Abstract: An electric automatic water heating apparatus for drip type beverage, e.g., coffee makers has a housing provided with a reservoir composed of a material of low thermal conductivity arranged to supply water by gravity to a sealed heating chamber having an inlet communicating with the reservoir and an outlet for discharging heated water for use. The sealed heating chamber includes an open top, cup-shaped, metallic casting having an electric rod-type resistance heating element embedded therein, and a metallic cover member closing the open top of the casting for confining steam generated during heating to the heating chamber. The cover is secured to and forms a bottom surface portion of the reservoir exposed to the water in therein. The cover serves as a support for a bimetallic member which controls the flow of water through the inlet into the heating chamber in response to the temperature in the heating chamber.

Abstract: A coffee filter package which can be commercially distributed on top of a coffee can and retains a supply of nested coffee filters therein. The coffee filters are subsequently utilized by the consumer for filter dispensing. The package includes a cylindrical upper receptacle portion for receiving the supply of filters and retaining them in a compacted, pleated form. A peripheral skirt portion depends from the lower end of the receptacle for snapping onto the lid of the coffee can.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an infusion apparatus, particularly such an apparatus for brewing coffee or the like where a receptacle such as a coffee basket is mounted on a water heating apparatus and a carafe is positioned underneath the infusion chamber. The infusion chamber is made with relatively movable walls so that the cross-sectional area transverse to the direction of flow of liquid may be varied to vary the depth of infusion bed for a given quantity of coffee or the like in the chamber. Two movable walls are disclosed together with an actuating mechanism with the movable walls and the actuating mechanism being of simple construction and readily assembled so that the use of screws, rivets, and so forth is not required. The relatively movable walls are actuated by a rotatable plate connected to the walls which are positioned internally of the infusion chamber with rotation of the plate moving the walls toward and away from each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for producing paper products by forming a paper sheet stock into a desired shape, forcing the shaped paper product through a heat-setting tube, and steam heating the shaped paper product sufficiently to maintain its shape upon removal from the heat-setting tube. Maintaining the paper product in its desired shape is accomplished by supplying steam into the interior of the heat-setting tube and into a steam tube surrounding the heat-setting tube. Preferably, superheated steam is employed in the formation of a nested group of shaped paper products, such as coffee filters, which are simultaneously produced from multi-layered paper sheet stock.

Abstract: A grasping device is provided having a frame adapted to be held generally stationary with respect to an article being grasped, two manually operable, movable tweezer legs supported by the frame, a third leg positioned between the two movable legs and held generally stationary with respect to the frame, and means at the end of each leg for frictionally engaging an object to be grasped. A preferred embodiment of the grasping device is specially designed for pinching the inside bottom surface of a nested stack of dish-shaped filters.

Abstract: A heater unit for heating a quantity of water in a reservoir. The flow of water from the reservoir to the heating unit is controlled by thermally responsive means disposed to be exposed to vapors from the water as it is heated by the heating unit. The temperature sensing means comprises a flat bimetallic member for operating a valve to control flow between the reservoir and heating unit. A pan-like heating unit structure is a well in which a spiral heating element is positioned and a sandpipe forms the outlet for the heating unit and operates to back-water over the heating element. A generally horizontal flow channel receives water from the reservoir and leads the water to the top of the well.