Patent GB-747538-A (GB)
Title: Beverage dispenser
IPC: B67D1/00
Filed: 1954-05-25
Abstract: 747,538. Coin-freed liquid-dispensing apparatus. PEPSI-COLA CO. May 25, 1954 [April 1, 1954], No. 15391/54. Classes 27 and 116 A vending machine supplies a cup D from nests of cups in storage tubes 167 to a support 213 under a spout 73 and the cup is then filled with premixed syrup and carbonated water dispensed from one or more containers 15, 19, 21 under the control of a valve 50 of which the period of opening is controlled by a pair of liquidfilled bellows 117, 118. A shaft 95 having a handle 97, which may be coin-freed, controls both the rotation of the carrier 159 for the storage tubes and the setting of the bellows. Compressed inert gas in a cylinder 14 forces the premixed beverage from the interconnected containers 15, 19, 21 to a storage tank 31 where it is cooled by encircling coils through which a refrigerant liquid is circulated by a unit 34 mounted behind the cup-storage tubes. Cup delivery.-The rim of the lowermost cup of each nest of cups in the storage tubes 167 rests between inner and outer flanges 149, 140, Fig. 15, of a fixed structure 138 until, as the carrier 159 is indexed round, upturned portions 250, Fig. 1, of the flanges enter between the rims of the two lowermost cups of one nest and an inclined stripper 143 (not shown) detaches the lowermost cup so that it falls down a shoot 208 to come to rest on tapered supports 213 on a bracket 211. For indexing the carrier, the shaft 95 having the handle 97 is connected by linkage 178 to a pawl arm 182, Fig. 3, pivoting on a carrier shaft 155, and as the arm is pivoted counterclockwise, a locking pawl 191 is first withdrawn from a notched disc 168 on the shaft 155 by a slotted lever 185 and then a pawl 198 is engaged with the disc to index the storage tubes by the required amount. A sliding rod 202 is provided for lifting the locking and driving pawls so that the tube carrier 159 can be freely rotated when replenishing the tubes and the carrier is driven from the shaft 155 through a pin 158 engaging a pressed-in groove 162 so that it can easily be removed for maintenance by lifting upwards. Liquid dispensing. - During clockwise movement of the shaft 95 by the handle 97 to release a cup, a link 101 having a pin-and-slot connection with a lever 105 pivoted at 113 rotates the lever so that the lower bellows 118 is compressed and a square valve member is lifted from its seat between the two bellows to allow liquid in the lower bellows to pass to the upper bellows 117. The descending end of the lever 105 carries an arm 112 which is angularly adjustable on it to vary the timing and this arm engages a. spring-loaded slotted lever 87 fitting over and pivoted on a crank 85 linked by a universal joint 77 to the valve stem 53 of the valve 50. At this stage, the lever 87 merely pivots into a slot 90 and does not tilt the crank 85 to raise the valve stem 53. On release of the handle 97, it returns immediately to normal position, as allowed by the pin-andslot connection between link 101 and lever 105, but the return of lever 105 is timed by the return flow of liquid through a restricted orifice in the square valve member; which is again resting on its seat. The rising arm 112 presses the lever 87 against the crank 85 and raises the valve stem 53 from its seat 72 for sufficient time to deliver the required quantity of beverage through the spout 73 to the cup D. In passing through the restricted clearance between the stem and the bore of the valve, the pressure of the beverage is reduced. The storage tank 31 is connected to the valve 50 through coils interspaced with the refrigerant coils and through an automatic safety valve 40, Fig. 16, which, if the main valve 50 fails to close, will cut off the delivery a few seconds after the normal time of closing the main valve. The safety valve has a tubular sliding member 64 with side openings 68 and a pair of flanges 65, 66 of which the flange 65 has a greater diameter. Under static pressure, the member 64 is pressed against the right-hand end of a bore 41 but during flow the differential pressure on the flanges 65, 66 will gradually move the member 64 against the action of a spring 63 until, if necessary, a gasket 67 moves against a seat 62 and cuts off the flow to the main valve. To prevent spillage during removal of the seat 72 of the main valve, a seal 57 provided at the top of the valve 53 moves down into the bore of the valve upon removal of the seat.