GB2217688A - Beverage metering system - Google Patents

Abstract

An installation for the metered delivery of beverages, especially beer includes a fitting (2) for connection to a beer keg (1), a meter (6) having its inlet coupled to the keg fitting (2) and having its outlet coupled to two dispense brackets (9, 10) with actuators (13, 14). Valve means (11, 12) are connected between dispensing outlets (15, 16) and the outlet of the meter, and a control unit (17) is connected to the meter, the valve means, and the actuators. The control unit (17) includes inhibiting means arranged so that upon operation of the actuator (13) on dispense bracket (9) the meter (6) and the valve means (11) are operated to dispense a metered volume of beverage through outlet (15) and the inhibiting means prevents operation of the meter (6) and the valve means (12) in response to the operation of the actuator (14) on the other dispense bracket (10) until the metered delivery through bracket (9) has been completed, and vice versa. <IMAGE>

Description

Beverage Metering System In dispensing beverages, particularly carbonated alcoholic beverages such as beer, lager and cider it is common to use metering systems which, upon actuation deliver a precisely controlled volume such as half a pint. Such systems include a keg containing the beverage usually under a top pressure of carbon dioxide, a pump to pump the beverage from the keg to an inlet of a remotely located meter, and a dispense bracket having an outlet through which the beverage is dispensed and an actuator to trigger the operation of the meter which is connected to the outlet of the beer meter by a pipeline.The dispense bracket may include a pressure responsive valve which normally closes off the beverage outlet in the dispense bracket but which, in response to actuation of the meter urging the beverage through the pipeline opens to allow the beverage to be dispensed from the outlet of the dispense bracket. Alternatively the dispense bracket includes a solenoid actuated valve at the downstream end of the pipeline and upon operation of the actuator not only is the beer meter actuated but also the solenoid actuated valve is opened to allow the beverage to flow through the outlet in the dispense bracket.

Such systems are widely used in bars and other installations having a high beverage throughput. There is however a reluctance to use such installations on beverages having a low throughput such as specialist beers, stout or cider and particularly to provide such systems in rooms which are used only infrequently such as function rooms or in a private bar. In such circumstances, when the room is in use then there will be a large throughput but, as the room is only used occasionally there is a reluctance to install a beer metering system. Partly this is as a result of the cost of a beer metering system and-partly because the next measure of beverage can sit within the meter for a considerable period of time before being dispensed.

Previous attempts have been made to prolong the life of a beverage in a meter by ensuring that the next measure to be dispensed is maintained under pressure whilst it is sitting in the meter but this still does not overcome the expense of having a metering installation which is used only infrequently.

Nevertheless if a specialist beer, or indeed any other beverage, is stocked at a particular retail site it is desirable to be able to gain access to the stocks of that beverage from, for example, all of the different dispensing locations at that retail site since this will facilitate serving the customers.

According to this invention an installation for the metered delivery of beverages includes a keg fitting for connection to a keg containing the beverage; a meter having its inlet coupled to the keg fitting and having its outlet coupled to two dispense brackets each of which includes an actuator; valve means connected between dispensing outlets of the dispense brackets and the outlet of the meter; and a control unit connected to the meter, the valve means, and the actuators, the control unit including inhibiting means, the arrangement being such that upon operation of the actuator associated with one dispense bracket the meter and valve means are operated to dispense a metered volume of beverage through the dispense outlet of the one dispense bracket and the inhibiting means prevent operation of the meter and the valve means in response to the operation of the actuator associated with the other dispense bracket until the metered delivery through the one dispense bracket- has been completed, and vice versa.

The valve means may be a changeover valve located in a branch in a pipeline connecting the outlet of the meter to the two dispense brackets and arranged in response to the control unit to divert the flow from the meter to one, or the other, dispense bracket. However, it is preferred that the valve means are formed by individual valves adjacent the dispense outlet in each dispense bracket and, in this case, the pipeline leading from the outlet of the meter to the two dispense brackets includes a simple T-joint. More than two dispense brackets may be connected to the same meter and, in this case, the inhibiting means in the control unit prevents actuation of the meter in response to the actuators located at any of the other dispense brackets during the dispense cycle through the one dispense bracket, and so on.

Preferably the actuators located in the dispense brackets are low voltage electrical switches and the outlet valves associated with the dispense brackets are low voltage solenoid actuated valves. The control unit may include logic circuits arranged to form the inhibiting means or, alternatively, the meter may be actuated via the control unit by a relay which moves between a first and a second position to start the meter and is held in the second position throughout its operation, only returning to its first position on completion of the dispense cycle of the meter. In this case, connections from the actuators are taken through contacts of the relay so that when the relay is in its second position the connection between the actuators and the meter is broken.The control unit may also include means to store the actuation command from an actuator on the or any other dispense bracket which is locked out so that, upon conclusion of a dispense cycle through the one dispense head dispensing through the other head is automatically triggered as soon as possible.

A particular example of a system in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram; and, Figure 2 is a circuit diagram.

The system comprises a keg 1 containing beer which is connected by a neck fitting 2 and pipeline 3 to a centrifugal pump 4. The pump 4 is connected by a further pipeline 5 to an inlet of a beer meter 6, which upon actuation, dispenses a volume of half a pint (284 ml).

An outlet from the beer meter 6 is connected via lines 7 and a T-junction 8 to dispense brackets 9 and 10. Each dispense bracket 9 and 10 includes a solenoid actuator valve 11 and 12, respectively, and an electrical push button switch 13 and 14 respectively. Each dispensing bracket 9 and 10 also includes an outlet 15 and 16, through which beer is dispensed into a glass. The system also includes a control unit 17 which is connected to the meter 6, the valves 11 and 12 and the push button switches 13 and 14. The control unit includes two relays 18 and 19 connected as shown in Figure 2.

In use, assuming first that the push button switch 13 in dispense bracket 9 is actuated this, via the control unit 17, starts the meter 6 and opens the solenoid controlled valve 11 so that a piston within the meter moves. Beer is driven out of the meter through the line 7, T-junction 8 and valve 11 and is dispensed through the outlet 15 into a waiting glass. Meanwhile, beer from the keg 1 passes via the pipe 3, pump 4 and pipe 5 to the opposite side of the piston in the meter 6.

Closing the push-button switch 13 also changes the state of relay 18 so closing its normally open contacts 20 and opening its normally closed contacts 21 to isolate the other push-button switch 14. During the dispensing operation the control unit 17 thus "locks out" the push button switch 14 so preventing any acutation of the switch 14 from influencing the meter 6. Upon completion of the dispensing operation the meter 6 de-energises the control unit 17 which closes the valve 11 and de-energises the relay 18. The contacts 20 and 21 then return to their normal state and this once again enables either of the push button switches 13 and 14 to be used to start another dispense cycle through either the dispensing bracket 9 or 10. The relay 19 and its contacts 22 and 23 operate in an analogous fashion when the push button switch 14 is actuated.

Claims (8)

1. An installation for the metered delivery of beverages including a keg fitting for connection to a keg containing the beverage; a meter having its inlet coupled to the keg fitting and having its outlet coupled to two dispense brackets each of which includes an actuator; valve means connected between dispensing outlets of the dispense brackets and the outlet of the meter; and a control unit connected to the meter, the valve means, and the actuators, the control unit including inhibiting means, the arrangement being such that upon operation of the actuator associated with one dispense bracket the meter and valve means are operated to dispense a metered volume of beverage through the dispense outlet of the one dispense bracket and the inhibiting means prevent operation of the meter and the valve means in response to the oepration of the actuator associated with the other dispense bracket until the metered delivery through the one dispense bracket has been completed, and vice versa.

2. A delivery installation according to claim 1, in which the valve means is a changeover valve located in a branch in a pipeline conneting the outlet of the meter to the two dispense brackets and arranged in response to the control unit to divert the flow from the meter to one, or the other, dispense bracket.

3. A deliver installation according to claim 1, in which the valve means are formed by individual valves adjacent their respective dispense outlet in eech dispense bracket and in which the pipeline leading from the outlet of the meter to the two dispense brackets includes a simple T-joint.

4. A delivery installation according to claim 3, in which the actuators located in the dispense brackets are low voltage electrical switches and the outlet valves associated with the dispense brackets are low voltage solenoid actuated valves.

5. A delivery installation according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit includes a relay which moves between a first and a second position to start the meter and is held in the secodn position throughout its operation, only returning to its first position on completion of the dispense cycle of the meter.

6. A deliver installation according to claim 5, in which connections from the actuators are taken through contacts of the relay so that when the relay is in its second position the connection between the actuators and the meter is broken.

7. A delivery installation according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit also includes means to store the actuation command from an actuator on the other dispense bracket which is locked out so that, upon conclusion of a dispense cycle through the one dispense head dispensing through the other head is automatically triggered.

8. A delivery installation substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.