GB1564910A

GB1564910A - Dispensing ofspirits

Info

Publication number: GB1564910A
Application number: GB5059176A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BRITISH SYPHON IND Ltd
Current assignee: BRITISH SYPHON IND Ltd
Priority date: 1976-09-03
Filing date: 1976-12-03
Publication date: 1980-04-16

Description

(54) AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR RELATING TO THE DISPENSING OF SPIRITS (71) We, BRInsH SYPHON INDUSTRIES LIM1TED, a British Company, of Netherthorpe Road, Sheffield 3, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment The invention relates to the dispensing of spirits and has for its object to provide an improvement therein.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits, the apparatus including a piston which is movable in one direction to draw a measure of spirit into a measuring cylinder through a first non-return valve and movable in the opposite direction to dispense the measure of spirit through a delivery outlet by way of a second non-return valve, the piston being movable in said one direction by positive displacement mechanism against the action of spring means and being movable in said opposite direction by said spring means to dispense the measure of spirit, means being provided for releasing the piston from said positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston whereby a full measure of spirit is dispensed during each operation of the apparatus. Adjustment means will preferably be provided for limiting the travel of the piston in said one direction so that the quantity of spirit dispensed in one full measure can be adjusted prior to the apparatus being sealed, said adjustment means preferably being constituted by a screwthreaded sleeve element against which the piston abuts when a full measure of spirit has been drawn into the measuring cylinder.The positive displacement mechanism may be constituted by a hand lever, and drive mechanism for translating a movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in said one direction may include a linkage mechanism connected to a piston rod on one end of which the piston is fixed. Lost motion means will preferably be provided in the drive mechanism so that the piston can abut against the means which limits its travel and a further increment of movement of the positive displacement mechanism is then effective to cause the release of the piston therefrom.The means which are provided for releasing the piston from the positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston may include a clutch device engageable, to couple the positive displacement mechanism to the drive mechanism, by an initial increment of movement of said positive displacement mechanism and disengageable by the further increment of movement of said mechanism beyond that required to cause the piston to abut against the means which limits its travel.

The apparatus may be provided with a supply tube which can extend to the bottom of a spirit bottle on which the apparatus is to be mounted. Preferably, however, the apparatus will be permanently connected to a bracket on which a spirit bottle can be mounted in inverted condition for the flow of spirit into the apparatus under the force of gravity. In this case, a special fitment will preferably be associated with the apparatus for facilitating the connection of a fresh bottle of spirit to the apparatus when an existing bottle has been emptied, the special fitment including a detachable plug assembly provided with a valve, means being provided for opening the valve automatically as the plug assembly, in position in the neck of a fresh bottle, is re-connected to the apparatus.

The plug assembly will preferably also be provided with a one-way valve allowing air to enter the bottle as spirit flows to the dispensing apparatus.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification No.

50591/76, of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of dispensing apparatus embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the apparatus, Fig. 3 is an exploded view, drawn to a somewhat larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, of a clutch device which forms a part of the apparatus, Figs. 4 to 7 are diagrammatic views which will presently be referred to, Figs. 8 to 10 are views which illustrate means by which the apparatus can be locked in position on a spirit bottle, and Figs. 11 to 13 are views which will presently be referred to when describing a modified form of spirit dispensing apparatus embody ing the invention.

Referring now in particular to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the apparatus there illus trated includes a piston 10 which is movable in one direction (upwardly as the apparatus is drawn) to draw a measure of the spirit into a measuring cylinder 12 through a supply tube 14 which extends to the bottom of the bottle and through a first non-return valve 16. The piston is movable in the opposite direction (downwardly as the apparatus is drawn) to dispense the measure of spirit through a delivery outlet tube 18 by way of a second non-return valve 20. The lower end of the measuring cylinder 12 is closed by an end wall 22 in which the non-return valves are located and in which the supply and outlet passages are formed.The upper end of the cylinder is provided with a peripheral groove in which a circlip 24 is located and a screw threaded and internally lipped ring 26 acts against the circlip to hold the cylinder in engagement with a disc part 27 secured to a body member 28 by screws 29. A screw threaded sleeve element 30 is adjustably located in a screwthreaded hole in said disc part, said sleeve element constituting adjust ment means for limiting the travel of the piston in said one direction in the cylinder 12.

The sleeve element is adjustable by means of a special tool (not shown) before the apparatus is sealed and rendered tamper proof by the Weights and Measures authorities.

The piston is movable in said one direction by positive displacement means constituted by a hand lever 32, and drive mechanism which is provided for translating a pivotal movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in said one direction includes a shaft 31 and a linkage mechanism constituted by a lever 34 and a link member 36 with bifurcated ends, the lever 34 being fixed to said shaft by a pin 25. The link member is pivotally connected at one end, by means of a pivot pin 33, to a free end of said lever 34 and at its other end, by means of a pivot pin 4D, to an upper end of the piston rod 38 on the lower end of which the piston 10 is fixed.

Lost motion means for a purpose which will presently be described, are associated with the pivotal. connection of the free end of the lever 34 to the link member 36, said lost motion means including a slot 35 in the lever 34, the pivot pin 33 extending through said slot but being urged towards the extremity of the slot by a coil spring 37 contained in a cavity in the end of the lever 34. Further lost motion means, the purpose of which will also be described presently, are constituted by a slot 39 in the piston rod through which the pivot pin 40 extends to connect the link member 36 to the piston rod. The pivot pin 40 extends laterally from both sides of the - linkage mechanism for the connection of the upper ends of a pair of tension springs 42 the lower ends of which are anchored by pins 44.The tension springs 42 constitute spring means against which the piston is movable in said one direction by the positive displacement means and by which said piston is moved in the opposite direction to dispense the measure of spirit. A further spring 41 is connected at one end to an outer end of the pivot pin 40 and at its other end to a lever 43 for actuating a counter 45, the arrangement being such that the counter is actuated to record the dispensing of each measure of spirit.

Means are provided for releasing the piston from the positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse (that is to say only after the piston has been brought into abutment with the sleeve element 30) and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston so that a full measure of spirit is dispensed during each operation of the apparatus, said means including a clutch device generally indicated 46, engageable to couple the positive displacement mechanism to the drive mechanism (that is to say to couple the hand lever 32 to the shaft 31 to which the lever 34 is connected) by an initial increment of movement of said positive displacement mechanism and disengageable by a further increment of movement of said mechanism beyond that required to cause the piston to abut against the sleeve element 30. The clutch device, which is shown in exploded view in Fig. 3, includes a spaced pair of generally circular plates 48 to which a central boss portion 50 of the hand lever is connected by three screws 52. The plates 48 are spaced apart by tubular spacer members 53, reduced diameter opposite ends of which have been located in holes 55 in said plates before having been riveted over. Said spacer members have been screwthreaded for the reception of the screws 52.

Between the spaced pair of plates 48 a ratchet arc member 54 is pivotally located by a pivot pin 56. The pivot pin 56 projects out wards from the outermost of the plates 48 and serves also as the pivot pin for a driving pawl element 58 an operative driving end 59 of which is capable of being engaged with a cut-out aperture 60 in a driving plate 61 fixed to the shaft 31 so that drive can be transmitted in one direction to said shaft by the clutch device. A pawl operating finger 62 is pivotally mounted on a projecting pin element constituting a stop member 64, said finger bearing against the pawl for the purpose of engaging and disengaging it as required. A spring 66 is provided to act against the pawl operating finger and urge it towards a mid-position, that is to say a position in which it extends radially inwards of the clutch device.The interengagement of the pawl operating finger 62 and pawl element 58 is such that when the hand lever is operated to draw a measure of spirit into the measuring cylinder the finger rides around a peripheral portion 68 of the pawl until its free end can ride down a first flank 70 to rest upon the driving end 59 of said pawl element or, when the lever is being returned to the re-set position, in which it is shown in Fig. 1, the finger rides around the pawl until its free end can ride down a second flank 74 to rest upon a release lever end 76 of said pawl.

The stop member 64 extends through arcuate depressions 78 which extend around portions of the plates 48 of the clutch device so that the rotation of the latter (and the hand lever to which it is connected) is limited to that allowed by the extent of said depressions.

A part of the ratchet arc member 54 is similarly shaped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but the arrangement is such that, when a tooth portion 80 thereof engages a toothed boss element 82, a lever end 84 of said ratchet arc member stands proud of one end of the arcuate depression in the plates 48 (see Fig.

4). Similarly, when the ratchet arc member has been displaced so that its tooth portion is out of engagement with the toothed boss element, a shoulder portion 86 stands proud of the other end of the depression in the plates 48 (see Fig. 5). The toothed boss cement 82 is a stationary element carried by the body of the apparatus and fixed in position on the side of said body by a pair of pins 83 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 2).

Consequently, when the tooth portion 80 of the ratchet arc member engages the element 82, the hand lever is movable in the direction to displace the piston in the direction to draw a measure of spirit into the measuring cylinder but is prevented from being moved in the opposite direction.

Detent means are provided for resiliently acting gainst the lever end of the ratchet arc member and holding its tooth portion in engagement with the toothed boss or for holding it out of engagement therewith, said means including a roller 88 carried by a pivot pin 90 and acted on by a light spring 92. The pivot pin 90 extends through opposite disposed slots 94 in the plates 48 and, according to where the pivot pin is located along the slots, the roller can either act beneath a heel portion of the ratchet arc member to urge the tooth portion of the latter into engagement with the toothed boss or can be located in an undercut seating 96 of said ratchet arc member to hold the latter out of engagement.

The ratchet arc member can very easily be moved from one condition to the other when brought into abutment with the stop member 64 and is then held in that new condition by the detent means.

The entire mechanism above the measure cylinder, with the exception of the hand lever, is hidden from view within a casing 98 (see Figs. 8 to 10) which is sealed, so that the mechanism is rendered tamper proof, by the Weights and Measures authorities. (A seal 102 which is shown in Fig. 8 is effective to guard against the two halves of the casing being separated and also to guard against the threaded ring 26 being unscrewed). The casing is provided with a window 100 through which readings of the counter device can be taken.

Referring now to Figs. 8 to 10, these views illustrate means for locking apparatus as described above to a spirit bottle (to the bottom of which the supply tube 14 of the apparatus is shown to extend and into the neck of which an adaptor portion 104 is shown to be inserted). The bottle is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 to be resting on a support plate 106 which is carried by a tubular part 108 of a clamp generally indicated 110. A bracket 112 is shown to be associated with the tubular part of the clamp, said bracket being adapted to be screwed to a wall of a bar. The body 28 of the dispensing apparatus is rigidly connected to a rod part 114 of the clamp by means of a connecting piece 116.The rod part of the clamp can be moved axially of the tubular part when screw means generally indicated 118 have been slackened off, the connecting piece 116 sliding along a slot 120 extending along an upper end length of the tubular part. However, when said connecting piece has been raised clear of the upper end of said tubular part of the clamp, the rod part can be turned within said tubular part so that the connecting piece 116 overlies a portion of the tubular part displaced from the slot, as shown in Fig. 10. The dispensing apparatus is thus held in this raised position to facilitate the placing of a new spirit bottle in position on the support plate. When the apparatus has been connected to the new bottle and the screw means have been re-tightened, a key 122 can be used to lock said screw means against unauthorised operation.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-- When the hand lever is operated to dispense a measure of spirit, the clutch device 46 acts to transmit rotation of the shaft 31 through the pawl element 58 (the latter being engaged with the cut-out aperture in the driving plate 61 by an over-centre movement of the spring-loaded pawl operating finger 62 during an initial increment of movement of the lever from the re-set position in which it is shown in Fig. 1).During the operative movement of the lever to rotate the shaft and raise the piston, the tooth portion of the ratchet arc member rides around in engagement with the stationary toothed boss 82 so that a return movement of the lever is prevented until after a full measure of spirit has been drawn into the measuring cylinder, that is to say until the piston abuts against the sleeve element 30. (Incremental reverse movements of the piston which would otherwise be pennitted by the backlash in the ratchet mechanism are prevented by the lost motion connection between the link member 36 and the piston rod).When the piston has been raised through its full travel into abutment with the sleeve element 30, the lost motion means associated with the pivotal connection of the lever 34 and link member 36 of the linkage mechanism allows the hand lever to be moved through a further increment of movement sufficient to bring the lever end of the ratchet arc member 54 into abutment with the stop member 64 and to disengage its tooth from the stationary toothed boss (see Fig. 5). Simultaneously, during the further increment of movement of the lever, the pawl operating finger 26 rides down the second flank of the pawl element to lie against its release lever end 76.When the hand lever is then returned to the re-set position (or, if not returned to the re-set position and simply released by the user, when the lever is moved through a first increment of return movement by the action of the lost motion means in the linkage mechanism) over-centre movement of the pawl operating finger causes the release of the pawl from the driving plate 61 (see Fig. 7) so that the piston is returned to its lower position by the springs 42 and the measure of spirit is dispensed through the delivery outlet.

When the hand lever is returned to the re-set position (which it can be by virtue of the fact that the ratchet arc member 54 has been moved to its inoperative position) the pawl operating finger rides around the peripheral portion of the pawl element ready to ride down its first flank to lie against its primary end. However, before the pawl operating finger can ride down the first flank of the pawl element, the shoulder portion 86 of the ratchet arc member 54 is brought into engagement with the stop member 64.The final increment of movement of the hand lever to the reset position is consequently effective to re-engage the tooth portion of the ratchet arc member with the teeth of the stationary toothed boss 82 (see Fig. 4) and to bring the pawl operating finger into the required relationship with the pawl element so that when a further measure of spirit is to be dispensed said pawl element is once again engaged with the cut-out in the driving plate 61 by an initial increment of movement of the hand lever (see Fig. 6).

Thus there is provided apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits which is designed to combat cheating, that is to say so that every measure dispensed is a full measure and so that the contents of a bottle on which it is fixed cannot be diluted. Every measure of spirit dispensed is of course recorded by the counter 45 so that an owner of an establishment in which the apparatus is used can check from time to time on how many measures have been dispensed.

Referring now to Figs. 11 to 13, the apparatus there illustrated is generally the same as that previously described except that it is permanently connected to a bracket 124, shown fixed in position on a bar wall, the spirit bottle being mounted in inverted condition on said bracket. A further difference in this case is that the first non-return valve 16 through which a measure of the spirit can be drawn into the measuring cylinder, is located in the side of the apparatus and is connected to the spirit bottle by means of a supply tube 126. The second nonreturn valve 20, which opens to dispense the measure of spirit, is in this case located in the underside of the apparatus.

In Fig. 13 there is illustrated in exploded view a special fitment for facilitating the connection of a fresh bottle of spirit to the apparatus when an existing bottle has been emptied. The special fitment referred to includes a detachable plug assembly generally indicated 128 which is constituted by a metal adaptor member 130 provided with a tapering cork sleeve 132 which can be entered into the neck of a spirit bottle as shown in Fig. 11. In a lower end of the adaptor member, within a flow passage therein, there is located a spring loaded valve 134. A valve unseating pin 136 projects from a hollow adaptor spigot member 138 which communicates with the supply tube 126. The hollow adaptor spigot member projects upwards from the bracket 124 and is encircled by an O-ring seal 140.

The arrangement is such that when the plug assembly 128 has been fitted to a fresh bottle and the bottle is being mounted in position, the upstanding spigot member can be contained within what is then a lower end of the flow passage (not shown) of the adaptor member, and the O-ring seal can form a fluid tight seal therein, as the spring loaded valve 134 is opened by the unseating pin 136.

A further feature which is shown in Fig. 13 is the provision of a non-return valve, con stituted by a short length of thin walled flexible tube 142 which projects upwards from an air inlet tube 144, the latter being connected into a hole 146 in the adaptor member 130 and communicating with a cross hole 148. An upper end of the flexible tube is shown closed by being flattened by the weight of spirit within the bottle. It is caused to open by air being drawn into the bottle as spirit flows into the dispensing apparatus, but the arrangement is such that the apparatus will not drip incessantly if both non-return valves 16 and 20 leak.A still further feature of this arrangement is that a telescopic clamping arm 150, which carries a pad member 152 over lying the spirit bottle, is located to one side of the bracket 124 instead of immediately behind the bottle and in this way the bottle is disposed as close as possible to the wall on which the bracket is fixed.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in either one of the embodiments described, instead of the clutch device 46 being provided with the ratchet arc member engaging a stationary toothed boss, it could be provided with a roller ratchet clutch (and since a roller ratchet clutch operates without any measurable backlash, the lost motion means constituted by the slot 39 in the piston rod through which the pivot pin extends to connect the link member 36 to the piston rod would not then be required).

The drive mechanism for translating a pivotal movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in the one direction to draw a measure of spirit into the measuring cylinder need not necessarily include the linkage mechanism illustrated in the drawings but could be constituted by rack and pinion mechanism for example. In this case, the lost motion required in the mechanism and effective to allow some further incremental movement of the hand lever after the piston has been brought into abutment with the sleeve element 30 could be provided in the connection of the pinion to the shaft 31 or in the connection of the toothed rack element to the piston rod.Spring means could be provided in either of the illustrated embodiments for returning the hand lever to the re-set position, and the hand lever could of course be of inverted stirrup shape if required so as to be capable of being used with equal facility by either right handed or left handed persons. Indeed, it should be understood that the positive displacement mechanism could be constituted by an electric motor driven mechanism instead of a hand lever, the actuation of such a mechanism being triggered, for example, by the action of holding a glass beneath the delivery outlet.

Means for locking the apparatus to a spirit bottle could be provided in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 as in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10. However, it should be understood that it is not essential for the apparatus to be mounted on or otherwise associated with a spirit bottle; if in either one of the illustrated embodiments the supply tube 14 or 126, as the case may be, is replaced by a longer tube the apparatus can be used to draw measures of spirit from some remote source, that is to say from a tank or barrel in a cellar for example.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits, the apparatus including a piston which is movable in one direction to draw a measure of spirit into a measuring cylinder through a first non-return valve and movable in the opposite direction to dispense the measure of spirit through a delivery outlet by way of a second non-return valve, the piston being movable in said one direction by positive displacement mechanism against the action of spring means and being movable in said opposite direction by said spring means to dispense the measure of spirit, means being provided for releasing the piston from said positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston whereby a full measure of spirit is dispensed during each operation of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 1, in which adjustment means are provided for limiting the travel of the piston in said one direction so that the quantity of spirit dispensed in one full measure can be adjusted prior to the apparatus being sealed.

3. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 2, in which the adjustment means are constituted by a screwthreaded sleeve element against which the piston abuts when a full measure of spirit has been drawn into the measuring cylinder.

4. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the positive displacement mechanism is constituted by a hand lever, and drive mechanism for translating a movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in said one direction includes a linkage mechanism connected to a piston rod on one end of which the piston is fixed.

5. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 4, in which lost motion means are provided in the drive mechanism so that the piston can abut against the means which limits its travel and a further increment of movement of the positive displacement mechanism is then effective to cause the release of the piston therefrom.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

stituted by a short length of thin walled flexible tube 142 which projects upwards from an air inlet tube 144, the latter being connected into a hole 146 in the adaptor member 130 and communicating with a cross hole 148. An upper end of the flexible tube is shown closed by being flattened by the weight of spirit within the bottle. It is caused to open by air being drawn into the bottle as spirit flows into the dispensing apparatus, but the arrangement is such that the apparatus will not drip incessantly if both non-return valves

16 and 20 leak.A still further feature of this arrangement is that a telescopic clamping arm 150, which carries a pad member 152 over lying the spirit bottle, is located to one side of the bracket 124 instead of immediately behind the bottle and in this way the bottle is disposed as close as possible to the wall on which the bracket is fixed.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in either one of the embodiments described, instead of the clutch device 46 being provided with the ratchet arc member engaging a stationary toothed boss, it could be provided with a roller ratchet clutch (and since a roller ratchet clutch operates without any measurable backlash, the lost motion means constituted by the slot

39 in the piston rod through which the pivot pin extends to connect the link member 36 to the piston rod would not then be required).

The drive mechanism for translating a pivotal movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in the one direction to draw a measure of spirit into the measuring cylinder need not necessarily include the linkage mechanism illustrated in the drawings but could be constituted by rack and pinion mechanism for example. In this case, the lost motion required in the mechanism and effective to allow some further incremental movement of the hand lever after the piston has been brought into abutment with the sleeve element 30 could be provided in the connection of the pinion to the shaft 31 or in the connection of the toothed rack element to the piston rod.Spring means could be provided in either of the illustrated embodiments for returning the hand lever to the re-set position, and the hand lever could of course be of inverted stirrup shape if required so as to be capable of being used with equal facility by either right handed or left handed persons. Indeed, it should be understood that the positive displacement mechanism could be constituted by an electric motor driven mechanism instead of a hand lever, the actuation of such a mechanism being triggered, for example, by the action of holding a glass beneath the delivery outlet.

Means for locking the apparatus to a spirit bottle could be provided in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 as in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10. However, it should be understood that it is not essential for the apparatus to be mounted on or otherwise associated with a spirit bottle; if in either one of the illustrated embodiments the supply tube 14 or 126, as the case may be, is replaced by a longer tube the apparatus can be used to draw measures of spirit from some remote source, that is to say from a tank or barrel in a cellar for example.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits, the apparatus including a piston which is movable in one direction to draw a measure of spirit into a measuring cylinder through a first non-return valve and movable in the opposite direction to dispense the measure of spirit through a delivery outlet by way of a second non-return valve, the piston being movable in said one direction by positive displacement mechanism against the action of spring means and being movable in said opposite direction by said spring means to dispense the measure of spirit, means being provided for releasing the piston from said positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston whereby a full measure of spirit is dispensed during each operation of the apparatus.
2. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 1, in which adjustment means are provided for limiting the travel of the piston in said one direction so that the quantity of spirit dispensed in one full measure can be adjusted prior to the apparatus being sealed.
3. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 2, in which the adjustment means are constituted by a screwthreaded sleeve element against which the piston abuts when a full measure of spirit has been drawn into the measuring cylinder.
4. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the positive displacement mechanism is constituted by a hand lever, and drive mechanism for translating a movement of the hand lever into a movement of the piston in said one direction includes a linkage mechanism connected to a piston rod on one end of which the piston is fixed.
5. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 4, in which lost motion means are provided in the drive mechanism so that the piston can abut against the means which limits its travel and a further increment of movement of the positive displacement mechanism is then effective to cause the release of the piston therefrom.
6. Apparatus for dispensing measures of

spirits according to claim 5, in which the means which are provided for releasing the piston from the positive displacement mechanism only when the latter has displaced the piston through a complete measuring traverse and for inhibiting the return of said positive displacement mechanism to an initial position until it has released the piston includes a clutch device engagable, to couple the positive displacement mechanism to the drive mechanism, by an initial increment of movement of said positive displacement mechanism and disengagable by the further increment of movement of said mechanism beyond that required to cause the piston to abut against the means which limits its travel.
7. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apparatus is provided with a supply tube which can extend to the bottom of a spirit bottle on which the apparatus is to be mounted.
8. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the apparatus is permanently connected to a bracket on which a spirit bottle can be mounted in inverted condition for the flow of spirit into the apparatus under the force of gravity.
9. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 8, in which a special fitment is associated with the apparatus for facilitating the connection of a fresh bottle of spirit to the apparatus when an existing bottle has been emptied, the special fitment including a detachable plug assembly provided with a valve, means being provided for opening the valve automatically as the plug assembly, in position in the neck of a fresh bottle, in re-connected to the apparatus.
10. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits according to claim 9, in which the plug assembly is also provided with a one-way valve allowing air to enter the bottle as spirit flows to the dispensing apparatus.
11. Apparatus for dispensing measures of spirits, the apparatus being constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification No.

50591/76.