US3384276A

US3384276A - Valved dispenser in combination with an aerating device for a bottled liquid

Info

Publication number: US3384276A
Application number: US642011A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert F Henningfield
Original assignee: Robert F. Henningfield
Current assignee: ROBERT F HENNINGFIELD
Priority date: 1967-05-29
Filing date: 1967-05-29
Publication date: 1968-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1985-05-21

Description

y 1968 R. F. HENNINGFIELD 3,384,276

VALVED DISPENSER IN COMBINATION WITH AN AERATING DEVICE FOR A BOTTLED LIQUID Filed May 29, 1967 I N VEN TOR BY 1 F/. 6 W WWW United States Patent 3,384,276 VALVED DISPENSER IN COMBINATION WITH AN AERATING DEVICE FOR A BOTTLED LIQUID Robert F. Henningfield, P.O. Box 216, Waterford, Wis. 53185 Filed May 29, 1967, Ser. No. 642,011 Claims. (Cl. 222-479) This invention relates to a liquid dispenser for an aerated liquid body substance egressing from the dispenser as when gravitating from a narrow necked bottle, and more particularly to a valve member associated with both the aerating and dispensing device.

The invention residing within a valve member which is adapted for use with an aerating device which is associated with the open mouth of a conventional liqueur bottle, and which valve member synchronizes selectively the opening or closing of a pair of liquid outlet and air inlet ports.

The main object of my invention is to provide a valved dispenser in association with an aerating device for a bottled liquid body substance which will facilitate the metering of a drink portion directed into a shot glass positioned on a planar surface, and which will substantially preclude the splashing of the liquid body substance over the sides thereof, whereby wasting the valuable product, and the time required to wipe up the drippings.

Another object of my invention is to provide the means within a liquid dispensing valve which will effect a dual sealing means for both the air inlet and liquid outlet ports associated with the aerating device which will substantially preclude the evaporation of the remaining portion of a liqueur body substance stored within a bottle, as it is now known to occur through the use of cross threaded caps, and deteriorated cork plugs which are adapted to serve as closures for liqueur bottles.

A further object of my invention is to provide a closure means for a liqueur bottle which will preclude the trapping of a winged insect as through the open mouth of the bottle.

A still further object of my invention resides in the means for interlocking the valved dispenser with a bottle which precludes tampering with the liquid body substance, and also conforms to the regulations on liquor bottle closures as is so set forth in the Federal liquor statutes.

A still further and important object of my invention is to provide a valved liquid dispenser for use by distilleries at a relatively low manufacturing cost whereby they can be destroyed by bartenders working in licensed drinking establishments, as when destroying the empty liquor bottle.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will henceforth become more readily apparent through the following specification with reference had to the accompanied drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate similar components of construction, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of my invention as when adapted for use with a conventional liquor bottle which is fragmentary in order to conserve space.

FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 1, with the use of arrows being employed to illustrate pictorially the directions taken by both the ingressing of air through the liquid dispenser toward the interior of the bottle and the simultaneous egressing of a liquid body substance gravitating therefrom.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view in side elevation of my invention with certain selective portions removed from the body members in order to reveal inner components of construction.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FIG. 3.

3,384,276 Patented May 21, 1968 FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of the same FIG. 3.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view taken substantially on the line 1010 of FIG. 3.

Referring now best to both FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing there is illustrated a present and preferred embodiment of my invention which in general constitutes a tubular and cylindrical casing 16 and a valve member 30 which is associated therewith, with the casing 16 and the valve member 30 being best illustrated in FIG. 3. Both of these components of construction are moulded of a plastic material known as Polypropylene which is classified as Grade 1014 un-modified. It being established that moulded products of this plastic material have an inherent characteristic of becoming substantially pliable when in a heated state and substantially rigid during the heat loss thereof; whereby making it possible to either inter-fit or over-fit various components which serve to make up a complete product. Furthermore, moulded products of this plastic material are impervious, low in process odors, and which can be produced at a relatively low manufacturing cost when considered with its intended purpose.

The tubular casing 16 consists of a lower body portion 11 which is substantially sector in shape, and which carries a neck portion 11a at an upwardly inclined angle thereto, and which is provided with a face portion 26 on the lower inclined axis thereof.

Interposing the lower body portion 11 and the neck portion 11a there is provided a closure member 18 which is disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the neck portion 11a.

Depending from the lower body portion 11 there is an integral collar 15 which has its opening aligned in concentric relation with the interior of the lower chamber 18a of the casing 16. The collar 15 is provided with an annular groove 14 medially and interiorly thereof, and depending therefrom there is provided a flared opening 14a which extends through the lower portion thereof.

The collar 15 serves to secure the casing 16 in superposed relation with a prefilled liqueur bottle 12 having an enlongated neck portion 13, an annular bead 17 surrounding the open mouth thereof, and a rib 13a which is in contiguous relation with the bead 17. The flared opening 14a serves to seat the upper portion of the bottle rib 13a therein, and the annular groove 14 serves to complement a sealing fit with the bottle bead 17 as when the casing 16 is in a heated state whereby the flared opening 14a can be press fitted over the bottle bead 17, and when the casing 16 has attained a substantially rigid state during the heat loss thereof, the collar 15 serves to lock the casing 16 with the bottle 12 and which composite serves to preclude the removal of the former from the latter for the reason to be hereinafter described.

Disposed eccentrically the closure member 18 and aligned at right angles to the medial and longitudinal axis of the casings 16, face 26, there is provided a bore defined herein as an air inlet port 21 from which depends an integral conduit 22 provided with a closure member 24 at the lower free end thereof, and adjacent thereto there is provided an opening 23 which transverses the wall of the conduit 22, and which opening 23 is adjacent the inner wall of the bottle 12 intermediate the upper end thereof, and aligned diametrically with the air inlet port 21 and spaced equally the opposite radial sides of the air inlet port 21 there is provided a second bore defined herein as a liquid outlet port 20 whereby, it is readily apparent that when the 'bottle 12 is inclined from a vertical axis with the liquid body substance favoring the liquid outlet port 20, the closure member 24 associated with the conduit 22 will preclude the liquid body substance from entering and blocking the passage therein which would interfere with the air passing through the conduit 22 in the direction of the arrows 49, and which air at atmospheric pressure fills the void above the liquid body substance when gravitating through the liquid outlet port 20 in the direction of the arrows 48 thereby the areated liquid body substance will {flow freely and quietly from the upper chamber 29a associated With the casing 16, however, and in order to control the rate of fiow of the liquid body substance egressingthe upper chamber 29:: it is necessary to carefully manipulate the level of the liquid body substance through the bottle 12, and unless a shot glass is brought into association with the upper chamber 29a.the liquid body'substance will have a tendency to splash when dispensed therein, consequently dripping from the sides thereof, which generally constituted both a waste of the product and time consumed in drying the surface uponwhich the shot glass is positioned. Furthermore, it being established that an alcoholic vapor emitted through the opening of a bottle when inadvertently left open will stun a winged insect perched upon the mouth thereof whereby, trapping the insect when falling inwardly the neck thereof, and consequently contaminating the product, and through consideration of these aforementioned problems I have devised a valve member 30 which in combination with the herein described liquid aerating device will substantially preclude the aforementioned problems from occurring, and which combination constitutes my invention as henceforth described.

Provided with the upper body portion 11a associated with the casing 16 and transversing at right angles the face 26 thereof there is provided a laterally mounted liquid dispensing tube 28 the interior of which communicates with the chamber 29a, and diametrically aligned therewith and provided through the opposite side of the wall thereof there is an opening defined as a primary air inlet port 27, having its diametric axis aligned in parallelism with the diametric axis which bisects both the air-inlet port 21 now to be known as the secondary air-inlet port, and the liquid outlet port 20. I

Now best referring to FIGURE 3 within the drawing there is shown the valve member 30 removed from the casing 16, and which comprises a cylindrical core 50 provided with an annular groove 34 adjacent the lower wall 33 thereof. The core 50 complements a rotatable fit with the peripheral surface surrounding the chamber 29a and serves to seal both the liquid outlet and the secondary air inlet ports 20 and 21 respectively, as when the lower wall 33 thereof bears resiliently against the upper face 19 of the closure member 18, and which relationship is secured against forward axial movement 'by an integral annular rib 29 provided upon the inner peripheral surface of the upper body portion 11a which complements a frictional fit with the annular groove 34 as when the core member 50 is press fitted within the chamber 29a during the established heat state of the casing 16 as has been previosuly described.

The core member 50 is adapted to serve alternately as a means to either establish or to break a communicating means between the primary air and secondary air inlet ports 27 and 21 respectively, and to synchronize therewith the making or breaking of a communicating means between the liquid dispensing tube 28 and the liquid port 20 as through a pair of spaced and diametrically aligned

bores

31 and 32 which have their lower intermediate portions transversing the lower wall 33 of the core member 50 and which are disposed in registry with both the secondary air inlet and the liquid outlet pair of respective ports 21 and 20, the opposite and upper intermediate portions of the

bores

31 and 32 transverse diametrically the opposite radial sides of the core member 50 and which bores 31 and 32 are aligned in registry with the primary air inlet port 27 and the liquid dispensing tube 28, whereby it is readily apparent that the core member 50 is further adapted to provide a dual sealing means for both the secondary air inlet and the liquid outlet pair of respective ports 21 and 20 which have been described as in communication with the interior of the bottle 12 and thereby substantially obviating the evaporation of the alcoholic liquid body substance stored therein, as when the

bores

31 and 32 are moved out of alignment with their respective inlet and outlet ports as through the rotational movement of the core member 50, and which rotational movement is effected by the manipulation of a winged lever 44.

The Winged lever 44 is provided with an indexing member 45 formed with one end portion thereof, and which lever 44 surmounts diametrically a cylindrical head member having the lower wall thereof aligned in concentric relation with both the free end wall of the core member 50 and the free end or rim of the casing 16, both the lever 44 and the head member 35 are detachably secured to the core member 50 as by a pair of flat headed and slotted machine screws 46 each of which complement slidably a pair of spaced bores 40 and 41 provided transversely through the lever 44, and a second pair of respective bores 40 and 41 provided transversely through the head member 35, and which screws 46 threadedly engage respective apertures 42 and 43 provided within the upper body portion of the core member 50, and interposing the contiguous relation of the lower wall 33 associated with the valve member 30 and both the upper end wall of the core member and the rim of the casing 16 there is provided a resilient gasket 36 which is adapted to serve as an impervious seal for the contiguous relation between the peripheral wall surface of the core member 50 and the inner peripheral wall surface of the upper body portion 11a associated with the casing 16.

For convenience of operation relative to the open or closed positions of the valve member 30 there is provided an arcuate slot 35 which may be disposed eccentrically and aligned medially on the diametric axis which interposes the first and fourth quadrants of the lower wall 33 associated therewith. The arcuate slot 35 serves to limit the rotational movement of the valve member 30 relative to the fixed positioning of a stud 25 which is carried by the closure member 18 and which projects inwardly the slot 35, whereby the transverse sides of the slot 35 are adapted to serve alternately as abutments for the selective rotational movement applied upon the valve member 30, and when the valve member 30 is rotated in the direction of the arrow marked Open from a normally closed position it becomes readily apparent that the indexing member 45 associated with the lever 44 will visually indicate the positioning of the valve member 30 relative to the fixed positioning of the casing 16, and also the bottle may now be inclined for a pouring operation with the dispensing tube 28 directed toward the interior of a shot glass positioned upon a planar surface prior to the egressing of the liquid body substance therefrom, and which can now be regulated from a trickle to a relative full flow, as by the rotational manipulation applied upon the valve member 30 through the lever 44.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided a very durable, simple, and comparatively inexpensive valve member in combination with a liquid aerating device adapted for use with conventional liqueur bottles, which can be discarded with the empty bottle, however it will be understood that various changes may be made in form, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention, as is henceforth claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a liquid aerating device having a cylindrical and tubular lower body member formed sector in shape, a collar depending integrally from the said body member adapted to secure said body member in superposed and telescopic relation with the upper portion of a narrow necked conventional liqueur bottle surrounding the open mouth thereof, a closure member integral with the inner surface of the said body member disposed adjacent the radial rim thereof, said closure having a diametric axis inclined to the central and longitudinal axis extending exteriorly the said bottle, said closure member provided with both a liquid outlet and an air inlet pair of respective ports disposed concentrically on the said diametric axis, said air inlet port aligned intermediate the upper plane of the said closure member, a conduit having one closed end disposed eccentrically within the bottle neck portion, said end portion having a side opening in proximity with the wall of the said neck portion, said conduit having the upper end thereof secured in sealing engagement with the said air inlet port; of an upper cylindrical and tubular body member provided with a uniform opening interiorly thereof carried integrally by the said lower upper body member, said upper body member constituting a valve body having a dispensing tube projecting laterally the lower inclined wall and adjacent the radial rim thereof, said dispensing tube having its central and longitudinal axis aligned diametrically with an auxiliary air inlet port provided through the opposite wall of the said upper body member, said diametric axis being disposed in parallelism with the said axis bisecting both the liquid dispensing and air inlet pair of respective ports, a valve .member comprising a cylindrical core having a peripheral surface complementing a contiguous fit with the inner surface of the said upper body member, said core having the lower wall thereof in bearing and sealing relation with the upper face of the said closure member, and the upper wall thereof in planar relation with the radial rim of the said upper body member, means to rotatably secure said core member interiorly the said valve body member relative to longitudinal movement therefrom, communicating means provided through the said valve core, said communicating means interposing both the liquid outlet and the interior opening of the said dispensing tube, a second communicating means provided through the said valve core spaced diametrically from the first said communicating means, said second communicating means interposing both the air inlet and auxiliary air inlet pair of respective ports, whereby rotational movement of the said valve core synchronizes both the opening and closing of the liquid outlet and air inlet pairs of respective ports selectively, a head member complementing the exterior periphery of the said valve body, said head member surmounting in spaced relation both the upper wall of the valve core and the radial rim of the valve body, a winged lever carried diametrically by the said head member, said lever having the longitudinal r and central axis thereof aligned in vertical relation relative to the central and longitudinal axis extending from the said dispensing tube, a resilient circular gasket interposing the said head member and both the upper wall of the said valve core and the said radial rim of the valve body, said gasket compressed therebetween as when the lever is detachably secured to the upper body portion of the said valve core through the said head member and the said gasket whereby effecting an impervious seal for the contiguous relation of the said valve core and the inner surface of the said valve body, stop means interposing the lower wall of the said valve core and the upper face of the said closure member adapted to limit the rotational movement of the said valve core relative to the wholly open or closed position of the said communicating means for making or breaking continuity with both the air inlet and liquid outlet pairs of respective ports, indexing means cooperating with the limits of the said stop means whereby the selective rotational movement applied upon the valve core through manual manipulation of the lever will visually indicate either the open or closed positioning of the valve member.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first said communicating means interposing the said liquid outlet port and the said dispensing tube comprises an inverted right angled bore the depending leg of which being aligned axially with the liquid outlet port and the lateral leg thereof being aligned axially with the said dispensing tube.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said second communicating means interposing the said first air inlet and the auxiliary air inlet pair of respective ports comprises a second inverted right angle bore the depending leg of which is spaced radially from the first said depending leg, and which second depending leg is axially aligned with the first said air inlet port and the lateral leg thereof being disposed in diametrical alignment with the first said lateral leg, and which second said lateral leg is disposed in axial alignment with the said auxiliary air inlet port.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stop means limiting the rotational movement of the said valve core comprises an arcuate groove interposing radially the first and second said depending legs of the inverted right angled bores formed through the valve core, and abutting the transverse sides of the arcuate groove selectively there is provided a stem which projects vertically from the upper face of the said closure member.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexing means co-operating with the stop means for visually indicating the open or closed position of the valve member comprises an arrow head formed by the taper of the side walls at one end portion of the lever, said arrow head when rotated with the valve core as through the lever in the selective direction of an arcuately shaped arrow marked with the indicia open imprinted upon the open face of the said head member will indicate the wholly open position of the valve member when in vertical alignment with the central and longitudinal axis of the dispensing tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,299 4/1869 Fenn 22-484 868,691 10/1907 Orton 222484 2,142,644 1/1939 Gould 222484 X 2,362,905 l1/l944 Kuhlman 222-479 X 2,839,227 6/1958 Wilson ct al 222484 FOREIGN PATENTS 855,231 2/1940 France. 985,087 3/1965 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. THE COMBINATION OF LIQUID AERATING DEVICE HAVING A CYLINDRICAL AND TUBULAR LOWER BODY MEMBER FORMED SECTOR IN SHAPE, A COLLAR DEPENDING INTEGRALLY FROM THE SAID BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO SECURE SAID BODY MEMBER IN SUPERPOSED AND TELESCOPIC RELATION WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF A NARROW NECKED CONVENTIONAL LIQUEUR BOTTLE SURROUNDING THE OPEN MOUTH THEREOF, A CLOSURE MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID BODY MEMBER DISPOSED ADJACENT THE RADIAL RIM THEREOF, SAID CLOSURE HAVING A DIAMETRIC AXIS INCLINED TO THE CENTRAL AND LONGITUDINAL AXIS EXTENDING EXTERIORLY THE SAID BOTTLE, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH BOTH A LIQUID OUTLET AND AN AIR INLET PAIR OF RESPECTIVE PORTS DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY ON THE SAID DIAMETRIC AXIS, SAID AIR INLET PORT ALIGNED INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER PLANE OF THE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, A CONDUIT HAVING ONE CLOSED END DISPOSED ECCENTRICALLY WITHIN THE BOTTLE NECK PORTION, SAID END PORTION HAVING A SIDE OPENING IN PROXIMITY WITH THE WALL OF THE SAID NECK PORTION, SAID CONDUIT HAVING THE UPPER END THEREOF SECURED IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAID AIR INLET PORT; OF AN UPPER CYLINDRICAL AND TUBULAR BODY MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A UNIFORM OPENING INTERIORLY THEREOF CARRIED INTEGRALLY BY THE SAID LOWER UPPER BODY MEMBER, SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER CONSTITUTING A VALVE BODY HAVING A DISPENSING TUBE PROJECTING LATERALLY THE LOWER INCLINED WALL AND ADJACENT THE RADIAL RIM THEREOF, SAID DISPENSING TUBE HAVING ITS CENTRAL AND LONGITUDINAL AXIS ALIGNED DIAMETRICALLY WITH AN AUXILIARY AIR INLET PORT PROVIDED THROUGH THE OPPOSITE WALL OF THE SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, SAID DIAMETRIC AXIS BEING DISPOSED IN PARALLELISM WITH THE SAID AXIS BISECTING BOTH THE LIQUID DISPENSING AND AIR INLET PAIR OF RESPECTIVE PORTS, A VALVE MEMBER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CORE HAVING A PERIPHERAL SURFACE COMPLEMENTING A CONTIGUOUS FIT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, SAID CORE HAVING THE LOWER WALL THEREOF IN BEARING AND SEALING RELATION WITH THE UPPER FACE OF THE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, AND THE UPPER WALL THEREOF IN PLANAR RELATION WITH THE RADIAL RIM OF THE SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, MEANS TO ROTATABLY SECURE SAID CORE MEMBER INTERIORLY THE SAID VALVE BODY MEMBER RELATIVE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREFROM, COMMUNICATING MEANS PROVIDED THROUGH THE SAID VALVE CORE, SAID COMMUNICATING MEANS INTERPOSING BOTH THE LIQUID OUTLET AND THE INTERIOR OPENING OF THE SAID DISPENSING TUBE, A SECOND COMMUNICATING MEANS PROVIDED THROUGH THE SAID VALVE CORE SPACED DIAMETRICALLY FROM THE FIRST SAID COMMUNICATING MEANS, SAID SECOND COMMUNICATING MEANS INTERPOSING BOTH THE AIR INLET AND AUXILIARY AIR INLET PAIR OF RESPECTIVE PORTS, WHEREBY ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE SAID VALVE CORE SYNCHRONIZES BOTH THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE LIQUID OUTLET AND AIR INLET PAIRS OF RESPECTIVE PORTS SELECTIVELY, A HEAD MEMBER COMPLEMENTING THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF THE VALVE BODY SAID HEAD MEMBER SURMOUNTING IN SPACED RELATION BOTH THE UPPER WALL OF THE VALVE CORE AND THE RADIAL RIM OF THE VALVE BODY, A WINGED LEVER CARRIED DIAMETRICALLY BY THE SAID HEAD MEMBER, SAID LEVER HAVING THE LONGITUDINAL AND CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF ALIGNED IN VERTICAL RELATION RELATIVE TO THE CENTRAL AND LONGITUDINAL AXIS EXTENDING FROM THE SAID DISPENSING TUBE, A RESILIENT CIRCULAR GASKET INTERPOSING THE SAID HEAD MEMBER AND BOTH THE UPPER WALL OF THE SAID VALVE CORE AND THE SAID RADIAL RIM OF THE VALVE BODY, SAID GASKET COMPRESSED THEREBETWEEN AS WHEN THE LEVER IS DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE UPPER BODY PORTION OF THE SAID VALVE CORE THROUGH THE SAID HEAD MEMBER AND THE SAID GASKET WHEREBY EFFECTING AN IMPERVIOUS SEAL FOR THE CONTIGUOUS RELATION OF THE SAID VALVE CORE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID VALVE BODY, STOP MEANS INTERPOSING THE LOWER WALL OF THE SAID VALVE CORE AND THE UPPER FACE OF THE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER ADAPTED TO LIMIT THE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE SAID VALVE CORE RELATIVE TO THE WHOOLY OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION OF THE SAID COMMUNICATING MEANS FOR MAKING OR BREAKING CONTINUITY WITH BOTH THE AIR INLET AND LIQUID OUTLET PAIRS OF RESPECTIVE PORTS, INDEXING MEANS CO-OPERATING WITH THE LIMITS OF THE SAID STOP MEANS WHEREBY THE SELECTIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT APPLIED UPON THE VALVE CORE THROUGH MANUAL MANIPULATION OF THE LEVER WILL VISUALLY INDICATE EITHER THE OPEN OR CLOSED POSITIONING OF THE VALVE MEMBER.