Patent GB-808148-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to beverage brewing and dispensing apparatus
IPC: G07F13/06
Filed: 1956-08-01
Abstract: 808,148. Beverage - making apparatus. UNITED COFFEE CORPORATION. Aug. 1, 1956 [Oct. 13, 1955], No. 23709/56. Class 129. [Also in Groups XVIII and XXXVII] Automatic beverage brewing and dispensing apparatus comprises a pair of beverage storage containers, automatic means for supplying freshly-prepared beverage to each container as needed and means for dispensing the beverage from one container as the other is replenished. The machine is housed in a cabinet 15 with a front door 15a to provide access to the interior and a service opening 16 to which the cups of coffee are delivered, a selector dial 20 with a pointer 20a being provided so that coffee with milk and sugar as and if desired can be selected. Percolators 25, disposed in two rows, are each formed from a cylindrical section 25c with an inlet opening 25a which telescopes into a section 25d with an outlet opening and a bag 72 made from filter paper and containing coffee is placed inside the percolator on a perforated metal plate 73. The percolators 25 are supported in pairs by pairs of pins 74, 75 extending forwardly from the rear plate 26a of a wheel 26 and engaging respectively the elements 25c and the shoulders 25d<SP>1</SP> of elements 25d. A spring clip 74a carried by one of the pins 74 holds the percolators securely. Plate 26a has a central opening 26b by which the wheel is rotatably mounted on three sheaves 27 pivoted to the rear wall 15b of the cabinet. Wheel 26 is driven intermittently by motor 28 through a belt 29 passing over a plurality of pulleys 30 mounted on the rear of plate 26a. Pressure connectors 31, 32 are carried on pressure arms 33, 34 respectively, each formed by two parallel members pivoted on a pin 35 and are brought into engagement one at a time with the openings 25a of freshly-filled percolators 25. Arms 33, 34 extend across the machine and are biased by weights 85 suspended from their ends by chains 83, 84 into engagement with cams 78, 79. Water is led, e.g. from a pressurized water main, through strainer 39, pressure-reducing valve 40, heater 41, regulator 42, safety-valve 43 and percolator valves 44, 45 to connectors 31, 32. The infusion from the percolators in the outer and inner rows passes respectively through funnels 50, 53 and hoses 51, 54 to storage containers 52, 55 from which it may be dispensed by valves 56, 57 operated by solenoids 56a, 57a through hoses 58a, 58b to a hose 58 with an outlet adjacent fingers 18 which hold a cup 17. Containers 52, 55 may be drained through valves 59, 60 operated by solenoids 59a, 60a and hoses 59d, 60d to a waste tank 61. Cups are dispensed from dispenser 63 down an inclined shoot 63a to fingers 18. Containers 64, 65 with agitators 68 to prevent caking of their contents are mounted sideby-side on a platform 66 above opening 16 and contain respectively supplies of powdered sugar and powdered cream which are dispensed therefrom to fall through a funnel 67 into cup 17 as and when required. If initially both containers 52, 55 are filled with coffee, the dispensing cycle proceeds as follows:-A coin inserted in slot 19 actuates a double throw coin switch 103, closing contact 103a and connecting relay 104 across the supply terminals, Figs. 9A, 9B, to close contacts 104a, 104b and, after the coin has passed switch 103 and it returns to its initial position in contact with contact 103b, it completes circuits through switch 104b to energize timer motor 105 and cup dispensing motor 115, relay 104 being kept energized through a circuit including contact 104a. At the same time, contact relay 113 is energized opening switch 113a and breaking the circuit for magnet 114, thus preventing the insertion of a further coin during the dispensing cycle. Motor 105 drives six adjustable cams 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111 which control the dispensing system. As motor 105 begins to turn, cam 110 opens contact 110a and closes contact 110b to complete a circuit through motor 105, meanwhile, before contact 110a has opened, motor 115 has driven cam 115a until it engages switch 115a<SP>1</SP> to complete a secondary energization circuit through motor 115. Motor 115 operates to separate a cup 117 from the cup supply and position it in the access opening 16 for filling after which cam switch 115a<SP>1</SP> opens, breaking the circuit to motor 115. Switch 116a closes when the stack of cups is used up, energizing motor 116 to bring a fresh stack into position. Switch 106a is then closed for a predetermined time by cam 106 to complete a circuit to open valve 56 and dispense the correct amount of coffee to the cup. As the motor 105 trims, if selector 20 is in the position shown, switches 108a, 109b are closed, which operates cream and sugar motors 108<SP>1</SP>, 109<SP>1</SP> as the contacts 20d<SP>1</SP>, 20d<SP>11</SP> of switches 20<SP>1</SP>, 20<SP>11</SP> are closed. If coffee without milk or sugar or both is required selector 20 is positioned to close switch 20<SP>1</SP> or switch 2011 or both. When switch 109b is closed, contact 109a is opened, thus breaking the holding circuit for relay 104 and allowing contacts 104a, 104b to open, coin reject relay 113 staying engaged. Just before the end of the dispensing cycle, cam 111 closes switch 111a momentarily to energize relay 117 and hence counting mechanism 120 and, as the end switch 110b opens, switch 110a closes and breaks the circuit to relay 113. When the container is half empty (8 cups left), totalizer relay 117 opens switch 117d and changes the coffee timing from cam 106 to cam 107 when the dispensing valve is left open longer than with cam 106 so that the quantity of coffee delivered remains substantially the same as the head of coffee in the container diminishes. When fifteen cups of coffee have been dispensed, relay 117 closes contact 117a and opens contact 117b which completes a circuit to relay 119 closing contacts 119a, 119c and opening contacts 119b, 119d, a secondary circuit for relay 119 being completed and coil 117<SP>1</SP> being energized to return relay 117 to its initial state ready for the dispensing of the next fifteen cups of coffee. The opening of contact 119d breaks the circuit including magnet 114 and the closing of contact 119c completes a circuit through contact 126b of percolator relay 126, energizing pressure arm motor 80 and bringing on light 119<SP>1</SP> to indicate that the machine is temporarily not dispensing. As motor 80, and with it cams 86, 87, 88, 89, starts to turn, it drives pressure arms 78, 79, raising the pressure connector 34 from the percolator last used and lowering the other pressure connector 33 towards the percolator next to be used. Meanwhile cam 86 closes contact 86a to energize relay 121 and to close switch 88a, energizing relays 118, 118<SP>1</SP> connected in parallel. Relay 121 closes contact 121a to complete a secondary circuit to motor 80 and to energize valve 59 to empty any remaining coffee from tank 52. Relay 121 opens contacts 121b and 121c, opening of the latter breaking the circuit to relay 119 and allowing contacts 119b, 119d to close, the latter energizing the circuit to magnet 114 and returning the dispensing portion of the machine to normal. When motor 80 is about half-way through its cycle and both connectors 31, 32 are raised above wheel 26, switch 87a is closed by cam 87 to complete the circuit for wheel drive motor 28 which turns wheel 25 to bring the next pair of percolators into brewing position. Switch 87a is closed only momentarily and the initial movement of the wheel operates switch 130 to complete a secondary circuit to motor 28 which is broken when one of a series of lugs 131 engages operating arm 130c to stop the wheel in the next brewing position. Switch 87a closes only on every other brewing cycle. Just before motor 80 is stopped, cam 89 closes switch 89a momentarily and energizes relay 126 which locks in the energized position where contact 126a closes completing the circuit for water safety valve 43, this circuit being completed only if wheel 26 is in its correct position. Switches 132, 133 associated respectively with arms 33, 34 prevent water from being supplied through valves 44, 45 unless arms 33, 34 are in their correct positions. When all the percolators have been used, a switch 123 is operated which prevents further brewing from taking place until fresh coffee has been placed in the percolators. If the cup supply is exhausted, a switch 125 opens and further coins cannot be inserted in the machine. After a predetermined time, if the coffee in either container has not been used, a motor 140 is energized and a fresh brewing operation is initiated during which the stale coffee is dumped through one of valves 59 or 60 according to which container is concerned. This timing mechanism is reset each time that a fresh batch of coffee is made.