US2645380A

US2645380A - Faucet for measuring, mixing, and dispensing beverages

Info

Publication number: US2645380A
Application number: US55488A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Donnelly
Original assignee: CANADA DRY GINGER ALE Inc
Current assignee: CANADA DRY GINGER ALE Inc
Priority date: 1948-10-20
Filing date: 1948-10-20
Publication date: 1953-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1970-07-14

Description

July 14, 1953 J. H. DoNNELLY 2,645,380

FAucE'r Foa umsuamc, MIXING, AND nrspsnsmc BEvERAGEs Filed Oct. 20. 1948 A 2 Shaets-Sheeil l bww/@WW July 14. 1953 J. H. DoNNELLY 645,380

FAUcE'r FOR MEASURING, MIXING, AND DISPENSING BEVERAGES Filed oct. 2o, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. .falaz H. armelg Patented `ul'y 14, 1953 Ivn'icli'r Foa MEA'sUaING, MIXING, AND

i DISPENSING John Donnelly, New York, `Ygassignor to Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a ccorporationofpelaware Application October 20, V1948, Serial No. 55,488

The present invention .relates to combined.

mixing and measuring faucetfor use in dispensing carbonated beverages orzthe like,l and aims to provide certain improvements therein. I

Prior devicesof the.` type specified have been costly and complicatedin construction, have been diflicult to take apart for cleansing purposes and then reassemble, and `lacked many other desirable qualities that a dispensingrfaucet should have. i i

Accordingly, my invention has among its Vobjects (l) to provide a faucetwhich will be simple in construction and adapted to be taken apart for cleansing purposes and reassembled without the aid of special tools or special mechanical skill; (2) to provide a faucet of the type specified by means of which carbonated water and a flavoring liquid can be dispensed in denite proportions regardless of the volume of the drink to be served; (3) to provide such faucet which will thoroughly mix the carbonated water and fiavoring liquid prior to discharge and thus eliminate the need for stirring the prepared drink; (4) to provide such faucet in which afterdrip from the faucet is eliminated; (5)".to provide such faucet, which by a slight movement of the operating handle, flavoring liquid only may be dispensedY for sundaes, toppings, etc.; and `(6) to provide such faucet which will have none of its operative parts exposed to contaminating influences.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention not specifically enumerated I accomplish by providing a dispensing faucet in which control valves for the flavoring liquid and the carbonated Water are mounted in coaxial relation and are operable in sequence by a single draft arm so as to be substantially simultaneously operable; Wherein by virtue of said sequential operation, flavoring liquid only may be dispensed, if desired; wherein a i'lavoring liquid chamber Vis provided whichis adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of ilavoring liquid necessary to produce a predetermined volume of carbonated beverage of uniform composition; wherein thepassages are calibrated for dispensing the flavoring liquid and the carbonated Water in definite proportions when a drink of smaller volume is to be prepared; wherein the faucet is so constructed that the predetermined quantities of 4ilavoring liquid and carbonated water are'thoroughly mixedlbefore 'dis'- charge into the container from which the bever# age is to be consumed; and wherein the con-- stituent elements of the faucet are mounted in coaxial relation to facilitate disassembly of the parts for cleansing purposes and reassembly.A

without the` need for any special tools or mechanical skill. The invention also embodies other features of novelty and combination of parts all of which willbe better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection ,witht the accompanying drawings,

` wherein: i

, mounted in position `on afountain support,` the upper portion of said figure being` a section taken along the plane of the line I-l of Fig. 2.

Fig` 2 is a transverse section taken substantially along` the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

l` Fig53 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isfa section taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4.of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a detail of the inven4 tion.

Referring to the drawings, the mixing, and measuring faucet is designated as a whole by the reference numeral Ill and may be said tocomprise a housing consisting of ahead member Il,

a ilavoring liquid chamber providing member I2 and a spout member I3, said members being of generally cylindrical form and detachably connectedtogether in coaxial relation. The faucet may be supported in any preferred manner and The head member Il is formed with an axial bore therethrough of different diameters Il, I8 and i9, there being provided an internal flange 2l] between the bores I'land I8, the upper surface of said flange -constituting a valve seat for a check valve 2| which is normally -held upon said seat by a spring 22 bearing at one end against the 'valve-body and at its other end against a shoulder within a closure plug 23 which is screwthreaded into the bore Il; The check valve 2| also has a pin 24 extending through theopening provided by the flange 20 for a purpose which will be' presently` described. Extending radially through the head member Il is a duct 25 terminating at its inner end in the valve chamber provided bythe bore Il and being enlarged and screw-,threaded at its outer end, as indicated at 26, for accommodating a coupling nipple such as 2l to` which is connecteda conduit 28 through TENTFFICE@ amuse Y liquid from the reservoir I6 isV supplied to the faucet. Dependingly supported by the head member I I by means of a screw-threaded connec-V tion in the bore I8 is a cylindrical tube 3l which extends through the chamber-providing. member.

I2 and into the spout member I3, theflowerfexe ternal Vdiameter of the tube being of reduced diameter as shown at 3Ia, for a purpose presentlyto be described.

The chamber-providing member 'I2' at its upper end v'is formed with a reduced externally:v

screw-threaded portion 32 for accommodating" a locking ring 33, by means of which the headl member II is connected to the member I2. Y For faeilitatingsaid connection, the member II has a flange34` and a pilot endr35. Themember I2 basan-enlarged bore 3'6, a-reducedvbore 31 and a shoulder or base 36a'therebetween,rthe diameter ofthe bore 31being exactly the same as that ofathe bore I9. in thev head member I2, for a purpose which will presently appear. At its lowerend the member I2y is formed with a reduced, externally screw-threaded portionr 38 and an internally rabbeted groove-39 for accommodatingthe pilot. end of. a connectingsleeve 40 screw-threadedly carried by the spout member I3.. and through which connecting sleeve the spoutLmember is detachably held to the chamberproviding member I2' through a locking ring 4I.

The spout member I3. is of generally hollow, cylindrical form having a cylindrical bore 42 terminating at itslower end in a conical seat 43,V

andonits exterior is formed with an enlargement 44 providing a bearing for an oscillatable f stub shaft 45 carriedv by an operating handle or draft; arm 46. The shaft 45VV is formed with a tooth- 4.1 projecting into the bore.42and adapted.

for limited. angular movement around the axis off-the shaft 45, for a purpose which will presently. The shaft 45, may be suitably held diameter ofjthe, boresrIQ, 3,1 and 42 and an in'-v ternal diameter equal to the fullexternal diameter-ofthe; hollow tube 3|.` Thek sleeve 5I intermediate. its ends is cut away to provider arcuatel slotsV 52 and is formed With an external annular rOOVe 53 in` proximity to its lower end, and with aligned'radial holes 5.4l in still closer proximity to said end. The sleeve I is mounted soy as to constitute a slide valve for. controlling the- 'ingress` and egress oiflavoring liquid to and from` thechamber provided by the'bore 36 and basev 36d; of the member I2 and ismanually operablev bythe handle 46 by Vvirtue of the tooth 41 on the operating handle shaft; 45` engaging within the annular groovev 53. Thesleeve 5I is normally held in its lowermost positionby a helical spr-ing- 55i one; end of which` bears against a shoulder provided'by the under side ofthe flange 20 and the'other end bears. against an abutment such asza nut 56 threaded on a stem 51, the lower end'v of `which carries a cross-pin 58 which engagesinthe aligned` radial holes 54:. VIfy desired, a valve Y 59. may. be mounted .atpthe lowerfend ofthe stom` 51 for seating against the conical seat 43 in the spout member. Mounted at the top of the stem 51 is a mushroom shaped head 6I having an axial recess 62 into which slidably ts the pin 5 24 of the check valve 2l, the depth of said recess being such that the lower end of the pin 24 l Willbe, engaged and nvioved-to.` unseat; the valve after` a predetermined amount of movement of the stem 51. Of course, the extent of upward movement of the stem 51 should be sufficient to cause engagementv of the head 6I with the ange 20, and. such movement may be limited by engagement of the head 2 Ia, of check valve 2| with the closure plug 23.v

The sleevegSI-inL its normal position has its top below the bottom of the bore I9 in the member I-I audits arcuate, slots 52 below the bottom wall 36aV in member I2. In said position it will be apparent that avoring liquid from the reservoir I6 may enter through the coupling' nipple 29u=,'andfbore.I39 :intozthe chamber defined by the bore-i thee. externaliwall, of: the. sleeve 5I and. the.. base.- :16min the. member I;2. and. iill said volume. Aszthel operating.v handlek is .moved upwardlyf-it.V moves; the sleeve-,- 51| upwardly so that thatopaportion,thereof snugly engagesjJinto the. annular. space-.f-.between the bore;v |59. and, thaexf teriorfwalliof theupper; pcrticnothe hollow tube 3j.; closing: offzt admission; of.-v flax/.orilla liquid into the chamber and'at the same time bringinggthe, arcuate slots-.5:2 atreve.therbaseV 3.611.l ofthe charnber, .thusiperm' .tipe-fthe egressorftheliquid'from Said.; Chamberlthroughz SeidV slots down past thev .etvteeathaexteriorsurface 3m: y c edzdi meter@othehollowtube 3I and the internalahore; orf thez-Sleeve1 5.4i into the spout member;V Breferabl th check valve-2l isso relate .tstthestem cti-,the f1a-v.o1riirig.I lieu.

.; discharge: valve. 5.2,. a1.'-

eratrig handle Sa-.thatthnemng- Of-.saidvalves may .be- Cerisidered. to; be;y Substantially simu1 only iiaveringfliquidmaybev dispensed. i@ use 01.1. Sundaes, fenensi-..etc-bycontrolling th zurzward movementcf the-Operating handle f-soffasnotitaunseat thevalve 2l..

In disp?` in ayored. drinksrat-av fountain it is.highly-d ableethattheresulting beveragebe off-uniform` s tnengthy,especiallyl so. where.Y a well lenownvladyeiztised; brand'oi beverage is beingV so dispensed.; A c ordinglytdt.isessent-ial that. the discharge rateeef; fewof-,the flavoring liquid to thecarzbonated water should 1'tal:e.-place in ra definite fp roport-ion` With-the faucet of A the present inventiomthis is', accomplished `by CalibratingA the annular;- Spaco5belgi.veen4 the external; surface Sla` o fthe, tub,e.= 3.,I-.. and; they.internal.y surface of the sleeve. 5 Lto; beata. definite relation tothe size of the,duct.25,I inrthefheadsmember LI. and the pressure. usually. employed in.,v supplying the, car# bonatedwater the.faucet. ByhavingL the fla-- vering.l liquid dispensed from. the chamber I2 whichisprelled. the flow4 rate of said Havering, liquidgfrom: said: chamber. will be. substantially unjfgrm. as'. it is.,Y not dependent uponv the gravity. head .offthe-v; avoringgliquid; in its reservoir. I 6, the@height.. ofgwhich.; willv vary considerably-1 de- Pllfll gffupo the quantity. ofz-fiavor-ine liquid thrru As ,gthe;lastremainineinorton of avor-v ing liquids drame from the chamber I2 therev wuuldpbegl altendencyafor such liquid` toY be held by.=`. capillary action@ in. the annular space betgaopn afterthe openingH It. W L be: appreciated@ however.. that.

tween the external surface 31a of tube 3l and the internal surface of the sleeve 5l, but such tendency is overcome by the venturi effect created by the carbonated water issuing from the discharge end of the tube 3|.

By referring to Fig. l of the drawings it Will be noted that the discharge ends of the tubes through which the iiavoring liquid and the carbonated Water enter the spout member are above the discharge end of the spout and also that when the valve 59 is open, the upper conical surface 59a thereof will act as an abutment against which the discharging liquids will impinge prior to passing out of the faucet. In view f the charged condition of the water, a thorough mixing of the water and avoring liquid will thus take place within the spout member of the faucet prior to discharge. The volumetric capacity of the chamber in the member l2 also bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the carbonated water suchthat the complete emptying of said chamber in the drawing of a beverage will be in accordance with the predetermined proportion of the flow of the liquids from the faucet.

The ilavoring liquid may be supplied by gravity or by pressure fed to the faucet through the conduit 30 and is preferably pre-cooled prior to admission to the faucet. The carbonated water should likewise be pre-cooled and supplied to the faucet under pressure. Where gravity feed of the flavoring liquid to the chamber is relied upon, it is apparent that the liquid will not flow into or out of said chamber unless an air vent is provided through which air may leave the chamber as liquid enters the same, and vice versa. Accordingly, the faucet is herein shown as provided with a vent passage 65 extending through the head member Il and leading through a conduit B2i to the top of the fiavoring liquid reservoir I6 which is open to atmospheric pressure.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be appreciated that the construction and operation of my improved faucet is-simple and that it may be taken apart and reassembled without the aid of special tools or mechanical skill, for example, by merely disconnecting the

nipples

21 and 29 and unscrewing the locking rings 33 and 4|, the complete faucet may be disassembled for cleansing purposes. In the alternative, the faucet 5 may be thoroughly cleansed by merely disconnecting the coupling nipple 29a and connecting to the faucet a hose leading from a hot water line which will serve to thoroughly wash out the faucet.

Although I have shown and described a prefered embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes in the details of construction of the faucet may be made Within the range .of mechanical and engineering skill without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A stationary beverage dispensing device comprising a housing having therein a chamber providing a substantially fixed hydrostatic pressure for flavoring liquid, said chamber having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a slide valve within the housing movable to substantially simultaneously open one of said passages :and close the other of said passages, a duct for carbonated water concentrically disposed in relation to the chamber, a normally closed spring-seated valve controlling said duct, said slide valve and springseated control valve being concentrically disposed, a discharge spout below both said chamber and said duct, and a single means for operating said valves.

2. A stationary beverage dispensing device comprising a housing having therein a flavoring liquid chamber having an inlet Vand outlet Dassage, a slide valve Within the housing movable to substantially simultaneously open one of said passages and close the other of said passages, a duct for carbonated water concentrically disposed in relation to the chamber, a normally closed spring-seated valve controlling said duct, said slide valve and spring-seated control valve being concentrically disposed, a discharge spout below both said chamber and said duct, and means for substantially simultaneously operating said valves.

JOHN H. DONNELLY.V

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 925,436 Kenly June 15, 1909 963,530 Dosterschill July 5, 1910 1,140,888 Eckersley Mayl 25, 1925 2,308,408 Wall Jan. 12, 1943