US3332444A

US3332444A - Beverage dispensing faucet

Info

Publication number: US3332444A
Application number: US457945A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herman H Harr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-05-24
Filing date: 1965-05-24
Publication date: 1967-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-25

Description

Juiy 25, 1967 H. H. HARR BEVERAGE DISPENSING FAUCET Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTOR HERMAN H. HARE BY 7 A TTOR/VEY United States Patent M 3,332,444 BEVERAGE DISPENSING FAUCET Herman H. Harr, 238 Fells Road, Essex Feils, NJ. 07021 Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 457,945 2 Claims. (Cl. 137---625.4)

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 324,069, filed on Nov. 15, 1963 by Herman H. Harr, and now Patent No. 3,204,830 granted Sept. 7, 1965.

The present invention deals with a faucet for dispensing beverages containing carbonated water and syrup. More specifically, it deals with a dispensing faucet wherein a handle moves a valve slide having a vertical opening which, when in proper position, permits flow therethrough of flavored syrup, and also permits carbonated water to flow axially with respect to said slide and to mix with said syrup before it reaches the container into which the drink or beverage is dispensed. The invention herein pertains to a downwardly-directed short tube inserted in the outlet opening of the slide for the purpose of minimizing greatly the foaming of the beverage.

There have been a number of dispensing faucets disclosed in the art wherein a slide releases a flow of flavored syrup to commingle with an axially-directed flow of carbonated water. For example, US. Patents 2,416,581 and 2,578,543 disclose such faucets. One difficulty experienced with such faucets has been the excessive foaming of the beverage as it is being dispensed. The flavored syrup usually contains foaming agents, such as essential oils, sugar, etc., and when the carbonated water strikes this syrup, as it impinges the syrup stream at right angles, considerable swirling occurs, and this, together with the effect of the foaming accelerators, produces a great liberation of carbon dioxide. This effect, of course, reduces the amount of dissolved carbonation in the beverage, thereby resulting in a drink of reduced palatability and a tendency toward flatness. This effect is particularly noticeable in the case of chocolate syrup drinks, since the presence of butter fat and the other foaming accelerators greatly slows down the filling of the beverage glass at the counter, and also often requires combing off to the foam from the top of the glass.

It has been observed that the liberation of carbon dioxide from a carbonated liquid is somewhat of a chain reaction. The more the foam liberation, the greater is the initiation of further foam formation, so that it is highly important to reduce the foaming at impact to the least possible degree.

According to the present invention, the foaming at impact is reduced considerably by insertion into the valve slide opening of a short tube which deflects the effect of the carbonated water stream from the syrup stream, so that both streams are flowing in the same direction at the moment of impingement. In such a case, the carbonated water has passed the area of turbulence and both streams glide by as they mix gradually without the strong agitation which otherwise would occur. Provision must be made for removal of this tube prior to assembly of the valve and accessible space sould be provided at the faucet outlet to permit insertion of the tube into the valve slide opening after assembly of the valve.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is described, and in which FIGURE 1 presents a cross-sectional side view of a faucet of the present invention in shut-off position. FIGURES 2 and 3 are side views of the valve slide and portions of co-acting valve parts of the faucet of FIGURE 1, the slide in waterdispensing and syrup and water-dispensing positions, respectively. The same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

3,332,444 Patented July 25, 1967 Referring again to the drawing, numeral 29 refers to a housing made of metal or plastic, preferably the latter, which housing is connected to a threaded charged water inlet 35. The faucet has an outlet 33 disposed at right angles to the main body 29. It also has a handle opening and extension 36, a concentrate (syrup) inlet extension and opening 37, and a dummy opening 38, which is normally closed off with" plug 39. The handle opening 36 connects with cylindrical bore 40 in which latter may reciprocate the valve slide, indicated generally as 41.

Valve slide 41, riding in bore 40, in close-fitting relation, is cylindrical in cross-section, and is provided with a vertical slot or hole 42 which accommodates end 43 of lever arm 44, attached to ball 45 riding in socket 46. Ball 45 is held in place against its socket, in sealing relation, by spring 47 which, in turn, is held in place by threaded cap 48 which is screwed onto the threads of housing extension 36. Handle 32 is screwed onto screw 49 projecting from ball 45.

Valve slide 41 is narrowed slightly at its middle portion and, directly under extension and opening 37, it is flattened on top to give a flat sliding surface 50 on which slides gasketed end 51 of the lower portion 52 of syrup feed line or tube 53. Gland member 54 screwed into the opening of extension 37 seats on shoulder 55 and also on O- ring 56 which latter seals it with respect to the opening of extension 37. A spring (not shown) between gland member 54 and shoulder 55 maintains a constant thrust of gasketed end 51 on surface 50, in liquid sealing relation therewith.

Valve slide 41 terminates at the faucet water inlet end with enlarged end 57, the outer edge of which is provided with a seating shoulder lined with gasket 58, which latter seats in sealing relation against ring 59 projecting from the inner wall of the faucet body. A vertical hole 60, connectable with the hole in tube end 52, is drilled through valve slide 41.

Into the bottom of hole 60 is inserted closely-fitting short tube 61 which extends into and within the space circumscribed by faucet outlet 33. This tube may be inserted into hole 60 by use of a long-nosed pliers introduced through outlet 61 after slide 41 has been assembled in housing 29.

Tube 53 may be connected with flexible tube 31, at angle 30, and tube 53 extends to and connects With a drain nipple of a syrup reservoir (not shown).

Connected to threaded end 35 of housing 2.9 is the water flow control attachment, indicated generally by numeral 70. It consists of hollow nipple 71 threaded on its interior to accommodate fastening bolts 72 for attaching the entire faucet into a hole of a counter support, for example. One end of nipple '71 is provided with a shoulder 72 and a gasket 74 for fastening, by means of union coupling 75, to end 35 of housing 29, in outside sealing relation therewith. The inner bore 76 of nipple 71 is tapered to accommodate tapered plug 77 which has a larger round end 78 facing the interior of housing 29. A long screw 79 passing through the wall of housing 29 (in conventional O-ring sealing relation therewith) is used to hold in position the larger end 78 of plug 77.

The other end 80 of nipple 71 is connected, by means of gasket and union coupling 82, to the end 28 of carbonated water line 83. A spring 84, disposed between gasket 81 and smaller circular end 85 of plug 77, urges the plug toward the inside of housing 29, which thrust is resisted by screw 79. The purpose of plug 77 is to control the volume of carbonated water, the flow of which takes place between the inner wall 76 of nipple 71 and the wall of plug 77. By turning screw 79, the space between the two walls may be altered to adjust the volume of water flowing therebetween.

The inner wall of housing end 35 and outer wall of nipple end 90 are provided with axially-directed intermeshable corrugations 91 which prevent nipple 71 from turning independently of housing 29.

In operation, when the faucet handle 32 is pushed all the way to the left, as in FIGURE 1, gasket 58 seats against ring 59, thus preventing charged water from flowing through housing 29, so that no water would be dispensed through outlet 33. Also, since the opening of tube 53 at gasketed end 51 is sealed off by fiat surface 50 of valve slide 41, no syrup is dispensed through tube 61, either. In other words, the faucet is completely shut off. By moving handle 32 to the right so that slide 41 is in the position as in FIGURE 2, it will be noted that gasket 58 is pushed away from sealing position against ring 59, thereby permitting water to pass past the ring, as indicated by the arrow. However, the opening of tube 53 is still closed off at gasketed end 51 by flat surface 50 of slide 41, so that no syrup leaves tube 61, and only water is dispensed through outlet 33.

Then, as handle 32 is moved completely to the right, the valve slide 41 is in the position as shown in FIGURE 3. In this case, the openings of

tubes

53 and 61 are practically superimposed, so that syrup flows out of

tube

31 and 61, and into the space circumscribed by outlet 33. Also, since gasket 58 also is moved away from its sealing seat 59, it is apparent that, in this position, the faucet dispenses both Water and syrup. One important feature of this faucet is that, during the dispensing, water always precedes the syrup flow and just prior to shut-off, water is the last to be shut off, so that all syrup is washed off before and after dispensing, making the faucet self-cleaning.

It will be noted that the axially-directed stream of carbonated water changes direction to a right-angled turn at outlet 33. Since tube 61 carries the syrup past the area of axial flow of water and into the space circumscribed by outlet 33, the carbonated water and syrup streams, at impact, are flowing in parallel relation to each other, and thus foaming is greatly minimized.

For a 1" size faucet, the slide 29 crosswise the flat portion would measure about Hole 60 can have a diameter of about which would be the approximate outside diameter of tube 61, although the bottom portion of hole 69 can be enlarged to take a tube having an outside diameter of in which case the tube 61 can have the same inner diameter as that of hole 60. Since outlet 33 would be about A long, tube 61 can extend below slide 29 for a distance of about hi to about A". In order to reduce the width of the beverage stream leaving outlet 33, it is desirable to insert a removable inner sleeve which can reduce outlet diameter from, say about to say,

about I claim: 1. A carbonated water and syrup beverage dispensing faucet of the type described, comprising in combination,

an elongated hollow body,

a movable valve slide axially disposed within said body and having a shut off means at its end for opening or closing off an axially-directed flow of carbonated water around said slide, and having a central portion provided with a flat slide upper surface,

a syrup feed line led through said body in outside sealing relation and having a flat end terminating within said body and disposed to slide on said fiat surface in liquid sealing relation,

an outlet disposed in said body at right angles to the the axis thereof and positioned opposite said syrup feed line,

a vertical hole disposed in said flattened area and through said slide and connectable through movement of said slide, with said syrup feed line end in liquid sealing relation, and

a tube projecting from the bottom of said hole and extending into the area circumscribed by said outlet.

said slide hole and end shut-off means being positioned in a manner such that when the slide is moved in one direction, the shut-off means is opened, then, on further movement of said slide, the syrup feed line end is disposed in alignment with said hole so that both water and syrup are dispensed.

2. A beverage dispensing faucet according to claim 1,

in which the inner diameter of said tube has the same diameter as that of said hole.

No references cited.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

J. R. DWELLE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A CARBONATED WATER AND SYRUP BEVERAGE DISPENSING FAUCET OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY, A MOVABLE VALVE SLIDE AXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY AND HAVING A SHUT OFF MEANS AT ITS END FOR OPENING OR CLOSING OFF AN AXIALLY-DIRECTED FLOW OF CARBONATED WATER AROUND SAID SLIDE, AND HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION PROVIDED WITH A FLAT SLIDE UPPER SURFACE, A SYRUP FEED LINE LED THROUGH SAID BODY IN OUTSIDE SEALING RELATION AND HAVING A FLAT END TERMINATING WITHIN SAID BODY AND DISPOSED TO SLIDE ON SAID FLAT SURFACE IN LIQUID SEALING RELATION, AN OUTLET DISPOSED IN SAID BODY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE THE AXIS THEREOF AND POSITIONED OPPOSITE SAID SYRUP FEED LINE, A VERTICAL HOLE DISPOSED IN SAID FLATTENED AREA AND THROUGH SAID SLIDE AND CONNECTABLE THROUGH MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, WITH SAID SYRUP FEED LINE END IN LIQUID SEALING RELATION, AND A TUBE PROJECTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOLE AND EXTENDING INTO THE AREA CIRCUMSCRIBED BY SAID OUTLET, SAID SLIDE HOLE AND END SHUT-OFF MEANS BEING POSITIONED IN A MANNER SUCH THAT WHEN THE SLIDE IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION THE SHUT-OFF MEANS IS OPENED, THEN, ON FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, THE SYRUP FEED LINE END IS DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID HOLE SO THAT BOTH WATER AND SYRUP ARE DISPENSED.