Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
  • B67D1/08—Details
  • B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
  • B67D1/14—Reducing valves or control taps
  • B67D1/1405—Control taps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
  • B67D1/02—Beer engines or like manually-operable pumping apparatus

Definitions

• This invention relates to a beer engine, and in particular to a beer engine that simulates a traditional beer engine/hand-pull. It should be noted at this point that although this specification refers to beer engines and like expressions, this is for simplicity of terminology only and the invention is not to be regarded as being limited to the dispensing of beer, but may also be applied to the dispensing of like beverages such as cider.
• the hydraulic line includes a one-way flow restrictor which has the effect of generating the necessary hydraulic pressure on the diaphragm only when the handle is being pulled in one direction.
• this hydraulic pressure is released from the diaphragm to turn the valve off and thus stop further flow of beer.
• the handle has to be pulled continuously in one direction to keep the valve turned on and thus maintain a flow of beer.
• the handle since the handle is pulled against hydraulic pressure, the "feel" of a traditional beer engine/hand-pull is maintained.
• this prior arrangement simulates a traditional beer engine. It is, however, not satisfactorily reliable in its operation, is mechanically complex and costly.
• the present invention provides a beverage dispense system comprising an outlet tap, a valve for disposition in use between a pressurised beverage source and said outlet tap, and an operating handle pivotable about an axis, the arrangement being such that pivotal movement of said handle about said axis in one direction causes translational movement of said axis against a bias means, and wherein said translational movement of said axis causes said valve to be opened to permit a flow of beverage, said biasing means causing reverse translational movement of the axis to close the valve when pivotal movement of the handle is ceased or reversed.
• pivotal movement of the handle must occur for the valve to be opened.
• the handle must be pulled. If movement of the handle is stopped either at the end of or part way through its stroke then the flow of beverage will stop and will not recommence until the handle is pulled again.
• the arrangement is such that pivotal movement in one direction only will cause the valve to open, this direction being chosen to correspond to the direction of the handle as it is pulled towards a user's body.
• the translational bias means not only ensures that the handle must be kept moving in order to maintain a flow of beverage, but also ensures that a certain degree of effort is required to maintain the valve open during pulling.
• the strength of biasing means is chosen so that the pivot axis is moved to open the valve in response to pivoting movement of the handle, but when this ceases, the axis is urged back to its original position, a user's normal grip on the handle not having sufficient leverage to prevent this.
• the impression of a traditional beer engine may be augmented preferably by associating with the handle a damping means, preferably gas-filled, hydraulic or pneumatic, which further ensures that a degree of effort is required to pull the handle.
• the damping means is arranged to provide a greater resistance to pivotal movement towards the users body than in the reverse direction, to mimic the "feel" of a beer engine.
• the handle is connected to a pivot shaft such that pivotal movement of the handle in one direction urges the pivot shaft to co-operate with a part of the valve so as to open the valve.
• the pivot shaft Preferably opposed ends of the pivot shaft are mounted in elongate bearings, the bearings including spring means for biasing the pivot shaft into a position in which the valve remains closed.
• the handle is pivotally connected to the pivot axis via a quadrant member and upon rotation of the handle about the axis the quadrant member is caused to act upon an end of a valve rod or other such part so as to open the valve.
• the pivot axis has opposed ends mounted in bearings which are provided with springs for urging the quadrant member out of engagement with the valve rod.
• the quadrant member acts upon the valve rod through a follower member, and more preferably the quadrant member comprises a recessed portion such that upon completion of a stroke of the handle to dispense beer, the end of the follower member is caused to engage the recessed portion so as to cause the valve to close.
• the bias means preferably includes spring means for acting on the pivot axis to urge it in a direction opposite to that required to operate the valve
• the bias means may additionally or alternatively include means within the valve itself to urge the valve into a spring closed condition.
• the translational movement of the pivot axis need not be linear, but may be non-linear, e.g. arcuate.
• the linkage comprises an arm pivotally connected at one end to the bottom of a damper cylinder, and at its other end to the pivot axis.
• the bias means is preferably provided by spring means associated with the valve, but may additionally or alternatively comprise a spring means acting on the linkage.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective partly exploded view of a first embodiment.
• Fig. 2 is a side view of a part of the embodiment of Fig. 1
• Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the effect of pulling the handle
• Fig. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment
• Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the effect of pulling the handle
• Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 of a modification of the second embodiment.
• a beer dispense unit having an outlet l and a line 2 that is connected to a source (not shown) of beer. Also not shown is an electric pump for the supply of beer from the source to the line 2. Between the outlet 1 and the line 2 is disposed a valve 3 that may be opened to permit flow of beer from line 2 to outlet 1. The valve 3 is opened by pressing a valve rod 4 that extends out of the valve 3. . The valve rod 4 is biased by spring means 5 into a normally closed condition.
• the dispense unit is operated by pulling handle 6 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1. This direction normally corresponds to pulling the handle towards the user who has previously located a glass beneath the outlet 1.
• the dispense unit is fitted to a bar, for example by means of the cut-away portion 7.
• the handle 6 is fixedly mounted to shaft 8 such that when the handle is pulled the handle pivots with this shaft about a pivot axis.
• Opposed ends of the pivot shaft 8 are slidably mounted in vertically elongate bearings 9 made of, for example, nylon.
• the bearings 9 include biasing springs 10 that act to urge the pivot shaft 8 into its uppermost position.
• Gas damper unit 12 includes a gas cylinder having a piston from which extends a piston rod 13 connected to linkage 11. A lower end of the gas damper unit is fixedly connected to the body of the dispense unit.
• valve 3 by means of biasing spring 5, then returns to its normal closed condition and flow of beer from the source via line 2 to outlet 1 is stopped. The flow of beer will not recommence until the handle is pulled forward again.
• the beer dispense system simulates a traditional beer engine/hand-pull.
• the provision of the gas damper unit 12 ensures that a degree of physical effort is required to pull the handle 6 forwardly since downward movement of the pivot shaft to open the valve requires compression of the gas cylinder 12. The amount of effort that is required by a user can be selected by appropriately adjusting the degree of gas damping.
• Figs. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment.
• the handle 6' is connected to a pivot shaf 8' through a quadrant member 14' .
• the pivot shaft 8' is mounted at its opposed ends in horizontally elongate bearings 9' including springs 10' that bias the pivot shaft 8" into the left-hand position shown in Fig. 4.
• valve 3' is disposed in the supply line 2* .
• the valve 3' may be opened by moving follower member clockwise drawing valve rod 4' to the left, as viewed in the figures.
• the valve 3' is, however, biased into a normally closed position by spring 5• .
• the quadrant member is provided with a recess 16 on the inside of the curve of the quadrant member at the junction between the curved and straight portions of the quadrant member.
• a cam member 17 provided on the follower member engages the inner surface of the quadrant member and moves relatively along this inner surface.
• the cam engages the recess and in this position the valve is allowed to close by the effect of spring 5' .
• the handle In order to recommence a flow of beer, the handle must be returned to its upright position, shown in Fig. 4, to release the cam from the recess and start the operation again.
• Fig. 5 shows a position of the handle shortly before the cam engages the recess.
• the second embodiment can also include a hydraulic, pneumatic or gas-filled damping element 12* in the order to generate additional "feel" to further simulate the appearance of a traditional beer engine/hand- pull.
• Fig. 6 shows a modification of this second embodiment, the valve mechanism being omitted from the Figure for clarity.
• the main difference between this modification and the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 is that the translational movement of the quadrant pivot axis is not guided in bearings, but rather is guided by means of a linkage disposed between the quadrant pivot axis and a fixed point, in this case the bottom end of the damper cylinder.
• an arm 18 is provided pivotally mounted at one end to the fixed bottom end of the damper cylinder 12 and at its other end to the quadrant pivot axis 8".

Landscapes

• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
• Seal Device For Vehicle (AREA)
• Fire-Extinguishing Compositions (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)
• Sanitary Device For Flush Toilet (AREA)
• Massaging Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=10687019

Family Applications (1)

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• 1990
  • 1990-12-14 GB GB909027176A patent/GB9027176D0/en active Pending
• 1991
  • 1991-12-13 IE IE434191A patent/IE914341A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1991-12-16 AT AT92900712T patent/ATE140683T1/de active
  • 1991-12-16 DE DE69121111T patent/DE69121111D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-16 EP EP92900712A patent/EP0560862B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-16 CA CA002098401A patent/CA2098401A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-12-16 NZ NZ240996A patent/NZ240996A/en unknown
  • 1991-12-16 AU AU90557/91A patent/AU649507B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1991-12-16 WO PCT/GB1991/002238 patent/WO1992010424A1/en active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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