US2825491A - Drink mixing and dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

March 4, i958 o. 1 ENGSTROM 2,825,491

DRINK MIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1956 INVENTOR. 05cm? L, ENasTRo/w' E. H m, HTToR/VEY March 4, 1958 o. L.. ENGSTRQM 2,825,491

DR'INK MIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1956 INVENToR. Osama L. ENG s TRO/v.' BY

e. .@CAMMHf/b I HTTOR/V'EY March 4, 1958 o. L. ENGsTRoM 2,825,491

DRINK MIXING AND DIsPENsING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed `March 6, 1956 l INVENTOR.

OsHR L, ENGSTROM BY l Y HTToRA/EY March 4, ,1958r o. L. ENGSTROM 2,825,491

DRINK MIXING AND DIsPNsING DEVICE Filed Maron e, 195 4 sheets-sheet 4 24 42 KMK INVENToR. Osc/IR L. E/vcssTRoM FI'TTORNEY DRNK MEXNG ANB DISPENSING DEVICE Oscar L. Engstrom, Long Island City, N. Y.

Appiication March 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,935

Saints. (Cl. 222-133) My invention relates to drink dispensing devices and is 'directed particularly tca device for mixing syrup and water for soda fountain drinks.

Drink dispensing devices incorporating syrup chambers and valves -for dispensing a metered amount of syrup mixed with plain or carbonated water are known. These known devices are generally deicient, however, in that they do not consistently supply the same amount of syrup, with the result that the strength of the dispensed drinks varies from glass to glass.

it is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide a drink mixing and dispensing device that will consistently deliver drinks having equal proportions of syrup and water for a given dispensed amount of drink.

Another more specic object of my invention is to provide a drink mixing device of the character described having a syrup chamber, a mixing chamber below the syrup chamber, and means effective upon actuation of the device to flush the residual syrup from the syrup chamber while the drink is being dispensed. Still another object of my invention is to provide a mixing device of the character described which is comparatively simple in construction, eiiicient in opreation, and easy to use, clean and repair. l

Further objects and advantages ofv my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds; and Vthe features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed ont with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

, Y in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

' Fig. 1 is a top view of the drink mixing and dispensing device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing the device in actuated condition Y wherein the discharge valve and the water inlet valves are closed `and the syrup inlet valve is open;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the broken line 3 3 of Fig. l, in the direction of the arrows, through the syrup opening of the syrup chamber; l

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly; l

Y Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. Zlooking downwardly; A Y Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the 'line 7 7 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the broken line 8 8 of Fig'. 2 looking downwardly;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view equivalent to Fig. 2 buton 'a larger scale;

- Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing the operatingf'handle in partly actuated position for dispensing f adrink, and Y Y Fig. l1 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing the operating handle in ully actuated position.A n Y i HReferring now in detail to the'drawingg the drink dis- Y VPatented Mar. v4:, 1958 icc pensing Idevice is comprised of an upper cylindrical housing member 10, a lower cylindrical housing member 12 removably attached to said upper housing member 10 by a screw flange 14, `and a handle 16 extending upwardly yfrom `said lower housing member and operative when pulled downwardly to dispense a mixed drink through an opening 18 in the lower end of the lower housing member 12. The lower portion of the upper cylindrical housing member 10 is cylindrically recessed to provide a syrup chamber 20. A cylindrical valve structure 22 is coaxially disposed within the upper cylindrical housing member 1t) and is fixed therein by having a reduced diameter upper portion of said valve structure press-fitted in a central opening in the upper portion of said upper housing member.

The upper end of the valve structure 22 is drilled to provide a water inlet chamber 24. The upper portion ofthe upper cylindrical housing member 10 is drilled and tapped as indicated at 26 to receive a water inlet conduit 28 (partially shown). The inner end of the water inlet opening is drilled through to the water inlet chamber 24 as indicated at 3i?. The bottom of the water inlet chamber 24 is bored as indicated at 32 so as to provide an annular valve seat 34. The water inlet chamber 24 is tted with a coaxial water valve member 36 having an intermediate annular ange portion, an upwardly extending spring locating portion 38, and an actuating rod portion 40 extending downwardly through the bore 32. A valve washer 42, preferably of rubber or neoprene, is securely seated against the underside of the annular liange portion of the water valve member. A water valve spring 44 is circumjacently located with respect to the upwardly extending spring locating portion 38 and has its lower end seated against the upper annular surface of the intermediate annular ange portion thereof. The upper end of the water valve spring 44 is held under compression by means of a `screw cap 46 threaded into the upper end of the valve structure 22. A washer 48 is provided under the screw cap 46 to seal od the water inlet chamber 24.

The valve structure 22 has a cylindrical wall portion 50 extending downwardly into the syrup chamber 20. The upper portion of the cylindrical wall 50 is cross drilled to provide a pair of aligned openings 52. Valve means are provided comprising an inner valve sleeve member 60 and an outer valve sleeve member 54, said cylindrical outer valve sleeve member 54 being slidably mounted on the` cylindrical wall 50 of the valve structure 22. The outer valve sleeve member S4 has a cylindrical lower end portion 56 slidably disposed within the lower cylindrical housing member 12. The cylindrical lower end 56 of the outer valve sleeve member 54 is hollow to provide a mixing chamber 58. The coaxial inner valve sleeve member 60 has a valve sleeve portion 62 slidably fitted within the cylindrical wall Si) of the valve structure 22, an intermediate cylindrical portion 64 of somewhat reduced diameter extending below said valve sleeve portion, and a lower end cylindrical portion of still further reduced diameter 66. The lower end cylindrical portion 66 of the inner valve sleeve member 60 is cross drilled and itted with a cross pin 68 having its opposite ends fitted within opposed openings in the cylindrical lower end 56 of the outer valve sleeve member 54. (See Fig. 8). The outer valve `strainer72 is .approximately the same as the internal diameter of the mixing chamber 58 to insure additional v normally; s

. Y 3 Y Y and 4'ialStS ,Qrovidegetrain taasse ,down .through the mixing device. A plugtvvalve member 76'is secured tothe lower `end of the plug supporting'piece 74. The lowergend of the plug valve 76 is `roundeditenrovidegoosiSealineactionwhen-seateddlown Lligadas@thewe ogriieal va @isset-'78 med atethefrlower l' Y Y The valves sleeve. portionijzs o member ,60:2 isi formed f Vwith 1 van l internal 'opstanding zpost 180 -=having 'a' recess` 82 in1 th'e: vupper Aend' Ythereof." YThe upstanding :80 ideiine's: arr annulasrij recessl within l the,

Y [valve sleeve portionvtz;V V'llhelowerendf `the actuating rodi-portion .40 zofx-.the iwater;y valver member? P36;Y extends i n V.partially Vyvitlrin'the,vv recess: sz'rrtofgtlierupstanding lpost 80 whenthe: miXing-device-i's; in una'ctuatedlcondition" as.- illustrated irr.-1i.g;.9;l Aacoaxial compressionesprng'f84'llias- Y ts'lowei-.iendiseated against:theiannulargoor'surrounding Y.

the upst'andin'g'po'st 80 and within the inner valvesrleeve s menber'fandlitsupperendconstrained against the an'-V nilar-surface lsurrounding'the'"boire .32-opp0'site the annulafrvalve'seat 34 in thevalvf'structure Z2.A Tlieycorn-V pression spring 84A serves to'` ur-ge the-:inner -Vval'vei'sleeve -f member ,'60 fdv'vnwardly` so thatVV the plug valife'jlisA Y eared-in sealingengagementfagainstthe conical YThe valve sleeve-portiony 62 f the innergvalve sleeve I 'member `601is'provided? Witli opposed' openingsv 86K.` TheV outerV sleeve'member 54Eis formedwith a cylindrical upper 'end portion' 88'lof-,reduced` diameter providing anannular 'shoulder V902l `Slida'blyf disposed: onf the .cylindrical upper endl'porti'on 88is anannular 4syrup and ventrshutQ-oif'mejmf ber '92 i Circumjacenttlie cylindri'c'al'upper end'88js a; spring 94.constrainedibetweenrtlie lower'anmllarV surfcei "annular YshoulderY 90"offthe outer' valve slevem'ember Y54.V

"A retraining split ring 96 is "seatelina" groovearQunclf/the "'isprovided' Witha pairfofV Vcross `drilled .Openings Y106Y in 't alignmejntv'vith the openings-86 iur-the valve sleeve portion '71;"6 *Tof'fth'e innerV valve slevermelmber. The inte/ringe`V it dia't'e cylindrical portion V64to'ftthe inner valve=sleeve fmetiber' 60" is also"V crossr drilledV t .provide apair'of V'fsin'lall'je'r openings 107'. lheseopening's allow the mixing water` to fiwf'from within rthe "valve' structure 22Y'dowin into; 'the mixingjchamber 58` when the `valve is ,being A'The YCylindrizal*lower 'endl 56- lofftlie .outer valve sleeve @member 54 is.V provided apaii'.. of large .cross 4drilledj ""'ggs 109 Communicating with the Vupper endfofithe K ingc'hamber 5.8i. VThe'verticalpositionofltheopenings Y t ,109 'is'such that when the device is in fullfy actuated ,j condition a's illustrated in Eig'L-ll, Saidopeningswillbe inY l` commnnicti'nrwith the lower surface of' the syrup journalsth pinion shaft 12min the housing A ing ofithe-'beverageas fgth inner: v`alve sleeve amber 20. YPieferably the 'oorrof the syrupchamber jzifs .inclinedy as indicated Yat 1114k softhatfthesyrup will` adily drain/outthrogh `the openings 109 into: thef Y AXing.' chamber 58' when'tlie mixing deyiceris operated.` I Y 4The operating VI iarnlle 164 is fixed at itslower. endlasby 's'eti's'CreW V1'08 ,(Fig., 3l) Yto fa; fpinionshaft; 1710.v (Fig/8).

Side 9i the cvlindricallower endY Port :valve sleeve member 54,V

Referring nowrto Fig. 91 of the drawingsand consider-VY Y ing the' operation ofthe drink dispensing devicer,1it-,wi1l be p fi seen thatwhen'in the Yunzu;tuated condition the syrupjrandi Vvent shut-off member 92 will :betremovedr from'fthe `upper fective water shut-oli` at the valve sera' tr,34. f'4 Y YWfheinthe'operiating-5 halidleis-being Voperate pensing a mixedzrdrinkggupward movement of t V1h13?.Water.:valve: .Water will thentbelgin towfowzthrough -theinteriorgofthe;valvesleeveportion"dlxandloutthe\ i smallfopenings`107 'thereinfr flurtherdownwardV move t mentof the opcratingghandle allowswaterto viiow vthrough Y' t the device;l vvlithz-greaterl volume; 'and at thetlsamel time "further raise'setlieouter valve sleeve member 54lvs`roftliat-'its large syrupdischargebpenings109 are in communication'V with ith? syrup l k:ha1nl;er` 20. rSyrup andlwajt'er` will noww; Ybe:Showing'togetherr'and miiiingnv Vthemmixing chamber 1 "Gompleteddownwardmovement ofthe operatingliandle into full communication with the syrup chamber 270'` lat structure 22.Y YW ater, will thslnallygow .under .pressure 'intolthej ,chamber- 20; to. flush r,outjrall*remaining' syrup; Byyirtue'ofjttieinclined,lowerahnularsurface 111V` ofithesyrupgfchambeiztl, Awaterfa'nd syrup Ywillfbecom'- n Y pletely drainedgfinsuringfjthatteach succeedingfsyrnp; i .Charge willrbic the siameaetheiast; and ,thereby insuring Y' 4 that all belofth samestrieliggtliuvv iByj 'proper t dirmensining f the fsizes fings; action can be ha art that YMarion changs :and /moidieatio'nsmaybe marde catons .as fall Within. invention;

the'. true spirit and. 'spine QfglflyV `what isiaim V;lrvi,1,1k s`'the combination; comprising a housing; .structure closedwater inletmeans inftliLe-upper-.lend-of said housing Y r nen-yvalvefsleeve member'rgand 'aconcentriczcylindicali outer valve sleeve member slidably mountecini concentric Y Y i lgtign with@ respect Vtogsttid;valve;Strucftlre,manual?COII-k trl mea'ns for movil! Vcooperat'ely engaged'witli ra'ckrteeth 122' entf'alo'ng'itheyY`r Y ionV ofthe outer`r tlie= same time`moyesfthe. .openings86fandfl05j'infthe t Lrespeetivejinner and Aouter` YVvalve` sleeve rnembers6 0, Y Y Land y Sii-into t alignment theV openings 152 of tlie-valye4V vntaiiliiig.21111zanrrfiular Syrup lChamber in theupperiend NieQi-@dl @mixing @emberu; the lower. end thcfref irl'vumtllly. Qu'fy-mpiletmeanscommunicating withrsaidr Y sy rupchamber,Y arvalve structure;*Yhaving'1a-cylindrcalvvallv. Y p 'centrally disposed infsaidf hcnsinggY structure, ncir-nially,V

structure land communicating withztthe interior .ofpsaid v t Y Y fsaidivalve means" imm;aut-TunA actuated ygpmitiloxr,` Y to; actuated; positionf; con# I Y trolled by actuation of said valve means to open said water inlet means, close said syrup inlet means and to provide communication channels from the lower end of said syrup chamber to said mixing chamber and from the interior of said valve structure to said syrup chamber, said channel communicating from the interior of said valve structure to said syrup chamber comprising openings in said inner and outer sleeve members and in said valve structure operative to move into registry with one another, whereby said syrup chamber will be completely ilushed out upon the dispensing of a mixed drink.

2. In a mixing dispenser for carbonated water-syrup drinks, the combination comprising a housing structure containing an annular syrup chamber in the upper end thereof and a mixing chamber in the lower end thereof, normally open syrup inlet means communicating with said syrup chamber, a valve structure having a cylindrical wall centrally disposed in said housing structure, normally closed water inlet means in the upper end of said housing structure and communicating with the interior of said valve structure, valve means comprising a cylindrical inner valve sleeve member and a concentric cylindrical outer valve sleeve member slidably mounted in concentric relation with respect to said valve structure, manual control means for moving said valve means from an unactuated position to an actuated position, means controlled by actuation of said valve means to successively open said water inlet means, close said syrup inlet means, provide a channel communicating between the lower end of said syrup chamber and said mixing chamber, and provide a channel communicating between the interior of said valve structure and said syrup chamber, said channel communicating from the interior of said valve structure to said syrup chamber comprising openings in said inner and outer sleeve members and in said valve structure operative to move into registry with one another, whereby the syrup chamber will be completely ushed out upon the dispensing of a mixed drink.

3. In a mixing dispenser for carbonated water-syrup drinks, the combination comprising a housing structure containing an annular syrup chamber in the upper end thereof and a mixing chamber in the lower end thereof, normally open syrup inlet means communicating with said syrup chamber, a valve structure having a cylindrical wall centrally disposed in said housing structure, normally closed water inlet means in the upper end of said housing structure and communicating with the interior of said valve structure, valve means comprising a cylindrical inner valve sleeve member and a concentric cylindrical outer valve sleeve member slidably mounted in concentric relation with respect to said valve structure, manual control means for moving said valve means from an unactuated position to an actuated position, a drink iiow opening at the lowermost end of said mining chamber, a plug member iixed with respect to said valve means and normally seated in sealing engagement against said drink ow opening, and means controlled by actuation of said valve means to successively open said water inlet means, close said syrup inlet means, provide a channel communicating between the lower end of said syrup chamber and said mixing chamber, and provide a channel communicating between the interior of said valve structure and said syrup chamber, said chanel communicating from the interior of said valve structure to said syrup chamber comprising openings in said inner and outer sleeve members and in said valve structure operative to move into registry with one another, whereby the syrup chamber will be completely flushed out upon the dispensing of a mixed drink.

4. rl`he device as deined in claim 3 including a resilient means normally constraining said valve means in un* actuated condition.

5. The device as described in claim 4 wherein said mixing chamber is cylindrical, and wherein said means providing a channel communicating between the lower end of said syrup chamber and said mixing chamber comprises side openings in said outer valve sleeve member communicating with said mixing chamber.

6. The device as described in claim 4 wherein said water inlet opening means comprises a central bore in said upper end of said valve structure, a valve member having a flange portion seatable on said bore and having a rod portion extending through said bore, and a spring normally constraining said flange portion in unactuated, seated condition.

7. The device as described in claim 4 wherein said syrup inlet closure means comprises an annular shut-oi member within said syrup chamber and surrounding said outer valve sleeve member resiliently supported thereon for relative axial movement, said shut-off member being adapted to abut against said syrup inlet means during actuation of said valve means.

8. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means providing a channel between the interior of said valve structure and said syrup chamber comprises an aligned pair of openings in each of said inner valve sleeve member, said outer valve sleeve member and said valve structure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,415,861 Bauerlin et al. Feb. 28, 1942 2,453,004 Engstrom Nov. 2, 1948 2,645,380 Donnelly July 14, 1953

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