US1654249A - Beverage-dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

" Deeizz" w27. i 654 r249 E. ERNST BEVERAGE DIS'PENSING APPARATUS Filed oct. 15, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 ZA/VENTO@ mf/ frnjzl.

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m TONEY "fijen 27, "1927 E. ERNST BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed 0011.15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

i UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE.

EMIL ERNST, OFMAILEWOOD, MISEOILI,

ASSIGNOIt UDO` NORBERT L. LAMM, IRVING W. LONGACRE, AND EMIL ERNST, GMIPRISING THE 0F C. l. ROOT BEER COM- PANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BEVERAGE-DISPENSIN APPARATUSi Application filed Octoberl, 1924. Serial No. P2"9=3,379.

My invention relates generally to beverage dispensing apparatus and, more especially, to a certain new and use'lul improvement in that class et dispensers wherein it is desirable that the beverage be carbonated or nnpregnated with air, `whereby the liquid may he served with a head or toaiu.

My present invention has tor chiell ol1- ject the provision et an appa atus oi' the type stated by `which the proportions of so called foam and solid oit the dispensed fluid or liquid maybe regulated and. controlledhy the operator. l

My present invention has for a further object the provision et an apparatus et the type stated which is compact in term and construction, having a greatly reduced nuinher of parts, occupying a much smaller space, and requiring a inuch smaller investment than heretofore with apparatus et this type. And with the above and other objects in vieiv, my. present invention resides in the novel features oit forni, construction, arrangement. and combination et parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a. perspective vieiv of a dispensing apparatus embodying my invention;

igure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the preferred 'form oit dispensing element or member ot the apparatus;

Figure is a longitudinal view, mainly in section, ot'the dispensing-faucetg f Figure 4i isan elevational, so-called func-- tional View oit the faucet;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view et the faucet;

Figure G is a perspective view of a modified torni ot dispensing `apparanus embodying my invention, and

Figures 7 and 8 are crossssectional views taken approximately on lines 7--7 and SMS, respectively, Figure 5.

Dispensing apparatus For delivering higlily aeratedbeverages have heretotore, so :tar as I am aware, consisted ot' a retrigeratiug element, a loiv pressure air ank, a liquid container, and a high pressure air tanlt. Each of these apparatus also includes suitable piping, cocltsj gauges,and connections which require proper and constant adjustments, occupy considerable space, and in vulve a. relatively large investment.

It is desirable in serving highly aerated beverages, such as is popularly known as root heer, that they he served with ahead of team, which is produced by impregnating the liquid at the time it is drawn with either atmospheric or carbonated air. Hence the l'unction et the apparatus is twofold; namely, it must discharge a. measured quair tity ot socalled solid liquid and at the saine time must dischargea` measured quanu tity of air or recalled foam The dispensing method heretofore in use consisted ot proviiling a tank et conipicssed air under loiv pressure, which 'Was discharged into a caslt` containing the liquid, thereby forcing the liquid to flow out through the faucet at a higher level. In addition thereto, there as provided ai tank containing con'iprcssed. air at a very much higher pre sure, which was, also, caused to be discharged through the saine orifice as the liquidand air already mentioned.

It is, therefore, apparent that, as `the liquid in the tank decreases and the air pressure trom the low pressure tank decreases, the proportions ei liquid and air dispensed are subject to wide variation, so that the head or team varies accordingly.

By my improved apparatus I am enabled to dispense entirely with the low pressure tank and have so combined the operation et the high pressure tank with the dispone ing chamber thatit automatically maintains a uniform amount ot' aeration at all times, While at the saine time, the character, `that is to say, the proportions oit" cufo-called solid and toamf et the dispensed liquid are readily controlled and regulated.

Referring new more in detail `to the accon'lpanying drawings, 1 designates a suitable cashl or cooler, which preferably has a detachable lid 2, and is mounted ou a table or other suitable stand Suitable legs 4 are provided to enable a connectingpipe l5 to enter the bottom of the caslr or other container l The `other end el the pipe 15 is connected to a herinetically sealed ta'nlc (i, which is provided with suitable needlevalves 7 and 7h to regulate the flow el the gases and liquids contained in the tank G. The tank G contains a predeterminedamount of liquid and is then subjected to an air pressure by any suitable outside means.

W'ithiu the cash l, a supplylcharnher S is provided and so positioned that broken ice or other refrigerating substance 9, may be packed around it, the chamber or receptacle 8 being suitably supported in position, as by means of the connecting pipes, as shown. The supply tank 8 isprovided with a float 10, centrally positioned therein and adapted to rise and fall with the level of the liquid containedY in the supply tank 8. A valvestem 11, is connected. at the center of the float10- and extends upwardly through an opening 12 in ,thetop of the supjily-chamber 8 suiiiciently large to vent the tank when the air-valve. is ofi` its seat. Adjacent the end of the valve'stem l11 is a valve seat 13. A conventional pressure reducing and regulatingv valve 14 is mounted upon the supply pipe 15, which leads at itsupper end into the supply-chamber 8 and at its lower end coinmunicates with the pressure-tank 6.4

Suitably mounted upon the cask 1, as best 'seen in Figure 2, is a faucet 18, which comprises a body 19, rigidly fitting in recesses in which are non-rotatable, preferably hexagonal Washers 20 and 20a. Through the washers 20, 20a, are perforations or orifices 21, 2 1a respectively, in constant open communication lwith ducts 22, 22a, respectively, Vin -the faucet-body 19. Leading from the faucet-body 19 into a nozzle 23, are outletpassages orduets 24 and 24a, one of which, namely, the duct 24, being preferably of larger diameter than the other. Mounted forrotatory movement upon the faucet-body 19, are members 25 and 25a formed with U- , shaped orifices 26, 26, respectively. Tension- screws 27 and 27 af are provided to hold therotatable members 25 and 25a in unleakable contact with the washers 20 and 20, and 40 also for the purpose of adjusting against wear of the contacting members 20 and 25 and 20` and 25. The rotatable members 25 and 25a are caused to rotate by means of a lever or handle 28, the outer end of which ispreferably spherical, but may be made in any ornamental design, the opposite end be- `ing forked and adapted to straddle the body 19 of the faucet and having the terminals of its forks rigidly fixed to the rotatable members 25 and 25.

Leading from, and in open communication at one end with, the supply-pipe 15 intermediate its ends, as at 16, is al branch pipe 17, preferably coiled for cooling purposes within they cask 1 and which, at its other end, is in communication with the duct 22, and, as

' best seen in Figure 3, a suitable needleand air-valve 29 is provided upon the faucet to regulate the flow of liquid from the supplytank 6 through the faucet-duct 22.

Leading from the tank or chamber 8 to the other duct 22, is a liquid supply-pipe 30.

Normally, as'when thelever or handle 28 is in a vertical position or in the position shown in full lines in Figure 4, the parts outlet 24 of the faucet 18. Then the handle 28 is further swung forwardly or into the dotted position indicated at B, Figure 4, the orifices 21 and 26 continue in registration and the U-.shaped orifice 26 in the rotatable member 25 is also brought into registration with the orifice 21 of washer 20, when both the air and liquid under high pressure from the tank 6 is permitted to fiow through the faucet-outlet 24 simultaneously with the socalled solid fluid. Thus, the one outlet opening in advance of and conversely closing behind the other, the operator is enabled to readily control the character, that is to say, the solid and foam parts, of the dispensed beverage.

The pressure-regulating valve 14 is interposed in the pipe-line 15 between the tank 6 and the supply-chamber 8. This valve may be of any conventional type, and its purpose is to reduce the pressure in the Huid flowing from tank 6 into tank 8 to a point or amount that but a small quantity of air will escape into the supply chamber 8 and out through the air-valve 12. The liquid carried along with the air through pipe 15 will discharge into the supply tank 8 until the level rises sufficiently high to cause the float 10 to close the air valve. When the quantity of air or pressure within the supply tank 8 rises to a point where neither air nor liquid will fiow into the supply chamber, the flow from tank 6 into tank 8 ceases, until the fioat 10 has again lowered as the supply is drawn from the tank 8 by means of the faucet 18, when the same c vcle of operation will again be repeated. Thus a constant air pressure and a constant liquid level are maintained in the supply tank 8, so that substantially uniform amount of aeration takes place each time the faucet is operated.

The tank 6 is made of suitable material to cause it to withstand relatively high hydraulic and pneumatic pressures and is hernietically sealed by means of a conventional type ejector provided with the regulating -needle valves 7 and 72l for adjusting the amount of air and liquid to be discharged through the single discharge 15.

A conventional pressure gauge 31 indicates the pressure at which air and liquid is flowing into the supply chamber 8.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Figure 6. where, instead of placing the pressure-gauge and pressure-reducing valve within the container l, both are disposed beneath and on tbe outside of the container l, as shown. A cut-ofi valve 32 may be used to prevent the flow of liquid and air from the tank 6 when adjusting the pressure valve M,

I am aware that changes in the iorm, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of .my new dispensing apparatus may be made and substituted for those herein shown described Without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a beverage dispensing apparatus, a. faucet including' a body-1nember, first and second inlet ports leading into the body*` member, a dischargemozzle, first and second outlet ports separately leading from the body-member into the nozzle, and means for successively establishing communication between tlie first inlet and outlet ports and between the second inlet and outlet ports, respectively, the first pair in advance of the other, then maintaining communication simultaneously between the respective pairs of ports, and then successively breaking communication between the respective pairs of ports, the second pair in advance of the first, whereby fluid entering the iirst inlet port is first admitted to the discharge-nozzle and the last to be eut ofi", said means comprising a pair of separate orilced valveanembers mounted for rotatory movement in the bodymember, and a single oscillatory lever for rotatorily actuating both said valve1nembers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specilication.

EMIL ERNST.

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