U.S. patent number 3,796,348 [Application Number 05/190,006] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-12 for liquid metering and counting and dispensing means.
Invention is credited to Walter J. Zipper.
United States Patent |
3,796,348 |
Zipper |
March 12, 1974 |
LIQUID METERING AND COUNTING AND DISPENSING MEANS
Abstract
A liquid pourer is attached to a bottle for automatically
dispensing a predetermined amount of liquor each time the bottle is
tilted to pouring position, and the number of such tilts or
dispensing operations appear as a count. The count is read from a
sleeve which is advanced one count. Such sleeve has saw-toothed
type projections at each of its ends cooperating with complementary
projections to assure advancement of the sleeve only one count for
each dispensing operation. The amount of liquor dispensed is
metered using a plunger assembly having apertured portions
therethrough which are covered by a valve element movable on the
plunger assembly. The position of the plunger assembly is
adjustable to adjust the amount of liquor dispensed. To prevent
dispensing of liquor unless the bottle is in substantially an
upright, inverted position, a so-called antimilking device is
associated with the pouring spout, and it involves a spool-shaped
valve element carrying a locking ring which is engageable with an
abutment on the pouring cap to prevent this valve element from
uncovering openings in the pouring spout unless the bottle is in
substantially a completely inverted position to thereby assure
complete advancement of the counting sleeve prior to dispensing of
liquor.
Inventors: |
Zipper; Walter J. (Santa
Monica, CA) |
Family
ID: |
22699675 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/190,006 |
Filed: |
October 18, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01F
11/267 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01F
11/10 (20060101); G01F 11/26 (20060101); G01f
011/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/38,335,476,477,23,36,153 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tollberg; Stanley H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lyon & Lyon
Claims
1. In a measuring dispenser for mounting on the neck of a bottle or
the like including a base having a liquid entrance portion adapted
for attachment to the neck of a bottle; means defining a cylinder
on said base; a two-sided plunger assembly slidably mounted in said
cylinder in substantially fluid tight relationship; first valve
means on said plunger assembly for communicating one side of said
plunger assembly with its other side in the open position of said
valve means and for disestablishing communication in closed
position; second valve means movable on said base and in its open
position establishing communication between said other side of said
plunger assembly and said liquid entrance portion and
disestablishing the last-mentioned communication upon closure of
said second valve; pouring spout means on said cylinder; third
valve means in its open position establishing communication between
said spout means and said one side of said plunger assembly and in
its closed position disestablishing the last-mentioned
communication; counting means mounted on said base and actuated
upon tipping of said base from an upright position to a dispensing
position; and means associated with said third valve means for
preventing its opening until and unless said base has been tilted
sufficiently to produce actuation of said counting means.
2. A dispenser as set forth in claim 1 in which said third valve
means includes side openings in said pouring spout, a spool-like
valve element for closing said openings, a ring loosely mounted in
said spool-like valve element and having a corner thereof
engageable with an annular shouldered portion of an extension of
said base to prevent movement of said
3. A dispenser as set forth in claim 2 in which said corner is a
round
4. In a measuring dispenser for mounting on the neck of a bottle or
the like including a base having a liquid entrance portion adapted
for attachment to the neck of a bottle; means defining a cylinder
on said base; a two-sided plunger assembly slidably mounted in said
cylinder in substantially fluid tight relationship; first valve
means on said plunger assembly for communicating one side of said
plunger assembly with its other side in the open position of said
valve means and for disestablishing communication in closed
position; second valve means movable on said base and in its open
position establishing communciation between said other side of said
plunger assembly and said liquid entrance portion in the open
position of said second valve and disestablishing the
last-mentioned communication upon closure of said second valve;
counting means mounted on said base and actuated upon tipping of
said base from an upright position to a dispensing condition; said
counting means including a sleeve slidably mounted on the outside
of said cylinder; a cover member mounted on the upper end of said
cylinder and extending around said sleeve; a wire pivoted on said
cover and extending downwardly therefrom to the neck of said
bottle; and a frangible sealing band wrapped around said
5. A dispenser as set forth in claim 4 in which the lower end of
said wire
6. A dispenser as set forth in claim 4 in which said wire extends
through one of a series of grooves in said base, said grooves being
equal in number to the total number of counts on a circumferential
portion of said
7. A dispenser as set forth in claim 4 in which there are
cooperating stop means on said cover and said sleeve preventing
movement of said sleeve
8. A dispenser as set forth in claim 4 in which said cover has
transparent means in an apertured portion of the cover to prevent
access to said sleeve and said base has a flange extending upwardly
into said cover to provide a guide for same and also to prevent
access to said cylinder.
Description
The present invention relates to improved means and techniques for
dispensing predetermined amounts of liquor from a bottle with
associated means for counting and indicating the number of times a
bottle has been moved from a predetermined position.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved
pouring spout having features of accurately dispensing
predetermined adjustable amounts of liquor for each bottle
inversion, for counting the number of such inversions or the number
of drinks dispensed, and the incorporation therein of a so-called
antimilking device which prevents liquor from being dispensed
unless the bottle has been tilted to a sufficiently vertical
condition that assures complete advancement of the counting
device.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide an
attachment to bottles incorporating a counting device and which
incorporates means that prevent dispensing of any liquor unless and
until the counting device is advanced.
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an
improved dispensing device of this character in which the amount of
liquor dispensed may be adjusted.
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a
dispensing apparatus of this character which allows complete
inventory control and portion control in a simple, expeditious and
inexpensive manner.
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an
improved dispensing device of this character incorporating novel
sealing means for prevention of unauthorized removal or tampering
with the counting mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pouring
device of this character which is small considering the number of
functions accomplished and which is also inexpensive in its
manufacture and assembly.
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an
improved device of this character which assures the elimination of
over-pours, unauthorized giveaways, slippage, pilferage, etc.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
pouring device of this character which allows the use of security
seals individually and consecutively numbered with the assurance
that the device may not be removed or impaired without destroying
the seal.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be
novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This
invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of
operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof,
may be best understood by reference to the following description
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a
pouring device embodying features of the present invention mounted
on the neck of a liquor bottle.
FIG. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of FIG.
1.
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on corresponding lines
3--3, 4--4 and 5--5 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6--6 of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 2 but with the bottle tilted
sufficiently to cause the antimilking valve to be opened.
FIG. 8 illustrates some of the elements of FIG. 7 when the bottle
is tilted insufficiently in which case as shown the antimilking
valve remains closed.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 9--9 of FIG.
8.
The pouring device has a base element 10 with a downwardly
extending tubular portion 10A adapted to fit into the neck N of the
liquor bottle B, the tubular portion 10A having a flange portion
10B limiting downward movement of the base member into the bottle.
A rubber sealing device 12 in the form of a resilient sleeve
extends around the flange portion 10B to prevent leakage in that
area when the bottle is tilted during a dispensing operation.
This base element 10 includes an annular grooved portion 10C
attached to snugly receive the lower end of cylinder element 14
within which a plunger structure 16 is closely seated for sliding
movement therein, and a special counting sleeve 17 is slidably
mounted on the outside surface of the cylinder element 14.
The base element 10 is formed with a vent channel 10E which as seen
in FIG. 1 terminates as a vent opening 10F, and the lower end of
such vent channel 10E in FIG. 2 is fitted with a vent tube 18 which
extends through the neck of the bottle and is formed with a ball
cage portion 18A for retaining the ball check valve element 18B.
This cage 18A is formed with two diametrically opposed openings 18C
and a lower opening 18D against which the ball 18B is seated in the
upright position of the bottle in which case venting occurs through
the side openings 18C, tube 18 and channel 10E.
The base element 10 is also formed with a semiannular pouring
opening 10G which as seen in FIG. 5 is somewhat less than a
complete ring opening. This opening 10G in the upright position of
the bottle B is closed by an inverted cup-shapped valve element 20
which is of the following construction:
This valve element 20 is of plastic, is adapted to seat against the
base element 10 to close off the opening 10G, and such element 20
is integrally formed with a central tubular portion 20A, the lower
end of such tubular portion 20A being bifurcated and of resilient
plastic, and one of the bifurcated portions 20B, 20C is formed with
a lug 20D. This lug 20D is in the nature of a hook and is retained
within a slotted portion 10H of the tubular portion 10K of base
element 10. The upper end of the sleeve portion 20A screw
threadedly receives adjusting screw 22 of plastic material formed
with an enlarged end portion 22A to facilitate turning of the same.
This element 22 is adjusted before the pouring device is mounted on
the bottle and serves as an adjustment in that it contacts a
portion of the movable plunger structure 16 to close a valve
thereon to thereby provide adjustment of that closed volume 26
defined by the following elements: plunger 16 in that position
where it contacts the rod 22; a portion of the cylinder 14; base
element 10 and valve element 20 in its sealed position. The valve
element 20 is maintained in its sealed position against the base
plate 10 by the weight of the plunger element 16 contacting the
upper end of the adjustment screw 22.
This plunger assembly 16 incorporates a plastic piston element 16A
which has an outer cylindrical wall 16B slidably contacting the
inner wall of cylinder 14, and it also incorporates a central
generally conical portion 16C terminating in a rounded end 16D.
This central conical portion 16C is integrally formed with the ring
portion 16A by a pair of web members 16F, 16G. These web members
16F, 16G (FIG. 4) define openings 16K, 16L, and such openings are
closed in FIG. 2 by a metal disk 16M contacting an annular valve
seat 16N. Movement of this valve element 16M is guided by its
rod-like portion 16P which is slidably mounted in a central
apertured portion 16R. Also, this rod 16P extends downwardly and is
contacted by the previously mentioned adjustment screw 22. To limit
movement of the valve element 16M, a plastic spider 16S of
resilient plastic material has the outer end of its three legs
engaged by an annular grooved portion 16T. This spider 16S is
readily assembled by deforming the leg portions and allowing them
to snap into the grooved portion 16T. It will be observed that the
premissible travel of the valve element 16M on the plunger
structure 16 is the distance between the retaining spider 16S and
the shoulder portion 16V on pin 16P.
On the other hand, the complete plunger assembly 16 is movable from
the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 7
wherein the round conical end 16D closes the central opening 14B of
the recessed portion 14C of cylinder 14.
The previously mentioned counting sleeve 17 is constructed for
counting movement as described in the co-pending U.S. Pat.
application of Robert R. Johnson and Walter J. Zipper, Ser. No.
124,235, filed Mar. 15, 1971, to which reference may be had for
perhaps a more detailed description.
In general, the ends of the counting sleeve 17 are provided with
projections 17A, 17B as indicated in FIG. 1, and these projections
cooperate respectively with complementary projections 14F on
cylinder 14 and like projections 10M on base element 10. There is a
pair of such elements 14F and a pair of such elements 10M with
elements of the same pair being diametrically disposed.
The counting sleeve 17 is advanced one notch corresponding to one
count each time the bottle is tilted from an upright position to a
substantially vertical dispensing position and then returned to its
upright position. These cooperating projections prevent the
counting sleeve from moving more than one count and produce
movement only in the advance direction as more fully described in
the previously mentioned co-pending application.
A protective metal cover 25 which is generally bell-shaped
surrounds the counting sleeve 17; but to allow a person to see the
count, the same is apertured as indicated at 25A in FIG. 1 wherein
it is seen that the counting sleeve has been moved to its last
count, namely count 40. Further movement of sleeve 17 is prevented
as a result of engagement of the projection 17D on counting sleeve
17 with the projection 25B on the cover 25. To prevent unauthorized
tampering, the cover is secured by a means now described.
A stiff wire 26W hooked at each of its ends is retained by a paper
strip 27 in the form of a seal which may have printed thereon
certain data. As seen in FIG. 2, the upper end of the wire 26W is
pivotally mounted in an apertured portion of the cover 25 and
extends through one of the forty slots 10R (each indexed and
corresponding to one of the individual forty counts) and the lower
end of wire 26W is in the form of an open hook to allow the paper
band or seal to be inserted within the confines of the hook portion
26X.
A so-called "antimilking" device 30 is mounted on the upper end of
the cylinder 14 with a portion of the cover 25 being sandwiched
therebetween.
A pouring tube 30A of metal is secured within the plastic closure
member 30B, and such tube is closed at its lower end. Diametrically
disposed side openings 30C in tube 30A (FIG. 2) are closed or
covered by a valve element 30E which is slidably mounted on the
tube 30A and which as seen in FIG. 2 is generally spool-shaped.
Loosely mounted but confined on such spool-shaped valve element is
locking ring 30F which may move radially with respect to pouring
tube 30A and become engaged with an annular internal shoulder
portion 30G of the cap 30B.
Certain precautions are taken to prevent tampering, i.e., false
readings of the counting cylinder 17. These involve the provisions
of end stops 17D, 25B which cooperate to prevent movement of the
cylinder 17 beyond the "40" count should one be inclined to attempt
to produce a false reading by tilting of the bottle holding his
finger over the pouring spout 30A. Also the cover apertured portion
25A is provided with a transparent window 25W which prevents one
from projecting an object through the opening and impeding movement
of the counting cylinder 17. For the same general purpose the base
member has an integrally formed flange portion 10S which projects
upwardly beyond the space between cover 25 and the outer rim of
base 10 to deny access to the counting cylinder 17 and also to
provide a guide for the cover 25 and to prevent any possible
movement of the lower end of cover 25 into engagement with counting
cylinder 17.
In operation when the device is mounted as shown on a bottle B
containing liquor, one or two preliminary tilting operations are
performed to assure complete filling of the volume 26A above the
plunger assembly 16 with liquor and also complete filling of the
volume 26 below such assembly 16. A subsequent tilting of the
bottle through progressive positions shown in FIGS. 2, 8 and 7 in
that order results in the following: There is no dispensing of
liquor in the position shown in FIG. 8 because the antimilking
valve element 30F is still locked beyond the abutment 30G in its
closed position preventing any fluid from leaving the bottle.
However, the counting cylinder 17 is allowed to and does slide
downward in FIG. 8 towards the cooperating pair of cam abutments
14F to achieve an advancement of counting cylinder 17 to the next
count. Further slight tilting movement towards the position shown
in FIG. 7 results in the previously locked valve ring element 30F
with a rounded corner thereon sliding over abutment 30G due to the
gravity forces acting on the element 30F to thereby open the
antimilking valve, i.e., to uncover the tube openings 30C in which
case the liquor is then dispensed of an amount determined by the
preadjusted volume 26A which is defined in FIG. 2 by the upper
portion of piston assembly 16 and inner walls of cylinder 14 and
also by the closed end of tube 30A. In such dispensing, the plunger
assembly 16 moves downwardly from its position shown in FIG. 2 to
its position shown in FIG. 7 in which case the plunger rod 16P no
longer contacts the valve stem 22 and thus valve 20 is allowed to
open to allow liquor flow from the bottle into the then expanding
volume 26. The volume 26A becomes smaller as the liquor is being
dispensed therefrom as the plunger assembly 16 moves downwardly
towards the position shown in FIG. 7 where substantially all liquor
is dispensed and further dispensing is prevented because the
rounded nose portion 16D is seated in its valve seat 14B at which
time also the valve element 20 is in an open position to allow the
expanded volume 26 to be completely filled with liquor. Return of
the bottle from its inverted dispensing position to its upright
position results in the gravity actuated valve element 20 returning
to its closed position in which case when and as the plunger
assembly 16 descends, liquor flows through the then open valve 16M,
16N to allow the then expanding volume to be filled. Ultimately the
plunger stem 16P contacts the rod 22 to cause the valve 16M, 16N to
close and also to prevent further downward movement of the assembly
16.
It will be seen that the volume dispensed is that volume 26A in
FIG. 2, and it is established by the upward protruding length of
rod 22 which as seen is adjustable but in some cases a fixed
adjustment may be provided by first securing the rod 22 in position
and then cutting off the rod to establish a predetermined
protruding length, and when this is done, it is no longer necessary
or desirable to have the rod 22 protrude below the valve element
22. In further explanation of the operation it is assumed that the
spaces 26A and 26 are each void of any liquid. The first tilting of
the bottle from the position shown in FIG. 1 or 2 to inverted
position results in the following: Valve 20 opens under the
combined influence of gravity and liquid pressure causing liquid to
flow through channel 10G and through valve 20 into lower chamber 26
and thereby causing the plunger 16 to move to its end position
indicated in FIG. 7; however at this time no fluid enters the upper
chamber 26A, i.e., the space above plunger 16, because the valve
element 16M covers the openings 16K and 16L. The bottle is then
reinverted to its original normal position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
and during this reinversion valve 20 closes under the influence of
gravity and liquid forces acting on valve 20 thereby trapping the
liquid in space 26 and at the same time gravity forces acting on
valve element 16M causes it to uncover the ports 16K, 16L to allow
fluid to enter the upper chamber 26A and the plunger 16 to descend
to its original position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. At this point
chamber 26A is substantially filled with liquid. The next
succeeding inversion of the bottle from FIGS. 2, 8 to 7 results in
the liquid in chamber 26A being dispensed through the anti-milking
valve as described previously.
While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been
shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art
that changes and modifications may be made without departing from
the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the
appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as
fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *