U.S. patent number 3,556,347 [Application Number 04/772,690] was granted by the patent office on 1971-01-19 for multiple station beverage dispensing system having auxiliary control valve means.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Amseco Corporation. Invention is credited to Arthur B. Segal, Joseph J. Rodth.
United States Patent |
3,556,347 |
|
January 19, 1971 |
MULTIPLE STATION BEVERAGE DISPENSING SYSTEM HAVING AUXILIARY
CONTROL VALVE MEANS
Abstract
System comprising a source of beverage supply and a multiplicity
of beverage-dispensing stations each having a discharge passage and
a separable dispensing valve connected thereto in communication
with the source of beverage supply, the valves each having an
outlet, and an auxiliary control valve disposed upstream of each
valve outlet for shutting off beverage flow through its respective
discharge passage upon removal of a dispensing valve without
deactivating the system.
Inventors: |
Arthur B. Segal (Barkhamsted,
CT), Joseph J. Rodth (Swansea, MA) |
Assignee: |
Amseco Corporation (Long Island
City, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
25095881 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/772,690 |
Filed: |
November 1, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/132;
137/329.1; 222/567 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67D
1/0835 (20130101); B67D 1/1466 (20130101); Y10T
137/6184 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B67D
1/14 (20060101); B67D 1/08 (20060101); B67D
1/00 (20060101); B65d 005/72 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/132,566,(146C),143X,567 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Stanley H. Tollberg
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Prutzman, Hayes, Kalb &
Chilton
Claims
1. A multiple station drink-dispensing system comprising a common
source of beverage supply, a plurality of beverage-dispensing
stations each having means providing a beverage exit opening
connected to said common source of beverage supply, each said
dispensing station including a separable beverage-dispensing valve
having an outlet in communication with said beverage exit opening
of each said dispensing station and a plug-in ported connector
removably seated within said beverage exit opening, and an
auxiliary control poppet valve positioned in a flow path in each
said beverage exit opening, the poppet valve including a valve
member operable between open and normally closed flow positions and
a valve extension disposed downstream of said valve member between
the valve member and the plug-in connector, the valve extension
engaging the plug-in connector upon its being seated within said
beverage exit opening, said valve member being automatically
movable into said normally closed position responsive to removal of
its respective beverage-dispensing valve, whereby the remaining
beverage-dispensing valves are maintained in operable
condition.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means providing said beverage
exit opening comprises a coupling member in communication with said
common
3. The system of claim 1 wherein each said valve member of said
auxiliary control poppet valve is precluded from moving from said
open flow position to said normally closed flow position by said
beverage-dispensing valve
4. The system of claim 2 wherein each said beverage-dispensing
station further includes heat exchanging means located adjacent
said coupling member and in remote relation to said common source
of beverage supply.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein each said dispensing station
includes a cast metal block, and wherein said coupling member of
each said dispensing
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said plug-in connector removably
seated within said beverage exit opening of said coupling member is
in intimate
7. A multiple station drink-dispensing system comprising a common
source of beverage supply, a plurality of beverage-dispensing
stations each having means providing a beverage exit opening
connected to said common source of beverage supply, each said
dispensing station including heat exchanging means located adjacent
said beverage exit opening, each said dispensing station further
including a separable beverage-dispensing valve having an outlet in
communication with said beverage exit opening of each said
dispensing station and a plug-in ported connector removably seated
within said beverage exit opening in intimate heat transfer
relation to said heat exchanging means, and an auxiliary control
valve operable in each said beverage exit opening between open and
closed flow positions and disposed upstream of said beverage
dispensing valve outlet such that upon moving one of said auxiliary
control valves into closed flow position and removing its
respective beverage dispensing valve, the remaining
8. A beverage-dispensing apparatus comprising a coupling member
providing a beverage exit opening, said coupling member having a
reduced intermediate portion providing a valve seat, a separable
beverage-dispensing valve connected to said coupling member, said
beverage-dispensing valve having an outlet and a passageway
communicating said outlet with said beverage exit opening and
jointly defining therewith a beverage discharge passage, said
beverage-dispensing valve having a projecting plug-in connector
removably seated within said coupling member, and an auxiliary
control valve having a valve member received within said coupling
member upstream of said plug-in connector for movement toward and
away from said valve seat and being continuously urged into
engagement therewith for closing said beverage exit opening, said
auxiliary control valve including an elongated fluted axial
extension between said valve member and said plug-in connector for
engagement therewith, and said reduced intermediate portion of said
coupling member additionally providing a guide and bearing
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said valve extension is of
sufficient length to contact said plug-in connector before it is
fully seated within said coupling member to unseat said valve
member, but of insufficient length to maintain contact with said
connector during its removal to ensure seating of said valve member
in said closed position before said plug-in connector is completely
removed.
Description
This invention generally relates to a drink-dispensing system and
particularly concerns beverage-dispensing systems of a type having
multiple-dispensing stations.
A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved
multiple station beverage-dispensing system wherein each station
can be quickly and easily removed or replaced without interrupting
operation of the remaining beverage dispensing stations.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved multiple
station beverage-dispensing system having high production
capabilities in a sanitary operation having minimal service
requirements.
A further object of this invention is to provide a system of the
above-described type wherein each dispensing station is of a
compact high quality construction ensuring ease of cleaning,
replacement and disassembly by unskilled personnel without
requiring any special tools.
Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more
in detail hereinafter.
The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,
combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be
exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope
of the application which will be indicated in the appended
claims.
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view schematically showing a
drink-dispensing system incorporating this invention; and
FIG. 2 is a side view, partly broken away and partly in section,
showing details of a dispensing station of this invention.
Referring now to the drawing in detail, a preferred embodiment of a
drink-dispensing system is shown constructed in accordance with
this invention. For purposes of illustration, a plurality of
beverage-dispensing stations 10 are individually connected to a
common source of beverage supply or central water bath 12. The
water bath 12 is constructed in a well known manner for cooling
coils of beverage tubing 14 schematically represented in FIG. 1 as
leading, e.g., from pressurized syrup and charged water tanks 16
and 18 to each beverage-dispensing station 10.
In the specific illustrated embodiment, plural heat exchangers or
cold plates such as at 20 are shown with four beverage-dispensing
valves 22 mounted thereon for operation. The cold plate 20
preferably comprises a one piece cast metal block of high heat
conductivity, such as aluminum alloy, wherein coils of beverage
tubing, preferably formed of stainless steel, may be embedded. Each
cold plate 20 may be an ice cooled component or, if desired, each
cold plate 20 may be cooled in a dry mechanically refrigerated
system by providing suitable apparatus 24 for heat absorption and
circulation of a refrigerant solution in conduits 25 through each
cold plate 20 for chilling the beverage in the tubing 14 in a well
known manner.
A charge water-cooling tube 14a is shown in FIG. 2 wherein water is
forced into the cooling tube 14a from the water supply tank 18 to a
beverage exit opening defined by a sleeve 26 shown in a front wall
of the cold plate 20. A syrup tube 14b and sleeve, not shown, are
preferably connected to the syrup tank 16 as described in
connection with the charged water-cooling tube 14a, or, if desired,
may be suitably connected to a syrup container received within a
receptacle defined by the cold plate 20 or cooling chest as fully
described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,830,737 issued Apr. 15, 1958, in the
name of Clyde A. Brown.
For ease of assembly and replacement without requiring the use of
any specialized tools, each beverage-dispensing valve 22 is
provided with a pair of projecting, ported plug-in connectors (only
one shown at 28 in FIG. 2) removably seated within the sleeves 26
of the cold plate 20, and an outlet or spout 30 is disposed
externally of the cold plate 20 for dispensing a mixture of syrup
and water in a blended beverage upon operating the dispensing valve
22 as fully described in the aforementioned patent. A mounting
flange 32 is preferably fixed on each dispensing valve 22 and
secured to the front of the cold plate 20 by suitable machine
screws 34 whereby it will be seen that the sleeve 26 and the
communicating ported connector 28 jointly define a discharge
passage leading to the spout 30 of the valve 22.
To ensure maximum heat transfer between each dispensing valve 22
and its cold plate 20, each valve 22 may be formed of stainless
steel to cooperate with the high quality aluminum alloy and
stainless steel used in the manufacture of the cold plate 20. Thus,
an operator will be assured of dispensing ice cold drinks even on a
casual demand basis.
The charged water-cooling tube 14a of FIG. 2 is shown communicating
with a radial end face 36 of the sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 has an
intermediate radial shoulder 38 interconnecting a reduced inner end
portion and an enlarged outer end portion of the sleeve 26, the
reduced end portion defining an inlet chamber 40 in the sleeve 26.
Seated on the shoulder 38 is a thrust washer 42 serving as a
bearing surface for an annular seal 44 surrounding a reduced end
portion of a cylindrical insert 46 fitted within the enlarged outer
end portion of the sleeve 26. The insert 46 is suitably retained in
position, e.g., by a snap ring 48 secured in a groove adjacent the
outer end of the sleeve 26. Any possibility of fluid leakage
between the connector 28 and its surrounding insert 46 is
eliminated by the provision of an O-ring seal 50 positioned within
a circumferentially extending groove adjacent the projecting end of
each connector 28.
To eliminate any need whatsoever for deactivating the entire system
by a central shut off control, not shown, as normally required in
conventional multistation-dispensing systems when it is necessary
to repair or desired to replace a specific valve, an auxiliary
control valve or poppet valve 52 is disposed in each sleeve 26
upstream of its beverage-dispensing valve 22 for shutting off
beverage flow when it is desired to remove the valve 22. Such
construction ensures that the predominant operating cost factor,
service labor, is significantly reduced while yet ensuring that the
remaining dispensing valves 22 of the system are maintained in
operable condition.
More specifically, the poppet valve 52 has an outer axial extension
54 of predetermined length slidably recieved within a necked down
end portion of the insert 46 which provides a guide and bearing
surface 56 for the extension 54. The latter is suitably fluted to
provide plural fluid passages 58 permitting fluid flow between the
insert 46 and the extension 54. Adjacent the inner end of the
poppet valve 52 is a radial flange 60 suitably apertured by
openings such as at 62 permitting fluid flow, and a circumferential
groove 64 is formed about the extension 54 immediately adjacent a
downstream side of the radial flange 60. An O-ring seal 66 of a
suitable tough and resilient elastomeric material fits within the
groove 64 and serves as a valve member for sealing off the inlet
chamber 40 when the poppet valve 52 moves to the right (as viewed
in FIG. 2) into engagement with a chamfered annular shoulder or
valve seat 68 formed in continuation with the guide surface 56 of
the insert 46.
The poppet valve 52 is continuously urged toward a normally closed
position in engagement with the valve seat 68 under a biasing force
of a coil compression spring 70 received within the inlet chamber
40 and having opposite ends seated against the radial end face 36
of the sleeve 26 and the radial flange 60 of the poppet valve
52.
To effectively preclude any possibility of a valve member 66
closing off its respective beverage exit opening except upon
removing the beverage-dispensing valve 22, the poppet extension 54
is of sufficient length to ensure contact with the inner end of the
plug-in connector 28 when it is fully seated within the insert 46
of the cold plate 20, thereby unseating the valve member 66 to
permit beverage flow upon operating the beverage-dispensing valve
22, but is of insufficient length to provide continued contact with
the connector 28 during its removal. The valve member 66 will be
firmly seated under the biasing force of the coil spring 70 before
the plug-in connector 28 is completely removed from the cold plate
20 to assure that the inlet chamber 40 in the discharge passage is
completely closed off before the insert 46 is exposed.
Such automatic shut off action ensures against inadvertent loss of
beverage fluids and the undesirable messy conditions which so
frequently occur in a conventional multiple station
drink-dispensing system when any one of a multiplicity of valves is
removed without deactivating the entire system.
By virtue of the above-described structure, a multiple station
drink-dispensing system is provided which is particularly suited
for facile replacement of any valve, without deactivating the
entire system, and thereby minimize equipment shutdown time and
loss of revenue in periods of peak demand while significantly
reducing the service labor requirements of the system. In addition,
the various dispensing station components have been specifically
designed to provide easy cleaning and maximum sanitation, and no
manual manipulation of the auxiliary control valve is required in
view of its automatic shut off action. Upon installing a
replacement valve, a faulty dispensing valve need only be returned
to a service center without requiring any costly service calls.
As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various
modifications and adaptations of the structure above-described will
become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope
of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *