Beverage dispenser

Claim 2

In a fountain dispenser for intermittently or continuously dispensing syrup comprising: a syrup container molded with a flat bottom portion, said bottom having a discharge port for discharging the contents of said container when a faucet connected to said port is opened; a float cage within said container and resting on the bottom of said container, said float cage including a roof portion and an annular skirt depending from said roof and legs supporting said roof a fixed distance from the bottom of said container, there being a passage extending through said roof portion of said cage; a float within said cage, said float including a buoyant body portion defined by a bottom wall, a cover and sidewalls connecting the bottom to the cover, and a post extending upwardly from the central axis of said cover of said float and passing through the passage in said roof; an O-ring secured to said post, the opening in said roof being a concave hemispherical shape so that said O-ring will effect a seal even when said float is in its raised position, even when said roof is not level; a port in the roof of said cage and a venting tube extending upwardly from said port and exposed to the atmosphere at its upper end; said skirt having a groove formed in its periphery closely adjacent to said roof; and a normally flat annular washer in said groove, dimensioned to conically flex into contact with said chamber and hermetically seal the space between the cage and the inner wall of said container and to thereby define a float chamber at the bottom of said container.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the groove has a recessed vertical portion and an upwardly inclined face extending toward said roof.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the washer is under stretch stress.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cover of the float slopes outwardly and downwardly to achieve rapid drainage of liquid lying on top of said float.

Claim 6

In a device such as a fountain beverage dispenser, where a liquid component is to be dispensed from a container through a spout by means of gravity flow and Where it is desirable or necessary to maintain a substantially constant rate of discharge of the liquid through the spout which comprises: a container for liquid formed with a flat bottom portion and a lower section formed by sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom, said sidewalls having a horizontal cross section which is round, and said sidewalls restricted to defining a cylinder or a section of a cone sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom, and an upper section which may be of any shape and size but with no internal part of it projecting inwardly of any vertical line which may extend upward from any part of the said sidewalls which form the said lower section of said container, said bottom having a discharge port for discharging the liquid contents of said container when a faucet connected to said port is opened; a float cage within said container including a substantially flat and horizontal roof portion with a surrounding skirt depending from said roof, said skirt sloping downwardly and inwardly from a plane at or above the plane of the upper surface of said roof to a plain below the lower surface of said roof, said skirt having a recessed groove around its exterior with its open side facing outwardly, the plane of said groove being slightly below the plane of said cage roof, legs descending from said cage roof near or from said skirt, said legs supporting said roof at a fixed distance above said bottom of said container, there being an opening through said cage roof which is located in said cage roof, there also being a port in said cage roof and a venting tube which communicates with and extends upwardly from said port and is exposed to the atmosphere at its upper end above the liquid in the said container; a float within said cage being positioned below said cage roof and between said cage legs, said float including a buoyant body portion defined by a bottom wall, a cover and sidewalls connecting the bottom to the cover and a post extending upwardly from the central axis of said cover of said float and passing through the said opening in said cage roof, said float being limited to vertical motion between said bottom of said container for liquid and said cage roof, and to horizontal movement between said cage legs, even if dispenser and cage roof lacks a few degrees of being level; an O-ring or quad ring secured around said float post in a stretched condition, the said opening in said cage roof being of size and shape to be completely sealed by said O-ring mounted on said float post when said float is in its highest vertical position; and an originally flat annular washer positioned in said groove in said skirt and conically flexed into contact with said container sidewalls, which seals the space between the said skirt depending from said cage roof and the inner wall surface of said lower section of said container and to thereby define a float chamber at the bottom of said container.

Claim 7

In a device such as a fountain beverage dispenser, where a liquid component is to be dispensed from a container through a spout by means of gravity flow and Where it is desirable or necessary to maintain a substantially constant rate of discharge of the liquid through the spout which comprises: a container for liquid formed with a flat bottom portion and a lower section formed by sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom, said sidewalls having a horizontal cross section which is round, and said sidewalls restricted to defining a cylinder or a section of a cone sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom, and an upper section which may be of any shape and size but with no internal part of it projecting inwardly of any vertical line which may extend upward from any part of the said sidewalls which form the said lower section of said container, said bottom having a discharge port for discharging the liquid contents of said container when a faucet connected to said port is opened; a float cage within said container including a substantially flat and horizontal roof portion with a surrounding skirt depending from said roof, said skirt sloping downwardly and inwardly from a plane at or above the plane of the upper surface of said roof to a plain below the lower surface of said roof, said skirt having a recessed groove around its exterior with its open side facing outwardly, the plane of said groove being slightly below the plane of said cage roof, legs descending from said cage roof near or from said skirt, said legs supporting said roof at a fixed distance above said bottom of said container, there being an opening through said cage roof which is located in said cage roof, there also being a port in said cage roof and a venting tube which communicates with and extends upwardly from said port and is exposed to the atmosphere at its upper end above the liquid in the said container; a float within said cage being positioned below said cage roof and between said cage legs, said float including a buoyant body portion defined by a bottom wall, a cover and sidewalls connecting the bottom to the cover and a post extending upwardly from the central axis of said cover of said float and passing through the said opening in said cage roof, said float being limited to vertical motion between said bottom of said container for liquid and said cage roof, and to horizontal movement between said cage legs, even if dispenser and cage roof lacks a few degrees of being level; an O-ring or quad ring secured around said float post in a stretched condition, the said opening in said cage roof being of size and shape to be completely sealed by said O-ring mounted on said float post when said float is in its highest vertical position; and an originally flat annular washer positioned in said groove in said skirt and conically flexed into contact with said container sidewalls, which seals the space between the said skirt depending from said cage roof and the inner wall surface of said lower section of said container and to thereby define a float chamber at the bottom of said container.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the opening in the cage roof is of a smaller diameter on the upper side of the cage roof than on the underside of same and the inside surface of the cage roof opening is of a configuration which defines a section of a sphere against the surface of which the O-ring mounted on the float post will seal when the float is in its maximum raised position.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the post is provided with a horizontal bore extending transversely through the post, said bore adapted to receive a pin extending through said post.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the groove in the cage skirt has a recessed vertical portion and an upwardly and outwardly inclined upper side.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the washer is under stretch stress.