Patent US4094345A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4094345A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dispensing machine to prepare cups with a dry content
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-11-16
•
Granted: 1978-06-13
•
Expires: 1996-11-16
Abstract
Abstract A machine adapted to put dry ingredients in cups, as for cups ready to add water to make instant coffee, tea, soup, etc., and wherein the empty cups are positively extracted one by one from stacks of empty cups; spouts are actuated by the cups to positively discharge the dry ingredients in the cups, and the cups with the dry content thereof are automatically stacked and vibrated to compactly engage one in another. This machine comprises an empty cup magazine holding stacks of cups arranged in a straight row, a dry ingredient dispensing mechanism having chutes arranged in a row parallel to the row of stacked cups, a mechanism to positively release the cups one by one from the bottom of each stack, cup pushers reciprocatively displaceable to push consecutive rows of empty cups from under the empty cups magazine to under the row of chutes, a catching bar sequentially holding each consecutive row of cups in registry with the chutes, tripping troughs closing the chutes respectively and pivoted by the oncoming row of cups to positively discharge the dry ingredients in the corresponding cups, and a vibrated magazine to stack the cups with dry content thereof, one in another.
Inventors
- 👤 Marcel Deziel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:05
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B1/00; B65B1/30; B65B1/36; B65B1/04; B65B1/06; B65B1/20; B65B1/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
328 words
In a machine to pour a dry granular or powdered ingredient into cups, the combination comprising a frame, an empty cup magazine carried by said frame for supporting a stack of nestled empty cups, a cup-releasing mechansim mounted at the lower end of said empty cup magazine for releasing the bottomost cup of said stack of empty cups, a cup-conveying mechanism mounted on said frame underneath said cup-releasing mechanism for receiving a cup released by said cup-releasing mechanism and conveying said cup along a path to a position at a dry ingredient dispensing station, a dry ingredient dispensing mechanism carried by said frame above and including a funnel having a bottom outlet in register with a cup positioned at said dispensing station, and a tripping elongated trough having a pouring end and pivoted about an axis transverse to the length of said trough and located away from said pouring end, said trough having an elongated projection extending underneath the same and along the same, being connected to said trough away from said pouring end to define a slot between the bottom of said trough and said projection, said projection having a free end disposed short of said pouring end, said trough biased to take a normal position closing said funnel bottom outlet, and having its pouring end disposed just above a cup being conveyed to said ingredient dispensing station and with said projection having its free end in the path of said last-named cup, said last-named cup, during its terminal movement towards said station, abutting against said free end of said projection and causing downward pivoting of said trough to an open discharging position to cause said trough pouring end to engage over and into said cup as said cup reaches said station while uncovering said funnel bottom outlet to allow pouring of the ingredient from said funnel into said cup, the top portion of the cup wall progressively engaging said slot during downward pivoting of said trough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
328 words
In a machine to pour a dry granular or powdered ingredient into cups, the combination comprising a frame, an empty cup magazine carried by said frame for supporting a stack of nestled empty cups, a cup-releasing mechansim mounted at the lower end of said empty cup magazine for releasing the bottomost cup of said stack of empty cups, a cup-conveying mechanism mounted on said frame underneath said cup-releasing mechanism for receiving a cup released by said cup-releasing mechanism and conveying said cup along a path to a position at a dry ingredient dispensing station, a dry ingredient dispensing mechanism carried by said frame above and including a funnel having a bottom outlet in register with a cup positioned at said dispensing station, and a tripping elongated trough having a pouring end and pivoted about an axis transverse to the length of said trough and located away from said pouring end, said trough having an elongated projection extending underneath the same and along the same, being connected to said trough away from said pouring end to define a slot between the bottom of said trough and said projection, said projection having a free end disposed short of said pouring end, said trough biased to take a normal position closing said funnel bottom outlet, and having its pouring end disposed just above a cup being conveyed to said ingredient dispensing station and with said projection having its free end in the path of said last-named cup, said last-named cup, during its terminal movement towards said station, abutting against said free end of said projection and causing downward pivoting of said trough to an open discharging position to cause said trough pouring end to engage over and into said cup as said cup reaches said station while uncovering said funnel bottom outlet to allow pouring of the ingredient from said funnel into said cup, the top portion of the cup wall progressively engaging said slot during downward pivoting of said trough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
In a machine as defined in claim 1, wherein there is a pair of laterally spaced-apart elongated projections projecting with said trough endwise away from the transverse pivot axis of the trough and in opposite direction relative to the direction of displacement of the cups along said path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
In a machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said cup-releasing mechanism includes a main stop device releasably holding the bottomost cup in non-released position, an auxiliary stop device releasably holding the bottomost cup in partially released position, and a movable extractor positively engaging a partially released cup and separating the same from the remainder of the stack.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
In a machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said main stop device includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart support members engaging the opposite sides respectively of the bottomost cup and holding the same in non-released position, said auxiliary stop device includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart auxiliary support members underlying the main support members respectively and said movable extractor includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart cup extraction members operatively engaging the upper edge of a released cup on opposite sides of the latter and downwardly pushing the same for extraction thereof from the bottom of the stack.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
In a machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said cup magazine carries said one and other stacks of empty cups with said stacks laterally spaced from each other along a straight row, said cup-releasing mechanism includes an elongated frame having laterally spaced-apart sides extending lengthwise longitudinally of said straight row and each having an upper edge portion constituting one of said support members and having cutout portions spaced along the length thereof for registry with said stacks respectively, each of said sides includes inward projections underlying said cutout portions respectively and constituting auxiliary support members for partially released cups respectively, and said pair of cup extraction members extend each longitudinally along one of said sides and includes inward projections operatively engaging the upper edge of partially released cups and downwardly pushing the same for extraction thereof from the bottom of a stack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said cup extraction members are slidably connected to said sides respectively for up and down displacement, a first actuation linkage assembly is connected to said elongated frame and longitudinally displaces the latter to and fro lengthwise of said row and a second actuation linkage assembly connects said extraction members to said elongated frame and includes a lost motion connection for sequential up and down displacement of the cup extraction members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
In a machine as defined in claim 6, wherein a prepared cup magazine is mounted underneath said dry ingredient dispensing station, is pivoted to said frame about a transverse axis relative to the path of the released cups, and includes open top upright cells for stacking of the prepared cups therein and a vibratory actuation mechanism is connected to the prepared cup magazine and operatively vibrates the same about the transverse pivot axis thereof for compact stacking of the prepared cups upright one in another.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
294 words
In a machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said frame includes a panel forming a slideway for the released cups and extending from underneath the empty cup magazine toward but terminating short of the dry ingredient dispensing station, said cup-conveying mechanism includes a carriage displaceable lengthwise of the path of displacement of the released cups, cup pushers fixed to said carriage and laterally spaced apart along the straight row of stacks and a reciprocative drive connected to said carriage and reciprocatively displacing the latter and the cup pushers to and from between the empty cup magazine and the dry ingredient dispensing station, said first actuation linkage assembly is connected to said carriage and actuated by displacement of the latter, said dry ingredient dispensing mechansim includes a plurality of said funnels arranged in a row extending parallel to the straight row of cup stacks, as many tripping troughs as there are funnels each associated with one funnel a toggle spring arrangement biases each tripping trough into either said closed position and said open discharging position, a cup-holding mechanism is is carried by said frame and includes a cup-catching bar laterally displaceable at the dispensing station and operatively catching a row of cups at the dispensing station in underlying registry with said funnels to retain said cups at the dispensing stations over the open top upright cells, means operated upon movement of said carriage away from said dispensing station to move said cup-catching bar to cup-releasing position to allow falling of the prepared cups into said cells, said carriage further including an abutment engaging said tripping troughs when the latter are in their open discharging position, during movement of said carriage away from said dispensing position to return said tripping troughs to their closed position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2940327A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-12 | 1981-12-12 | 1982-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-12 | 1985-12-12 | 1986-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-12 | 1989-12-12 | 1990-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |