APPARATUS TO OBTAIN COMPACT DOSES OF GROUND COFFEE

Abstract: Apparatus to obtain compact doses of ground coffee composed by a joust provided with a plurality of equipment for dosing, profiling, compacting, and extracting that transit under a feeding device and under a second device that shapes and compacts the coffee doses contained in the chamber comprised between said device and the corresponding underlying equipment.

Description: APPARATUS TO OBTAIN COMPACT DOSES OF GROUND COFFEE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention refers to the technology for automatic packaging machines, as generally included in the international classification B65b. STATE OF THE ART Patent literature records the European patent EP 0225494, regarding a packaging machine for filter paper waffles to prepare infusions. In this machine the packaging of the ground coffee occurs on the same filter paper that will then constitute the permeable wrapping for each dose. However, the procedure as described in this patent presents some flaws. Each single dose of ground coffee is unloaded, flattened, shaped, transferred and compacted on a tape of filter paper. As a consequence, each grain of ground coffee that comes out from the dose will inevitably stain the peripheral zone of the tape, that should instead be maintained completely clean so as to ensure the efficacy of the next operation of thermosealing with another tape of filter paper, in order to later obtain an hermetic wrapping for the ground coffee waffle. Moreover, the micro holes of the filter paper tend to be partially clogged by the coffee powder, when sucked through the filter paper, and also because of i,he compression produced by the devices that compact the dose against the filter paper. Finally, the dosing of the coffee amount contained in each single waffle is performed volumetrically, with no regulation. The weight of the coffee dose thus changes according to the variation of its granulometry. The solution as proposed in the present invention overcomes all the above mentioned flaws because the exact dosing and the precise compacting of the ground coffee doses are performed before its packaging in a sealed wrapping of filter paper. DESCRIPTION The invention is now disclosed with reference to the figures of the attached drawings, as a not limiting example. Figure 1 is a perspective scheme of the joust as provided with a plurality of operating equipment that transit under a feeding device of ground coffee and under a contrast device for compacting the doses. Figure 2 is a perspective scheme of the same joust in a next phase. One can notice how the compact dose 23 has been extracted from the joust and it's being directed toward the following packaging operations. Figure 3 is a section representation of a linear development of the joust as showed in figure 1. Figure 4 is a section representation of a linear development of the joust as showed in figure 2. Figure 5 shows the beginning of the ascent phase of the operating equipment's sliding parts. Figure 6 shows the stop position of the sliding parts at a predetermined and adjustable height. Figure 7 shows the positioning of an equipment in correspondence of the compacting contrast. Figure 8 shows the action of adjustable compacting. Figure 9 shows the extracting operation of the compacted dose. Figure 10 shows the separating operation of the extracted dose. Figure 11 show a section of a variation of an operating equipment, constituted by a specially outlined cylinder cojointed to the joust and by a sliding piston. In the figures of the attached drawings each single detail is marked as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 are operating equipments set up on the joust 9 indicates the higher part of the profiled path to control the vertical excursion of the operating equipments. 10 indicates the lower part of the path. 11 indicates the device for the adjustable ascent of the sliding organs of the operating equipments. 12 and 13 indicate other parts of the path. 14 indicates the adjustable device for the compacting dinamometric action. 15 indicates the zone in which the profiled path goes back to the same height of the zone 9. 16 indicates the ground coffee. 17 indicates a feeding device for the ground coffee. 18 indicates the rotating table of the joust 19 indicates the dosed amount of ground coffee. 20 indicates the contrasting device for compacting the dose of coffee contained in the chamber of the corresponding equipment below. 21 indicates a device to perform the extraction of the compacted doses. 22 indicates a device to perform the removal of the extracted doses. 3 indicates a compacted dose. 4 indicates a piston as part of the operating equipment. 5 indicates a return spring of the piston. 26 indicates a slot on the cylinder integral to the joust. 27 indicates a slot on the sliding cylinder. 28 indicates pin on the piston. 29 indicates a cylinder, containing the sliding parts, integral with the joust. 30 indicates a sliding cylinder with a profiled upper ending. 31 indicates a return spring for the sliding cylinder. 32 indicates a flange for the support of the return spring. 33 indicates a sliding roller on the path. 34 indicates one variation of a profiled cylinder integral to the joust. 35 indicates a piston sliding inside the profiled cylinder. The clearness of the figures fairly explains the operation of the invention. From the detailed examination of figures 8, 9, 10 it can be noticed that the shape of the compacted coffee dose (23) is constituted by two opposed frustum cones that are conveniently cojointed in order to optimize the packaging operation of the dose in the filter paper wrapping. Said shape, during the wrapping of the filter paper, prevents in fact damages to the dose and any dispersion of ground coffee that would then dirt the sealing zone jeopardizing the hermetic quality. This said shape also prevents the formation of wrinkles and cracks on the filter paper. Furthermore the package will result completely filled, to avoid that during the infusion the preferred passage of the water will be through zones with no coffee. It is thus clear that the permeability of the hot water is assured by a right and uniform grade of compacting. The correctly compacted dose is permeable but fragile and its complicated handling must be done with just minimal acceleration and without impacts of any sort In the apparatus as presented in the present invention the profiled equipment allows, by means of the piston, the extraction and the removal of the compact doses form the profiling mould, in order to take them away with no risk of impact However, we wish to point out that the invention allows several variations of practical realization as far as the structural proportioning and the technological choices for the construction material are concerned. It is also evident that also other granular or powdery substances similar to coffee will be included in the protection sphere of the present invention. We must also point out that in the figures of the attached drawings is showed a solution with a single arrangement of operating equipments. It is however clear that said equipment can be set up along several arrangements and combined with special feeding, compacting, extracting and separating devices. All the apparatuses to obtain compact doses of ground coffee or similar substances, with the original characteristics as basically described, showed and hereinafter claimed, will be included in the protection sphere of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) Apparatus to obtain compact doses of ground coffee characterized by a joust provided with a plurality of equipment for dosing, profiling, compacting and extracting that transit under a feeding device and under a shaping and compacting device for the coffee doses contained in the chamber comprised between said device and the corresponding underlying equipment 2) Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that each equipment is composed by a cylindrical part, integral with the joust, inside which there is a sliding cylinder. Inside this sliding cylinder there is a piston that, after having performed with the sliding cylinder the profiling and the adjustable compacting of the ground coffee doses, extracts the compact doses from the profiling mould in order to allow its following removal from the jous 3) Apparatus as in claim 1 and 2 characterized by the fact that the sliding cylinder and the piston of each single operating equipment, transiting under the feeding device, lower down sucking the exceeding coffee and then reascend head-pressing the sucked coffee in order to make the density uniform. Afterwards, they stop at a predefined and adjustable height, setting the volume of the amount of coffee separated in the following flattening operation against the edge of the feeding device above. 4) Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by the fact that each equipment is composed by a cylindrical part specially profiled and integral to the joust, inside which a piston slides and perform the profiling, the compacting and the extraction of the compact doses in order to allow the following removal from the joust. 5) Apparatus as in claim 1 and 4 characterized by the fact that said piston, transiting under the feeding device, lowers down sucking the exceeding coffee and then reascend head-pressing the sucked coffee in order to make the density uniform . Afterwards the piston stops at a predefined and adjustable height setting the volume of the amount of coffee separated in the following flattening operation against the feeding device above. 6) Apparatus as in previous claims characterized by the fact that it can be realized also to obtain compact doses of granular or powdery substances with different characteristics than coffee.

Inventors: RAPPARINI GINO, RAPPARINI, GINO
Applicants: RAPPARINI GINO, RAPPARINI, GINO
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65B1
IPC codes: B65B1