An Improved Apparatus for Making Coffee.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left. 6th Apr., 1999-Accepted, 6th May, 1899
[Communicated from abroad by MARIE ERNEST MOREL, of 76, Boulevard des
Batignolles, Paris, France, Coffee-house Keeper.]
An Improved Apparatus for Making Coffee.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
This improved apparatus, when ready mounted, is composed of a lower receiver,
which is nothing else than the cup to be used for drinking the coffee, and upon
which the filter proper is placed.
This filter consists of a small reservoir closed at its top by a lid, and terminating
below in a narrow chamber having a perforated bottom. The lower chamber is
separated from the main body of the reservoir by a perforated disc provided with
a handle for facilitating its manipulation.
The principle employed for manufacturing coffee by means of this apparatus
consists in compressing by means of the aforementioned disc the ground coffee
which is previously placed in suitable quantity into the lower chamber. Boiling
water is then poured into the reservoir so as to slowly traverse the compressed
coffee and flows into the cup.
In order that the coffee may be easily compressed, I employ the following
arrangement: The disc carries upon its upper periphery two flanges, forming
inclined planes; these two flanges being placed in one and the same direction start-
ing each at their base from a notch and rising regularly up to nearly one half
of the circumference to the disc and terminating at their highest point, at the
corresponding place, where the handle commences. The notches of the compres-
sion-disc are placed at the ends of one and the same diameter and, as regards their
position, correspond exactly to two projections provided at a suitable place on the
inner wall of the reservoir. The compression disc is, on the other hand, so arranged
as to admit of its entering the reservoir with slight play, the diameter of this disc
being larger than the free space existing between the two projections.
Under these conditions the operation for producing the desired effect, is as
follows:
The quantity of ground coffee to be utilized in the apparatus, is fixed by the lid,
which is so formed as to constitute the exact measure, when reserved. After the
ground coffee having thus been brought into the lower chamber of the filter, the
compression disc occupying such a position that the notches therein enable the
projections on the inside of the reservoir to freely pass, is inserted. The disc
then lying below these projections is turned horizontally upon itself, as during
this movement the upper surface of the inclined planes bears against the lower
surface of the projections the disc is compelled to descend owing to the inclination
Paine 877

page_text: of the said planes, the result being, that the coffee placed beneath is compressed.
The manipulation of the disc takes place with the greatest facility by means of a
handle attached thereto.
My apparatus, constructed in the manner above described, forms one complete
device, which I put on a tray serving to contain the whole apparatus with its
accessories. For this purpose impressions are made on this tray, which mark the
places of these different pieces or accessories namely: cup, filter, sugar basin,
small glass, spoon.
This improved apparatus may of course be made of any appropriate material,
such as hard or soft porcelain, ceramic stone-ware, crockery-ware of various com-
positions, glass or opal or the like. I, moreover, reserve the right of varying the
form of the apparatus and of constructing the same in different models, starting
from the useful, simple and inexpensive apparatus up to the article of luxury
or fancy goods.
This apparatus is more especially constructed for preparing one cup of coffee,
namely in cases where its usefulness makes itself especially felt. It is however,
evident, that by increasing its dimensions, it may as well be utilized for making
two or more cups.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322. High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the preparation of very good
coffee in separate cups, this result being moreover attained with the greatest
facility.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete apparatus.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section following the line A B of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar section shewing the position in which the compression
disc is introduced.
Figures 4 and 5 shew the double cup used as measure in vertical section and
elevation respectively.
which is
The complete apparatus is composed essentially of a lower receiver
merely the cup or vessel used for drinking the coffee and on which is placed the
filter proper.
This filter consists of the small reservoir 2 closed at the top by a
lid 3, and terminating below in a narrow chamber 4 having a perforated bottom 5.
The lower chamber 4 is separated from the principal part of the reservoir 2 by a
perforated disc 6 having a handle 7 for its easy manipulation.
The method of making coffee by means of my apparatus consists in compressing
by means of the disc 6 the ground coffee, a suitable quantity of which has been
previously placed in the lower chamber and afterwards pouring boiling water

page_text: into the reservoir 2, which water slowly percolates through the compressed coffee
and runs into the cup or glass 1.
In order to easily obtain the compression of the coffee, the inventor proceeds as
follows;-
The disc 6 bears on its upper periphery two flanges 8 forming an inclined plane
and sloping in the same direction, each starting at their lower point from a notch 9
rising regularly almost half round the circumference of the disc and terminating
at their highest point against the corresponding place where the handle i
commences.
The grooves 9 of the compression disc 6 are placed at the extremities of the
same diameter and correspond exactly, as regards position, to two projections 10
provided at a suitable place on the inside of the reservoir 2. On the other hand,
the compression disc 6 is so arranged that it can enter somewhat into the reservoir 2,
the diameter of this disc being moreover larger than the free space between the
two projections 10.
In these conditions, the operation for producing the desired effect is as follows:-
The quantity of ground coffee to be used in the apparatus is measured by the
lid 3, which is arranged in such a manner that, when reversed, it forms the
correct measure. The ground coffee, having been placed in the lower
chamber 4 of the filter, the compression disc is placed therein in
the manner indicated in Figure 3, that is, in such a
grooves 9 allow the projections 10 to pass freely. The disc being then
way that the
above these projections 10, it is turned over horizontally in the direction of the
arrow; during this movement, the upper surface of the flanges 8 rest on the lower
surface of the projections 10, and the disc is forced to drop, owing to the inclina-
tion of the flanges thus compressing the coffee placed beneath.
The disc 4 is then in the position shewn in Figure 2. The disc 4 is easily
manipulated by means of its handle.
Instead of using the reversed cover 3 as a measure for the coffee the inventor
prefers to employ a double cup 11 with two chambers, the one 11b containing ten
grammes of coffee, for example, and the other 11ª two and a half grammes. The
combined use of these two chambers thus allows the amount of coffee to be varied
according to the taste of the consumer.
The complete apparatus constructed in the manner above described is placed
upon a tray intended to hold it and all its accessories. For this purpose impres-
sions are made in this tray, marking the position of the different portions or
accessories.
It is understood that the apparatus can be constructed of any appropriate
material, such as china, stone-ware pottery of different kinds, glass or opaline and
the like. The inventor moreover reserves the right of varying the shape thereof
and of applying to it various ornamentations in such a way as to form different
patterns from the cheap simple and useful apparatus to the most expensive article.
The apparatus is chiefly intended for preparing a single cup of coffee and its
utility chiefly consists in this fact, but it is obvious that by increasing its size, it
can be used for preparing two or more cups.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. An apparatus for preparing coffee in single or more cupfuls, by a process
consisting essentially in compressing the coffee by means of a perforated disc
in the lower part of the filter, and then pouring boiling water into a reservoir
placed above the coffee, which water percolates slowly through the compressed
coffee, and runs into the cup or vessel on which the percolating apparatus is placed.
2. In the apparatus for preparing coffee as described in Claim 1, the means
employed for producing the compression of the coffee which consists in providing
a perforated disc with two inclined flanges which are supported under two projec-

page_text: tions of the reservoir of the filter in such a manner that a horizontal rotatory move-
ment given to the disc compels this latter to drop and thus to produce the desired
compression of the coffee, substantially as described.
3. The improved coffee making apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
D111
T
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1 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.