GB960907A - Improvements in or relating to coin freed beverage dispensing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

960, 907. Coin-freed apparatus. FISHER & LUDLOW Ltd. July 2, 1962 [June 2, 1961], No. 19898/61. Heading G4V. A coin-freed beverage dispensing machine comprises a cup-dispensing unit 15, Fig. 1, and a unit 17 for dispensing dry commodities, such as powdered milk and sugar, both mounted on a single removable shelf 18. Removal of the shelf with its units permits a second shelf with different units to be fitted in the machine so that, for example, either tea or coffee may be dispensed by the machine. The machine has a mains water tank 12 which is connected to a boiler 10 having an immersion heater 11 and a pump 13 for maintaining a constant pressure in the machine. The shelf 18 is disposed above a delivery station 14 and has runners at its sides engaging guides 20 for easy insertion and removal of the shelf. The cup-dispensing unit is in the form of a turret-type magazine 28 and is mounted on a rotatable spindle 27, Fig. 3, at the front of the shelf above a cup drop mechanism 43. The dry commodity unit is mounted at the rear of the shelf and has a number of containers 34 rotatable by electric motors 33, Fig. 4, (which shows the underside of the shelf) to bring discharge openings 35 above a conical guide 32 leading to a mixing vessel 36 connected by a discharge pipe 32 to the delivery station 14. When the machine is used for dispensing tea, a refrigerated container for milk may be provided and after each dispensing operation a charge of hot water is supplied to the milk delivery channel for cleaning thereof. The front of the machine carries a coin selector mechanism which, upon insertion of the correct coinage, operates a setting-up relay in series with operating buttons permitting the selection of various combinations of the commodities whereby only selected containers 34 are rotated to discharge their contents. A cup is also delivered to the opening 14 and the selected commodities and hot water are discharged into the cup and hot water is supplied to the liquid milk channel when liquid milk is used. The hot water circulating system is as described in Specification 960, 908 and has a bleed valve for removing air from the water before it reaches a dispensing valve. A sleeve 38 is located by a pair of springs 40 on the conical guide 32 and has a pair of diametrically-opposed openings 41 aligned with a fan 42 which deflects steam rising from the mixing vessel and maintains the guide 32 and dispensing unit 17 dry. When the machine is used for dispensing coffee, for which powdered milk is used, the insertion of the appropriate shelf automatically renders a metering valve and the refrigerator for the liquid milk inoperative. 9