Apparatus for forming a coffee filter

An apparatus for forming a discrete coffee filter from a roll of filter paper, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a suspended floor which defines an aperture;
• means for indexing the roll of filter paper across the aperture, the indexing means including at least one finger which is operable to urge the filter paper against, and advance the filter paper across, the suspended floor;
• and
• a drive shaft attached to the housing and disposed in force transmitting relation relative to the indexing means;
• a plunger borne by the housing and having an outside dimension which is matingly received by the aperture in the floor, the plunger disposed in force receiving relation relative to the drive shaft and movable through the aperture in the floor, and wherein the filter paper is comformably sized about the outside dimension of the plunger when the filter paper is indexed to a position across the aperture and the plunger is moved through the aperture in the floor;
• and
• a clamp associated with the plunger and operable to hold the filter paper in place as the plunger is moved through the aperture in the floor.

An apparatus for forming a discrete coffee filter from a roll of filter paper, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a suspended floor which defines an aperture;
• means for indexing the roll of filter paper across the aperture, the indexing means including at least one finger which urges the filter paper against and advances the filter paper across, the suspended floor;
• a drive shaft attached to the housing and disposed in force transmitting relation relative to the indexing means;
• an idler shaft attached to the housing and disposed in force receiving relation relative to the drive shaft;
• a plunger attached to the housing and disposed in force receiving relation relative to the drive shaft, the plunger having an outside dimension which is matingly received in the aperture defined by the floor and further having a hollow interior chamber, the plunger being movable through the aperture in the floor, and wherein the filter paper is comformably sized about the outside dimension of the plunger when the filter paper is indexed to a position across the aperture and the plunger is moved through the aperture in the floor;
• and
• a chute attached to the housing and which extends into the hollow interior chamber such that a source of coffee grounds may be conveyed down the chute through the hollow interior chamber of the plunger, and into the coffee filter which is conformably shaped about the outside dimension of the plunger.