GB812524A - Beverage vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

812,524. Coin-freed beverage vending apparatus. APCO Inc. July 2, 1957, No. 20912/57. Class 27 A beverage vending machine comprises a source of carbonated water 33, a source of non-carbonated or plain water 30, and one of more sources 19 of flavouring ingredient and by operation of one or other of a pair of selector switches a measured quantity of a flavour is dispensed together with either a full measured quantity of carbonated water only or, if the flavour needs only sufficient carbonation to give it a tang without effervescence, a relatively large quantity of plain water plus a relatively small quantity of carbonated water. Plain water is forced by a pump 31 to a solenoid-operated dispensing valve 36 and also through a carbonator 29 and pipe 33 to a similar dispensing valve 34. A tank 22 of compressed carbon dioxide is connected both to the carbonator and to the syrup containers so that the carbon dioxide acts also as a preservative for the flavours and forces them to their solenoidoperated dispensing valves 27. A cooling tank 26 and refrigerating unit 28 are provided and, also, on the door of the cabinet 1, coin-freed mechanism 10 and a cupdispenser 13 which is operated by an electric motor 17. On inserting a coin, a switch is momentarily closed and energizes a first relay which prepares the circuits of second and third relays energized separately by operation of one or other of the selector switches. If a fully carbonated drink is required, the chosen selector switch energizes the second relay and one of the contacts closed by it starts the motor 17 to dispense a cup and also rotate a shaft carrying cams that control switches to govern the period of running of the motor and the "open" period of the dispensing valves 27 and 34 for flavour and carbonated water. If a drink with mostly plain water is desired, the operation of the other selector switch energizes the third relay. A cup and flavour are delivered as before but for the major part of the cycle the carbonated water valve is cut out of circuit by an opened contact in the energized third relay and the valve 36 for plain water only dispenses until towards the end of the cycle, when the cam control de-energizes the relay, the valve 34 dispenses carbonated water for a short time. The second and third relays each have a normally-closed switch which, when the relay is energized, opens to cut out the other relay and ensure that a selected type of drink only can be dispensed during a single operation of the machine.