CA1065818A - Coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising well known coffee brewing means including a main water tank having a heater therein, means for introducing water to the tank and a discharge conduit for passing coffee brewing water from the tank wherein there is provided a separate and preferably removable, closed water bottle mounted for gravity feed of water to the tank, a discharge conduit connecting the bottle to the tank, the normal operational position of the end of which proximal to the tank being located such that water normally covers it before water in the tank reaches a level sufficient to pass through the conduit for dis-charging brewing water, a separate, valve controlled single-cup water discharge spigot connected to the tank beneath the level in the tank of the end of the conduit connecting the bottle with the tank a valve normally blocking the gravitational discharge of water from the bottle and valve actuating means which open the valve when the bottle is mounted in its normal operational position for gravity feed of water to the tank.

Description

1 ¦ BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION .

2 ¦ A wide variety of coffee brewing devices are well known

3 in thelart. One such device comprises a housing fo~r a water ' .4 tank, the tank having an inlet in the top thereof connected to a receiving tray. The tank is also provided wi~h a siphon 6 extending generally from the top thereof outwardly terminating in a spray head located above a funnel having coffee grounds 8 supported therein on a filter paper. Another well known form 9 of coffee b~ewing devic~ substitutes a water ove~flow tube for the siphon, the tube being connected to the aforesaid spray head.
11 In operation, water is added to the tank up to the level 12 of~ the discharge conduit whether it be a siphon or an overflow 13 tube and the heater energized until the water in the tank reaches 14 the desired coffee brewing temperature. The coffee brewer is now }5 in condition to be employed to brew coffee. In order to brew 16 coff~e, cold make-up water is poured into the receiving tray f~om 17 whence it passes gravitationally downwardly through an anti-18 diffusion tube to the bottom of the tank thereby forcing the 19 preheated water therein upwardly by displacement with little mixing of hot and cold water. As the level of the preheated 21 water rises in the tank, it passes into the sip~on or overflow 22 tube and from thence to a spray head over a unnel containing 23 ground coffee supported on a filter.
24 The volume of water discharged through the spray head is equal tothe volume of cold make-up water added to the tank p~o- ,.
26 yided that the water level in the tank i~tially is immediately 27 beneath the entrance to the siphon or overflow tube.
28 Such~b.ffee brewers are generally adapted only for the 29 discharge of relatively large quantities of water sufficient to make a full pot of fresh coffee. They are not adapted for the 2.
. ,.

65~ ' , ' 1 discharge of smaller, controlled quantities of hot water for use 2 as make-up for tea, soups, hot chocolate or other beverages or 3 liqui~ foods. ~ '

4 Moreover, if the heated water in the tank !remains unused for more than a few hours, evaporation lowers the water level 6 in the tank. Consequently, ~he volume of hot water discharged through the spra~ head is less than the volume of cold make-up 8 water added which adversely affects ~he quality o~ the coffee 9 brewed. Th~ level of the water in the tank is not visible from outside of the tank. Therefore, one can never be certain as to 11 whether or not a sufficient quantity of cold make-up water has 12 been added to achieve tlle desired amount of coffee. Additionally, 13 if an excessive quantity o~ cold make-up water is required to 14 compensate for evaporation, the mean temperature o the water discharged for brewing may be lower than that desired.
16 , Therefore, there is greak need in -the art for a coffee 17 brewer which provides means for dispensing relativ`ely small, 18 limited but controlled quantities of hot water without adversely 19 affecting the volume of hot water immediately available for brewing purposes and well as means for continuously replacing 21 water lost through evaporation.
22 It is among ~he objects and advantages of the present 23 invention to provide such a coEfee brewer which inc}udes a 24 separate and preEerably removable water supply reservoir adapted for dispensing lesser but controlled quantities of hot water.from "
26 a separate, valve controlled discharge conduit.
27 Still another object of the present invention is to provid~
28 a coffee br~eP with means for dispensing controlled quantities 29 of hot water less than the volume necessary for brewing a full pot of coffee in which make-up water from a separate reservoir 3.
' . .
. , '... ' ~51~

is automatically supplied in the precise quantity withdrawn without resort to mechanical valves between the said reservoir and the water heating tank from which the hot water is withdrawn.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the reservoir aforesaid with closure means to prevent unwanted or ina~vertent gravitational discharge of water until it is placed a normal operating position in association with a coffee brewer and including opening means for automatically opening the reservoir means when the reservoir is placed in its normal operating position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
, According to one aspect of the invention there is '~
provided a coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water, comprising: (a) a first water tank;
(b) water inlet means connected to the first water tank; (c) a water discharge conduit connected to the first tank, the discharge of water therethrough being responsive to the water level in the first tank; (d) a second water tank positioned for gravity feed of water therefrom to the said first tank; (e) conduit means connecting the first and second tanks, the normal operational pos- .
ition of the discharge end of the said conduit means opposite :
the second tank being located slightly,below the kop end of the said water discharge conduit such that water normally covers said discharge end before water reaches a level in the first tank sufficient for continuous flow through the top end of said water discharge conduit; (f) the said second tank being closed except for the said conduit means when in the normal operating position for discharge into the first tank; and ~g) valve-controlled water discharge conduit means connected to the fir~.t tank having an èntrance in the first tank at a level with respect to the normal operational level of the water therein beneath the level of said _~_ ' .

;s~
discharge end of the conduit means connecting the ~irs-t and second tanks.
According to another aspect o~ the invention there is provided a co~fee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water, comprising: (a) a first water tank;
(b) water inlet means connected to the first water tank; (c) a water discharge conduit connected to the first tank, the discharge ~:
of water therethrough being responsive to the water level in the first tank; (d) a second water tank positioned for gravity feed of water therefrom to the said first tank; (e~ conduit ~:
means connecting the first and second tanks, the normal operational position of the discharge end of the said conduit means opposite the second tank being located such that water normally covers said end before water reaches a level in the first tank su~ficient for continuous flow through the said water discharge conduit;
(f) the sald second tank being closed except for the said conduit means when in the normal operating position for discharge into the first tank: (g) valve-controlled water discharge conduit means connected to the first tank having an entrance in the first tank ..
at a level with respect to the normal operational level of water therein beneath the level of the said discharge end of the conduit means connecting the first and second tanks; (h) valve .~.
means normally blocking the gravitational discharge of water from the second tank; and ~i) valve openin~ means which open the said valve means when the second tank is located in the normal operational position for gravity feed of water to the first tank. .:
PREE'ERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION
':
The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the coffee brewer with ~.
means for dispensing controlled but limited quantities of hot . . .

- ~a - .

~;
~;5~
~a~er illustratecl in the clrawings in wllich: '~
~ IG. 1 is a sic]e elevational cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the coffee brewer;
, FIG. 2 is an end elevational cross-sectional view of the coffee brewer shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2 therein;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational cross-sectional view illustrating details of the closure means and opening means assoc,iated with the separate water reservoir;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a grate shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the coffee brewer comprises a co~non, well-known coffee brewing device having a housillg 11 mounted on a pedestal'~l2. A water tank 13 is mounted within the housing 11 on the pedestal 12. The water tank 13 is provlded with a top cover 14 through which a water, inlet conduit 15 extends depending downwardly toward the bottom of the tank'13, the conduit 15 functiorling as an anti-diffusion means. The water , inlet conduit 15 extends upwardly through the top 14 of the tank 13 co~municat,i~ with the bottom 16 of a water receiving tray 17 - whicll is positioned a~ove the water tank 13. The tray 17 is Iprovided wit:h a cover L9 which functions as a cover or the housing 11 165~
I , ~.'' .' l 1 ¦ 11. The cover 18 i5 provided with an opening 19, preferably an open grill, for the introduction of water into the tray 17 and 3 from ~hence downwardly through conduit 15 into the water tank 13.
4 A siphon 20 is connected to the tank 13 through its top 14. A spray head 21 functioning as a discharge end to the siphon 20 is positioned at a level beneath the inlet end 22 thereofO
7 ~he spray head 21 of^the siphon 20 depends beneath a horizontally 8 extending axm 23 on the housing 11 and above a portion of the ,~
9 pedestal 12,containing an electrically energized'heating plate 24.
The water tank 13 is also provided with electrical heating 11 means preferably a calrod heater 25. Additionally a heat sensing 12 pr~obe 26 is positioned wi'thin water tank 13 and is electrically 13 connected to either a preset or manually set control 27 which 14 energizes and de-energizes the heater 25 to maintain a desired temperature.
The above-described coffee brewing apparatus is well-known.
16 In o~eration, water introduced through opening l9~flows into t~ay 17 17 and from thence through conduit 15'into the bottom most portion 18 of water tank 13. The level of water in tank 13 rises until the 19 crest of the siphon 20 is reached whereupon a siphoning action ensues with water passing through siphon 20 and spray head 21 to 21 a column o ground coffee in a funnel suppor~ed on a filter~
22 Coffee is brewed by passing through the cof~ee grounds. ~ecause , 23 of the siphoning action, the quantity oE water disch~r~ed from 24 the tank 13 will be equal to the quantity of water introduced into the tray assumin~ of course that the water level in tank 13 26 is initially immediately beneath inlet end 22 of siphon 20. When 27 the level of water falls below the inlet end 22 of the siphon 20, 28 the siphoni~,action is broken and the flow of water ceases.
29 Because fresh water introduced into the tray 17 is dis-charged through conduit 15 near the bottom of the tank 13, the ,."

,, ~ ", . ~ . ., . . ~
. .

Il iL06:~811~ ' ' 1 ~ hot water in tank 13 will be displaced upwardly with little 2 ¦ mixing so that water discharged through siphon 20 will be 3 ¦ gener~lly at a temperature substantially equal to t~e ambient 4'1 temperature of the water in the tank 13. The tank 13 is dimensioned with respect to the usual quantity of water necessary 6 to brew a pot of coffee such that the mean temperature of water discharged therefrom is proper for brewing.
, 8 Although the siphon system has been shown and described, 9 the alternate overflow tube system is also well-known in the art and may be employed to practice the within claimed invention.
11 Such an overflow tube functions ~ubstantially the same as the 12 s~phon. `
13 In order to provide means for the discharge of controlled 14 but limited quantities of hot water without resort to the siphon 20 (or overflow tube), a separat~, closed water reservoir 28 in 16 the ~orm of a removable bottle is mounted on the covér 18 overl 17 the tray 17. A discharge conduit 29 depends from the bottom of lB the reservoir 28 downwardly through the top 14 of the water tank 19 13. A pair of telescopic conduits 30 and 31 which extend through the top 14 of the water tank 13 and the bottom 16 of the tra~ 17 21 are employed to discharge the water from the re~ervoir 28 at th~
22 bottom most portion of the tank 13. ~ small openin~ in the top 23 of ~onduit 30 at the neck 32 of the reservoir 23 provides for 24 air relief from conduits 30 and 31.
The bottom or discharge end o~ conduit 29 connected to the ,.
26 reservoir 28 is positioned at a level beneath that of the end 22 27 of the siphon 20. In the case of an overflow tube, the said 28 discharge end of conduit 29 is positioned at a level beneath the 29 top most end of the overflow tube.

: ` :

~ ;:

1 A hot water discharge conduit 33 is connected to the side 2 34 of the tank 13 extending outwardly through the housing 11 to :
3 a manulally operated spigot or valve 35. The valve ~35 is manuaily -~
.4 operated by lever 36 for the withdrawal of desired, quantities of hot water.
6 In operation, the reservoir 28 is filled with water and 7 positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the discharge ,' 8 conduit 29~extending downwardly into the tank 13. This is the .
. normal oper~tional position of the reservoir 28 and its associated 10 elements including conduit 29. When the level of the water in ..
11 tank 13 covers the bottom end of the discharge conduit 29, the 12 fLow of water from the reservoir terminates because of an air .. ~.
13 lock, the reservoir 28 being closed. Because the level of the 14 bottom end of conduit 29 is beneath the level of the inlet end 22 of the siphon 20, under normal operating coslditions no water 16 passes from reservoir 28 to tank 13 through the siphon 20 to `
17 spray head 22. The same may be said of an overflow tube system. - . .
18 However, when valve 35 is open to withdraw water from the tank 13, :.
19 the level therein drops beneath the bottom of discharge conduit 29 connected to reservoir 28 resulting in a flow of water from 21 reservoir 28 equa:l in volume to the volume of w~ter withdrawn 22 through conduit 33. When valve 35 is closed, water will cease 23 passing ~rom reservoir 28 into taslk 13 whell the level oE the 24 water in tank 13 rises sufficiently to cover the bottom end of .
discharge conduit 29., ' 26 Preferably the coslduit 33 is positioned at a level generall ~ :
27 proximal to the top of the tank 13 so as to insure the withdrawal 28 of hot wate~ .Cold water from the reservoir 28 first passes 29 downwardly into the bottom most portion of water tank 13 through conduit 31 displacing hot water upwardly thus insuring that the ~ :L065BtN
i 1 ¦cold water will not tend to pass outwardly through conduit 33.
2 ¦ The bottom of conduit 31 should be sufficiently far beneath the 3 ¦ level~of conduit 33 to insure that the mean tempera~ture of water 4 ¦ withdrawn through conduit 33 is near the ambient temperature of .-S the water in tank 13. .
6 Referring now ln particular to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the 7 discharge conduit 29 may be removably connected and disconnected 8 to the neck or water discharge end 32 of the water reservoir 28 . g and the disçharge conduit 29 may be further provlded with closure means indicated by general numerical designation 44 normally 11 blocking the gravitational discharge of water from the water ~:
12 r~servoir 28 through the discharge end 32 thereof before and until 13 the water reservoir 28 is placed in its normal operational .14 position above the water tank 13.
As will be understood by those skilled in the coffee 16 brewsr arts, the water reservoir 28 is typically filled from a~
17 water bottle or tap water while the water reservoir 28 is removed lB from the coffee brewer and is inverted into a position opposite 19 that shown in the drawings. For filling, the discharge conduit 29 is threadably disengaged from the water reservoir 28 and the water 21 reservoir is filled with water. Then, the discharge conduit 29 .
22 is threadably reconnected to the water reservoir 28 and the closur 3 23 meal~s 40 prevents unwanted discharge oE water Erom the water 24 reservoir 28 as it is being inverted into the position shown in the drawings and placed into its normal operational position`over .", 26 water tank 13.
27 More particularly, the closure means 40 may be comprised 28 of a solid s~heroid or ball 42 of magnetic material which, upon :.
29 the water reservoir 28 being inverted, under the influence of .
30 ~gravit engages an inwardly extending annular rib 44 provided . ' 9. . .`' , . , .
: : :
.. . . . .. . . . .

c ~ 8~ ' , ' 1 ¦ internally of the discharge conduit 29. The discharge conduit 2 ¦ 29 is provided with a chamber 45 for receiving the spheroid 42 3 and the chamber is formed by a generally cylindrica~l side wall 4 which translates into a converging curved portion at the bottom thereof which terminates in the annular rib 44 and provides a 6 water outlet 47 smaller in diameter than the spheroid 42. Upon 7 the spheroid of magnetic material 42 engaging the inwardly ~; 8 extending annular rib 44, the outlet 47 is blocked and thus the 9 water disch~rge end 32 ~f the water reservoir 28'1s blocked and dischaxge of water from the water reservoir is prevented.
11 The top of the chamber 45 is provided with a generally 12 ci~rcular grate 48 best illustrated in FIG. 4, for retaining the 13 spheroid 42 in the chamber 45 upon the water reservoir 28 and 14 the discharge conduit 29 being inverted. The grate 48 is provided with openings 49 for allowing water from the reservoir 28 to flow 16 intolthe water tank 13 upon the spheroid being moved out of ' 17 engagement with the annular rib 44 in accordance with ~he present 18 invention and as taught below. The openings 49 are sufficiently 19 small to prevent the spheroid 42 from passing therethrough. The grate 48 may be suitably secured in position to the discharge 21 conduit 29 such as by a suitable adhesive or by~mechanical press 22 fit. The dischaxge conduit 29 and the grate 48 may be made of 23 any suitable plastic and preferably of nonmagnetic material. The 24 dlscharge conduit 29 may also be made integrally or in two pieces as illustrated which a,re suitably secured together such as by a ,~.
~6 suitably plastic adhesive or bonding material. Since, of course, 27 water must be discharged from the water reservoir 28 in accordance 28 with the fo~legoing teachings of the present invention, the coffee 29 brewer is provided with opening means identified by general numeral designation 50 best shown in FIG. 3 for opening the . . . .

c ~ 5~

1 ¦closure means 40 as the water reservoir 28 is placed in its 2 ¦normal operational position above the water tank 13 thereby 3 ¦ permi~ting discharge of water from the water reserv~ir 28 into' 4 ¦the water tank 13.

5 ¦ More specifically, the opening means 50 may be comprised

6 ¦ o~ magnetic means for magnetically attracting the spheroid of

7 ¦ magnetic materia~ 42 out of its blocking position, i.e. for

8 ¦ attracting~the spheroid 42 upwardly to the side as shown in FIG.

9 1 3 in solid ~ines and thus away from or out of blocking engagement with the inwardly extending annular rib 44 as shown in FIG. 3 in 11 broken lines. As the closure means 40 moves downwardly past the 12 s~ationary opening means 50 as the reservoir 28 is being placed `
13 in its normal operational position above water tank 13, the 14 spheroid 42 moves out of blocking position and thereby permits the flow of water from reservoir 28 to tank 13.
16 , The magnetic opening means 50 may be comprised of an I
17 annular array of magnets 54 and 56 as illustrated in FIG. 3 wnich 18 magnets may be suitably imbedded or secured mechanically in an 19 annular supporting ring 57. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnetic opening means 50 may be suitably positioned on a 21 fitting lying over the cover 18 of the coffee br~ewer. In such 22 position, the opening means surround the opening through which 23 the discharge conduit 29 extends to connect the water reservoir 24 28 with the tank 13 as taught above.
In summary, it,will be understood that the closure me~ns 26 40 and opening means 50 of the present invention prevent unwanted 27 discharge of water from the water reservoir 28 and provide for 28 the automat~! opening of the closure means 40 as the water 29 reservoir 28 is being inverted and beinq placed into its normal operational æosition above water tank 13. Thus, unintended '. ' 11. ' ,' , ?~ ~.' . , , . : . . .

~ ::`
l l 1 ¦ discharge of water from the water reservoir 28 is prevented and 2 ¦ the coffee brewer according to the present invention is permitted 3 ¦ to actl in'accordance with the present invention as ~taught above.
4 ¦ Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an alternate S ¦ embodiment of the present invention which is particularly useful 6 in the practice of the invention in the modification of an 7 existing coffee brewer.
8 As is known to those skilled in the coffee brewer arts, 9 installed coffee brewers typically have'much equipment mounted at the top thereof and also typically have considerable auxiliary 11 andperipheral equipment mounted on the top of the tank 13.
12 A~cordingly, positioning 'the water reservoir 28 above the tank 13 13 can be undesirably difficult including the cutting of various 14 intermediate structures. Hence the alternate embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5 can be preferable.
16 , In the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the water `
17 reservoir 28 is supported laterally of the water tank 13 with the lB discharge end 32 of discharge conduit 29 depending from the 19 reservoir 28 being located laterally at a level beneath the level of the inlet end 22 of siphon 20 in water tank 13, and in the 21 case of an overflow system, beneath the level o~ the top most 22 opening in the overflow tube.
23 ' A conduit 60 in lieu of the -telescopic conduits 30 and 31 24 of FIG. 2 extends laterally of the water tank 13 adjacent to the top thereof and interconnects the water reservoir 28 with the 26 water tank 13 for the gravity discharge of water from the reser-27 voir 28 into the tank 13 through an interconnecting vertical 28 conduit 61 ~ch receives discharge conduit 29. A baffle 64 is 29 positioned in the tank 13 by being suitably secured as shown to the wall of the tahk 13 and the baffle 64 extends downwardly ' 12.
. ' . , .

~ I ~ 5~

1 a predetermined distance as illustrated so as to deflect water 2 received in the water tank 13 from the reservoir 28 downwardly 3 and deeply into the tank 13, the baffle 64 function~ing therefore .4 as an anti-diffusion means.
. It will be further understood that the vertical conduit 61 .
6 passes through and is supported by a mounting block 62 attached :
7 to the housing 11. The block 62 suitably supports the closure 8 means 50 shown in detail in FIG. 3 and in turn, reservoir 28.
9 It will be ~urther unde~stood that the ~ischarge`conduit 29 of the water reservoir 28 is.provided with the closure means 40 11 shown in detail in FIG. 3. .
12 ,~ In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an air 13 relief passage 37 is provided at the top of conduit 30. In the .14 embodiment i.llustrated in FIG. 5, air relief is provided ~15 intermediate the top of block 62 and the closure means 50 by 16 virtue of less than an air-tight interengagement. Moreover, 17 air relief is provided through the passage 63 in the closure ;~
18 means 50 through which conduit 29 depends.
19 It will be further understood by those skilled in the art .~`
20 that many variations and modifications may be made in the present ::
21 invention without departiny from the spirit the~eo~, : , 22 . . .
~3 ~ .
~4 ..
25. . , .~. :

27 . :.
28 ~

.' . . ,'' ~ 13.
. :,',

Claims (18)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water, comprising:
(a) a first water tank;
(b) water inlet means connected to the first water tank;

(c) a water discharge conduit connected to the first tank, the discharge of water therethrough being responsive to the water level in the first tank;
(d) a second water tank positioned for gravity feed of water therefrom to the said first tank;
(e) conduit means connecting the first and second tanks, the normal operational position of the discharge end of the said conduit means opposite the second tank being located slightly below the top end of the said water discharge conduit such that water normally covers said discharge end before water reaches a level in the first tank sufficient for continuous flow through the top end of said water discharge conduit;

(f) the said second tank being closed except for the said conduit means when in the normal operating position for discharge into the first tank; and (g) valve-controlled water discharge conduit means con-nected to the first tank having an entrance in the first tank at a level with respect to the normal operational level of the water therein beneath the level of said discharge end of the conduit means connecting the first and second tanks.

2. A coffee brewer according to claim 1 comprising:
(a) valve means normally blocking the gravitational discharge of water from the second tank; and (b) valve opening means which open the said valve means when the second tank is located in the normal operational position for gravity feed of water to the first tank.

3. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising:
(a) the structure in accordance with Claim 2 in which (b) the said valve means operatively connected to the discharge conduit is manually operable.

4. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising:
(a) the structure in accordance with Claim 2 in which (b) the level of the end of the said second supply conduit is beneath the level of the end of the discharge conduit connected to the said first water tank.

5. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising:
(a) the structure in accordance with Claim 1 in which (b) the level of the end of the supply conduit is beneath the level of the end of the discharge conduit connected to the said first tank.

6. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising:
(a) the structure in accordance with Claim 5 in which, (b) the level of the end of the supply conduit is suf-ficiently beneath the level of the end of discharge conduit con-nected to the said first tank such that the temperature of water withdrawn in desired quantities through the discharge conduit will not be significantly depressed beneath the ambient temperature of water in the first said tank.

7. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water comprising:
(a) the structure in accordance with Claim 4 in which (b) the level of the end of the said second supply conduit is sufficiently beneath the level of the end of the discharge conduit connected to the said first tank such that the temperature of water withdrawn in desired quantities through the discharge conduit will not be significantly depressed beneath the ambient temperature of water in the first said tank.

8. A coffee brewer with means for dispensing controlled quantities of hot water, comprising:
(a) a first water tank;
(b) water inlet means connected to the first water tank;
(c) a water discharge conduit connected to the first tank, the discharge of water therethrough being responsive to the water level in the first tank;
(d) a second water tank positioned for gravity feed of water therefrom to the said first tank;
(e) conduit means connecting the first and second tanks, the normal operational position of the discharge end of the said conduit means opposite the second tank being located such that water normally covers said end before water reaches a level in the first tank sufficient for continuous flow through the said water discharge conduit;
(f) the said second tank being closed except for the said conduit means when in the normal operating position for discharge into the first tank;
(g) valve-controlled water discharge conduit means connected to the first tank having an entrance in the first tank at a level with respect to the normal operational level of water therein beneath the level of the said discharge end of the conduit means connecting the first and second tanks;
(h) valve means normally blocking the gravitational discharge of water from the second tank; and (i) valve opening means which open the said valve means when the second tank is located in the normal operational position for gravity feed of water to the first tank.

9. A coffee brewer according to Claim 8 wherein the said valve means and valve opening means comprise, (a) a magnetically influencable member normally closing said conduit means against the gravitational discharge of water from the second tank, and (b) magnetically influencing means which influence said member to move sufficiently to open said conduit means for the gravitational discharge of water when the second tank is in the normal operational position for discharge into the first tank.

10. A coffee brewer according to Claim 8 wherein (a) the closure means is a ball valve in which the ball is magnetically influencable, and (b) the opening means is a magnetically influencing body which moves the ball sufficiently to open the conduit means when the second tank is in the normal operational position for discharge of water into the first tank.

11. A coffee brewer according to Claim 10 wherein (a) the ball is fabricated of a ferro-magnetic material, and (b) the magnetically influencing means is a magnet.

12. A coffee brewer according to Claim 8 and (a) means to support the second water tank for gravity discharge of water to the first said water tank, (b) the opening means being carried by the support means.

13. A coffee brewer according to Claim 12 and (a) the support means having an opening to receive the said conduit means and the closure means when in said second tank is in the normal operational position for discharge of water into he first tank.

14. A coffee brewer according to Claim 8 and (a) a generally laterally extending conduit communicating with the said first tank;
(b) a generally vertically extending conduit communicating with the laterally extending conduit, (c) the said conduit means depending downwardly through the vertically extending conduit, (d) the said second tank being located above the vertically extending conduit.

15. A coffee brewer according to Claim 14 and (a) a housing for the first tank, the housing having a top, (b) the closure means being positioned at the top of the vertically extending conduit, (c) the second tank being positioned on top of the closure means, at least a portion of said second tank extending above the top of the housing.

16. A coffee brewer according to Claim 15 and (a) air escape means communicating with the generally vertically extending conduit above the highest level of water in the discharge conduit during discharge of water therethrough.

17. A coffee brewer according to Claim 15 in which (a) the normal operational position of the second tank is wholly above the top of the housing.

18. A coffee brewer according to claim 2 wherein the said valve means and valve opening means comprises:
(a) a magnetically influencable member normally closing said conduit means against the gravitational discharge of water from the second tank; and (b) magnetically influencing means which influence said member to move sufficiently to open said conduit means for the gravitational discharge of water when the second tank is in the normal operational position for discharge into the first tank.