Automatic espresso and cappuccino machine

Apparatus for dispensing coffee, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station including a discharge outlet for emitting heated water, under pressure;
• a number of filter units each including an inlet, an outlet, and a filtering member located between said inlet and said outlet, said filtering member of each of said filter units being formed with a number of apertures having a selected size, at least one of the number of apertures and the size of the apertures of each filtering member being different from that of the other filtering members;
• said filter units each being movable into position at said coffee dispensing station to receive ground coffee through said inlet thereof, said filter units containing ground coffee being selectively movable to said coffee dispensing station to receive heated water and then dispense brewed coffee from said outlet thereof into a container.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station including a discharge outlet for emitting heated water, under pressure;
• a number of filter units, each of said filter units including a filter holder having an inlet, an outlet and a filtering member located between said inlet and outlet, each of said filter units being mounted by a ring connected at one end of a filter mounting arm;
• means for selectively moving each of said filter units to said coffee filling station to receive a quantity of ground coffee, and for moving a filter unit containing ground coffee to said coffee dispensing station to receive heated water and then dispense brewed coffee into a container.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station including a discharge outlet for emitting heated water, under pressure;
• a number of filter units;
• filter indexing means for selectively moving each of said filter units to said coffee filling station to receive a quantity of ground coffee, and for thereafter selectively moving each filter unit containing ground coffee to said coffee dispensing station to receive heated water and then dispense brewed coffee;
• a filter cleaning station including cleaning means for removing ground coffee from each of said filter units, said cleaning means including;
• (i) a cleaning blade insertable within each filter unit;
• (ii) means for moving said cleaning blade between a retracted position and an extended cleaning position within a filter unit;
• (iii) means for rotating said cleaning blade in said extended, cleaning position to remove ground coffee from said filter unit;
• said filter indexing means being operative to move each of said filter units from said coffee dispensing station to said filter cleaning station for cleaning.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station;
• a number of filter units movable to said coffee filling station to receive a quantity of ground coffee, and then to said coffee dispensing station;
• nozzle means, located at said coffee dispensing station, for dispensing heated water, under pressure;
• filter handling means, located at said coffee dispensing station, for moving a filter unit into sealing engagement with said nozzle means so that the ground coffee within said filter unit is compacted and then heated water from said nozzle means is dispensed into said filter unit to form brewed coffee.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee and foamed milk to form cappuccino, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station including a discharge outlet for emitting heated water, under pressure;
• a number of filter units each selectively movable to said coffee filling station to receive ground coffee, and then to said coffee dispensing station to receive heated water and produce brewed coffee;
• an emulsifier operative to produce foamed milk, said emulsifier being located relative to said coffee dispensing station so that the brewed coffee emitted from each filter unit and the foamed milk produced by said emulsifier can be directed into the same container.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee and foamed milk to form cappuccino, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station;
• a number of filter units movable to said coffee filling station to receive a quantity of ground coffee, and then to said coffee dispensing station;
• nozzle means, located at said coffee dispensing station, for dispensing heated water, under pressure;
• filter handling means, located at said coffee dispensing station, for moving a filter unit into sealing engagement with said nozzle means so that the ground coffee within said filter unit is compacted and then heated water from said nozzle means is dispensed into said filter unit to form brewed coffee;
• an emulsifier operative to produce foamed milk, said emulsifier being located relative to said coffee dispensing station so that brewed coffee emitted from each filter unit and foamed milk produced by said emulsifier can be directed into the same container.

Apparatus for dispensing coffee and foamed milk to form cappuccino, comprising:

• a coffee filling station for discharging a selected quantity of ground coffee;
• a coffee dispensing station including a discharge outlet for emitting heated water, under pressure;
• a number of filter units;
• filter indexing means for selectively moving each of said filter units to said coffee filling station to receive a quantity of ground coffee, and for thereafter selectively moving each filter unit containing ground coffee to said coffee dispensing station to receive heated water and then dispense brewed coffee;
• an emulsifier operative to produce foamed milk, said emulsifier being located relative to said coffee dispensing station so that the brewed coffee dispensed from each filter unit and the foamed milk produced by said emulsifier can be directed into the same container;
• a filter cleaning station including cleaning means for removing ground coffee from each of said filter units, said filter indexing means being operative to move each of said filter units from said coffee dispensing station to said filter cleaning station for cleaning.