DE1951421A1 - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

Applicant: Terence Patrick Priestley, 25, Hall Drive, Gotham , Nottingham, England

Dispensing device

The invention relates to a dispensing device for beer or Like drinks, which have a tap, to the stored in beer kegs with the help of a connected pressure vessel Beer can be pushed up.

In restaurants, beer is usually served in kegs or similar containers stored in the basement and fed with the help of gas pressure to the tap on the counter through a connecting line. The beer can flow out of the tap, as long as the stopcock plug is set to flow. With such dispensing devices there is the problem that after emptying a beer keg, the supply of beer to the counter is interrupted, so that an operator has to go to the cellar to get a full beer keg to connect. During the tapping, it is generally not possible for the operator to see how far the connected device is The beer barrel is still full, which is why the time at which it is emptied usually occurs unexpectedly. This fact is special disadvantageous at high serving, because this results in undesirable waiting times for the serving staff and the guests, whereby A number of complications and organizational problems can arise.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide interruptions caused by the replacement of an emptied beer keg with a full one to avoid the tapping operation to a large extent.

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A dispensing device of the type mentioned is according to the invention characterized in that a valve arrangement is provided to which all beer kegs are connected and which is designed so that the beer kegs can be emptied one after the other are, and that means are provided to switch from one beer keg to the next automatically as a result of emptying of the previous beer barrel. With such an arrangement there is no interruption of the beer Supply after emptying a beer keg, so that the operator only occasionally and avoiding undesirable Work interruptions to further full beer kegs. ^ must close.

The dispensing device expediently has an electrical one Probe with which the emptying of a beer keg can be determined, for example by increasing the resistance, whereby a trigger circuit is actuated, which enables the next beer keg to be connected.

A relay can be actuated by the trigger circuit, to energize a solenoid which switches the valve assembly from one beer keg to the next by a camshaft is rotated to actuate the valves of the valve assembly.

Using an embodiment A shown in the drawing for example, the invention is to be explained in more detail. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the dispensing device according to the invention in which the valve assembly is shown in cross section; and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the amplifier and trigger circuit for the tapping device in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, a conventional tap is attached to a beer line 17 connected, from the outlet nozzle 13 beer can escape as long as the tap is opened by a handle 15.

If desired, the delivery of the beer in the beer line 12 can be increased by gas pressure with a pump 19.

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The beer is fed to the beer line 17 via an outlet 21 on the valve block, which outlet is at one end Channel 25 is provided in the valve block 23. With the canal 25 are six exhaust valves 27a to 27f in connection, from only two exhaust valves 27a and 27b are shown. The outlet valves 27 are ball valves which are normally closed by the weight of the ball, with the contact pressure can be increased by spring force.

The underside of the valve 27a is connected to a beer line 29a, which is connected to a check valve via a coupling 31a is connected to a line 33a which extends to the bottom of the first beer keg 1. A corresponding Line 29b establishes a connection from valve 27b to the bottom of a beer keg 2. The other four not shown Beer kegs are connected to the relevant valves via appropriate lines. The four not shown Beer kegs are referred to below as beer kegs 3 to 6.

The valve block 23 has a further channel 3 5, the with an inlet 37 in communication. A line 81 connects the inlet 37 to a pressure vessel for carbon dioxide a check valve and a reducing valve 83a. When the dispenser is in operation, pressurized gas is fed to the inlet 37 and thus to the six inlet valves 39a to 39f, which are connected to the Karfal 3 5 are connected. Each of the valves 39 is a ball valve that is normally controlled by the weight of the through a ball pressed against a spring force is closed.

The underside of the valve 3 9a is connected to a line 41a in connection via a coupling 43a with a check valve is connected to the top of the beer keg 1. A corresponding line 41b provides a connection between the valve 39d and the top of the beer keg 2. The valves 39c to 39f are in a corresponding manner with the top of the beer kegs 3 to 6 connected.

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ORIGINAL IfMSPECTSD

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The opening and closing of the six valves is made by six Cams 49a to 49f controlled. The cams 49 are on a shaft 47 arranged, which is rotatably mounted below the valve block. The cams 49 operate push rods 57a to 57f, which raise the balls of the valves 39 to open. The cams 49 are designed so that in one referred to as position I in the following Position of the shaft 47 the valve 39a is open (see Fig. 1), while the valves 39b to 39f are closed. When the shaft is rotated by 30 ° into a position hereinafter referred to as position II is, the valve 39a closes while the valve 39b 'opens, so that with each rotation of 30 the following = opening position is reached, and finally in the Position VI with a rotation of the shaft by 150 °, the valves 39a bis e are closed while valve 39f is open.

When the shaft is in position I, the valve is 39a open, so that the inlet 37 supplied pressurized gas through the Valve 39a to the top of the beer barrel 1 can pass. As a result, beer is discharged from the beer keg 1 through the valve 27a (its Ball is lifted up by the pressurized beer) in the channel 25 and to the tap 11 pushed up.

If shaft 47 is in position II, that is Valve 39b open, so that the inlet 37 supplied pressurized gas get to the top of the beer keg 2 through the valve 39b can and pushes beer up through the valve 27b into the channel 25 and to the tap 11.

If the shaft 47 is in one of the positions II to VI, beer is pushed up from one of the kegs in question 3 to 6 to the tap.

First, the beer kegs 1 to 6 are all full, while " the shaft is in position I. When the beer keg 1 is emptied, the shaft 47 automatically rotates into position II, so that beer can be tapped from the beer keg 2 at the tap can without an interruption in the tapping occurs. ,

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QRiGSNALlNSPECTSD

As soon as the beer keg 2 is emptied, the shaft 47 is automatic turned into position III, which is why no interruption of the gapf process is necessary until the beer keg is emptied.

The shaft 47 is rotated by a solenoid 53. to For this purpose, a commercially available magnetic coil can be used, the armature of which is connected to the shaft 47 via a ratchet mechanism, so that when a current pulse occurs The shaft 47 is rotated by 30 ° by the magnetic coil 53 will. In the following, the device will be explained in more detail, through which a current pulse is generated by the magnetic coil 53, as soon as a beer barrel is emptied.

Fig. 2 shows an amplifier and trigger circuit 55 arranged in a housing and one arranged in a housing Power supply unit 87 (each indicated by dashed lines). -The ; The associated probe 59 can be seen from the illustration in FIG. 1.

The power supply 87 is a conventional rectifier, which is fed by a small transformer 61 and a voltage of 20 volts DC to lines 63 and 65.

The circuit 55 has two PNP transistors TR- ,, TR_ and resistors Ri ₀ * R ₂₀ ^{un (} 3 ^R 4g * & are connected as can be seen.

four resistors Ri ₀ * R ₂₀ ^{un (3 R} * 4g & i- ^e i ⁿ OCE ^ he Figure

The probe 59 has two graphite electrodes 67,69 (Fig.1), the can be arranged isolated in the outlet 21 so that not a special probe is required for each beer keg. The electrodes are connected to the base of the transistor TR, via which Resistor R, _ or connected to the negative line 63.

As long as there is beer in the outlet 21, which short-circuits the electrodes 67, 69 because of its good conductivity, the base of the transistor TR ^ is kept at a negative bias voltage so that it is conductive and there is a voltage drop across the collector resistor R ₂₀ . The collector of the transistor TR is connected to the base of the transistor via a resistor R ₄₆ (47,000 ohms) while

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the transistors TR ₁ and TR _{3 have} a common emitter resistor R ₃₀ . The transistor TR ₃ is therefore non-conductive.

The collector of the transistor TR ₀ is connected to the negative DC voltage line through a line 71 via the coil of a relay RL. The negative DC voltage line is connected via a resistor R ₄ with 1,000 ohms to changeover contacts RLA of the relay RL and a capacitor C ₃ (3,000 ufd) in connection / which is on the other hand connected to the line 65, so that the capacitor C ₃ according to the output voltage of the power supply 87 is being charged.

As soon as a beer keg Jr connected to the tap 11 is empty, the short circuit of the electrodes 67,69 is interrupted because there is no longer any liquid beer there. By the decrease of the current from the line 63 to the base of the transistor TR, the base of the transistor TR, positive according to the size of the resistor R, and a capacitor C1, which is connected between the resistor R, and the line 65. As soon as the base of the transistor TR- is sufficiently positive, the transistor TR "becomes conductive, so that the transistor TR" is switched off and the transistor TR "is switched on. The relay RL ₃ is energized, so that a switchover takes place through the contacts RLA, whereby the capacitor C is discharged via the magnetic coil 53 and the shaft t 47 is rotated by 30 °, which results in the connection of the next beer keg.

C, and R, are selected in terms of their size so that that the relay RL is not energized in the short-term absence of liquid beer in the outlet 21, so that in the event of excessive foam formation there is no incorrect switching before the beer keg in question is actually emptied.

A switch is preferably located in the area of the tap arranged, through which the relay RL can be energized to rotate the shaft by 30 °, so that a switch to the next beer keg can take place immediately if the operating

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OnIGfNAL-HYSPECTBD.

person wishes this. In this way it can be avoided that Beer of unsatisfactory quality is served by switching to the next beer keg immediately.

When shaft 47 is in position I, and all of them Beer kegs 1 to 6 are filled, each beer keg can automatically connected to the tap as soon as the previously connected Beer barrel is emptied. If, therefore, enough beer kegs 1 to 6 are expected to be served before a large amount of beer is to be served Beer is available, it is not necessary for an operator to go into the cellar to switch over, during which time the guests are not supplied with beer could become.

On the shaft 47, a handle 73 is provided through which the Shaft 47 can be brought into a position that takes into account the filling level of the connected beer kegs, so that the maximum amount of beer can be tapped without interruption. For example, if you have six full beer kegs at first and the shaft is in position I, and then kegs 1 and 2 are completely emptied and keg 3 is half emptied are, the shaft 47 is in position III, so that the barrels 1 and 2 can be replaced by full barrels and the Shaft 47 can be reset to the position! So that the contents of 5 1/2 barrels are available without interruption. That Replacing emptied barrels can then take place during breaks in operation.

An advantage of the invention can also be seen in the fact that the beer supplier can remove the emptied kegs from the tapping device and replace them with full kegs, especially since the setting of the dispensing device is not a problem prepares, which saves further work for the staff of the restaurant.

The main advantage of the handle 73 for switching the shaft 47 is to be seen in the fact that the switching at a

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ORIGINAL INSPECTED

Power failure can be done manually. Appropriately is; a scale 75 is provided opposite the handle 73 so that the relevant setting can be read «.

Claims

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· 'ORIGINAL INSPECTS)

Claims (7)

- 9 claims * / Ί 1 / direction of tapping for tapping beer in a restaurant, /> where the tap can be connected to a row of beer kegs one after the other via a beer line in order to push beer up to the tap, characterized in that all beer kegs are connected to a valve arrangement designed in this way ( 23,27,39) are connected, that they can be connected one after the other to the tap {11), and that a switching device (59,47) is provided which automatically connects the next beer keg as soon as the previously connected beer keg is emptied « 2. dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized g e identifier Inet that the switching device has two electrodes (67,69) which are normally immersed in beer has that after emptying a connected Beer keg due to the voltage often applied to it Operate the trigger circuit (55). 3. Dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that a relay (RL) can be actuated by the trigger circuit (55) through which a solenoid (53) via a camshaft (47) the valves (39) for connecting the next Beer keg switches. 4. dispensing device according to claim 3, characterized ge label Ichnet that each cam (49) of the camshaft (47) a beer keg and a ball valve (39) is assigned that the balls of the ball valves through the cams in question are raised one after the other with a rotation of the shaft (47) in order to release compressed gas from the Feed the storage container (83) to the beer keg in question. 5. Dispensing device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the Trigger circuit (55) two transistors with one common Emitter resistor (R_) have that the 009818/06 17 F- ORJGINAL INSPECTSD Electrodes (67, 69) are connected to the base circuit of one transistor (TR,) so that when the electrodes (67, 69) are short-circuited by beer, the transistor conducts and the other transistor (TR-) does not conduct, while when the electrodes are not short-circuited Electrodes (67,69) after a connected beer keg has been emptied, one transistor (TR,) does not conduct and the other transistor (TR ₂ ) becomes conductive in order to connect the next beer keg. 6. dispensing device according to claim 5, characterized g e identifier inet that an RC element (Rjq'C,) is provided in order to switch over by the trigger circuit (55) in the event of temporary foam formation in the Prevent area of the electrodes (67,69). 7. Dispensing device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that only two Electrodes (67,69) are provided, which are arranged in the outlet (21) of the valve arrangement. 009818 / O ₆₁ V 1 reading