US3199738A - Beverage dispensing head - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 10, 1965 .1. E. CARY ETAL 3,199,733

BEVERAGE DISPENSING HEAD Original Filed Jan. 25, 1960 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

JAMES E. CARY WALTER D. WALKER INVENTORSZ M$mv Al IORNE 5 BEVERAGE DISPENSING HEAD Original Filed Jan. 25. 1960 2; Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES E. CARY WALTER D. WALKER INVENTORSJ Layman ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,19%,733 BEVERAGE BEEPENSING HEAD James E. Cary, Edmonds, and Waiter D. Walker, Seattle, Wash, nssignors to Sweden Freezer Manufacturing C(L, Seattie, Wash, a corporation of Washington Griginal application .ian. 25, 11 60, der. No. 4,504, new Patent No. 3,1123%, dated Dec. 3, 1%3. Divided and this application Nov. 28, E62, Ser. No. 249,537 3 Ciaims. (131,.222-1292) The present invention relates to beverage dispensers, and more particularly to a dispensing head for selectively mixing and delivering carbonated and flavored drinks from supplied carbonated water, plain water and flavoring syrup. This application is a division of our copending ap lication, Ser. No. 4,505, filed January 25, 1960, now Patent No. 3,112,656.

As an important object the invention aims to provide an improved lever and valve arrangement whereby pushpuil movements of a control handle can result in different predetermined beverages.

A further object is to provide such an arrangement which can be readily adjusted for various combinations of dispensed drinks.

Still another object of the invention is the providing of a novel arrangement whereby the velocity of carbonated water ejected into a mixing chamber will be dampened before final delivery of the beverage.

The present invention also aims to provide a particularly compact dispensing head of simple, economical and durable construction which incorporates a series of control levers for selecting respective of multiple flavored beverages.

With yet additional objects and advantages in view which, with the foregoing, will appear and be understood in the course of the following description and clmms, the invention consists in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a right side elevational view with part of the housing broken away of a dispensing head embodying the teachings of the present invention and with the set screws in the viewed right hand control lever being ad justed to dispense a carbonated-flavored drink responsive to manual pull of the related control handles (dotted line position) and to dispense carbonated water responsive to manual push of such handle (full line position).

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the dispensing head with parts broken away and taken as indicated by line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and with the set screws adjusted for the dispensing of plain water responsive to the illustrated pull position of the middle control handle and for carbonated water in the push position thereof.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and with the concerned right-hand primary lever and related reverse lever shown in vertical position.

FIG. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

PEG. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken at the top of the mixing bore; and

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken along the line '?'7 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that the dispensing head of this invention comprises ablock 9 which is drilled to provide various passages for carbonated water, plain water, and flavoring syrup selectively discharging throughspouts 10 and supplied to respective back fittings 11-13.

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These fittings are mounted on arear cover plate 14 and intersect corresponding laterally extending manifolds 15-17 sealed by agasket 13. These ducts communicate via ducts 1921 with a laterally disposed series of downwardly directed and forwardly slopingmixing bores 22. Forward fiow through these ducts is determined by a set of front control lever assemblies A-C which act upon the stems 23-25 of banks of vertically spaced valves 26-28 in opposition to valve closing springs 29. Each of these banks is the same and so like identifying numerals have been applied to the parts thereof. For purposes of example, the controls for the banks have been illustrated set to give a choice of plain carbonated water or a carbonated-flavored drink by controls A and C, and a choice of carbonated water or plain Water by control B.

- Continuing with the description of the dispensing head construction, it will be noted that the ducts 1921 together with forward extensions 3032 house the valve stems 2325. These extensions are sealed by rings 33 carried by the valve stems while the manifold ends of the ducts 19-21 have taperedseats 34 for sealingrings 35 mounted on the front working faces of the valves. The diameters of the ducts 19-21 relative to their related valve stems 2325 of course determine the flow rate therethrough for given supply pressures. Accordingly, the duct diameters are predetermined to give the proper relative how between the carbonated water, plain water, and flavoring syrup. Thus it will be noted that the orifice between the carbonated water duct 19 and itsstem 23 is considerably smaller than the respective plain water and flavoring orifices.

The afore-mentioncd control lever assemblies A-C are positioned side-by-side between groups of vertical banks 36-37 formed at the front of block 19. Each assembly comprises aprimary lever 38 having ahandle 41 at the top and areversing lever 41 at one side thereof. Pins 4343 are used to pivotally mount thelevers 38, 41, respectively, to the banks 36-37 for fore and aft swinging movement response to push-pull in the related handle 41). Reversing of the levers occurs during pushing of the handle and is accomplished by way of a reversinglug 44 which projects from the reversinglever 41 below thepivot pin 43 in front of the related primary lever. Thus as the portion of theprimary lever 38 swings forwardly responsive to manual pushing of itshandle 45, thelug 44 is engaged thereby causing the portion of the reversinglever 41 located above thepivot pin 43 to swing rearwardly toward theblock 10. Such upper portion of the reversing lever also has 8. lug, denoted 45, which projects behind the associated primary lever at the same elevation as the uppermost valve stem 23. Thus when thehandle 49 is pushed thisupper lug 45 is pushed against thestem 23 and responsively unseats therelated valve 26 for discharging carbonated water. Since, at the same time, the lower portion of the primary lever has been swung away from the other valve stems 2445, only carbonated water will thus be dispensed responsive to pushing of the handle.

It should be noted that theprimary lever 38 is formed with aback recess 46 for receiving theupper lug 45. This recess is of such a depth that thelug 45 will not engage thestem 23 to unseat thevalve 26 responsive to a forward pull of therespective handle 41? unless this lug is preset rearwardly of the floor of therecess 46 by screwing in aset screw 47 which is threaded into a through-bore in the primary lever. Similarly, the primary lever has threaded bores alined with the valve stems 24-25 for receiving set screws 48- 39. These bores are larger than the heads of stems 2d25 so that the latter can project into the bores when such are not fully occupied by the set screws. With this arrangement one or both of the plain water and flavoring valves 27-28 can be preset to an always closed condition for a givenhandle 4% by backing of Q the respective set screw. For example, instead of dispensing'a carbonated-flavored drink by a pull of the primary levers as with illustrated units A and C, and the case of middle control unit B thelower set screw 49 has been backed out together with theupper set screw 47, and hence, only theplain water valve 27 is opened responsive to pulling of the handle as best seen in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, the arrangement permits such valves 27- 28 to be opened simultaneously or in sequence. In this latter regard, theset screws 47 and 49 can be advanced relative to theintermediate screw 48 to open the carbonated water and flavoringsyrup valves 26, 23 responsive to a certain pull arc on the handle while theplain valve 27 remains closed. Then further pulling of the handle can be set to result in addition of plain water.

In the illustrated embodiment, for purposes of example I have shown the reversing levers 41 of all the banks as operating thecarbonated water valves 26. It will be understood that if desired, the position of any of these levers can be shifted to operate theother valves 27 or 28 responsive to push of the respectiveprimary lever 38.

As shown in FIG. 6 for duct 19, the ducts 19-21 intersect the mixing bore 22 along a chord which is well offset from the bores longitudinal axis so that the respective liquid will discharge tangentially into the bore and commence a spiral travel path toward thespout 10. This spiral path is particularly valuable in the case of the carbonated water in dampening the velocity thereof. To elaborate, in travelling a given distance along the length of the mixing bore the carbonated water is forced to travel substantially further in a spiral path than it would were it to travel straight along the bore. However, it is preferred to have the dispensed liquid discharge lineally from the spout. To achieve this end I insert a bafile or straightener 50 in the mixing bore between the ducts 20-21. This straightener may take the form of a ring which is cemented in place and then has its inner face scalloped as shown in FIG. 7 as by drilling holes longitudinally therethrough at regular intervals of its circumference. As the spiralling liquid engages the straightener a large part of its spiral action is broken up so that by the time it reaches the mouth of the spout very little, if any, tangential component remains in the discharging liquid. At'the point of entry of flavoring syrup into the mixing bore, blending of the flavoring is enhanced by the tangential entry path of the syrup together with the remaining spiral action of the carbonated water at that level.

' It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description. Changes in the details of construction will suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of'the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the heEt o annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the I broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What we claim is: 1. In a dispensing head, a block having a mixing bore of circular cross section discharging at one of its ends and having its other end closed, a carbonated liquid supply duct tangentially intersecting said bore adjacent said closed end whereby carbonated liquid supplied to said duct under pressure flows in a spiral path along said bore toward its discharge end, a flow straightening bathe in said bore between said supply duct and said discharge end, a liquid flavoring supply duct intersecting said bore between said baflle and said discharge end, and means for supplying pressurized carbonated liquid and liquid flavoring, respectively, to said carbonated liquid supply duct and to said flavoring supply duct.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said liquid flavoring supply duct also tangentially intersects said bore.

3. In a dispensing head, a block having a downwardly extending mixing bore of circular cross-section closed at its lower end, a fore-and-aft extending carbonated liquid supply duct tangentially intersecting said bore whereby carbonated fluid supplied to the rear of said duct under pressure flows in a spiral path along said bore toward its discharge end, a flow straightening baflle in said bore below said carbonated liquid supply duct, a fore-and-aft extending liquid flavoring supply duct intersecting said bore between said bafi le and said lower end, respective springloaded normally closed valves at the rear of said ducts, respective valve stems extending forwardly from said valves through said ducts to the front of said block, said stems being smaller in diameter than their said ducts and having duct sealing means forwardly of said mixing bore, means for supplying pressurized carbonated liquid and liquid flavoring, respectively, to the rear of said carbonated liquid supply duct and liquid flavoring supply duct, and control means on said block for selectively depressing said stems to open said valves together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNETED STATES PATENTS 883,176 3/08 Davis 138-40 930,087 8/09 Reich 239-415 1,258,964 3/18 Voorsanger 222-132 1,664,967 4/28 Christensen 138-44 X 2,043,108 6/36 Maurer 137-604 2,336,682 12/43 Gross 74489 X 2,348,334 5/44 Ellinger 239-471 X 2,645,463 7/53 Stearns 138-44 X 2,653,055 9/53 Welty et al ZZZ-144.5 X 2,755,000 7/56 Parre 222-129.4 2,802,599 8/57 Callahan et al 222-129.4 X 2,883,996 4/59 Blewett et al 222-134 X 2,921,605 1/60 Booth et al 137-636 2,940,483 6/60 Mossberg 222-134 X 2,977,026 3/61 Delgado ZZZ-129.4 3,015,420 1/ 62 Chudnow 222- X FOREIGN PATENTS 792,912 4/ 58 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A DISPENSING HEAD, A BLOCK HAVING A MIXTURE BORE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION DISCHARGING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS AND HAVING ITS OTHER END CLOSED, A CARBONATED LIQUID SUPPLY DUCT TANGENTIALLY INTERSECTING SAID BORE ADJACENT SAID CLOSED END WHEREBY CARBONATED LIQUIDS SUPPLIED TO SAID DUCT UNDER PERSSURES FLOWS IN A SPIRAL PATH ALONG SAID BORE TOWARD ITS DISCHARGED END, A FLOW STRAIGHTENING BAFFLE IN SAID BORE BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY DUCT AND SAID DISCHARGE END, A LIQUID FLAVORING SUPPLY DUCT INTERSECTING SAID BORE BETWEEN SAID BAFFLE AND SAID DISCHARGE END, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURIZED CARBONATED LIQUID FLAVORING, RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID CARBONATED LIQUID SUPPLY DUCT AND TO SAID FLAVORING SUPPLY DUCT.

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