Abstract: A filter employed for the extraction of beverages is formed of a piece of material having two planar surfaces and a plurality of uniformly distributed openings extending through the piece. A plurality of nipples, equal in number to the number of openings, project from and out of at least one of the planar surfaces and extend for a distance substantially equal to the thickness between the planar surfaces of the piece of material, each nipple being associated with one of the openings through the piece of material, and each opening extends through each nipple. The openings have a shape of a truncated cone, a truncated pyramid, or a truncated tetrahedron, and each opening at the end of each nipple, which is disposed away from the planar surface from which the nipple projects, forms a minor base of the opening shape and each opening at the other planar surface forms a major base of the opening shape.

Abstract: A container for beverages, particularly beverages, such as coffee, which form a froth upon being dispensed in the container for consumption, has an interior base portion extending to a sidewall portion and defining an interior beverage containing surface having a shape in the form of an ellipsoid of revolution having an eccentricity of from 1.15 to 5.0, a hyperboloid of revolution having asymptotes forming an angle of less than 90.degree., or a paraboloid of revolution wherein a distance from a focus of the parabola to its directrix line is from 0.5 to 3.0 for promoting the formation of a shell of froth when the beverage is dispensed into the cup.

Abstract: A device for extracting material contained in cartridges has a housing body having a hollow interior, defined by the inside of the housing body which extends to and terminates at an open bottom, in a form which substantially conforms to the form of a cartridge to be extracted for accepting a cartridge for extraction. An upper portion of the housing includes an injection element having a point which protrudes into the hollow interior for opening and penetrating a cartridge for extraction of the material in the cartridge. The outside of the housing body has an upper protruding part and a lower protruding stop beneath and displaced from the upper protruding part. A movable ring circumscribes the housing and the stop and has a lug protruding towards the outside of the housing body which is capable of communicating with the stop, the lug being positioned on the ring such that when the lug and stop are in communication, the ring protrudes below the bottom of the housing.

Abstract: A process for extracting aromatic substances which are contained in sealed cartridges by injecting water for prewetting the substance in the cartridge, injecting air into the prewetted substance and injecting water for extraction of the substance. More particularly, the aromatic substances which are extracted are for the preparation of a beverage and are contained in cartridges which have a top portion capable of being pierced by an injector and a base portion having a membrane provided with a line of weakness which breaks during the extraction process with a filter being provided between the membrane and the substance to be extracted. The prewetting water is injected into the substance in the cartridge at a pressure of between 2 kg/cm.sup.2 and 3 kg/cm.sup.2. Air is injected at a pressure of between 3 kg/cm.sup.2 and 6 kg/cm.sup.

Abstract: A capsule containing a substance for making up a drink using an apparatus, said capsule being composed essentially of a sealed body having the general shape of an acute truncated cone with a rim at its base and of a membrane closing the base, said membrane being provided with a line of weakness delimiting an aperture.

Abstract: A hairspring and collet assembly for timepieces in which the collet has a base having an opening and a stud integral from the base in a direction parallel to the axis of the opening. The hairspring comprises an inner turn ending in a bend. The stud occupies a portion of the base extending between the opening and the periphery of the base. The non-deformed portion of the inner turn of the hairspring is secured to the stud and the bend extends freely away from the stud about the opening.