Abstract: A coffee maker or another beverage brewing apparatus wherein a holder for flavoring agent or a filter in the holder has one or more valve-controlled outlets for gravitational descent of freshly brewed beverage into an open-top vessel beneath the holder. The top of the vessel has a rim and a spout which extends to a level below the rim. In order to automatically open the valve which controls the outlet or outlets, the holder or the housing of the apparatus carries a movable actuator which is engaged by the rim, irrespective of the orientation of the spout, and opens the valve as soon as the open top of the vessel is properly positioned beneath the outlet or outlets. The actuator has a rim-engaging follower the effective length of which in the circumferential direction of the open top of the vessel at least equals but normally exceeds the width of the spout. This ensures that the follower is engaged by the rim in any selected orientation of the vessel.

Abstract: A machine for brewing coffee, tea or other hot beverages has a hollow base with a top wall beneath the bottom wall of a container for fresh liquid. The top wall has a recess for two annular sealing elements, and the top wall portion beneath the recess has two downwardly extending sleeves. The base confines an electric heater having a liquid admitting inlet connected with one of the sleeves by a first conduit and a liquid discharging outlet connected with a riser in the container by way of a second conduit. The upper end portion of the first conduit extends through the respective sleeve and into the lower part of the corresponding sealing element, and such upper end portion constitutes a cage for the spherical valving element of a check valve which permits fresh liquid to flow from a first nipple of the container toward the inlet of the heater but prevents heated liquid from flowing back into the container.

Abstract: A coffee or tea making machine wherein the receptacle for fresh water has an open top which is reinforced by a frame supporting two pivotable covers having flat walls defining a narrow straight clearance and being pivotally connected to each other for movement between substantially horizontal positions in which they overlie the respective portion of the receptacle and second or open positions in which the pivoted cover overlies the other cover. The hinge between the covers has a one-piece plastic carrier with two pairs of studs or with two pairs of sockets which extend into or receive complementary sockets or studs at the inner sides of the covers. The carrier has a median portion which extends across the clearance between the walls of the covers and two spaced-apart cheeks each of which carries two coaxial studs or two aligned sockets.

Abstract: A coffee brewing apparatus wherein the housing supports a thin-walled container for fresh water. The container has an open top and a marginal portion which surrounds the open top and carries a reinforcing frame which supports a closure having one or more pivotable lids serving to expose or close the open top of the container. A downwardly extending portion of the frame can be inserted into or can surround the marginal portion of the container, a horizontal flange-like second portion of the frame serves as a rest for the lid or lids of the closure, and a third portion of the frame integrally connects the first and second portions and surrounds the closure. The third portion of the frame has bearings for one or more pintles connecting the lid or lids of the closure to the frame. The combined thickness of marginal portion of the container and first portion of the frame equals or approximates the thickness of third portion of the frame and/or the thickness of major portion of the container.