Drink Dispenser And Measuring Device

Abstract

A portable drink dispenser and measuring device comprising means for holding a bottle containing liquor and a bottle containing a mix in close proximity to each other and providing a smaller diameter pouring spout for the liquor bottle and a larger diameter pouring spout for the mix bottle, both spouts having their outlet ends spaced a slight distance away from opposite sides of a flexible partition so that the liquids issuing from both spouts in proper proportions when the device is moved into pouring position, will strike the partition and be deflected into a single drinking glass. The flexible partition serves an additional function in that it can be manually flexed for acting as a valve for closing off or lessening the flow of liquid from either spout so as to make a stronger or a weaker drink. Novel means holds the spouts in proper position and permits the removal of the spouts from the bottles when desired.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

In the usual pouring of an alcoholic drink into a glass, a bottle of liquor is first opened and a desired amount of the liquor is poured into the glass. Then a bottle of mix is opened and a desired amount is poured into the glass. This necessitates at least two operations and the use of two separate bottles. With my device, both bottles of liquor and the mix are bound together as a unit. Then separate pouring spouts are mounted in the tops of the bottles and secured to the device. The liquor pouring spout has a smaller diameter passage than the passage for the mix pouring spout. The outlet ends of the two spouts are secured to the device and are held in place so that they are spaced a slight distance away from opposite sides of a flexible partition. During the pouring operation the liquid from both spouts will strike the partition and be deflected into a single drinking glass. Therefore by the simple operation of pouring, an alcoholic beverage will be poured into the glass with the proper quantities of liquor and mix being automatically delivered. In addition the alcoholic content of the drink can be further altered during the pouring operation to make a stronger or a weaker drink by manually moving the flexible partition to close off or lessen the flow of liquid from the desired pouring spout.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The U.S. Pat. No. to Henry P. Harshman, 240,906, issued May 3, 1881, discloses an oil can enclosed in an outer can that is filled with water. The water is heated and will warm the oil so that it can flow more readily when the can is used for lubricating purposes. The water can has a tube of a smaller diameter than the tube provided for the oil can, but the tube for the water can is provided solely for the escape of steam during the heating of the water. A single cap is used and this closes the tube to the water can so that no water will escape during the use of the device for lubricating purposes. The patentee had no thought of simultaneously pouring liquid from two spouts at the same time and making the passages in the spouts of different diameters so that a proper alcoholic drink could be poured into a single glass with the right proportions of liquor and mix being automatically delivered during the pouring operation.

The U.S. Pat. No. to James R. Beasley, 1,035,407, issued Aug. 13, 1912, is for a combined coffee and tea pot. The device has separate tea and coffee compartments with an individual pouring spout for each, both spouts being of the same diameter. Each spout has a valve and only the valve for the coffee spout is opened when it is desired to pour coffee and only the valve for the tea spout is opened when it is desired to pour tea. At no time are both valves opened and the patentee had no thought of simultaneously pouring liquid from two spouts at the same time and making the passages in the spouts of different diameters so that a proper alcoholic drink could be poured into a single glass with the right proportions of liquor and mix being automatically delivered during the pouring operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of my invention is to provide a drink dispenser and measuring device which has a base for supporting two bottles and an upstanding partition that separates the bottles. A strap secures the bottles to the partition and holds them securely in place on the base. The top portion of the partition is made thinner than the remainder of the partition and this thinner portion can be manually flexed so as to be inclined at an angle to either side of the partition. Two pouring spouts having bores of different diameters are removably secured to the tops of the two bottles and novel means is provided for removably securing the spouts to the partition and holding them in a position where the outlet ends of the spouts are spaced a slight distance away from opposite sides of the flexible thinner portion of the partition. A hand grip opening is formed in the partition near the base and this permits an operator to tilt the device and cause liquid to flow through the spouts in different proportions and be directed into a drinking glass. The flexible portion of the partition may be manually flexed during the pouring operation for acting as a valve for closing off or lessening the flow of liquid from either spout for making a stronger or a weaker drink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation of the device.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation when looking at the left hand side of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the device and illustrates how the two pouring spouts are removably connected to the central partition.

FIG. 5 is a section through one of the pouring spouts and it is taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4. This Figure shows how the pouring spout is removably connected to a support which in turn is integral with the central partition. The flexible partition is not shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In carrying out my invention, I provide a base A, and an integral upstanding central portion B. The partition divides the base into two equal portions and flanges 1 and 2 extend upwardly from the sides of these equal base portions, see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The base is designed to receive two bottles, a liquor containing bottle shown at C, in FIG. 1, and a mix containing bottle D. Means is provided for securing the bottles to the base and this means consists of a steel strap E that is threaded through two slots 3 and 4 in the partition and is passed around both bottles C and D. An adjustable clasp F permits the strap E to be tightened around both bottles for clamping them to the central partition B, and to the base A.

The upper portion B1 of the central partition B is made thinner so as to be flexible, see the dash line positions in FIG. 4, showing the upper portion B1 flexed to the left and to the right of its normally central position. This upper flexible portion B1 extends above the tops of the two bottles C and D. The central partition B also has integral supports G and H that extend upwardly from opposite sides of the partition and are spaced away from the opposite faces of the upper flexible portion B1. The top of each support G and H is enlarged into a disc-shaped form which has a central opening therein. The disc-shaped top of the support G has a central opening 5 for removably receiving an outlet pouring spout J for the liquor bottle C and the disc-shaped top of the support H has a central opening 6 for removably receiving a second outlet pouring spout K for the bottle D that contains the mix. Both of the disc-shaped tops for the pouring spout supports G and H have radially extending cuts 7, see FIG. 5, extending outwardly from the openings 5 and 6.

Each of the pouring spouts J and K is L-shaped and is provided with a conical-shaped bottle insert, J1 and K1, respectively, for fitting snugly into the tops of the bottles C and D, see FIG. 4. The necks of the bottles C and D are shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 4. Each conical-shaped bottle insert has a flange 8 that limits the downward movement of the insert into the bottle. It will further be noted from FIG. 4 that the outlet end of the spout J is spaced a slight distance away from the flexible partition B1, and this end has a rim 9 that lies in an inclined plane that parallels the plane of the flexible partitions B1, when the latter is manually flexed to the left in FIG. 4 in order to act as a valve and close the end 9. In like manner the outlet end of the spout K is spaced a slight distance away from the opposite side of the flexible partition B1, and this end has a rim 10 that lies in an inclined plane that parallels the plane of the flexible partition B1, when it is manually flexed to the right in FIG. 4, in order to act as a valve and close the end 10. The diameter of the fluid passage 11 in the pouring spout J is smaller than the diameter of the fluid passage 12 in the pouring spout K, see the dotted line showing in FIG. 4.

OPERATION

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. FIG. 2 shows how the central partition is shaped and is provided with a finger-receiving opening 13, whereby a person can insert his fingers through the opening when gripping the partition for lifting the device for pouring the desired amount of liquid from both bottles C and D, and in the proper proportions.

I have already described how the liquor bottle C and the bottle D containing the mix can be mounted in the device and secured in place by the strap E. The corks, not shown, of the two bottles have been removed and the inserts J1 and K1 have been inserted in the necks of the bottles. Also the pouring spouts J and K have been inserted into the openings 5 and 6 in the spout supports G and H, respectively. Now when the device is lifted and tilted into a pouring position, the drinking glass, not shown, that is to receive the liquid from both bottles will be placed in a position where it will be positioned under the flexible portion B1 and adjacent to the outlet ends 9 and 10 of the pouring spouts J and K. The fluid as it leaves the passages 11 and 12 in the pouring spouts will strike the opposite sides of the flexible portion B1 and be directed into the drinking glass by gravity.

A less quantity of liquor will flow through the smaller diameter passage 11 in the spout J that communicates with the interior of the liquor bottle C, and a greater quantity of the mix will flow through the larger diameter passage 12 in the spout K, during the pouring operation, see FIG. 4. In this way the device will automatically deliver the correct proportions of liquor and mix to the drinking glass, not shown. When the device is set down upon a supporting surface after use, the liquid in the spouts J and K will flow back into the bottles.

If the operator desires to have a weaker drink than that automatically provided by the two different diameter passages 11 and 12, he can manually flex the flexible portion B1 to the left in FIG. 4 into the dash line position where it will contact the rim 9 of the spout J and stop any further flow from this spout while still permitting fluid to flow from the spout K. Or it is possible for the operator to partially close the outlet 9 by moving the flexible portion nearer to the outlet to reduce the flow rather than completely closing the end 9. On the other hand, if the operator desires to have a stronger drink than that automatically provided by the two different sized passages 11 and 12 in the spouts J and K, he can manually flex the flexible portion B1 to the right in FIG. 4 into the dash line position where it will contact the rim 10 of the spout K, and prevent any further flow from this spout while permitting fluid to flow from the spout J. Again it is possible for the operator to partially close the outlet 10 by moving the flexible portion B1 nearer to the outlet to reduce the flow from the spout K rather than completely closing the end 10.

After the pouring of the drinks is completed, it is possible to remove both of the pouring spouts J and K from their respective bottles C and D and to also remove them from their supports G and H, respectively. The radial slits 7 in the supports G and H, see FIG. 5, permit the ready removal of the spouts J and K, from the openings 5 and 6, respectively. It is possible to have the bottles C and D, contain any kind of liquids other than the two mentioned or the bottles could contain granulated materials of different kinds where it was desired to have them automatically deliver quantities of the materials in different predetermined portions. The device is simple in structure and may be made from plastic or metal or from any other desired material.

Claims

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising, and said partition having an upstanding flexible portion thereon;

a. a base having an upstanding partition, said base being adapted to receive a liquid containing bottle on each side of said partition;

b. means for securing the bottles to the base and the partition; and

c. a pair of pouring spouts removably mounted in the bottles and having passages of different diameters, said spouts having their outlet ends disposed in close proximity to opposite sides of said flexible upstanding portion

d. whereby the liquids in the bottles will flow in proper proportions through the spouts when the device is tilted for tilting the bottles into a pouring position and said upstanding flexible portion is moved toward either one of said outlet ends into the desired position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and in which

a. said partition has means for removably securing the pair of pouring spouts to said partition while still permitting said spouts to be removably connected to the bottles.

3. A device of the type described comprising:

a. a base having an upstanding partition, said base being adapted to receive a bottle on each side of said partition;

b. means for securing the bottles to the base and the partition;

c. a pair of pouring spouts removably mounted in the bottles and having passages of different diameters, said spouts having their outlet ends disposed in close proximity to each other;

d. whereby the materials in the bottles will flow in proper proportions through the spouts when the device is tilted into a pouring position; and

e. supports integral with said partition and having openings for removably receiving said pouring spouts and for holding the outlet ends of said spouts near to each other so that the materials from both spouts will be delivered to a common area.

4. A device of the type described comprising:

a. a base having an upstanding partition, said base being adapted to receive a bottle on each side of said partition;

b. means for securing the bottles to the base and the partition;

c. a pair of pouring spouts removably mounted in the bottles and having passages of different diameters, said spouts having their outlet ends disposed in close proximity to each other;

d. whereby the materials in the bottles will flow in proper proportions through the spouts when the device is tilted into a pouring position; and

e. said partition having a flexible portion;

f. supports integral with said partition and being disposed on opposite sides of said flexible portion;

g. said supports having means for removably receiving said pouring spouts and for holding the outlet ends of said spouts near to the opposite sides of said flexible partition;

d. whereby said flexible portion can be swung toward either one of the outlet ends for reducing the flow of material issuing from the end or for stopping the flow, the flexible portion returning to its normal position when released.