Improvements in Liquid Dispensing Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Liquid Dispensing Apparatus.
WILLIAM MILES FOWLER of Stamford in the County of Fairfield and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing apparatus in which
provision is made for completely sealing the liquid within a reservoir from which
it is to be drawn during the gradual lowering of the liquid within the receptacle,
and to further provide for the refilling of the receptacle or reservoir without
introducing air therein.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a view of the apparatus in front elevation ;
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section from front to rear; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view, in detail, of a float constructed to contain the sealing
liquid.
The reservoir itself, here shown of cylindrical form, and constructed of glass,
is denoted by A. It is provided with a dome-shaped cover a, which is tightly
seated on the top of the reservoir A, and held in position by a rim a', which at
the same time forms an ornamental finish around the top of the reservoir. The
reservoir stands upon a hollow supporting base B, which is preferably made
somewhat larger than the reservoir itself, and of any attractive conformation in
outline, as may be desired. I have shown in the present instance the rim a
connected with the base by pillars a².
The bottom of the reservoir is denoted by as, and is made dish-shaped. The
bottom a is provided with a short nipple C, which projects upwardly above the
bottom a', into the interior of the reservoir, a sufficient distance to guard against
drawing the settlings of the liquid in the tank, and is provided in its upper end
with a tapered valve seat c. Below the bottom a³, there is located a receiver D,
the interior of which is in communication, through the nipple C, with the interior
of the reservoir A. From the receiver D, a discharge pipe E curves upwardly
to the edge of the base B, and connects there, with a discharge pipe e, in which is
located a stop cock F. The stop-cock F is provided with a port through it, so
that, when turned in one direction, the discharge will be free through the cock F
to the open end of the discharge pipe e. The cock F is further provided, inter-
mediate of the ends of the port, with a shallow channel f¹, which, when the
cock F is turned in a direction to cut off the discharge through the pipe e, will
come in communication with a small opening e', through the wall of the socket in
which the cock F is seated. At this same time, the channel f¹ will be in
communication with the discharge end of the pipe e.
The top a of the reservoir is provided with a tubular vent G, in which there is
a valve seat g. A valve g' has its stem fixed to a vertically-sliding cap g, which
is made to fit over the upwardly-projecting portion of the tube G, and a spring g³,
interposed between the underside of the cap g³ and the top of the seat g, serves to
hold the valve g' normally seated. Openings 9 through the bottom of the seat g,
communicate with openings 9' in the side of the cap g, to permit air to enter the

page_text: reservoir A above the seal therein, as the liquid is lowered, provided the cap g* be
depressed, to throw the valve g¹ off its seat.
oil.
The seal relied upon to completely shield the liquid within the reservoir A, is a
liquid of such a nature that it will not mingle with the liquid to be dispensed,
and may be, for example, what is known in the market as "Eclipse White "
Instead, however, of covering the entire surface of the liquid within the reservoir A
with the liquid seal, I find it desirable to locate therein a float H, which is of such
dimensions as to freely slide up and down within the reservoir A, the liquid seal
being used to fill the intervening space between the periphery of the float H and
the interior wall of the reservoir A. The float is preferably made with the convex
top h, and with a tapered bottom, terminating at its apex in a downwardly-
extending nozzle 2, which may be filled with lead or some suitable weight, to
make the float H at all times retain the proper position within the reservoir. The
lower end of the nozzle h is fitted with a tapered nose h³, which is adapted to fit
tightly within the upper portion of the nipple C, forming, in effect, a cut-off valve
when the float has reached its lowermost limit.
To hold the float H at its lowerinost limit and tightly seat the communication
between the receiver D and the interior of the reservoir, 1 provide a screw I,
which extends up through the bottom of the receiver D, and within the nipple C,
where it engages a screw-threaded socket h in the end of the nose ³. By this
means, I am enabled to screw the float H down tightly, and force the nose ³ snugly
into contact with the walls of its seat. The float H is also provided with a tapered
projection H at its top, which serves to enter the mouth of the tube G in the
cover, when the float is at the upper limit of its movement, and thereby form a tight
closure at the top, to prevent the further filling of the reservoir.
The liquid which is to form the seal may be, for purposes of shipment, confined
tightly within the receiver D, beneath the bottom of the reservoir, by turning the
(screw I into the nose or valve h³, drawing it snugly down into the seat C, and
turning the stop-cock F, so as to close the discharge from the pipe E.
When it is desired to fill the reservoir A with wine or other liquid to be
preserved, the hose for transmitting the wine or other liquid from the cask to
the reservoir A, may be connected with the discharge pipe e, and the force pump
being set in operation, the liquid may be forced up to the stop-cock F, the air in
the meantime escaping through the channel f¹ and perforation e¹.
When liquid
appears at the perforation e', the stop-cock F may be turned a quarter turn, to
bring the port finto communication with the pipe e and receiver D, up into the
reservoir beneath the float H, the latter having been released by the turning of the
screw I, so as to permit it to rise from the inflowing liquid. The scaling liquid,
oil, for example, being of lesser specific gravity than the liquid which is to be
sealed, will rise on the top of the inflowing liquid, and gather around the periphery
of the float H, between it and the interior wall of the reservoir A, forming an air-
tight closure together with the float H, over the entire surface of the liquid. During
this operation, the valve gl will have been held depressed, to permit the air to escape
from above the inflowing liquid within the reservoir A.
As the float H reaches the top of the reservoir A, the projection / on its top
will enter the mouth of the tube G, and engage with the valve g¹, forcing it to its
seat, and thereby preventing any further escape of air at the top of the reservoir,
and consequently will shut off the escape of the sealing liquid through the vent at
the top of the reservoir, as the valve g', will be forced to its seat before the sealing
liquid reaches it. Furthermore, the projection is of such size and shape that its
base will form an air-tight closure with the lower end of the tube G, and shut off
the further escape of air, independently of the valve gl, at the same moment that
the valve g' is forced to its seat, so that if the valve g¹ were dispensed with, there
would still be an automatic closure at the top of the tank, before the sealing liquid
would escape.
Again, in drawing the liquid from the reservoir A, the nose or valve will seat

page_text: and shut off the further discharge of the liquid, before the liquid has reached a point.
where its dregs would be drawn, so that the sealing liquid is still held in position,.
ready for the refilling of the reservoir A.
Instead of providing for the sealing liquid at the base of the reservoir A, and
keeping the said scaling liquid at all times exterior to the float, the sealing liquid'
may be housed within a suitable chamber in the float, in the manner represented in
Fig. 3, in which the float consists of an outer section K and an inner section K',.
the latter having a hollow stem k, which extends upwardly through the top of the
section K, and fulfils the double function of holding the lower section K' nearer to.
or further away from the top of the section K, and also forms a channel for the
introduction of the sealing liquid into a tapered chamber L, fixed to the outer
section of the float K. The outer rim of the tapered chamber L is provided with.
openings for the escape of the sealing liquid from within the chamber L, to a
position around the float, as represented in Fig. 1, where the sealing liquid is denoted
by the darker broken lines at M. The lower end of the apex of the tapered chamber L
is provided with a chamber l', for the reception of a weight 1, in the present instance
a number of shot sufficient to depress the float to the proper depth within the
liquid.
When the float shown in Fig. 3 is employed, the liquid may be discharged from
the chamber L around the float, after the float is in position on the liquid in the
reservoir, by simply pressing down the lower section K by means of the stem k, and
the sealing liquid may be withdrawn again into the chamber L, if so desired, by
drawing upwardly on the section K¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-.-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a reservoir, and a float within the reservoir, of a liquid
Beal in position to surround the float within the reservoir, forming an air-tight.
closure between the liquid beneath the float and the air above the float.
2. The combination with a reservoir, and means for drawing liquid from the
bottom of the reservoir, of a float free to move up and down within the reservoir, a
liquid seal adapted to form an air-tight closure between the float and the wall of
the reservoir, and a chamber for receiving the sealing liquid, when the latter is
withdrawn from its position around the float.
3. The combination with a reservoir, and an air vent at the top of the reservoir
and a discharge device at the bottom of the reservoir, of a float free to move up and
down within the reservoir, the said float being provided with an air-vent losing
device at its top, and a discharge closing device at its bottom, for automatically
limiting the inflow and outflow of the liquid into and from the reservoir, substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination with the reservoir, a receiver at the bottom of the reservoir;
and means for introducing liquid into and drawing it from the reservoir, of a float
within the reservoir, provided with a device for closing communication between the.
reservoir and the receiver, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with a reservoir, a receiver at the bottom of the reservoir,.
and means for introducing liquid into and drawing from the reservoir, of a float
adapted to close communication between the reservoir and the receiver, and a screw
engaged with the float, for holding it snugly to its seat, to close said cominunication,.
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with a reservoir, a receiver in communication with the
bottom of the reservoir, and a filling and discharge conduit in communication with
the receiver, of a float located within the reservoir, and provided with a device for
closing communication between the reservoir and the receiver, substantially as set
forth.
7. The combination with the reservoir, and means for drawing liquid therefrom,.

page_text: at pleasure, of a spring-actuated valve at the top of the reservoir, and a float
within the reservoir provided with means for closing the spring-actuated valve and
the discharge, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of Ducomhor 1905
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.