US2805795A - Tanks - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1957 w; M. BARNES TANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 10, 1957 w. M. BARNES TANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1955 /u//W M BAR/v55;

ATTORNEY- Unite States Patent TANKS William M. Barnes, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Coca-Cola Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 17, 1955, Serial No. 482,177

Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-184) This invention relates to the beverage industry, and more particularly to a new and improved pressurized carbonated beverage storage and shipping container or tank.

Said container is contemplated to be used both for the storage under pressure and shipping under pressure of a carbonated beverage from the place Where the tank is filled to a point of sale, where the contents are dispensed from the container under pressure.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a large diameter, sanitary and quick-opening closure for a device of the instant type.

Another object is to provide superior sealing characteristics in such a closure without the necessity of extreme machine tolerances in mating parts.

Another object is to provide a tank in which as the pressure therein increases, the sealing characteristics and potential of its closure likewise increases.

Another object is to facilitate withdrawal of a beverage from such a tank.

Another object is to make possible almost complete removal of a beverage therefrom through the employment of a unique sump whereby less than /2 of l fluid ounce remains after the withdrawing action has been completed.

A still further object is to provide a protective upper skirt for the top of such a tank.

Another object is to provide a protective lower skirt for the bottom head and dip tube sump of a container.

Another object is to provide desirable sanitary features in such a bottom structure.

Another object is to make possible economies of manufacture in a product tank.

These and other objects made apparent during the further progress of the instant application are facilitated by reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of the instant container;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view of said tank, fragmentary in part, and taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View 'of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, and in reduced scale;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged exploded side elevational view of the closure elements and structure of the instant container;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the tank;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed view in vertical section, taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of subject tank;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail in vertical section, taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged exploded vertical sectional view showing the detail of the liquid outlet of subject tank.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1, it will be seen ice that the instant container comprises a main body portion 10, preferably fabricated from stainless steel or other material calculated to avoid any ofi-taste in a carbonated beverage, or set up any chemical reaction with the mild acids sometimes found therein, and which are in the category of taste correctives. It is also desirable that the material selected shall be easily cleaned and sanitized for reasons sounding in health and over-all wholesomeness.

Suitably attached to the upper portion of tank body 10 as by Welding, is a tapered top segment 11 having formed therein a circular aperture 12, surrounding which and suitably sealed thereto is an annular ring 13, preferably formed of somewhat heavier material than the body of the tank proper. Firmly anchored in ring 13 is a plurality of locking pins 14 extending in a generally hori zontal plane and being perforated near their ends as at 15 for a purpose explained hereafter.

A cover plate 16 having flattened upper edge surfaces 17 cooperates with an annular groove 18 formed in element 13 in such a manner as to seat in said groove, and in conjunction with an O-ring 19, form a seal in conjunction with a cover plate locking ring 21 which is likewise an annular metallic element having a flattened top surface 21, a central aperture designated by the numeral 22 and a plurality of sealing slots 23 (Fig. 5), which extend in a generally sloping horizontal plane and then terminate downwardly in openings 24. This semi-bayonet fitting arrangement permits said openings to register with locking pins 14 and the cover plate locking ring, to be forced downwardly against O-ring 19, upon which 20 is rotated counter-clockwise a sufficient number of degrees to bring a locking pin 14 into engagement with a sealing lug 25 having a perforation 26 therein, said lug being formed in the outer periphery of element 20. It is then possible to lock'the cover temporarily in place by inserting a frangible seal through openings 15 and 26 and closing said seal. When it is desired to open the tank, the seal may be ruptured, the cover plate locking ring rotated clockwise a suflicient distance to bring apertures 24 thereof in alignment with locking pins 14, upon which the ring may be raised vertically from the tank, and

- thereby permit the removal of cover plate 16, for cleaning, filling, or other purposes.

It will be seen that the foregoing arrangement provides a simple and effective sealing and locking arrangement, the internal pressure of a carbonated beverage within the tank tending to increase the efliciency of the seal by virtue of upward pressure against the interior of cover 16, such tending to press the cover into increasingly tight engagement with the top of ring 20 through sealing element 19.

A circular guard member 27 having an upper edge 28 rolled tightly around a reinforcing wire 29 (Fig. l) is anchored to the upper top surface of 11 at an appropriate point. Said guard member has formed therein a pair of handles 30 as by slitting 27 at 31 and 32 and rolling the segment of metal thus exposed, inwardly as at 33 (Fig. 7) to provide a smooth circular surface at this point and facilitate the handling of subject container. A pair of coupling bosses 34 and 35 are anchored in the top of 11, one of which serves as a gas inlet, and the other as a point of fluid discharge, in conjunction with O-ring 36 (Fig. 10) which seats in a groove 37 formed in 35, and through which is passed a dip tube 38 through an opening 39 formed in the boss and communicating with a similar opening 40 in top member 11.

Attention is now directed to the bottom segment of the instant tank which consists of an annular metallic member 41 likewise suitably secured to main body portion 10, as by welding, said element 41 being open at its top and closed as at 42 to form a bottom for the container.

As part of said bottom, there is provided at one side thereof, which lies in a lower plane than the other side, a sump 43 which receives one end of dip tube 38. Said sump is of primarily circular contour and may be fed by 'a trough 44 formed in bottom 42 (Fig. .4).which facilitate the fiow of fluid thereinto. This arrangement has been found to permit emptying of the tank to within /2 of 1' ounce of fluid, is easily cleaned and creates 'no problems from a sanitation standpoint. Economies in product saving, and convenience in such an arrangement are obvious. An annular guard member 45 is welded to bottom 41 at its upper edges, which are turned back as at 46 to accommodate the contour of the container at this point. A plurality of bottom drain slots 47 are formed in the upper peripheral edge of 45, primarily for sanitizing purposes. The bottom 48 or" 45 is rolled tightly around a piece of reinforcing wire 49 as at 50 thereby providing a strong and rigid protection factor at this point, with particular reference to sump 43, said guard being easily cleaned, economically constructed, and otherwise effective for its intended purposes. a

The operation and use of the instant tank is as follows: Cover plate 16 with its associated sealing element having been removed in a manner described heretofore, the container is then filled with a liquid, preferably under pres sure, after which the top is sealed, and inlet 34 connected with a suitable source of CO2 gas, dip tube 38 then being connected to a dispensing outlet as through a conventional coupling 51. This outlet may consist of a coin operated cup vending machine, a soda fountain type dispenser, a vending cart, a hand-carry pack, or other suitable instrumentality for merchandising the fluid in the 4 plated that the following claims shall be accorded an interpretation and scope fairly in keeping with the contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a main body portion, a tapered top segment secured thereto, said segment having a central aperture therein, an annular ring secured to said top portion adjacent the aperture, an annular groove formed in said ring, a cover plate seating in said groove, an O-ring positioned adjacent the upper outer edge of said cover plate, a plurality of locking pins tank, the intermittent admission of CO2 gas into the I tank serving to facilitate this function. Specific vending devices are not shown, since they form no part of the instant invention and machines of this sort are well known to the art.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been taught herein a new and useful container primarily intended for use in the storing and dispensing of carbonated beverages. That said device is economical to manufacture, efiicient in operation, and fully adapted to the uses for which it is intended. shown and described a preferred form of subject structure, no limitation is implied thereby, it being contem- While there has been anchored in said annular ring, a cover plate locking ring having a plurality of sealing slots therein calculated to engage said locking pins and secure said plate to the annular ring, and a bottom member attached to said main body portion.

2. The device defined in claim 1, including a coupling boss anchored in said top segment.

3. The device defined in claim 2, including a guard member secured to said top and surrounding said cover plate locking ring and said boss, said guard member having handles.

4. The device defined in claim 2, including a dip tube passed downwardly through said boss, and a sump formed in said bottom to one side thereof, said sump receiving the lower end of said dip tube.

5. The device defined in claim 4, including a drainage channel formed in said bottom and connecting with said sump, and a guard member secured to said bottom and surrounding said sump and drainage channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 707,849 Kracker Aug. 26, 1902 1,189,932 Garber July 4, 1916 1,341,592 Ruehle May 25, 1920 1,648,718 Buhl NOV. 8, 1927 1,658,251 Nord Feb. 7, 1928 2,038,420 Cookley Apr. 21, 1936 2,058,665 Cookley Oct. 27, 1936 2,174,354 Shields Sept. 26, 1939 2,449,285 Eckstrom Sept. 14, 1948 2,564,400 Hall Aug. 14, 1951 2,751,123 Kuhles et al June 19, 1956

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