US2907547A - Carbonated beverage dispensing valve - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1959 LE ROY D. GORE EI'AL CARBONATED BEVERAGE DISPENSING VALVE Filed April 18, 1956 W Le Roy D. Gore Q 711600622 L. Harman Dana/0 M [flBrfa'a L IN V EN TORS k BY Alla 121x155 McBride, KansasYCity, Mo., assignors to The Vendo Company, Kansas City, Mo., a'corporation of Missouri Application April 18, 1956, Serial No. 579,010 2 Claims. Cl. 251- 54 This invention relates to' valve'structure especially adapted for use in the dispensing ofcarbonat'ed beverage 'drinks 'especially where the proper proportions of carbon dioxide, water, and syrup arepre-mixed and directed to the valve structure in such condition.

J In the dispensing of beverages containing carbon dioxide, there is presented the problem of maintaining such ingredient of the drink in solution. Manifestly, the nature of CO -is such that it commences to dissipateimmediately to the atmosphere when discharged from a sealed container therefor and such release from the solution is enhanced whenever the drink is dispensed at high velocities as well as when the beverage is agitated to such extent as to cause foaming during them'anipulation of the valve structure, i It is accordingly, the mostimportant object of the present invention to provide valve structure wherein the aforesaid agitation due to operation of the valve structure itself is kept at a minimum and to provide additionally,

novel components capable of reducing the pressure within the valve structure itself sufficiently to permit low velocity Un t t me dispensing of the bevera-ge when the valve is moved to an en c m i, V

, Anotherimportantobject of I the present invention" is the provision ofvalve structure having a restrictor as a part thereof and contained within the valve body in such manner as to present an elongated, annular space through (which thebeverage must flowfrom the inlet of the valve structure to the outlet thereof, thereby reducing the pressure thereof and permitting lower velocity dispensing of the drink.

A further object of the instant invention is to reduce agitation during the manipulation of the valve to the open position by the inclusion of damping means rendering it impossible to quickly and violently shift the valve to the open position.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of valve structure of the aforementioned character wherein the damping means just above mentioned is in the nature of a piston forming an integral part of the valve itself and extending into an air chamber that is contained within the elongated restrictor carried by the valve body.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of valve structure having the various parts thereof formed and arranged as to permit quick and easy removal, thereby facilitating cleaning operations.

Other objects include important details of construction to be made clear as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, substantially central, crosssectional view through a carbonated beverage dispensing valve made according to the present invention, showing the same operably associated with the machine with which it is adapted to be used;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line I-I-II of Fig. l; and

2,907,547 Patented Oct. 6, 1959 ice Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross-sectional. view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

As above indicated, the beverage to be dispensed through the medium of the valve about to be described is in the nature of a pre-mix containing the proper proportions of CO water and syrup, such mixture being stored within the machine in a container 10. It is contemplated that the temperature of the beverage be lowered through use of a flash cooler 12 within which the container 10 is disposed, but the details of construction of such cooler form no part of the instant invention and, therefore, have not been disclosed.

The valve structure forming the subject matter of the instant invention includes a body 14 in the nature of an elongated tube or sleeve traversing one wall of the flash cooler 12 and held in place by a fastener 16 cooperating with a shoulder 18 at the opposite end of the body 14. A centrally perforated plug 20 presenting an inlet 22 is releasably held in place Within one end of the body 14 by a snap ring 24 and an O-ring 26 carried by the plug 20 seals the body 14 against escape of liquid at the innermost end of the body 14. Plug 20 may be placed in communication with the container 10 in any suitable manner as through use of a flexible tube 28.

A head 30 provided with a longitudinal bore 32 extends into the outermost end of the tubular body 14 and is provided with an O-ring seal 34. Head 30 is releasably held in place within the body 14 through the medium of a U-shaped key 36 embracing the body 14, the legs of the key 36 extending into opposed slots formed in the body 14, one of which can be seen in Fig.2 and designated by thenumeral 38. The said legs of the key 36 are received by an annular groove 40 formed in the head 30.

Head 30 is provided with a laterally extending outlet orifice 42 communicating with the bore 32 thereof and releasably receiving an elongated tubular spigot 44 that is held in place by a spring-loaded, bifurcated retainer 46 yieldably biased against shoulder 48 formed on the spigot 44.

A guide 50 for. spring52 surrounds a plunger 54 between spring 52 anda removable cross pin 56 that traverses the plunger 54. Spring 52 is coiled about the plunger 54 and about the proximal end of the head 30 to not only yieldably bias the plunger 54, toward the outermost end of its path of travel, but yieldably hold the retainer 46 in place engaging the shoulder 48 of spigot 44, it being understood that the retainer 46 is shiftable with respect to the head 30 toward and away from the guide 50.

Plunger 54 is reciprocable within the bore 32 and is provided with a reduced portion 58 adjacent the lateral discharge 42.

A piston 60 integral with the plunger 54 carries a valve in the nature of a washer 62 adjacent the reduced portion 58 of plunger 54 which is yieldably held biased against a seat 64 formed in the innermost end of head 30 by spring 52. i

Piston 60 extends into an air chamber 66 formed in an elongated restrictor 68 and sealed by an O-ring 70 that circumscribes the piston 60 at the innermost end of the latter.

Restrictor 68 is loosely mounted within the valve body 14 for free reciprocable movement longitudinally thereof as well as rotation with respect to body 14. It is held centered within the body 14 by a plurality of outwardly extending pins 72 and 74 and the extent of reciprocable movement of the restrictor 68 is limited by rearwardly extending pin 76 engageable with plug 20 with respect ,to its seat 64. There is illustrated a solenoid 80 having a reciprocable core 82 for swinging an arm 84 that pivotally interconnects the core 82 and any stationary part 86 of the machine. It is seen that when the sole d 8 s ener ized .v e ac its o 2% t arm 84 is swung inwardly to in turn exert inward force on the plunger 54 to open valve 62. y

In operation, by virtue of the elongated annular passage 88 presented between rest-rictor- 63 and the inner face of valve body 14, the pressure of the beverage emanating from the container 10 is reduced sufficiently prior to discharge past the valve 62 that the same is dispensed at relatively low velocities when the valve 62 is moved to the open position.

Pins 76 and 78 limit the extent of reciprocable movement of the restrictor 68 under influence of moveof pistol-1 64B and; the pressure of incoming liquid. inanifestly, the clearance 88 between restrictor 68 and the valve body 14 should be closely controlled to provide they required restriction to flow and resulting pressure drop. In order to handle various beverages requiring different inlet pressures and corresponding differences in pressure drops, restrictors 68 having different opposite outside diameters may be substituted for the restrictor 68 shown in the drawing. The beverage at a reduced pressure and'velocity is discharged through the spigot 44 whenever the valve 62 is open.

Sudden displacement of the valve 62 from its normal position bearing against seat 64 is prevented by the dampening effect upon the piston 60 as the same movw into the sealed air chamber 66. This eliminates, therefore, to a considerable extent the agitation that would otherwise cause undue foaming of the beverage upon actuation of the plunger 54. 7

Attention is called to the fact that the valve is made in a manner to facilitate cleaning, since it is but neces sary to remove the retainer 36 in order to permit removal of head 30, plunger 54 and restrictor 68. By the same jacent said one end thereof; means presenting an an'iiular valve seat between the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice and adjacent the latter; a plunger reciprocably mounted in the body and extending through said opening and said seat presenting means; valve means on the plunger between the inlet orifice and the seat presenting means and cooperable with the latter; an elongated re-. strictor having an imperforateend, an imperforate, generally cylindrical side wall and an opposite end provided with a cylindrical cavity presenting an air chamber; means mounting the restrictorwith in the body for free .reciprocatory movement relative to the latter with said imperforate end of the 'restrictor facing the inlet "orifice, said opposite end facing the seat presenting means, and said side wall spaced inwardly from the body presenting a fluid passage of annular cross section between the body and the restrictor throughout the length of the latter; means limiting reciprocation of the restrictor within the body between extreme positionsin which the ends of the restrictor arespacedfrom both the inletorifice-and the seat presenting means but by differing distances in the two positions; and a piston on the inner extremity of the plunger reciprocably received within the air chamber of the restrictor insubstantially fluid-tight relationship to the side wall of the restrictor and in spaced relationship to the imperforate end of the latter. v Y

2. Valve structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body is comprised of a generally cylindrical tube; a head removably mounted in one end of the tube in fluidtight relationship to the latter and provided with a longitudinal bore presenting said opening and said seat, and

V a lateral passage communicating with the bore and-pretoken, the'spigot 44 may be quickly and easily interchanged by retracting the retainer 46 against the action of spring 52. p f

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Valve structure of the kind'described comprising: 'an elongated tubular body having an opening at one end thereof, an inlet orifice at the other end thereof and an outlet orifice intermediate the ends thereof and adsenting said outlet orifice; and a plug removably mounted in the other end of the tube in fluid-tight relationship to the latter and provided with alongitudinal passagepresenting said inlet orifice. v

References Citedi'n the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS.

1,140,054 Moore May 18, 1915 1,180,848 Hess Apr. 2.5, 1916 2,125,102 Cornelius July-'2'6,-1'938 2,185,267 Rice v Ian. 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS l 1 706,059 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1954

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