Patent ID: 7152765

Claim:
An apparatus for containing and dispensing a beverage comprising: at least one beverage hopper for retaining a quantity of beverage; a portion of the beverage hopper defining a port; a guide carried on the beverage hopper; a dispenser assembly including a handle, a biasing element, a gasket and a slideable valve; the valve having a portion dimensioned to be moveably retained on the guide of the beverage hopper; the valve defining a channel therethrough; the biasing element being retained relative to the valve for biasing the valve to a position to prevent dispensing of beverage; the gasket being carried on the valve and having a portion for sealing around the port during dispensing and a portion for sealing over the port when not dispensing; posts on the hopper for engagement with the handle; the handle movably retained on the posts being operable against the slideable valve for generally linearly displacing the valve along the guide on the hopper; movement of handle from a first position against the biasing element displacing the channel in the valve relative to the hopper for aligning the channel with the port to dispense beverage from the hopper; movement of the handle to a second position generally by the biasing element displacing the valve for aligning the gasket carried on the valve to cover the port to prevent dispensing beverage.