GB2253265A

GB2253265A - Apparatus for dispensing liquid, eg beer or cider

Info

Publication number: GB2253265A
Application number: GB9202616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Herbert Ian Fraser; Ian Sherrington
Original assignee: FOREST UK Ltd
Current assignee: FOREST UK Ltd
Priority date: 1991-02-09
Filing date: 1992-02-07
Publication date: 1992-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-07
Also published as: GB2253265B; GB2253266B; GB9202617D0; GB9202616D0; GB2253266A

Abstract

The apparatus has a valve 15, between a supply pipe 13 and a delivery pipe 18, which is operated by a handle 21 via links 25, 24 and rotary cam 20. To simulate the action of a traditional beer pump, resistance to the movement of the handle 21 is provided by a hydraulic circuit which is independent of the valve and includes piston/cylinder device 40, the cylinder being pivotally attached to a fixed cross-member 43 and the piston rod 41 being pivotally attached at 42 to the handle 21. A flexible pipe 44 interconnects opposite ends of the cylinder 40 via a valve 45 having a flow restrictor which is adjustable by a manual knob 46. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUID This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing liquid.

According to one aspect of the invention apparatus for dispensing liquid comprises a valve for interposing between a source of liquid and a dispensing outlet, manually operable means for opening and closing the valve, and fluid means operative to provide resistance to movement of the manually operable means and connected to the manually operable means independent of the valve.

The manually operable means may be movable in one direction to open the valve. The fluid means may provide resistance to the movement in the one direction.

The fluid means may provide resistance to movement of the manually operable means in the reverse direction.

The resistance means may comprise liquid means.

According to another aspect of the invention apparatus for dispensing liquid comprises a valve for interposing between a source of liquid and a dispensing outlet, manually operable means movable in one direction for opening the valve, and fluid means operative to provide resistance to the movement in one direction and operatively connected to the manually operable means independent of the valve.

The invention may be performed in riots ways and one specific embodiment with possible modifications will flow be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a beer dispensing device; Fig. 2 is a side view of part of the device in a first condition; Fig. 3 is a side view of part of the device in a second condition; and Figs.4A, 43, 4C are vies part in section of a cam device.

A beer dispensing device 10 comprises a frame 11 in which are engaged clamps 12 (only one sho;vn) for releasably mounting the device 10 typically to a bar counter for convenient operation by bar staff.

A flexible pipe 13 extends from a supply of beer, for example a cask or container under pressure or a pump delivering from an un-pressurised cask, to 2 coupling 14 leading to a flow control valve 15 having an operating element 16. A flexible pipe 17 leads from the valve 15 to a dispense tap 18 through a coupling 19 mounted in the frame 11. The valve 15 and thus element 16 are biassed by a spring indicated schematically at 28 to the closed position.

Movement of element 16, and thus opening and closing of the valve 15, is through a cam device 20. An operating handle 21 is pivoted at 22 in the frame 11.

The cam device 20 is mounted on cross-member 23 rotatably mounted in the frame 11. An arm 24 extends from the cross-member 23 and link 25 is pivoted at its ends to the arm 24 and a pivot 26 on the handle 21.

Thus when the handle 21 is moved from its datum position (Pig. 2) in which the valve 15 is closed, the crossmember 23 is rotated to open the valve 15.

The cam device 20 comprises a first part 30 held on the cross-member 23 by a se- screw 30 so tat the part 30 can be held in a selected angular position on the cross-member 23.

A circular disc part 31 is eccerftrically pivoted at 32 in a slot 33 in the periphery 35 of the part 30. A leaf spring 34 biases the part 31 outwards of the periphery 35. The datum position is shown at Fig. 4A with element 16 engaging periphery 35. S stop pim 36 limits the movement of part 31 in one sense about pivot 32 on support part 30.

As the handle 21 is moved from the datum position (Fig. 2) the cross-member 23 is rotated and the part 31 moves element 16 to open valve 15 and dispense beer (Fig. 43). If movement of the handle 21 is stopped before the handle 21 has moved through a pre-determined angle, for example between 350 and 52 , the valve 15 remains open and is closed by return of the handle 21 to the initial valve-closed position.

If movement of the handle 21 is stopped after it has moved through more than the predetermined angle, the valve 15 remains open but if the handle 21 is then moved back towards the initial valve-closed position, then after a partial return angular movement, for example between 5 and 180, the part 31 is moved anti-clocknise as seen in Fig. 4C into the slot 33, under the action of the spring 28 in the valve 15 and against the action of the spring 34, and the valve element 16 moves to the closed position.

If the handle 21 is moved in the valve-opening direction to its fullest extent, the spring 28 closes the valve 15 when the handle reaches the fullest extent.

To simulate the operation of a traditional beer dispenser in which movement of the handle 21 in both directions is against a resistance, a hydraulic circuit is provided.

A hydraulic piston/cylinder device 40 has a piston connected to a rod 41 pivoted to the handle 21 at 42.

The device 40 at its lower end is mounted for rotation on a cross-member 43. A flexible pipe 44 connects opposite ends of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston through a valve 45 including a flow restrictor adjustable by a knob 46.

The hydraulic resistance experienced by a user when moving the handle 21 in a direction away from the initial datum position is set by the restrictor, and the resistance experienced during return movement towards the datum position is set by the diameter of the pipe 44, the reverse flow bypassing the restrictor.

The hydraulic circuit could be omitted and the device 10 would operate to dispense beer as above, the hydraulic circuit thus being independent of the beer dispense mechanism although both are operated by the handle 21.

Instead of beer other liquid could be dispense, for example cider.

In a preferred modification, when the handle 21 is moved in the valve-opening direction to its fullest extent, liquid continues to be dispensed d continues until the handle 21 has been moved back a short distance in the reverse direction towards the initial vertical position. This can be achieved by adjusting or setting the extent of movement of the piston in the hydraulic device 40; the handle 21 cannot be moved beyond a position at which the piston is at a limit of movement.

In the adjusted limit position the spring 28 does not close the valve 15 which only closes after the predetermined reverse movement of for example between and 180.

In the various embodiments the extent of reverse movement of the handle 21 needed to close valve 15 may be substantially independent of the angular position of the handle 21 at which the reverse movement occurs.

The valve 15 is progressively opened by movement of handle 21, the valve 15 being fully open after for example 300 of movement of handle 21.

In a modification, the cam means 20 is such that at all positions in the movement of the handle 21 from the initial position, dispensing of liquid only stops after a predetermined extent of reverse movement, for example between 50 and 180.

In a modification the arm 24 comprises two telescoped parts so as to be variable in length.

The spring 34 could be a compression spring.

The screw 30a could be replaced by a pin fixing the angular position of the cam 20 on the rod 23.

In another modification, the hydraulic circuit provides resistance only to movement of handle 21 in the valve-opening direction.

Claims

CTb I?

1. Apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising a valve for interposing between a source of liquid and a dispensing outlet, manually operable means for opening and closing the valve, and fluid means operative to provide resistance to movement of the manually operable means and connected to the manually operable means independent of the valve.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, In which the manually operable means is movable in one direction to open the valve, and the fluid means provides resistance to the movement in the one direction.

3. apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the fluid means provides resistance to movement of the manually operable means in the reverse direction.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the resistance means comprises liquid means.

5. apparatus for dispensing liquid comprising a valve for interposing between a source of liquid and a dispensing outlet, manually operable means movable in one direction for opening the valve, and fluid means operative to provide resistancto the movement in one direction and operatively contected to the manually operable means independent of the valve.