Improvements in Aerated Water Fountains or Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Aerated Water Fountains or Engines.
We, ALFRED BRAKE, Aerated Water Maker, ROBERT JAMES MCKEE, Mechanica
Engineer, and BUCKLEY JOYCE, Compositor, all of 54 Lambton Quay, Wellington, in
the Colony of New Zealand, 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 :—
This invention relates to fountains or engines used for drawing off aerated water and
its object is to provide a fountain whereby aerated water may be drawn from bulk and
delivered into a glass tumbler or other receptacle in such a manner that it will retain
a highly effervescing and sparkling condition, and whereby aerated waters of various
kinds may be drawn off or mixed by one operation.
It is well known to mineral water manufacturers that when aerated waters are drawn
from bulk iminediately into a tumbler the effervescence is comparatively slight and
soon passes off, leaving the liquid "flat." To avoid this drawback it has been the
custom to draw off the waters into bottles, whence the liquid is poured into a glass.
The present invention provides means for overcoming the necessity of bottling
aerated waters.
We are aware that attempts have been made to accomplish this object of our
invention and in particular Messrs. Farrow & Jackson, of London, accomplish the
object by using a wire covered bottle for receiving the water from their fountain
whence it is poured into a glass. This system, indeed, consists in bottling the liquid
and using the same immediately without corking. In a rapid manipulation, as when
a number of persons require to be served, this adjusting the bottle in the fountain
and filling and emptying the same is a source of considerable delay and it is the object
of the present invention to avoid this drawback.
Means are provided for registering the number of glasses of ærated water which are
served by the apparatus.
In carrying out the invention a column is fixed upon the counter or other suitable
support, and a pipe passing up this column connects an ordinary cylinder or receiver
containing aerated water to a chamber branching out of the column. The chamber
has an arrangement of valves operated by a lever, whereby the top and bottom of the
said chamber may be closed whilst aerated water under pressure is admitted, the.
supply of water cut off, the gas allowed to escape at the top, and then the water drawn
off at the bottom after the pressure has been removed. By the same movement of
the lever one of a number of syrup pumps is operated and the aerated water flavoured
as desired.
The release of gas, or snift as it will be hereinafter designated, operates a recorder
to register the number of glasses drawn off.
In order that the invention may be most easily understood by a skilled person
reference will be made to the accompanying drawings whilst giving a description in
detail.
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus partly in section and the hand lever
curtailed.
Fiera ise play of the coma

page_text: Figure 3 is a front view of a grid or guide.
Figure 4 is a part section shewing a modification of the chamber.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the chamber on line A-B, Figure 1.
Similar reference letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views.
Making reference to the drawings, the column (a) is fixed to a counter or other
support by means of its flange (al) and covers a pipe (a2) which connects any ordinary
cylinder or receiver placed below the counter, and containing aerated water in bulk
under pressure, to the chamber (b). A hand lever (c) fulcrumed at (c¹) may be
operated to depress spindle (61) against the resilience of spring (62). In descending,
the spindle will force downwards the india rubber washers (6³) by means of its
collar (64) and close the aperture (65) at the top of the chamber. The collar (60) will
now be pressing upon the bell crank lever (67) and the rubber valve (b) upon its seat
at the bottom of the chamber. The lever continuing to descend, the rubber
washers (63) will be compressed, valve (*) opened, and spindle (b) pass down upon the
stem (610) of valve (b) the pin (6¹¹) fixed in spindle (b) sliding in slot (612) of
stem (610) and allowing this movement, Aerated water will enter through the
apertures (613 & 614) and hollow valve (b) into the chamber (b). The lever (c) may be
made to descend within the central aperture (d') of grid (d) (Figure 3), when aerated
or soda water will be drawn from the receiver in a pure state, or it may first be moved
laterally to descend within any of apertures (d², d³, d, or d³), when one of
spindles c², c³, c', or c³, connected to any ordinary syrup pumps below the counter
will be raised by one of tappets (e², es, et, or e) and syrup forced through one of
nozzles (,,, or f³) into a glass placed ready to receive the same. The hand
lever is now raised when valve (69) will close and compression of washers (63) be
removed. The chamber (b) will now contain a given quantity of aerated water and
gas, and the raising of the lever being continued the gas will snift through
aperture (615). The lever is then still further raised until pin (611) engages with the
top of slot (612) to raise the valve (b*) until the parts assume the positions shewn on
Figure 1 and allow the æerated or soda water to flow through apertures (610) and
nozzle (67). The water is thus first relieved of pressure and in such condition is
mixed with the flavouring syrup already referred to as having been pumped into the
glass. The cycle of operations is here given step by step but the whole action is so
rapid that there is no hesitation and the flow of the syrup and soda water is practically
simultaneous.
By employing four syrup pumps as shewn, it is possible to have as many flavouring
syrups; thus soda water, ginger ale, lemonade, ginger beer, and pine apple flavour
may be obtained from the same fountain and in rapid succession by a mere lateral
movement of the lever to cause it to descend within any of the apertures in grid (d).
The colum (c) to which lever (c) is fulcrumed is fitted revolvubly within bracket (c)
and guide (c) to provide for the movement of the lever to the right or left.
Figure 4 shews a modification of chamber (b) where the same is extended to form
a mixing chamber (h). The nozzles (f², f, f, & f³) deliver into this mixing chamber
and the flavouring syrup and soda water flow out of the one nozzle (618) into the glass.
The shield (h¹) prevents the soda water rising within the nozzles.
The nozzles (f², ƒ³, ƒ, & ƒ³) have kinks (f) to prevent an excess of drip as it is
found that the thick syrups will cling to the nozzles and thus the various flavours
become undesirably mixed unless precautions are taken to obviate the same. The
kinks are formed as near the mouth of the nozzles as convenient in order to have as
short a length of piping to be drained as possible. It will be seen that the portion to
be drained is from the apex of the kink to the mouth, and to assist the rapidity of the
draining small holes (j) are provided to admit air. The direction of holes is as shewn
in the section Figure 1, that is in the same direction as the flow of the syrup and so
that there may be little tendency for the syrup to rise into and escape through the
hole. The curtailing of the drip is further assisted by the diaphragms (k¹) in the
hollow globes (k), so that when any one of spindles (c², c³, c, or c) is lifted, one of
the diaphragms is raised and air drawn into the globe through the nozzle, but when
the spindle falls and the greater part of the syrup has flowed back from the nozzle

page_text: into the pump column (c) a puff of air is forced through the nozzle to clear the same
of syrup dripping from the mouth of the nozzle.
The gas may be snifted from the chamber (b) through the aperature (615) into the
atmosphere as before mentioned or a pipe may be fitted to carry off such waste gas to
any convenient part. On the drawings, however, the snift is employed to operate a
recorder (p). The gas is conducted through a pipe (p¹) into the head of the
column (18) or other convenient support. The recorder may be any well known form
of multiplying gear and as shewn on the drawing a ratchet wheel (2) has one
hundred teeth on its periphery and a pin (p³) on its face which engages once every
revolution with a wheel having ten teeth to change the figure (pt) and record the
hundreds. Similarly pins on wheels of figures (p' 7 p) operate similar wheels of ten
teeth to change figures (p & p) in a well known manner. The ratchet wheel (p²)
is operated by a pawl (p) which is kept to its work by the gravity of weight (p") and
is jointed to the lever (79). This said lever is fulcrummed at (p10) and has an adjusting
screw (p¹¹) resting upon a friction plate (p12) attached to diaphragm (p13). Thus when
the gas snifts or in other words when a glass is filled from the chamber (b) the gas
lifts the diaphragm in its escape from the pipe (p¹) the diaphragm raises the lever
and pawl and the ratchet wheel is revolved through the space of one tooth, pins (214)
regulating the lift of lever (20). The recorder is secured to the column or otherwise
closed so that it cannot be tampered with.
We prefer to make the parts which come into contact with the liquids of aluminium
as this metal is admirably adapted to our purpose since it has little tendency
to corrode.
We wish it to be understood that we have specified herein such constructions and
materials as we consider preferable but that we do not confine ourselves to such
details as these may be modified in several ways without exceeding the ambit of the
invention, and throughout this specification the apparatus has been described as being
used for drawing off soda water but it is obvious that it may be used for other aerated
drinks, such as aerated beer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement,―
1. The improved fountain or engine whereby aerated waters may be drawn from
bulk relieved of pressure and delivered into a glass after the pressure is removed by
one operation and by a single lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
herein.
2. The improved fountain or engine whereby aerated waters may be drawn from
bulk relieved of pressure delivered into a glass and mixed with flavouring syrup by
one operation and by a single lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
herein.
3. The improved fountain or engine whereby aerated waters may be drawn from
bulk relieved of pressure delivered into a glass mixed with flavouring syrup the
waste gas utilized to operate a recorder to register the number of glasses ailled all the
operations being performed by one movement and by a single lever, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth herein.
4. A fountain or engine for drawing off aerated waters from bulk consisting of a
suitably supported chamber provided with a spindle carrying washers to close an
opening at the top and a valve to close the bottom of the chamber and a collar to
engage with a bell crank lever to open an admission valve and a lever to operate such
spindle whereby all the operations are performed by one movement, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth herein.
5. A fountain or engine for drawing off aerated waters from bulk consisting of a
suitably supported chamber provided with a spindle carrying washers to close an
opening at the top and a valve to close the bottom of the chamber and a collar to
engage with a bell crank lever to open an admission valve a recorder to register the
number of glasses filled and a lever to operate the spindle whereby all the operations

page_text: are- performed by one movement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
herein.
6. A fountain or engine for drawing off aerated waters from bulk consisting of a
suitably supported chamber provided with a spindle carrying washers to close an
opening in the top and a valve to close the bottom of the chamber and a collar to
engage with a bell crank levor to open an admission valve pumps for delivering
flavouring syrups a lever having tappets and a grid to operate said pumps and
whereby all the operations may be performed by one movement, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth herein.
7. A fountain or engine for drawing off aerated waters from bulk consisting of a
suitably supported chamber provided with a spindle carrying washers to close an
opening at the top and a valve to close the bottom of the chamber and a collar to
engage with a bell crank lever to open an admission valve a recorder to register the
number of glasses filled pumps for delivering flavouring syrups a lever having tappets
and a grid to operate said pumps and whereby all the operations may be performed
by one movement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
8. In an aerated water fountain or engine a recorder operated by a snift of the
waste gas moving a diaphragm lever pawl and ratchet wheel substantially as and for
the purposes set forth herein.
9. In an aerated water fountain or engine the means for reducing the drip of the
syrup consisting in kinking the pump delivery nozzle and providing an air hole in the
apex of such kink and sending a puff of air through the nozzle from a diaphragm
fitted to the pump column substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
10. A fountain or engine for drawing off aerated waters from bulk consisting of a
suitably supported chamber provided with a spindle carrying washers to close an
opening in the top and a valve to close the bottom of the chamber and a collar to
engage with a bell crank lever to open an admission valve pumps for delivering
flavouring syrups into a mixing chamber a lever having tappets and a grid to operate
said pumps and whereby all the operations may be performed by one movement,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
11. The improvements in aerated water fountains or engines consisting of parts
constructed arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth
herein and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.