US3193160A - High speed metered pouring spout device - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1965 w. VElT ETAL HIGH SPEED METERED POURING SPOUT DEVICE Filed Jan. 17, 1964 B M5245 7: 6254mm United States Patent 3,193,160 HIGH SFEED METERED PGURING SPGUT DEVICE Walter L. Veit, 713 E. Park St, anta Maria, Calitl;

This invention relates to metered pouring spouts and more particularly to high speed metered pouring spouts and the like which depend upon the syphon principle for their operation.

In the past the syphon type of spout as used for dispensing beverages, liquids and the like were slow in operation, hard to assemble and disassemble due to threaded connections and were diflicult to keep clean in compliance with prescribed health regulations.

The instant invention solves the above problems, is automatic and fast in operation in that the components of the inventive device are properly adjusted to suit the natural flow of the liquid from a bottle or container held in a natural pouring position as there is substantially no delay of refilling after the syphoning action of each pouring or dispensing has been broken, which actually permits timing of the pouring spout of this new invention. This new inventive device is easily cleaned and permits pouring accuracy which exceeds that of the most experienced professional bar tender. Spillage is eliminated, since there is ample time to get from one serving glass to the next glass while the liquid is rising in the syphon cup of the device for the next pour.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a dependable, accurate and high speed metered pouring spout device adapted to be inserted in the opening of a bottle neck and the like for dispensing fluid therefrom in a predetermined measured amount in a serving glass, cup or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new high speed metered pouring spout for a liquid container which has removable metering inserts frictionally fitted to the inside of the pour tube so designed as to have difterent shoulder thicknesses at its inner end to provide different fluid syphoning levels as a means of pouring any given or predetermined amount of liquid, such method of adjustment being far more positive than other types of adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metered pouring spout which is timed to a designated period of pour into a serving glass and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retractable insert and pouring spout with flipper lid means so adapted and formed as to be pushed back into the bulbous body means of the device to form part of the eneral external contour of the body means during transit or storage of the inventive device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flipper lid means on an insert pour spout means which will act as a means of camming or pulling the retractable insert pour spout out of the inside of the body of the device by lifting the flipper lid means with the operators finger nail and pulling externally the outward end of the insert pour spout preparatory to use of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a high speed metered pouring spout device which is free of conventional time delay fluid voids or traps therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slitted pouring spout which is adapted to allow the last drop of a pour of a liquid to run back into the tube, and down into the chamber or bottle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a 3,193,16h Patented July 6, 1965 high speed metered syphon action pouring spout device which may be quickly assembled and disassembled by an angular and annular snap seal joint means therein.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of the inventive device as seen in a pouring position after the upper end thereof is inserted into a bottle opening;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG- URE 1 taken substantially on lines 2-2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the upper body portion of FIGURE 1, taken on lines 3-4), in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the lower body portion of FIGURE 1 taken on lines 44 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a lower end view of the flipper lid attached to the extended pouring spout of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention with a retracted pouring spout as seen after the upper end of the device is inserted into an opening of a bottle held in a tilted pouring position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 disclose an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising, in general, a bulbous body means 9, a removable tensioned flipper sleeve means 10 secured to pour spout means 11 which is integral with a lower body means. 12 of bulbous body means 9 secured by angular annular snap seal joint means 13 to an upper body means 14 terminating in a neck means 16 having therearound a plastic stopper means 15 adapted for insertion into a bottle opening 15a of bottle means 15b. Stopper means 15 surrounds an air tube means 16a with air aperture means 16b and a liquid flow conduit means 17 with liquid aperture means 17a.

Pour spout means 11 contains an aperture means 11a therein and a lower end portion containing spaced slots lib to prevent formation of drops of liquid thereon after the bottle is returned to its upright position by allowing such drops of liquid to escape down inside pour tube and into the chamber or bottle which will tend to keep the front of the bottle dry and prevent formation and accumulation of the dispensed liquid thereon which accumulation would result in a a loss of surplus liquid and necessitate periodic cleaning thereof. This accumulation of droplets of liquid may seem relatively unimportant, but when considered with the fact that there are as many as 32 of those droplets per quart of dispensed liquid, such accumulation of droplets does create an undesirable condition during use if not controlled.

Flipper sleeve means 10 is removable and frictionally secured to the lower end of pour spout means 11 as shown. Sleeve means 10 terminates in a hinge means 16a which secures flipper lid means 10b to sleeve means 18 which serves as a dust cover or enclosure means for pour tube means l1 when not in use and during transitv Upper body means 14 comprises an inner recess means 14a; an air'vent aperture means 22a, an, inverted cup means 25 communicating with recess means 12a and 14a and airaperture means 16b of upper tubular neck means 16 aligned with aperture 20;: of restriction member 20 in tubular means 17. The upper tubular neck means 16 of upper body means 14 is surrounded by a resilient plas-' tic stopper means 15, preferably formed of polyvinyl chloride or the like, which is adapted to fit into the stopper or neck portion 15a of a conventional bottle container 15b as a vacuum seal'to pour servings of a liquid or alcoholic beverages fromsaid bottle means 15b.

Internal cup means 25 communicates by recess means 14a and elliptical aperture means 21 with liquid aperture means 17a in composite tubular means 17 which communicates with the liquid contents of a bottle container 15b positioned in alignment and secured to plastic stopper means 15 in the inclined position as best indicated in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 6 is a modification of FIGURE 1 in that pour tube 30 comprises an inner shoulder means 32 of a desired thickness for metered pouring of a' desired 4 means 22 of upper body means 14 for free flow of liquid 40 from bottle means 15b and plastic stopper means 15 serves as a vacuum seal between the device and a fluid container 15b, and air tube 16a of a certain determined length for a designated timed pour of liquid and has a restriction means 20 therein with an aligned aperture 20a of such dimension as to permit free flow of air to the interior of a bottle of liquid but will not permit free flow of liquid therethrough. Liquid tube 17 of neck means 16 is of a shorter length than air tube means 16a and communicates with interior body recess means 14a by apertured slot means 21 which is of such dimension as to critcially allow fluid flow therethrough without substantially venting air to bottle 15b from interior recess means 14a of suflicient quantity to break the vacuum seal betweenthe bottle and the inventive device during each syphoned metered pour of fluid therefrom. 7

"FIGURE 6 is similar in structural parts and function to FIGURE 1, exceptthat pour spont'30 sealably telescopes amount of liquid for each pour of the inventive device. I

Pour t-ube means adjustably telescopes within upstand ing inner tubular member 26c of lower body member 12c.

during transit or packaging or non-use of the invention.

Upper body means 14 comprises neck beans 16, air conduit means 16a with aperture 16b, an air vent restricted aperture means 22a, and fluid conduit means '17 with aperture means 17:: and 21 therein.

Neck means 16 is externally surrounded by a plastic means 13a and bottom aperture means 34 for telescopically receiving pour tube means 30. Aperture means 34 terminates in an outer cam surface shoulder'means adapted to be cammed by the back hinge portion of lid or flipper means 10c, when flippermeans 100 secured to pour tube means 30 is raised by the operators thumb nail'to start the outwardly sliding of pour-tube means 30 from lower body member 120 for an extended position to dispen'se fluidtherefroni. Upper body member 14 includes a male snap joint means 13b that comates with female jointmeans'13a of snap joint means 13 of: body means 9. a I

The narrow shoulder means25a of cup means 25 0f FIGURE 1 and 6 serves to deflect'liquid to apertures within upstanding tube portion 260 of lower body member 12c and'ter minates inwardly in shoulder portion 32 which is positioned at point 35, shown in broken lines, during use or in the normal syphoning poistion of shoulder means 32. v e

Lower body means 12c of FIGURE '6 has. an inner recess means 12d and inner recess means 26d in tube means 260 which is aligned with outer cam shoulder aperture means 35. Shoulder means 35 comates with flipper I lid hinge portion 10d to start withdrawal of insertpour tube means 30 from lower body portion 120 preparatory to use after shipment and the like. 7

In FIGURES 1 and.6 the shoulder portion 25a of pouring ,cup 25 is used'for deflection of fluid downwardly during a syphoned pour of liquid.

In FIGURE 1 insert means 22 has a restricted apera ture27 as compared to truste -conical aperture means 27a therein. Aperture 27 is restricted to concentrate the syphon fluid within insert means 22 without being broken by an air bubble .while aperture means 27a permits free flow of syphon fluid downward after the fluid'ha's passed the critical shoulder position 23 in its travel during a syphoned pouring. Likewise the apertures -34band 34a in inserttube means 30 of FIGURE 6 serves the same 7 unique purpose in the device, duringa syphon pour of liquid as apertures 27 and m respectively serve during a single dispensed pour of liquid in FIGURE 1..

During operation, fluid in recess 12a of FIGURE 1 is syphoned over shoulder means 23 down through internal 7, recess means 11a of pour tube means 11 until the fluid 27 and 3412. during the syphoning pour through the interior of cup means 25. a

In FIGURE 6, shoulder means 32 1 indicated in broken lines show the operating point of position of insert flange ean 32- J Referring to'FI GURES 1 and 6, angular annular snap seal means 13 is comprised of a lower female detent means 13a and an upper male detent means 13b, as shown.

The upperbody means 14 of FIGURES 1 and 6 are operably interchangeable therebetween, each' being. functionally comprised of like structural components, as shown. V

In operation of the device the plastic stopper means 15 is inserted into the opening of a bottle orcontainer means 155 'r' 19, r FIGURES 1 and s, and tilted to a position as'indicated for dispensing into a serving glass or contain-' er means (not shown) below the lower end of pour spout level in internal recess'means 12a of body means 9 is silghtly lowered below the lower edge means 25a of inverted cup means 25 after which air from vent means 22 breaks or stops. thesyphon cycle, after which fluid again begins to: pour from the bottle through aperture 21 to fill recess 12a and 14a of body members 12 and 14 slight- 1y above shoulder means 23, respectively to start a new fluid syphon cycle .or another fluidpour. v

In FIGURE 6 when shoulder means 32 is lowered to point 35a and fluid'from aperture means 21 fills recess means 12d and partially nus recess means 14a of body means 9 for the fluid to begin flowing j.over shoulder means 32 then the 'syphoncyclestarts and continues until the liquid level reaches the bottom edge..25b of cup 25 at which time the syphon action is broken by atmospheric pressure and the fluid from bottle means. 15b flows again through aperture means 21 to fill recess means 12a. and 14a until the syphonv cycle resumes 'until air broken by lowering of fluideinrecess means 12a and 12d of 111 one pouring pos tion for varlous' metered p onrmgs,

URE 1 fills the-interior recess portion 12a of body means 9 slightly above adjustable shoulder means 23 during which time the air -'therein is vented through aperture FIGURESI and 6, respectively. V V v 7 .Another novel feature of'this device istthat it operates making for greater, accuracy, in that. the metered pour of liquid is controlled by the position .of shoulder means 23 of insert means 22 of FIGUREI or, shoulder 32 of insert' pour tube means 30 of FIGURE 2, respectively- From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved high speed metered syphon actuated liquid dispensing device which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to certain preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated, that various modifications and changes may be made in the invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Although the elongated slot means 21 has been found to provide the optimum flow characteristics of the liquid from the bottle, it will be seen that a plurality of spaced aperture means such as shown in dotted lines at 21 in FIGURE 3 will function in a similar manner and may be used in place of, or in addition to, the slot 21.

We claim:

1. A high speed syphon dispenser device for dispensing liquid from a bottle and the like in predetermined amounts comprising a bulbous intermediate body means,

I a tubular and angular upstanding neck portion communicating with the interior of said body means and an aperture of a fluid container, and a lower tubular pouring spout means communicating with said body means and adapted to be received by a serving glass, said body means comprising therein air vent means, inverted cup means cooperating with said upstanding neck portion to receive liquid contents from a bottle container, a lower upstanding tubular means in said body means aligned with said pouring spout to periodically syphon a predetermined amount of liquid into a serving container, said body means comprising an upper body means, a lower body means and angular arcuate threadless snap sealing means for sealably uniting said body portions, said tubular neck portion comprising an elongated air tube means having therein apertured restriction means that will readily permit free flow of air to the interior of a bottle but will not permit free flow of liquid therethrough and a shorter tubular fluid conduit means communicating with fluid in a bottleneck and the interior of said body means to dispense fluid from a bottle, said tubular spout comprising a plurality of slots therein for return flow of drops of liquid therein, collar and biased hinged lid enclosure means adapted to fixedly close the lower end of said pour spout, and said lower upstanding tubular means in said body means comprising a shouldered insert means juxtaposed within said inverted cup means in said upper body portion to adjust each syphon pour of liquid from said device.

2. A high speed syphon dispenser device for dispensing liquid from a bottle as in claim 1, wherein said pour tube is adapted to be sealably contracted within said lower body portion during shipment.

3. A high speed syphon dispenser device for dispensing liquid from a bottle as in claim 2, wherein said lower body portion comprises an apertured recess means comprising cam shoulder means to receive and comate with the means hinging said lid means to extend externally of said body means, said pour tube means to pour metered liquid from said device.

4. A high speed syphon dispenser device for dispensing liquid from a container as in claim 3, wherein said neck portion of said device contains a flexible stopper means thereon adapted to communicate in vacuum tight relationship with the aperture of a fluid container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,181 1/31 Wolf 222517 2,442,133 5/48 Legarra 22271 2,689,671 9/54 Berwich 2224l6 3,097,769 7/63 Payne 222416 3,102,362 9/63 NeaI 27358.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,959 1/62 Germany.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A HIGH SPEED SYPHON DISPENSER DEVICE FOR DISPENSING LIQUID FROM A BOTTLE AND THE LIKE IN PREDETERMINED AMOUNTS COMPRISING A BULBOUS INTERMEDIATE BODY MEANS, A TUBULAR AND ANGULAR UPSTANDING NECK PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEANS AND AN APERTURE OF A FLUID CONTAINER, AND A LOWER TUBULAR POURING SPOUT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BODY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED BY A SERVING GLASS, SAID BODY MEANS COMPRISING THEREIN AIR VENT MEANS, INVERTED CUP MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID UPSTANDING NECK PORTION TO RECEIVE LIQUID CONTENTS FROM A BOTTLE CONTAINER, A LOWER UPSTANDING TUBULAR MEANS IN SAID BODY MEANS ALIGNED WITH SAID POURING SPOUT TO PERIODICALLY SYPHON A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF LIQUID INTO A SERVING CONTAINER, SAID BODY MEANS COMPRISING AN UPPER BODY MEANS, A LOWER BODY MEANS AND ANGULAR ARCUATE THREADLESS SNAP SEALING MEANS FOR SEALABLY UNITING SAID BODY PORTIONS, SAID TUBULAR NECK PORTION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED AIR TUBE MEANS HAVING THEREIN APERTURED RESTRICTION MEANS THAT WILL READILY PERMIT FREE FLOW OF AIR TO THE INTERIOR OF A BOTTLE BUT WILL NOT PERMIT FREE FLOW OF LIQUID THERETHROUGH AND A SHORTER TUBULAR FLUID CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH FLUID IN A BOTTLENECK AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEANS TO DISPENSE FLUID FROM A BOTTLE, SAID TUBULAR SPOUT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS THEREIN FOR RETURN FLOW OF DROPS OF LIQUID THEREIN, COLLAR AND BIASED HINGED LID ENCLOSURE MEANS ADAPTED TO FIXEDLY CLOSE THE LOWER END OF SAID POUR SPOUT, AND SAID LOWER UPSTANDING TUBULAR MEANS IN SAID BODY MEANS COMPRISING A SHOULDERED INSERT MEANS JUXTAPOSED WITHIN SAID INVERTED CUP MEANS IN SAID UPPER BODY PORTION TO ADJUST EACH SYPHON POUR OF LIQUID FROM SAID DEVICE.

Images