Abstract: A beverage dispensing urn (10) with a body (12) having a double-walled vacuum insulation construction with a movable insulation assembly (28) having a hollow movable insulating member (30, 30′) made of an annular or cylindrical envelope of stainless steel that floats upon the surface (36) of the beverage (18) within the interior of the body (12) to insulate it from the portions of the body above the surface (36) and the air contained within the body and is slideably guided by the interior surface (34) of the body (12) and, in the case of the annular envelope, by a hollow guide member (42) that conveys beverage (18) from the inlet (16) to a portion (48) of the body (12) beneath the movable insulation member through an opening (44) in the movable insulating member.

Abstract: A food ingredient grinding assembly (10) with a removable ingredient hopper (32, 34) made of translucent material to enable viewing the ingredient within the hopper through a window opening (40, 42) and carries a closure assembly (FIGS. 4A and 4B) that automatically closes an outlet opening (112) when the hopper is removed from the housing (12) and when installed is controlled by a solenoid (118) that when energized pushes a plate (116) to align an opening (126) in the plate with the outlet opening (112) of the hopper. When the solenoid is not energized or when the hopper is removed, a spring (118) automatically returns the plate to a closed position. Because the closure assembly (114) is carried by the hopper and the solenoid is not attached to the closure assembly by fasteners the hopper may be removed without the use of any tools simply by lifting it out of the housing.

Abstract: A portable beverage dispenser (10) having a hollow body (22)for retention of a beverage and a faucet (42) with a dispenser base assembly (46) has a removable drip tray assembly (28) slidably mounted to horizontally extending base support members(54, 56) usually used for receipt of drips of beverage from the faucet (42) and a backup drip tray (148) fixedly mounted to the support member beneath the removable drip tray assembly to catch drips when the removable drip tray assembly is removed for emptying and cleaning. The drip tray assembly (28) has a drip sink (68) covered by a grate panel (84) having a plurality of elongate, parallel, grate members each with a pointed peak (98) and a pair of opposed substantially flat sides (100, 102) sloping downwardly away from the peak to guide beverage downwardly away from the peak for retention by the drip plate (84).

Abstract: A self-heating urn (10) is provided with a warmer packs (18) which are rapidly heated during the brewing process and then gradually release their heat to the brewed beverage within the urn after it is removed from the brewing location to a serving location at which electrical powered for heating is not available. The warmer pack (18) are formed of ceramic materials, high density liquids, PCM's or the like which are capable of being rapidly heated during the brewing process but then gradually release their heat to the beverage in the urn. Alternatively, the warmer packs (18) are removably mounted within a compartment (68) within the self-heating urn (10) and are heated apart from the brewing process and then inserted into the self-heating urn (10) when it is moved to a serving location.

Abstract: A coffee grinder assembly with a housing containing a pair of hoppers for containing coffee beans with a pair of hopper outlet chutes, or grinding chamber inlet chutes for feeding beans into a grinding chamber where the beans are ground by powered grinding discs or blades and then passed to a removable brew basket via an outlet chute with an outlet end that is in communication with a negative ion generator that ionizes the air in the outlet chute through which the ground coffee and chaff pass on their way to the brew basket to electrically neutralize the chaff to reduce chaff dispersion due to electrostatic repulsion of positively charged chaff.

Abstract: A beverage brewer (20) with a programmable dispenser cycle dispenser valve controller (36) for controlling a dispenser valve (34) to intermittently open and close during a plurality of control periods of an intermittent dispense period (88) to selectively control the quantity of hot water that is dispensed without changing the overall duration of the dispense period (88). Each of the control periods (CP1-CP20) has a duty portion during which the dispenser valve is open that is selectively varied to brew either greater or lesser amounts of beverage without varying the overall dispense period (88). Uniform contact of the hot water with the beverage ingredient (70) is enhanced by a uniform ingredient holder (24) that holds the ingredient in a tubular configuration beneath a uniform flow dispenser head (38) that pulses the top of the tubular configuration with a uniform spray.

Abstract: A tea maker (54) is provided with a control system (116) that enables the tea to be intermittently drained of water to allow contact of the tea (52,26) with atmospheric oxygen several times during each brew cycle to enhance flavor and to eliminate the problems associated with seeping of the tea.

Abstract: A beverage brewer (20) with a programmable dispenser cycle dispenser valve controller (36) for controlling a dispenser valve (34) to intermittently open and close during a plurality of control periods of an intermittent dispense period (88) to selectively control the quantity of hot water that is dispensed without changing the overall duration of the dispense period (88). Each of the control periods (CP1-CP20) has a duty portion during which the dispenser valve is open that is selectively varied to brew either greater or lesser amounts of beverage without varying the overall dispense period (88). Alternatively, the number of control periods is selectively changed to change the overall dispense period (88) without changing the quantity of beverage by appropriate changes to the duty portion.

Abstract: A twin brewer system (30) with a pair of brewers (30A, 30B) each with a controller (158) for controlling the application of electrical power to a hot water heater, disables the application of electrical power to the heater (154) of one brewer (30A, 30B) in response to actuation of a start brew switch of the one brewer (30A, 30B) while electrical power is being applied to the heater (154) of the other brewer (30A, 30B). The controllers also respond to a hot water quantity sensor (164, 168) and a responsive delay circuit for disabling dispensing of hot water in response to actuation of the brew start switch (50) until a sufficient quantity of hot water is in a hot water dispenser tank (152) needed for the brew cycle. Indication lamps indicate when the brew cycle is being delayed and when brewing is not being performed. Actuation of a single emergency stop switch (138) stops hot water dispensing of both brewers (30A, 30B).

Abstract: An insulating, serving urn assembly(10) with an extra closure assembly(40) releasably mounted within the neck(28) of an urn body(22) for reducing the loss of heat from within the urn during brewing of beverage into the urn assembly(10) by passing the beverage into the urn body through a relatively small drain opening(73) of a brew guide(46) mounted to an extra closure member(42) that closes off the inner opening(26) of the urn. After,brewing is complete but before serving from the urn assembly(10), the beverage is additionally insulated by a lid(36) that fits over the outer opening(24) of the urn assembly(10) and a brew guide closure(76) that is mounted to the underside(36B) of the lid(36). During service a relatively small, extra closure service opening (50) located adjacent to a spout (34) in the extra closure member(42) is opened with movement of a rotatably mounted door(44) to an open position to enable pouring out of the beverage while still covering most of the inner opening(26).

Abstract: An embossed card package production system with a computer controller (12) for accessing embossed card information in a card data memory (40) and embosser (20) for embossing a card (30) with the stored embossed information and an embossed card verification system with an embossed card character reader (70) for reading embossed information (32) on the card with the computer controller comparing the read embossed information on the card (30) with the stored embossed information for the card in the card data memory (40) to determine if there is a match and automatically identifies each card which has embossed information on the card which does not match the stored information on the card to reject each card identified as being incorrectly produced.

Abstract: A smart card verification insertion system (10) for inserting smart cards (30) into corresponding carriers (50) only after verifying the card data read with a mag stripe reader (72), an embossed character reader (74), an IC chip reader (64), and a first bar code reader (68) and a back bar code reader (70) and data encoded on the printed carrier read with a carrier reader (106) correspond to one another and also correspond to account data stored in a smart card account data memory (67). If it is determined that the card has been incorrectly prepared, an incorrect card reject mechanism (96) is actuated by a verification controller (66) in response to the mismatch. Similarly, if the data read by the carrier reader (106) does not match the data read from the card or retrieved from the smart card account data memory (67), a mismatch card reject mechanism (110) is actuated.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing concrete with a fiber additive and other ingredients including the steps of mechanically manipulating a shipping container (36) having a gross amount of fiber additive (50) substantially greater than the an amount susceptible to unaided manual handling with a mechanical manipulator to dump the gross amount of fiber additive (50) from the shipping container (36) into an additive hopper (46) moving at least some of the fiber additive (50) dumped in the additive hopper (46) to an additive hopper-bin (20) by means of a mechanically powered fiber conveyor (48) and conveying a preselected amount of the fiber additive (50) from the additive hopper-bin (20) to a mixer (14) for mixing with the other ingredients of the concrete being made.

Abstract: A beverage brewer (20) with a dispenser valve (34) for passing brewing liquid from a supply (30) under control by a programmable dispenser cycle dispenser valve controller (36) to intermittently pass the liquid to a uniform flow dispenser head (38) during preselected duty portions (92) of a plurality of control periods (CP1-CP20, FIG. 5B) in order to independently control the total quantity dispensed and the duration of the dispense period (88). The uniform flow dispenser head (38) has a closed body with a perforated bottom (64) that is intermittently filled with brewing liquid during the duty portion selected for each of the control periods to provide a uniform vertical spray across an open top of a uniform ingredient holder (24) within which is held a cylindrically shaped layer of beverage ingredient (70) in order to achieve uniform contact of the brewing liquid with all the beverage ingredient.

Abstract: A beverage brewing system includes a brewer (30) and a serving cart assembly (62, 70) having a cart (74) for supporting a serving dispenser (64) for rolling movement and having cart guide members (68A, 68A') cooperating with brew cycle members (66A, 66A') to guide the serving cart assembly into proper alignment with an inlet nozzle of dispenser beneath a beverage outlet (60) of the brewer (30) for direct receipt of freshly brewed beverage into the dispenser (66).

Abstract: A brewing system with a brewer (30) and urn support member (64A) for movement of the urn (66) between a first position (FIG. 4B) in which the urn is aligned beneath the brewer (30) for receipt of beverage from the brewer (30) and a second position (FIG. 4C) in which the urn (66) in a position removed from alignment beneath the brewer (30) to facilitate removal of the urn (66) away from the support by the support member (64A). The filled urn (66) is moved to the removal position (FIG. 4C) before being removed from the urn support member (64A).

Abstract: A printing assembly (10) having a printer (30) and a single sheet transport mechanism (22) for automatically transporting discrete sheets seriatim from within a tray held in a tray receptacle (32) to the printer and a discrete sheet load enhancement apparatus with a holder (24) of an auxiliary supply of printable stock (18), a removable open tray (20) with a feed opening (40) accessible for receipt of discrete sheets (14) of printable stock fed within the feed opening while releasably mounted within the tray receptacle and a continuous discrete sheet feeder and producer (16) for automatically feeding the sheets (14) seriatim from the separate supply of printable stock (18) through the feed opening (40) into the removable open tray (20).

Abstract: A brewing system (30) with a beverage holding tank (124) and a spray assembly (300, 302, 304) for spraying hot water onto interior surface (314) of the tank (124) to clean the tank (124). The hot water is passed to a dispenser urn (66) by both a brew valve (176) and a by-pass valve (170) only so long as a flush switch (54') is held in an actuated position, and the hot water is then pumped from the dispenser urn (66) to the holding tank spray assembly (300, 302, 304).