GB2133384A

GB2133384A - Liquid dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2133384A
Application number: GB08300848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Michael Viner
Original assignee: Gaskell and Chambers Ltd
Current assignee: Gaskell and Chambers Ltd
Priority date: 1983-01-13
Filing date: 1983-01-13
Publication date: 1984-07-25
Also published as: GB8300848D0

Abstract

Apparatus for dispensing measured quantities of wine from a bag into a glass employs a conventional dispenser of the kind used for spirits with its measuring chamber (10) connected to the valve-controlled outlet of the bag through a tubular chamber (11) secured in liquid-tight manner at its upper and lower ends to a delivery tube (2) at the bag outlet and to the inlet (9) of the measuring chamber respectively and serving to improve the flow of air between the measuring chamber and the interior of the bag by increasing the distance between the bag outlet and the measuring chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid dispensing apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing liquids from a bulk supply and is concerned particularly with the dispensing of beverages from flexible containers of the type consisting of a polythene or similar bag sealed after charging and normally enclosed in a carton, the cartoned bag being fitted with a valve controlled outlet so that liquid can be delivered directly into a glass or other drinking vessel.

Such bags have been used in press-button or coin-operated machines for dispensing measured quantities of milk of squashes into paper or plastics cups stored in the machine and are now being used as containers for wine to be consumed in the home or on licensed premises.

Those bags in which wine is sold for home consumption are usually fitted with a valve which is opened by manual pressure on a push-button to permit discharge of liquid through the delivery outlet and automatically cioses when the button is released.

When wine or other beverages are to be soid by the glass over a bar however, it is desirable to provide manually operable apparatus for use by the bar staff to dispense measured quantities of liquid directly into glasses from bags of greater capacity than those intended for domestic use and to this end, the applicants have experimented with the use of a device of the kind normally used for dispensing measured quantities of spirituous liquors from inverted bottles which has been modified for direct connection to the valvecontrolled outlet of a bag.

Such dispensing devices usually comprise a measuring chamber to receive liquor from the bottle and an elongated operating member which is moved upward in response to upward pressure applied through the rim of a glass to be filled, upon a pair of arms extending laterally from the operating member's lower end, to close an inlet normally connecting the measuring chamber to the interior of the bottle and open an outlet through which the contents of the measuring chamber are discharged into the glass.

The inlet through which liquor flows from the bottle into the measuring chamber is usually divided by a separator plate into two parallel conduits in order to facilitate charging of the measuring chamber by separating the downward flow of liquor from the upward flow of air necessary to replace the liquor withdrawn from the bottle.

The applicants have found, however, that when this type of dispenser is connected directly to the valve-controlled outlet of a liquid-filled bag, there is a tendency for air bubbles to collect in or around the inlet and create an air lock which, by preventing complete filling of the measuring chamber, interferes with the accuracy of the measure.

It has now been found that the flow of air between the measuring chamber and the interior of the bag can be considerably improved by increasing the distance between the inlet to the measuring chamber and the outlet from the bag and to this end, according to the invention, a tubular chamber is interposed between said inlet and outlet.

In a preferred form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a discharge tube 1 sealed into the outlet opening of a bag (not shown) for holding wine or other liquid beverages, is connected to a delivery tube 2 under the control of a valve member 3 which is spring-biassed into engagement with a valve seat 4 to close-off communication between the discharge tube and the delivery tube and can be moved off the seat 4 to open communication between the discharge and delivery tubes by downward pressure on a resilient button 5. The valve member 3 can be moved into and held in its open position by a manually operable lever 6 pivotally mounted at 7 for angular movement through 900 between the inoperative position shown in the drawing and an operative position in which its end 8 exerts pressure on the valve member through the button 5.

The delivery tube 2 is in continuous communication with the inlet 9 of a transparent measuring chamber 10 through the interior of a tubular chamber 11 which is secured and sealed to a wall 12 surrounding the delivery tube and is provided with a central aperture in its otherwise closed lower end 1 3 for the passage of a hollow spigot 14 which enters the inlet 9 and forms a guide for a partition 1 5 which divides the inlet into two parallel conduits.

The measuring chamber 10 forms part of a conventional dispenser having a flange 1 6 which is adapted to enter and be secured within a supporting bracket 1 7 and a movable operating member comprising upper and lower portions 1 8 and 19 screwed together at 20. The upper portion 18 is provided with a valve element 21 adapted to close the inlet 9 to the measuring chamber and movable within the head of the upper portion to an extent limited by the length of its tapered lower end which is engaged by one end of a coil spring 22 compressible by continued upward movement of the operating member after the inlet 9 has been closed to hold the valve element in closing position for as long as upward pressure on the operating member is maintained.

The upper portion 1 8 of the operating member has a flanged head 23 adapted to engage the fluted stem 24 of a valve 25 mounted in a cover 26 for the measuring chamber and opened by upward movement of the operating member, against the pressure of a spring 27 to allow air to pass down the fluted stem and cause discharge of liquid from the measuring chamber through ports 28 into the hollow interior of the lower portion 1 9 of the operating member from whence it is discharged into a glass having its rim pressed against arms extending laterally from the lower portion.

With the lever 6 operated to hold the valve member 3 open, the partition 1 5 cooperates with the chamber 1 when the valve 12 is moving towards open position, to prevent an air lock by allowing air to escape up one side of the partition and through the chamber to the bag, while a fresh charge of liquid is passing from the bag through the chamber and down the other side of the partition.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing measured quantites of liquid from a bulk container into a glass or other drinking vessel, said apparatus comprising a measuring chamber having an inlet which is normally open to admit liquid to the measuring chamber from said container and to permit the flow of air from the measuring chamber to said container, and an outlet which is normally closed to prevent the discharge of liquid from the measuring chamber, an operating member movable against spring action to close said inlet and open said outlet to permit the contents of the measuring chamber to be discharged through said outlet into a drinking vessel and means for improving the flow of air to the interior of said container, said means comprising a distancing member in the form of a tubular chamber for interposition between and liquid-tight connection at its ends to, the outlet of said container and the inlet of the measuring chamber respectively.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said container is a bag having a valve-controlled outlet.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the outlet valve is normally closed and is operable by manual operation of a push-button.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said outlet valve can be held in its open position by manual operation of a pivoted lever into pressure engagement with said push-button.

5. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein said valve-controlled outlet is connected to a delivery tube which is of less diameter than, and discharges into said tubular chamber and is surrounded by an outer wall to which the inlet end of said tubular chamber can be secured in liquid-tight manner.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said tubular chamber is closed at its outlet end except for a central aperture which communicates in liquid-tight manner with the inlet of the measuring chamber and receives a partition which passes into said inlet and divides it into parallel conduits for the passage of liquid and air.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said tubular chamber is mounted on top of said measuring chamber with the axes of both chambers extending in a substantially vertical direction, said measuring chamber forming part of a conventional dispenser which is adapted to be detachably secured in a fixed bracket and in which the operating member is movable in an upward direction to open the discharge outlet in response to upward pressure applied through the rim of a glass or other drinking vessel upon a pair of arms extending laterally from the lower end of the operating member.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the liquid to be dispensed is wine.

9. Apparatus for dispensing measured quanties of liquid from a bulk container into a glass or other drinking vessel, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.