply of sheet or web material 16 in the form of a roll 17 from 
which the bag or package in which the coffee is to be packaged is formed. 
As shown, the sheet of web material 16 is directed over a suitable roller 
18 whereby the web is formed into a continuous tube 16A of sheet material 
about the forming tube 15. Drive means in the form of opposed endless 
drive conveyors are disposed to opposite sides of the forming tube and in 
driving engagement with the tube of sheet material being formed thereon. 
It will be understood that the opposed longitudinal ends of the sheet 
material are otherwise fused or sealed to form a continuous tube of sheet 
material which is progressively advanced toward the filling station 14 
along the forming tube 15 by the drive means 19 and 20. 
In accordance with this invention, one or more flavoring feed tubes are 
disposed and extend along the coffee fill tube 13 in the space between the 
forming tube 15 and the coffee fill tube 13. In the illustrated 
embodiment, four such flavoring fill tubes 21, 22, 23 and 24 are shown. 
The respective flavor fill tubes 21-24 terminate at a discharge end 
disposed adjacent the lower end of the coffee fill tube at the bagging or 
fill station 14. If desired, the respective discharge ends of the 
flavoring fill tubes 21-24 may be provided with a suitable spray nozzle 
for spraying the flavoring material into or onto the coffee as it is being 
loaded in the lower end of the cylindrical tube of sheet material, which 
has been sealed at its lower end 16B, as will be hereinafter described. 
The other ends 21A, 22A, 23A and 24A of the respective flavoring fill tubes 
21-24 are provided with a quick connector or coupler for connection to a 
control valve, e.g. a solenoid valve 25 for regulating the amount of 
flavoring material to be delivered to the coffee being delivered to the 
lower end of the tube of sheet material at the bagging station 14. 
The flavoring material supplied to the coffee is contained in a suitable 
reservoir 26 which is provided with an outlet 27 and an inlet 28. 
Connected in communication with the outlet 27 and inlet 28 of the 
reservoir is a circulating pump 29. The outlet 29A of the pump 29 is 
connected through a pressure regulator 30 and a filter 31 to the inlet 25A 
of the solenoid valve 25. The arrangement is such that the pump 29, when 
actuated, will pump the flavoring material as required from the reservoir 
26 through the pressure regulator 30 and filter 31 to the solenoid valve 
where the flavoring ingredient is metered for delivery to the coffee being 
packaged in the lower end of the cylindrical tube of sheet material at the 
bagging station 14. Any excess flavoring material passing through the pump 
29 is recirculated back to the reservoir 26 through lines or conduits 28A 
and 28. In the illustrated embodiment, lines 27A and 28A by which the pump 
29 is connected to the outlet 27 and inlet 28 of the reservoir are 
provided with suitable quick connectors 27B and 28B respectively. Thus, in 
the illustrated embodiment, it will be noted that coffee filling apparatus 
can be readily disconnected from the reservoir means which contains and 
supplies the flavoring material simply by effecting the disconnection 
between the flavoring fill tube, e.g. 21 from the solenoid valve as at 
21A. Thus, to effect the changeover of the filling apparatus 10 from one 
flavor to another, all that is required is to effect the disconnection of 
line 21 from control valve 25 and the connecting the second or other 
flavoring line e.g. 22 to its corresponding flavoring supply means which 
is similar to that hereinbefore described. 
However, to avoid duplication of components, e.g. duplication of the 
circulating system which comprises the pump 29, regulator 30, filter 31 
and control valve 25, it will be noted that this system can be readily 
disconnected from the reservoir and filling apparatus by uncoupling 
connectors 21A, 27B and 28B. Thus, to effect a changeover from one flavor 
to another, the circulating system 29, 30, 31 and 25 is disconnected at 
21A, 27B and 28B and thereafter thoroughly flushed out. After a complete 
flushing out of the circulating system 29, 30, 31 and 25, the system is 
then reconnected to the reservoir containing the desired flavoring 
material by connecting lines 27A, 28A of the pump to the outlet 27 and 
inlet 28 of the appropriate reservoir and connecting the apparatus 10 
thereto by reconnecting the appropriate flavoring filling tube to the 
valve means 25. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the 
changeover from one flavor to another can be readily accomplished with a 
minimum of clean up and a minimum of down time of the filling apparatus. 
To complete the filling operation, it will be noted that after the 
predetermined amount of coffee is supplied to the lower end of the 
cylindrical tube of sheet material 16A at the filling station 14, and 
sprayed or injected with the desired amount of flavoring, the drive means 
19 and 20 advances the filled portion of the cylindrical tube of sheet 
material 16A to a cutting and severing station 33 located downstream wise 
from the filling or bagging station 14. As the filled portion 16A passes 
the cutting and severing station, a cutter 33A is actuated to effect the 
sealing of the tube of sheet material immediately above the coffee contain 
therein and severing the sealed bag 34 from the remainder of the 
cylindrical tube of the sheet material 16A. In effecting the sealing and 
cutting, a seal is also formed at the lower end of the continuous tube 16 
of sheet material for receiving the next succeeding load of coffee and 
flavoring material as the cutter 33A severs along the medial line of the 
seal formed. Opposite the cutter 33A is a cooperating anvil 33B to effect 
the sealing and severing operation as the cutter 33A is actuated. The seal 
is thus formed by the application of heat and pressure as the cutter is 
actuated, it being understood that the sheet material is heat fusible. 
From the foregoing, it will be noted that successive, individual, sealed 
packages of flavored coffee are sequentially produced in an automatic 
manner wherein both the coffee and flavoring materials are 
predeterminately metered and mixed in situ within the package containing 
the coffee. In this manner, the filling apparatus is not contaminated by 
the flavoring material, thereby allowing the apparatus to be readily 
changed over from one flavor to another without the necessity of incurring 
any down time for cleaning. 
The method of packaging flavored coffee is effected by forming a sheet of 
web material 16 into a continuous tube 16A about the coffee fill tube 13 
and advancing the cylindrical continuous tube 16A toward the packaging or 
filling station 14. The endmost portion of the cylindrical continuous tube 
is initially sealed at 16B. A predetermined amount of coffee is then 
delivered to the filling or packaging station to fill the lower sealed end 
of the cylindrical tube of sheet material 16A. At substantially the same 
time, a predetermined amount of flavoring material, which is usually in a 
liquified form, is discharged or sprayed into the filling portion of the 
cylindrical tube of sheet material where the flavoring material is mixed 
with the coffee in situ within the package. The continuous tube is then 
advanced in an incremental manner to a cutting and severing station where 
the filled portion of the cylindrical tube of sheet material is 
simultaneously sealed and severed to define a sealed package of flavored 
coffee. In effecting the severing, the cutter severs the filling portion 
of the tube along the medial portion of the seal formed so that the lower 
end of the cylindrical tube is sealed as the sealed filled package is 
severed. Thus, the cylindrical tube is readied for receiving the next 
charge of coffee and flavoring material, and the operation is successively 
repeated. 
While the invention has been disclosed with respect to a particular 
embodiment, variations and modifications may be made without departing 
from the spirit and scope of the invention.