US2440365A - Metering motor operated pump for dispensing beverages - Google Patents

Description

Apfil 1943' B. G. COPPING YETAL 2,440,365

METERING MOTOR OPERATED PUMP FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES Filed Feb. 10, 1945 n M 4 'll/Ill 4 .k G M r a II in w II F VHZIIIAQ F 2 3 4 0 5 4 .1 a 4 A a 6 5 k f 1, M i a 7 6. P M & 4 a o R 3 M G .3 2 ll 3 2 F 3 3 "a FIG..3.

INVENTORS MAN, AND

Y m C A 5 6% mm a Patented Apr. 27, 1948 METERING MOTOR OPERATED PUMP FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES Bruce G. Copping, Atlanta, Ga., and Evert S. Wegman, East Longmeadow, Masa, assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 10, 1945, Serial No. 577,204

4 Claims. (c1. 225-2s) This invention relates to beverage dispensing apparatus and particularly to apparatus of the type wherein proportioned parts of cold syrup and cold carbonated water are dispensed into a cup or other receptacle in which the beverage components are mixed.

The invention is particularly applicable to such apparatus wherein the amount of syrup dispensed is proportioned accurately in response to the flow of the water by means of a metering device which regulates the syrup flow quantitatively in response to pressure applied in common to the metering device and the carbonated water container.

In such apparatus, the syrup is pumped from its receptacle and discharged to the cup by pressure applied from a regulated source, such as the carbon dioxide cylinder used in charging the carbonated water, which pressure is also applied to the carbonator. The carbonator and its container water are maintained at a cold dispensing temperature and likewise the syrup is maintained at the same temperature. However, the viscosity of the syrup and water, not being the same, variations in temperature, even though they be the same for both the syrup and water, will affect the proportions of syrup and water in the dispensed beverage unless some means is provided to compensate for the varying viscosities.

In the system here described, this is accomplished by providing a metering device comprising a closed hydraulic system containing water which is forced from one end of that system to the other through a controlled orifice in response to carbon dioxide pressure to actuate a syrup pump. The carbonated water is discharged from its container to the cup through a nozzle having rate of flow characteristics similar to that of the controlled orifice in the hydraulic system and the pressure applied to the carbonated water is the same as that applied to the closed hydraulic system. As both fluids being displaced, that is, the water in the closed system, and the carbonated water are the same and have the same viscosity at the same temperature, and as both orifices are hydraulically similar, it follows that the discharge of syrup from the syrup pump actuated by the hydraulic system will be accurately proportioned to the discharge of water from the carbonator. Regulation of the quantity of syrup discharged for a. given amount of carbonated water can be had by making the orifice in the hydraulic system adjustable, this being desirable to vary the concentration of the beverage.

In a system as here described, it has been proposed to make the syrup pump and metering device as a unit and to immerse them in the syrup tank. Operatively this makes a satisfactory arrangement, but has the disadvantage that the metering device is not readily accessible for adjustment.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to so dispose the metering device with respect to the rest of the apparatus that it may be readily serviced and adjusted.

A further object is to so dispose the metering device that it is outside the syrup tank, for sanitary reasons, and is disposed in a water bath whose temperature is that 01' the carbonated water to be dispensed.

Another object is to provide an arrangement of the syrup pump and metering device such that both those parts can be removed from the rest of the apparatus without breaking the hydraulic system, or in which either of those parts can be removed separately.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the foil-owing description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation, partly in section, showing an assembly comprising the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, showing a syrup pump;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale showing a metering device; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a check valve provided in the syrup line between the pump and the cup.

Referring to Fig. 1, the dispensing apparatus 'comprises an insulated tank I0 [or storing a quantity of water. The water is derived from any suitable source, such as a city water main, and its level is maintained at a selected height by a suitable level control device (not shown). The water is refrigerated by a refrigerant coil ll connected by conduits l2 and [3 to a suitable reirigerant condensing unit (not shown) whichis in turn controlled by a temperature-responsive device immersed in the water. Uniformity of water temperature is insured by a motor driven agitator M which circulates the water into contact with the refrigerating coil II. This water, When carbonated, forms a component of the beverage to be dispensed.

A syrup tank I5 is immersed in the water bath and its contents are cooled by the water bath. A carbonator I 6 is also immersed in the water 2,44o,aos

bath and cooled thereby. The carbonator is supplied with water intermittently through a conduit i1 which leads from a pump (not shown). The pump draws its water from that stored in tank ill. Carbon dioxide is supplied to the carbonator from a cylinder l5 through a pressurereducing valve is and conduit 20. Carbonated water is discharged from the carbonator under pressure through a valved dispensing nozzle 2i of selected hydraulic flow characteristics. The valve (not shown), which lies inside the nozzle body. is controlled by a solenoid 22 through a pivoted lever 23. The receptacle for the dispensed beverage is here shown as a cup 24.

The syrup dispensing system comprises a pump 25 immersed in the syrup tank, a metering device 25 immersed in the water tank and a conduit 21 leading from the syrup pump to the cup. The pump and metering device are shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, as explanatory of, but not per se part of, this invention.

Referring to Fig. 2. a suitable fitting 28 is disposed in the bottom of the syrup tank for detachably receiving the main body 29 of the pump, a detachable coupling being indicated at 35. The pump comprises a flexible diaphragm 3i movable in a chamber 32 and normally held in its uppermost position by a spring 33 and the head of syrup in the tank. The pump chamber 34 communicates with the syrup tank through a spring seated check valve 35 and syrup is discharged from the pump to conduit 21 through chamber 35 provided in the fitting 25. The conduit 21 is provided with a spring-seated check valve 31 (Fig. 4) between the pump and the cup. Thus on the suction stroke the pump draws syrup from the tank into chamber 34 past check valve 35, the valve 31 being seated, while on the discharge stroke (shown in Fig. 2) valve 35 seats and syrup is discharged from the chamber 34 through chamber 36 and conduit 21 past check valve 31 to the cup 24.

The metering device (Fig. 3), through which the pumping stroke is controlled, comprises a hollow body 40 connected by a detachable coupling 4| to the bottom of the water tank iii. A flexible compressible sac 42 is tightly sealed at its open end against a passaged body 43 which is, in turn, sealed in fluid-tight engagement with the open end of hollow body 45. Thus the interior of the sac 42 is sealed from-its exterior in fluidtight relationship. The space 44 between the exterior of the sac 42 and the inner wall 01' hollow body 45 provides a chamber into which carbon dioxide is discharged under pressure to squeeze the sac when a drink is to be dispensed. Carbon dioxide is supplied to chamber 44 at that time from cylinder l8, past regulating valve l9, solenoid valve 45, conduit 45 and conduit 41 to passage 45 provided in body 43 and thence to the chamber.

The solenoid valve 45 is normally closed and is opened in timed relation with the solenoid 22 controlling the flow of carbonated water to the.

with a liquid, water in this case, which operates as a liquid piston to move the pump diaphragm downwardly (Fig. 2) when CO: pressure is applied to the exterior of sec 42.

The control of the rate of water flow from the interior of sac 42 to the pump diaphragm 3| is had through an adjustable metering element comprising a tapered orifice 51 provided in a plate 58 covering the open end of sac 42 and a similarly tapered adjustable plug 55 extending into but not closing the orifice. The plug 53 is provided with a head 55 which may be grasped through the flexible sac 42 for adjustment and also carries a stem 5i extending upwardly through the body 43 and provided externally with a lock nut 52 which A check valve 58a 01 known construction is provided in the separator plate 55 to permit'quick return of the water from the pump side of the hydraulic system when pressure on the pump diaphragm is relieved through valve 45 when its solenoid is deenergized. When the pressure is so relieved at the end of the pumping stroke, spring 33 restores diaphragm 3i to its unstressed position and syrup is drawn into the pump from the tank through check valve 35, ready for the next pumping operation.

The adjustable metering element here shown is but a diagrammatic representation of a passage capable of afl'ording liquid flow oi the required hydraulic characteristics between the sac 42 and the pump diaphragm 3i. It is suillcient to say for the purposes of this application that the rate of flow through this element is proportioned to the rate oi carbonated water flow through nozzle 2i, so that syrup and water are always dispensed in constant proportions and in constant quantities as determined by the adjustment of the metering element.

It is necessary that the metering element be adjustable both for initial installation and to take care of varying quantities oi syrup as required in the mixed beverage. It is also desirable that both the syrup pump and the metering device be readily removable from the apparatus for cleaning and repair. It is further desirable that the metering element be disposed outside the syrup tank and yet be capable of adjustment without disturbing its hydraulic connections with the pump. It is also necessary that the metering device be maintained at the temperature of the beverage being dispensed so as not to disturb the flow characteristics of the hydraulic system by a change in its viscosity with relation to the viacosity oi. the carbonated water flowing through the dispensing nozzle.

We have, therefore, provided (1) that the metering device be separated Irom but hydraulically connected to the pump, (2) that the metering device be disposed in the water tank outside the syrup tank, (3) that the metering device and pump be detachably connected in'their respective tanks, (4) that the connections between the metering device and the pump be such that the device can be removed from its tank without disturbing its hydraulic connections with the pump, and (5) that the pump and metering de vice can be removed from their respective tanks without disturbing their hydraulic connections.

To these ends, reference is made to the detachable couplings 30 for the pump with its tank and 4| for the metering device with its tank, It will also be noted that the conduit 53 leading from the metering device to the pump is flexible, for example, a heavy rubber tube or a plastic tube. This tube passes through a slot 66 provided in the neck of the syrup can, therubber grommet 67 which seals the slot being either split or removable with the tube. The tube or conduit 53 is preferably detachably coupled, as at 68, to the conduit 5% leading to diaphragm chamber 55.

With the foregoing arrangement, the metering device can be adjusted by separating the coupling $9 in the carbon dioxide line, separating the device from the tank I!) at'its detachable coupling M and removing the device from the tank by virtue of the flexible tubing 53 without disturbing the hydraulic'connections with the pump. If it is also desired to remove the pump, it can then be uncoupled'from its tank at 30 and the connected metering device and-pump removed from the apparatus by reason of theslot 6B in the neck of the syrup can. The conduit 54 may be either flexible or rigid, as circumstances require. The same is true of the carbon dioxide conduit 41.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising, a tank for containing water to be dispensed, a syrup tank, a syrup pump associated with and operatively connected to the syrup tank, anadjustable metering device for operating the syrup pump detachably connected in and near the bottom of the water tank, and a connection adapted I structed and arranged that the metering device 59 Y may be removed from the water tank for adjustment without breaking said connection.

2. Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising, a

tank for containing water to be dispensed, a syrup tank, a syrup pump associated with and operatively connected to the syrup tank, an adjustable metering device for operating the syrup pump detachably connected in and near the bottom of the water tank, a connection adapted to contain liquid joining the metering device and the syrup pum and extending over a side wall of the syrup tank, said connection being so constructed and arranged that the metering device may be removed from the water tank for adjustment without breaking said connection.

3. Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising, a tank for containing water to be dispensed, a syrup tank, a syrup pump detachably associated with and operatively connected to the syrup tank, a metering device for operating the syrup pump detachably connected in and near the bottom of the water tank, and a flexible conduit adapted to contain liquid connecting the metering device with the syrup pump whereby the metering device may be removed from the water tank without disconnecting the flexible conduit.

4. Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising, a tank for containing water to be dispensed, a syrup tank, a syrup pump detachably associated with and operatively connected to the syrup tank, a metering device for operating the syrup pump, said metering device being disposed in and detachably connected near the bottom of the water tank, and a flexible conduit adapted to contain liquid connecting the metering device with the syrup pump said metering device, pump and conduit being so constructed and arranged that the assembled unit may be removed from the apparatus without breaking the conduit joining the pump and metering device.

BRUCE G. COPPING. EVERT S. WEGMAN. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images