GB2154304A

GB2154304A - Liquid dispensing valve

Info

Publication number: GB2154304A
Application number: GB08503884A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Taylor; Cyril Thomas Guinness
Original assignee: Southern Industrial Chemicals Inc
Current assignee: Southern Industrial Chemicals Inc
Priority date: 1984-02-15
Filing date: 1985-02-15
Publication date: 1985-09-04
Also published as: GB8503884D0; GB2154304B; GB8403949D0

Abstract

A liquid dispensing valve, e.g. for beer, has separate valve means 14, 24 in separate passages one of which includes a frothing device 31. By separate operation of the two valve means, beer and a frothy head can be separately dispensed by independent operation of the two valve means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid dispensing valve This invention relates to a liquid dispensing valve.

In the field of beer raising, there is often the requirement for the beer, when dispensed, to have a creamy head thereon. However, such a requirement gives rise to problems if the beer is to be dispensed efficiently as in many cases, for example, either insufficient head is provided or else the beer is churned up making the dispensing operation slow and unreliable.

Various proposals have been made for achieving a suitable head on beer, but none have been really successful. While the formation of a head can be readily achieved, the operation leaves froth in the dispensing spout which then has to be dispensed first on the next operation before a flow of beer can be achieved and this creates problems.

The present invention seeks to provide a liquid dispensing valve capable of dispensing a satisfactory head without the disadvantages which have been present in prior arrangements.

According to the invention, a liquid dispensing valve comprises first valve means for dispensing the liquid via a first passage, a second valve means associated with a frothing device for dispensing a head of liquid under control of said valve means via a second passage, said first and second passages terminating separately at the valve outlet, and means for actuating the valve such that the two valve means can be operated independently.

By the provision of separate valve means for dispensing the liquid and the head, the two operations are successfully separated so that minimum froth is present in the liquid dispensing valve means.

Preferably the actuating means comprises a single operating handle movable, operating on two valve rods, from a centre position in a first direction to dispense the liquid and in a second direction to dispense the head. It is clear that such an arrangement is very convenient to use, a simple rocking of the handle at the end of liquid dispensing serving to put the lead on the beer. Alternatively, two separate handles could be provided to operate the two valve means via the two valve rods.

A single output spout may be provided which is divided longitudinally into two channels, one for liquid and the other for the head.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawing, the single figure of which is a sectional view of one form of valve in accordance with the invention designed for dispensing beer.

The valve shown comprises a valve body 1, two individual valve means 2 and 3, an actuating handle 4 and a feed spout 5. Beer is fed to the valve at an inlet 6 and is fed into the body 1 by way of a restrictor 7 arranged to restrict the formation of froth in the beer feed from a compressed gas beer supply system.

The restrictor 7 is adjustable as to the width of its passage by control 8 on the front of the valve which is arranged to slide the restrictor element 9 longitudinally in the restrictor housing 10.

The beer present in the body 1 reaches both valve means 2 and 3 which are both closed at the beginning of a dispensing operation.

The feed spout 5 is provided with two circular section channels 11 and 12, the channel 11 being associated with the liquid dispensing valve means 2 and the channel 1 2 being associated with the head dispensing valve means 3.

The valve means 2 comprises a valve member 14 carried by a rod 1 5 pivoted at 1 6 to the handle 4. The valve member 14 is provided with a seal 1 7 which engages the outer edge 1 8 of the channel 11. The valve member may have an extended control portion (not shown) which runs in an increased diameter portion of the channel 1 2. In this event, the extension would have channels enabling passage of the liquid, e.g. helical or longitudinal channels. The rod 1 5 is surrounded by a return spring 20 acting between an inset 21 in the valve body 1 and the upper end 22 of the valve member 14. The spring 20 is sealed off from the rest of the valve body 1 by a seal 23.

The valve means 3 also comprises a valve member 24 carried by a rod 25. The rod 25 terminates in a head 26 for engagement with a fork element 27 on the handle 4 for actuation purposes. The valve member 24 is provided with a seal 28 which engages in an offset passageway 29 to close the valve means. This valve member may also have an extended control portion (not shown) of similar construction to that which may be provided on the valve member 14. A jetting disc 31, together with an offset arrangement of the passageway 29 in relation to the main channel 12, provides a frothing action when the valve means 3 is open. The rod 25 is surrounded by a return spring 32 acting between the inset 21 and the upper end 33 of the valve member 24. As in the case of the valve means 2, the spring 32 is sealed off from the rest of the valve body 1 by a seal 34.

The handle 4 is movable from the position shown either to the left or to the right depending on whether liquid or head is to be dispensed. When moved to the left, it moves with a sliding action brought about by its lower cam shaped surface 35 sliding on the top 36 of the valve. In this way it has a similar effect as if it pivotted about the head 26 and raises the rod 1 5 and valve member 14 to dispense liquid through the channel 11.

With the particular pivotting arrangement provided, the handle 4 will stay in this position, if left, to leave the dispensing valve open.

When moved to the right, the handle pivots on the pivot 1 6 and raises the rod 25 and valve member 24 to dispense the head through the channel 1 2.

The operation of dispensing a glass of beer will now be described: Having suitabiy set the restrictor 7 by adjustment of the control 8, the glass is placed under the spout 5. The handle 4 is moved to the left (which will be towards the operator) and this raises the rod 1 5 and the valve member 14 to permit the flow of beer from the inlet 6, through the restrictor 7 and down the channel 11 into the glass. When the glass has been filled to the appropriate extent, the handle 4 is moved back to its central position (as shown), lowering the rod 1 5 and valve member 14, with the assistance of the return spring 20 to cut off the beer flow.

The handle 4 is then moved further backwards (to the right in the drawing) and will then act to raise the rod 25 and valve member 24 to allow beer to flow through the jetting disc 31 which, in conjunction with the bend in the channel caused by the offset, froth the beer and dispense a head onto the beer in the glass through the channel 1 2.

As soon as the desired head is present the handle is returned to its central position, lowering the rod 25 and valve member 24, with the assistance of return spring 32, to shut off the flow of the head material.

The provision of the return springs will ensure that, should the handle be released by the operator, both valve means will close automatically.

It will be seen that the above described embodiment provides a dispensing valve which is not only easy to operate but which effectively separates the main liquid dispense from the head dispense. In this way, no problems arise due to foam being left in a part of the valve which would cause initial dispensing of foam at the beginning of a liquid dispense. Nor is there any problem caused by having to dispense liquid out of the same parts of the valve or the head.

It will of course be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the movement of the handle required to dispense the different components may be reversed. Different operating linkages between the handle and the valve means may be used. Also different arrangements of the valve means and spouts may be used. For example concentric valves and spouts may be provided.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing valve comprises first valve means for dispensing the liquid via a first passage, a second valve means associated with a frothing device for dispensing a head of liquid under control of said second valve means via a second passage, said first and second passages terminating separately at the valve outlet, and means for actuating the valve such that the two valve means can be operated independently.

2. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each of said first and second valve means has a separate valve stem operating in a separate valve chamber.

3. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein said means for actuating the valve comprises a single handle operating upon the two valve means.

4. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said single handle is pivotted and moves either side of a centre position to operate respectively the first and second valve means.

5. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein a separate handle is provided for operating each of said first and second valve means.

6. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said first and second passages extend side by side in a single spout.

7. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said first and second passages are arranged concentrically one within the other in a single spout.

8. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the liquid supply to the two valve means is controllable by a control member located physically on that side of the valve nearest to the operator when the valve is installed.

9. A liquid dispensing valve as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said first and second valve means are located concentrically, one within the other.

1 0. A liquid dispensing valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.