US3277921A

US3277921A - Mixing and dispensing valve

Info

Publication number: US3277921A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard T Cornelius
Original assignee: Cornelius Co
Current assignee: Cornelius Co
Priority date: 1962-11-15
Filing date: 1962-11-15
Publication date: 1966-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-11

Description

Oct 1 6 R. T. CORNELIUS 3,277,921

MIXING AND DISPENSING VALVE Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 4 INVENTOR.

6 /0/9420 I OOP/VE/WS A TTORNE YS 3,277 ,921 Mill/KING AND DISPENSING VALVE Richard T. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to The Cornelins Company, Anoka, Minm, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,931 4 Claims. (Cl. 137607) This invention relates generally to valve structures, and more specifically to an improved dispensing valve for carbonated beverages which is constructed to mix together the ingredients which jointly comprise such beverage, the invention also relating to the method of such mixing.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included invarious valves, faucets, or other dispensing devices, a particularly useful application is made in a valve or faucet of the type that is employed to dispense carbonated beverages, commonly referred to as soft drinks.

It has been common heretofore to employ a valve having a single inlet and a single outlet to dispense a previously mixed soft drink. It has also been common heretofore to employ a valve which separately discharges carbonated water and flavored syrup at its discharge end, such ingredients becoming subsequently mixed together during ensuing turbulence in the cup or glass being filled. This type of apparatus is not always entirely satisfactory from a commercial stand-point since the consurner frequently sees clear water being discharged. Another traditional method of mixing each carbonated beverages involves first placing a quantity of flavored syrup in a glass, and thereafter adding carbonated water. This latter method involves two distinct steps or operations, and also leaves the quality or richness of the drink partially up to the operator. Moreover, the supply of carbonated water should properly have a somewhat higher degree of carbonation for certain beverages, such as the cola type, than for other beverages, such as the orange type. One solution offered to these problems previously has been that soda fountain operators have installed one carbonation system for the highly carbonated beverages, and a separate system for the low or mildly carbonated beverages. This solution is very commonplace, and is one reason why the public is familiar with seeing a separate orange drink dispenser prominently displayed separately from other beverages equipment requiring higher carbonation.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention of a single mixing-dispensing valve may be employed receiving carbonated water from a single system, the device of this invention yet being able to mix and discharge a drink with the proper proportion of syrup flavoring, and with a selected degree of carbonation, thus overcoming the various disadvantages enumerated above or inherent in such prior equipment. In this invention, the beverage ingredients are thoroughly mixed within the valve prior to discharge therefrom, the amount of flavored syrup is predetermined by selection of an appropriately sized fixed orifice, and the degree of carbonation is determed by use of an appropriately sized orifice which adds the proper amount of non-carbonated water. The foregoing results are obtained in a single device and in a single method step which are extremely simple to employ.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing valve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and means of producing a mixed carbonated beverage.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing valve of the mixing type wherein the valve proportions the relative quantities that are mixed together.

nited States Patent A still further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing valve of the mixing type which is so constructed that it may readily be adapted to produce a beverage having a selected proportion of each ingredient that is mixed together.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a liquid dispensing device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid dispensing device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of an element of the device.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a liquid dispensing device, faucet, or mixing valve such as illustrated in FIGURE 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The dispensing device 10 includes a housing generally indicated at 11, a first valve member 12, a second valve member 13, and a third valve member identical to the valve 13 located immediately behind it in FIGURE 2. The valve members have molded seats, such as shown on the valve 13. The housing 11 includes a valve body 14 and a mounting bracket 15. The mounting bracket 15 is provided with a threaded portion 16 which may be inserted through a mounting panel (not shown) so that a flange 17 thereon engages such panel. The dispensing device 10 further includes a valve element actuator assembly 18 which acts through an actuator plate 42 against the valve members in such manner that all are opened and closed.

The housing body 14 is provided with an inlet passage 19 within which the valve member 12 is disposed, and which is particularly adapted by its smooth internal configuration to conduct a relatively large quantity of highly carbonated water. To this end, if desired, there may also be provided in the inlet passage 19 an insert 21 having a smooth bore or conduit passage which minimizes turbulence in the flowing liquid. The housing body 14 includes a second inlet passage 21, and a third inlet passage identical to the inlet passage 21 located immediately behind it in FIGURE 2. (not shown). Within each of the inlet passages such as 21 there is disposed a removable orifice member 22 which has a conduit passage extending to a sharp edge orifice 23 of fixed size for metering or proportioning the relative quantities of the ingredients to be used. Thus, one of the orifices 23 determines the volumetric rate of flow of flavored syrup, and the other orifice identical to the orifice 23 determines the rate of flow of plain or non-carbonated water to be mixed with the highly carbonated water. Since the orifice members 22 are removable, they are replaceable with a similar member having a slightly different effective orifice size so that a particular dispensing device 11} may be modified or adapted selectively to discharge a predetermined pro. portion of each of the liquids to be mixed whereby an optimum or ideal resulting mixture or beverage is obtained.

All the inlet passages such as 19 and 21 merge together at their downstream end, downstream of the valve mem bers such as 12 and 13, to form a single outlet passage 24 in the housing body 14. Mixing of the liquid ingredients begins at the point where the inlet passages merge with the outlet passage, and by the time that the liquid is discharged from the device 10, the various liquid components are thoroughly mixed.

The valve body 14 has an internal shoulder 43 directed toward a cylindrical cavity 26, within which there is disposed an insert retainer bushing 27 which has a face 28 which fixedly abuts the housing shoulder 43. The retainer bushing 27 is provided with three

bores

29, 30, 31 which extend from the face 28 to a face 25 in alignment with the passages 19, 21, 21. The valve insert and the orifice members 22 are received therein and extend into the inlet passages 19, 21, 21, each being provided with an O-ring 44 or 45 forming a static seal. The insert 20 and the orifice members 22 are further each provided with radially extending fingers or

flange portions

46, 47 which are disposed against the face 25, and which are clamped thereagainst by a clamping nut 32 which has a flange 33 that acts axially on a sleeve 34 which presses the flange 33 that acts axially on a sleeve 34 which presses the

fingers

46, 47 against the face of the retainer bushing 27. The valve insert 20 and the orifice members 22 each have means to connect each of the conduit passages to separate fluid supplies, such as those named, such means here comprising integral fittings such as 36-37. Thus, the fitting 36 may be connected to a supply of highly carbonated water, one fitting 37 may be connected to a supply of noncarbonated water, and the other fitting 37 may be connected to a supply of flavored syrup.

It is presumed that the fluid pressures present at the conduit passages are substantially constant within each passage. Therefore, when the

valve members

12, 13, 13 are fully opened by the actuator 18, the orifice 23 and the similar orifice in the adjacent passage respectively comprise the minimum flow area in each such passage, whereby each is effective to determine the volumetric rate of flow therethrough.

The broad principles underlying this invention may be practiced by other structures, and to that end I wish to point out that my invention includes the method of producing a mixed mildly carbonated beverage which comprises simultaneously mixing together a controlled or predetermined ratio of highly carbonated water, uncarbonated water, and flavored syrup. This method is particularly advantageous for producing low carbonated drinks such as orange drinks using apparatus that is adapted to produce high carbonated drinks such as of the cola or lemon-lime type.

In a typical carbonated beverage, five volumes of water having a desired degree of carbonation are employed for each volume of syrup.

The orifice 23 is preferably of the sharp-edged type since this type of orifice is substantially free of viscosity effects, and hence the temperature of syrup in the syrup line is not a variable which must be closely controlled in order to maintain the proper ratio of syrup to water. The quantity of carbonated water employed is determined by the effective size of the line or the insert 20, in combination with a substantially constant upstream pressure.

When the actuator 18 is disposed as shown in FIGURE 2, the various valve members such as 12 and 13 are closed as illustrated. The actuator assembly 18 includes and is supported by a bracket portion 39 held by a screw 40 which screw also holds together the body 14 and the mounting portion 15 of the housing 11. The handle of the actuator assembly 18 is pivoted on a pin 41. The actuator assembly 18 further functionally includes the member or actuator plate 42, shown in FIGURE 4, having three recesses or dimples 49 directed to the right, as shown in FIGURE 2, each receiving an end of one of the valves 12, 13, and an additional centrally disposed recess 50 directed to the left and receiving a convex portion 51 of the actuator handle. When the handle is pivoted, force is transmitted to the recess 50 and the plate 42 will rock slightly on the convex portion 51 to enable joint full opening of each of the three valves, the handle being pivotable in an opening direction and the plate 42 being rockable until all the valves have individually opened fully. Upon release of the handle, the various valve springs such as 48 will return the device to the illustrated position. A vent 52 allows air then to enter the outlet passage 24 enabling full drainage thereof.

In certain instances, it maybe desirable to omit or to seal off the conduit passage which normally is connected to the non-carbonated supply of water. By doing so, the device 10 is adapted to produce a highly carbonated beverage. Where such nonuse of these features is contemplated in advance, the associated components for handling and metering the non-carbonated water may also be omitted if desired.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having a pair of separate inlet passages each adapted at one end to be connected to separate supplies of fluid and merging together at the other end to form a single outlet passage adapted to discharge such fluids;

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposed in said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and each being adapted to be reciprocated into passage opening and in passage closing positions;

(0) A movable actuator supported on said housing; and

(d) a member supported by said actuator and said valve means and having a rocking connection with said actuator, and said member having a further pair of rocking connections with said pair of said valve members for effecting joint full opening of each of said valve members.

2. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposed in said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and each being adapted to be reciprocated into passage opening and into passage closing positions;

(c) a movable actuator supported on said housing;

and

(d) a member supported by said actuator and said valve members and having a pair of rocking connections with said valve members, and a further rocking connection with said actuator, disposed intermediate said first-named rocking connections, for effecting joint individually-full opening of all of said valve members.

3. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a housing having three separate inlet passages each adapted at one end to be connected to separate supplies of fluid and merging together at the other end to form a single outlet passage adapted to discharge such fluids;

(b) three valve members each supported by said housing and disposed in said three separate inlet passages respectively, and each being adapted to be reciprocated into passage opening and into passage closing positions;

(c) a movable actuator supported on said housing;

and

(d) a member having three triangularly arranged rocking connections with said valve members, and a fourth rocking connection with said actuator, disposed centrally of said three rocking connections, for effecting joint individually-full opening of all of said valve members.

4. A dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) an externally threaded housing having a pair of separate inlet passages merging together at their downstream ends into a single outlet passage, and terminating at their upstream ends in a single circular recessed face fixedly disposed within said housing substantially concentric with its external threads;

(b) a pair of valve members each supported by said housing and disposed in said pair of separate inlet passages respectively, and being adapted to be reciprocated jointly into passage opening and into passage closing positions;

(0) means adapting the upstream ends of said inlet passages to be connected to separate supplies of fluid, said means comprising a pair of axially slidably removable inserts respectively disposed in said inlet passages, said inserts each having a radially projecting flange disposed against said fixed face;

(d) a tubular bushing encircling the outer ends of said inserts and engaging said flanges thereof, said bushing projecting from said housing; and

(e) an annular clamping nut threaded to the outside of said housing and having a flange engaging the projecting end of said tubular bushing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,838 6/ 1912 Wittemann 9979 1,243,068 10/1917 Humphrey 99-79 2,062,097 11/1936 Lingard 137-607 X 2,645,246 7/1953 Segal 137607 X 2,673,005 3/1954 Brown 137-607 X 2,921,605 1/1960 Booth 137607 X 2,932,432 4/1960 Beard 222394 2,932,433 4/ 1960 Abplanalp 222394 3,084,718 4/1963 Ash 251118 X 3,112,656 12/1963 Cary 137607 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

A. LOUIS MONOCELL, ISADOR WEIL, Examiners.

M. GREENSTEIN, J. ONEILL, D. LAMBERT,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF SEPARATE INLET PASSAGES EACH ADAPTED AT ONE END TO BE CONNECTED TO SEPARATE SUPPLIES OF FLUID AND MERGING TOGETHER AT THE OTHER END TO FOMR A SINGLE OUTLET PASSAGE ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE SUCH FLUIDS; (B) A PAIR OF VALVE MEMBERS EACH SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED IN SAID PAIR OF SEPARATE INLET PASSGES RESPECTIVELY, AND EACH BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECIPROCATED INTO PASSAGE OPENING AND IN PASSAGE CLOSING POSITIONS; (C) A MOVABLE ACTUATOR SUPPORTED ON SAID HOUSING; AND (D) A MEMBER SUPPORTED BY SAID ACTUATOR AND SAID VALVE MEANS AND HAVING A ROCKING CONNECTION WITH SAID ACTUATOR, AND SAID MEMBER HAVING A FURTHER PAIR OF ROCKING CONNECTIONS WITH SAID PAIR OF SAID VALVE MEMBERS FOR EFFECTING JOINT FULL OPENING OF EACH OF SAID VALVE MEMBERS.