US2590177A - Glass controlled dispensing valve - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1952 I J. A: HOPWOOD GLASS CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE Filed Dec. 6, 1949 INVENTOR JZJHA/ ,4 Hopwooo ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1952 GLASS CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE John A. Hopwood, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Monitor Process Corporation, Jersey City, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application December 6, 1949, Serial No. 131,477

Claims.

This invention relates to liquid dispensers of the general character disclosed in William Tamminga Patent No. 2,186,083 dated January 9, 1940. That patent describes an apparatus for dispensing milk from a milk delivery can into drinking glasses. The can is positioned within a refrigerated cabinet provided with a door. The can is of the conventional type except that it is provided in its side Wall and near the bottom with a milk discharge tube adapted, when the can is in the cabinet, to be withdrawn through an opening in the door and connected to a valve operating device mounted on the exterior of the door. In the outer end of the discharge tube is a slide valve provided with locking tongues which, during shipment of the can, are bent over a flange at the outer end of the tube to lock the valve in closed position. When the tube is withdrawn from the can and secured to the valve operating device on the door, said operating device may be manipulated to disengage the tongues from the flange of the tube and simultaneously secure the valve to said operating device. The tube is locked against longitudinal movement in its extended position and, when the operating device is actuated, the valve is moved longitudinally of the tube to cover and uncover a port in the tube, through which the milk is discharged into a drinking glass positioned beneath the same.

In the apparatus of said prior patent, the valve operating device is manually actuated through a handle adapted to be grasped by one hand of the operator and oscillated to shift the valve in the manner stated, while the operator ordinarily holds the drinking glass in his other hand as the glass is being filled. This mode of operation involves the use of both hands of the operator, which is inconvenient, particularly where the operator is carrying bundles, a tray of food or other articles in one hand.

The object of the present invention is to so constitute the operating device of the said prior patent that it may be actuated by a drinking glass as the latter is brought into a position to receive milk from the port in the discharge tube.

In carrying out this invention I employ, generally, much of the structure of said prior patent, but eliminate the knob operation and substitute therefor novel and efficient means for the drinking glass operation of the valve.

The following detailed description sets forth in detail the manner in which this is accomplished and the mechanism employed in operating the respective parts.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one 2. practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a central vertical section through a valve operating device attached to the cabinet door, showing the parts in full line in valve closing position and in dotted lines in valve opening (milk dispensing) position. This view is taken in the plane of the line l-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is an elevation looking from the right hand side of Figure l and showing the valve operating device and discharge tube, with the back plate of said device removed.

Figure 3 is a view showing various parts of the apparatus in dismantled condition in order to more clearly illustrate their individual forms.

The following detailed description employs, insofar as practical, the same reference numerals as used in the Tamminga patent aforesaid for corresponding parts. It is to be noted, however, that whereas the Tamminga patent discloses means for introducing compressed air through the discharge tube for the purpose of agitating the milk, this means has been omitted in the showing of the present drawings in the interest of clearness.

In the accompanying drawings, 3 designates the door of the cabinet and 6 the discharge tube which extends from the can (not shown) through an opening 38 in the door. Mounted on the outside of the door is a'housing 39, held in place on the door by screws or in any other appropriate manner. This housing is provided with an in tegral depending bracket 19, the lower end of which is curved on the arc of a circle and is provided with a bead 18 adapted to embrace the upper half of the tube and engage with an external channel 20 formed in said tube to lock the tube against longitudinal movement when thus engaged.

Mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement in the housing 39 is a plunger 45. This plunger is parallel to the axis of the tube and its inner end is reduced to form a shoulder at 41. A fixed collar 49 is held against this shoulder by a resilient locking ring 149 seated in a circumferential channel I50 in the reduced end of the plunger. A spring embraces the plunger between the front wall of the housing of the collar 49 and serves to normally urge the plunger rearwardly, i. e., to the right in Figure 1. The back of the housing is closed by a plate I5 I, rabbeted into the rear end of the housing and held in place by screws threaded into holes I52 in the wall of the housing. This plate II has a threaded opening coaxial with the plunger and this opening is adapted to receive a threaded stop member I53, provided at its inner end with a socket I54 into which the reduced end of the plunger projects. A lock nut I55 serves to lock the stop member I53 in adjustable position. The purpose of the stop member I53. is to limit the movement of the plunger in the direction in which it is pressed by the spring 55 and, by adjusting this member, the throw of the plunger 45 may be controlled.

Extending transversely through the opposite side walls of the housing is an operating shaft I56 mounted to oscillate and on this shaft is secured an L-shaped lever I51. The horizontal leg of this lever is perforated to embrace the shaft, and the lever is locked to the shaft in properly adjusted position by means of a set screw I5la.

v The upright leg of the lever is bifurcated to straddle the reduced end of the plunger A5 to form on said lever two upstanding fingers I 58 adapted to bear against the rear face of the fixed collar 49.

Secured to one end of'the operating shaft externally of the casing is a hub I59 and to this hub is secured a pressure arm I80. This arm extends downwardly to a point well below the tube 6 and it is then bent upwardly into substantially U- shape. The lower portion of the arm is also bent in the direction of the door and, in the region of this bend, rubber tubing IE2 is placed about the arm to form a cushion against which a drinking glass may be engaged without attendant noise or harm to the glass.

Rigid with the outer end of the plunger 45 is a valve carrying arm 46 positioned on the exterior of the housing and depending from the plunger. The lower end of this arm is provided with a cam block 63 having a circular boss 66 at its rear end. This boss is coaxial of the discharge tube 6 and is adapted to extend into the metal clip 23' of a slide valve 22. This metal clip is provided at its opposite sides With tongues (indicated 25 in said prior patent) and these tongues are bent over the flange 2| of the tube when the can is shipped full of milk.

When the can is placed in the cabinet, the tube is withdrawn as described in said prior patent, engaged with the bead i8 and the outer end of the tube is locked to the cam block 83 by means of the grippers I9. These grippers are operated by the eccentric member 54 which serves to release the tongues from the tube and at the same time secure the valve 22 to the valve operating arm 46,, all, as fully described in said patent.

When the parts are thus assembled, movement of the plunger 45 to the left in Figure 1 from the full line position to the dotted line position, will move the slide valve 22 to the left suificiently to uncover the discharge port 30 in the tube and milk will be discharged from the can through the tube port 30. This movement of the plunger 45 is accomplished by engaging a drinking glass with the pressure arm I55 and then forcibly movingsaid glass in the direction of the door to 1 swing the arm from the full line position of Figure 1 to the dotted line position of this figure. This movement of the arm causes the L-shaped lever to be tilted in a counterclockwise direction with the result that pressure exerted thereby upon the fixed collar 49 will move the plunger 45 I to the left in Figure 1 against the tension of the spring 55. By the time the pressure arm I60 is inthe dotted line position, the port 50 will have been uncovered and milk will flow into the drinking glass held beneath the same. When the glass is full, it is manually withdrawn and such movement of the glass will be accompanied by retrograde movement of the plunger under pressure imparted by the spring to restore the parts to the full line positions of Figure 1 with the slide valve closed to seal the port 30.

In operating this device, the operators hand is not required to touch any part of the device. He simply holds the glass and presses it against the pressure arm I until the glass is full and then withdraws the glass. Only one hand is required for this operation. The other hand is left free to carry a bundle, tray or other article.

The foregoing detailed description describes the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as. fully commensurate with the appended claims.

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

1. In an assembly of the character described: a liquid discharge tube provided in its outer end with a slide valve movable longitudinally of the tube to cover and uncover a discharge port in the Wall of the tube, a housing mounted in fixed position with respect to the tube, a plunger mounted for longitudinal movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the tube, a valve carrying arm supported on said plunger and secured to the valve, a spring embracing the plunger and normally moving the plunger into a position wherein the valve will seal the port of the tube, a lever pivoted within said housing and engaging with an abutment on the plunger, and a pressure arm rigid with said lever and extending to a point beneath the tube and into the path of a drinking glass when the latter is moved into a position beneath the discharge port of the tube, whereby pressure exerted by the glass against the pressure arm will tilt the lever and move the plunger against the tension of said spring into a position to slide the valve and uncover the discharge port of the tube.

2. In an assembly of the character described: a cabinet door, a housing mounted on the door and provided with a depending tube holder, a discharge tube extending through a hole in the door into engagement with the tube holder to secure the tube against axial movement, there being a slide valve in the outer end of the tube to normally cover a discharge port in the latter, a plunger mounted for axial movement the housing in a direction parallel to the axis of the tube, said plunger being connected at its outer end to the slide valve of the tube and provided interiorly of the housin with a fixed collar and a spring embracing the plunger and bearing against the collar to normally position the valve to cover the tube port, a lever fulcrumed within the housing, to engage an abutment on the plunger between the spring and the door, and a pressure arm connected to said lever, and projecting into the path of a drinking glasse the latter is moved into position below the tube port, whereby pressure on the glass will swing the pressure arm against the tension of the spring to move the valve into a position to unseal the tube port.

3. In an assembly of the character described: a cabinet door, a housing mounted on the door and provided with a depending tube holdena discharge tube extending through a hole in the door into engagement with the tube holder to secure the tube against axial movement. there being a slide valve in the outer end of the tube to normally cover a discharge port in the latter, a plunger mounted for axial movement in the housing in a direction parallel to the axis of the tube, said plunger being connected at its outer end to the slide valve of the tube and provided interiorly of the housing with a fixed collar and a spring embracing the plunger and bearing against the collar to normally position the valve to cover the tube port, a lever fulcrumed within the housing to engage an abutment on the plunger between the spring and the door, a pressure arm connected to said lever and projecting into the path of a drinking glass as the latter is moved into position below the tube port, whereby pressure on the glass will swing the pressure arm against the tension of the spring to move the valve into a position to unseal the tube port, and a stop member adjustable axially of the plunger to limit the movement thereof in the direction of the door for the purpose of adjusting the position of the valve in the tube.

4. In an assembly of the character described: a cabinet door having an opening therein, a, liquid discharge tube extending through said opening to a point outside of the door and provided in its outer end with a slide valve to cover and uncover a discharge port in the tube, means on the door to secure the tube against axial movement, a plunger parallel to the axis of the tube and secured to the valve, a lever positioned to act on the plunger in a direction to move the valve to uncover the port, a pressure arm secured to the lever and projecting into the path of a glass to be engaged and moved thereby to cause the valve to uncover the tube port as the glass is moved into position beneath said port, and a spring biasing the lever to normally hold the valve in position to cover the port.

5. In an assembly of the character described: a cabinet door having an opening therein, a liquid discharge tube extending through said opening to a point outside of the door and provided in its outer end with a slide valve to cover and uncover a discharge port in the tube, means on the door to secure the tube against axial movement, a plunger parallel to the axis of the tube and secured to the valve, a lever positioned to act on the plunger in a direction to move the valve to uncover the port, a pressure arm secured to the lever and projecting into the path of a glass to be engaged and moved thereby to cause the valve to uncover the tube port as the glass is moved into position beneath said port, and a spring embracing the plunger and normally holding the valve in position to cover the port.

JOHN A. HOPWOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,454,340 Schutt May 8, 1923 1,512,017 Field Oct. 21, 1924 2,186,083 Tamminga Jan. 9, 1940

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