Patent GB-812833-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for making coffee and like liquids
IPC: A47J31/40
Filed: 1956-01-30
Abstract: 812,833. Beverage-making machines. BREVETTI GAGGIA SR.L. Jan. 30, 1956 [March 23, 1955; April 30, 1955; July 14, 1955], No. 2849/56. Class 129. [Also in Group XXIX] A machine for making coffee and like beverages comprises a container for the coffee grounds or the like through which a quantity of water is discharged to make an infusion, a mechanism for securing and releasing the mouth of the container to and from the infusing mechanism and a mechanism for moving the container relatively to the infusing mechanism, these mechanisms being operable in a predetermined sequence by cam-controlled servomotors comprising cylinders in which pistons are displaced by a fluid. The control mechanism, Figs. 2 and 4, comprises a shaft 2 carrying a number of disc cams 1 and driven by an electric motor 25 through speed-reduction gear comprising worms and worm wheels. Cams 1 operate pairs of valves through rocker arms 3 pivoted at their ends on a common spindle 4 mounted on a platform 5 and having their other ends engaging pins 3a surrounded by springs 6 compressed between the platform and the arm so as to bias a nose 7 on each arm 3 into contact with the corresponding cam 1. Between nose 7 and pin 3a each lever arm has a tappet screw 8 abutting the end of the spring-loaded stem 9 of an inlet valve 10 to open the valve as the rocker arm is depressed by the cam. The spring-loaded stem 12 of an exhaust valve 13 passes through an aperture 11 in the arm and has, at its upper end, a tappet nut 14 which spans the aperture 11 and is held by lock nut 15 so that, when the arm rises, it lifts the valve 13 and hence opens it, Valves 10 and 13 are biased respectively by springs 16 and 17 and are housed in a valve block 5a mounted on platform 5. Packings 18, 20 are provided within the valve block and encircling stems 9 and 12 respectively being compressed by a coil spring 19 and valve spring 17 to prevent loss of fluid. The working chambers of the inlet and exhaust valves are connected respectively by unions 5b and 5c to a supply duet 21 of fluid under pressure and an exhaust duct 22, a transfer duct 23 permanently connecting the working chamber of the exhaust valve with the discharge chamber of the inlet valve from which a discharge duct 24 extends. The machine also includes mechanisms for securing and releasing a coffee container 43 to and from the underside of an infusing and dispensing mechanism, for raising and lowering container 43, for transferring the container to and from an emptying and recharging table, for removing used coffee from the container, for reciprocating the table to enable the container to be recharged and mechanism for compressing the freshly charged coffee within the container. Each of the mechanisms is operated by a fluid pressure servomotor comprising either a singleacting or a double-acting cylinder controlled respectively by one set or two sets of the cam operated valves. Container 43 is charged with coffee grounds and is clamped to the lower end of the infusing and dispensing mechanism 55 by a collar 47, Fig. 6, which encircles and is locked to its mouth. The container is carried on the forked end 56 of a lever 57 which is pivoted in the forked head of a spigot 59. A lug 48 on collar 47, Fig. 5, is pivoted to the outer end of piston rod 46 of a double-acting servomotor cylinder 44 which is pivoted on a pin 50 extending between columns 51 secured to a portion 52 of the main frame of the machine. The piston in cylinder 44 is operated by a pair of the cams 1 through two sets of valves so as to turn collar 47 one way to lock it into engagement with container 43 and the other way to release it. After being released, container 43 is lowered by lever 57 whose other end is pivoted to the outer end of the rod 62 of piston 61, Fig. 6, located within the single-acting servomotor cylinder 64 and biased by compressed spring 63. Cylinder 64 is pivoted on a bracket 64a extending radially from the spigot 59 and is operated by a further cam 1 through its associated set of valves. The spigot 59 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis within a hub 66 forming part of a carriage 68 slidable on parallel rails 69, 70, Fig. 5, and is loaded by a tension spring 67 so as to tend to retain an ear 83 projecting from bracket 64a against an adjustable stop 84 carried within an eyed projection 85 on the carriage. The rails are secured to and between the sides 81 of a sub-frame fixed within the main frame one side having a rod 82 parallel to and below rail 69 and projecting towards an ear 83a on the opposite side of boss 66 from ear 83. A lever 73 is pivoted at one end at 79 to sub-frame 81 and at the other end has a slot 74 which engages a pin 72 extending through a third ear 71 projecting from the hub below and parallel to the bracket 64a. Lever 73 is oscillated through the piston rod 76 by a further double-acting servomotor cylinder 78, also pivoted on sub-frame 81, and operated through their associated valves by a further two cams 1. The movement of lever 73 traverses carriage 68 along the rails 69, 70 and when the lever moves clockwise, Fig. 5, it moves carriage 68 towards a rod 82 secured to frame 81 which engages ear 83a and turns spigot 59 in hub 66 so as to carry the forked end of lever 57 with container 43 round and under a table 86. The container 43 is then raised by the raising and lowering mechanism into a table opening 87 where its rim engages a resilient washer 88. The table supports a reciprocable sliding plate 89 with apertures 90, 95 which register alternately with opening 87. The container emptying mechanism is mounted on the plate 89 above aperture 95, the compressing mechanism is pivoted to the table and the recharging means is fixed to a pedestal 112 mounted in spaced relationship to the table so that plate 89 can slide therebelow. The plate is operated, through bracket 91, by a double-acting cylinder 93 and two further cams 1 and their associated valves, to move between one position where aperture 90 registers with opening 87 and a second position where aperture 95 registers with opening 87 and aperture 90 registers with the recharging means. The extracting mechanism, operated as before by a single-acting servomotor 106 and a cam 1, comprises an electric motor 99, mounted on a head plate 100 slidable on guide rods 101, 102 projecting perpendicularly from plate 89 and encircled by coil springs 103, 104 which support the head plate, having its shaft located in a sleeve 105. A shaft 98 drivably coupled to sleeve 105 extends into a housing where it supports and turns an extractor screw 97. When the extracting mechanism is in its second position, as set out above, the sleeve 105 is lowered by the servomotor carrying the whole mechanism with it so that the used grounds are removed from the container. Meanwhile aperture 90 has been filled with fresh coffee grounds from caddy 108. Mounted on top of caddy 108 there is a chamber 108a supporting a crown from which a flap 124 is suspended by hooks or eyes 127, 128 at the level of an orifice in a coffee bean grinder 122 supported by the table 86 and is arranged to swing towards and away from the orifice. The flap has an arcuate switchoperating link 125 which passes through the crown of the cowl and engages one arm of a pivoted angle member 126 whose other arm abuts the operating member of a switch 123. A bracket 112a fixed to pedestal 112 rotatably supports a ratchet wheel 113 held against anticlockwise rotation by a pawl 116 and rotatable in a clockwise direction by a pawl 117 pivoted on a lever 118 one end of which can be oscillated about the axis of the wheel. A disc 114 with cam lobes 115 on its periphery is made fast on the ratchet wheel and, as it rotates they engage member 121 which operates a switch to start the grinder. Wheel 113 is rotated in equal angular steps by a spring-biased arm 118 which projects beyond its periphery and has a finger 120 which is engaged by plate 89 when as it moves sideways it engages an adjustable stop 130 and displaces arm 118 sufficiently to turn the ratchet wheel through a distance equal to the pitch of the ratchet teeth. The compressing mechanism comprises a casing 131 coaxial with a single-acting servomotor cylinder 132 with a radially projecting web 131a which is pivoted at 109 on the opposite side of the table from cylinder 93 and is loaded by a spring 110 to the fullline position, Fig. 7, but may be swung, as table 89 is reciprocated, to the chain dot position. Compressing disc 136 is connected to the lower end of an auxiliary cylinder 137 containing a coil spring 138 which biases a piston 134 connected by rod 135 to piston 133 in cylinder 132. Piston 133 is biased upwards by spring 140 and is lowered to lower disc 136 by supplying fluid under pressure to the top of cylinder 134. In operation, which takes place automatically under the control of cams 1, container 43 is inserted into aperture 87 and plate 89 is moved to the right so that ground coffee falls into aperture 90 while the used contents are discharged from container 43 into housing 96. Plate 89 is then returned and the coffee grounds fall into container 43 and the compressor swings into place and disc 136 packs the coffee. Container 43 is then lowered, carriage 68 returns along rails 69, 70 and then the container 43 is lifted into collar 47 where it is locked in position. A predetermined quantity of hot water is then fed through the coffee grounds and thence through nozzle 150 into receptacle 151. The water is heated by a thermostatically controlled immersion heater 149c in a closed reservoir 149b to which water is supplied through pipe 149d. Two coaxial cylinders 146, 147 of different diameters accommodate two pistons 143, 142 connected by a rod 144, piston 142 being biased by spring 145 and normally covering a port 48 through which water passes to a container 43 to brew coffee when fluid is supplied to port 1