Other

Minnesota Valley Engineering, Inc.

Martin S Taylor

Keith W Gustafson

Timothy A Neeser

George W Kalet

Kenneth R Pint

Jagat N Trivedi

A new METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING A SMALL BLOCK OF SOLID CARBON DIOXIDE is disclosed and described. The new method and apparatus is comprised of an electrical solenoid operated liquid fill valve, a dry ice block forming chamber having porous walls and/or lining attached to or forming its walls, a hydraulic cylinder and ram, a hydraulic pump assembly, a dry ice block forming chamber door, an electronic solenoid operated pneumatic valve, a pneumatic cylinder and ram, and a digital electronic microcontroller. A pressurized cryogenic Dewar-type tank containing liquefied carbon dioxide provides the cold carbon dioxide input fluid to this invention. In operation, liquid carbon dioxide is forced out of the pressurized Dewar-type tank to form carbon dioxide snow, with said snow being deposited into a dry ice block forming chamber having porous walls and/or lining attached to or forming its walls. As the carbon dioxide snow flows into said dry ice forming chamber, carbon dioxide snow and gaseous carbon dioxide are produced. The porous walls of the dry ice block forming chamber allow the gaseous carbon dioxide to pass through its pores and to escape into the surrounding atmosphere while trapping the carbon dioxide snow within the confines of said dry ice forming chamber. After the liquid carbon dioxide has been allowed to flow to deposit carbon dioxide snow in said dry ice forming chamber for a pre-selected length of time, a hydraulic pump is activated to cause a ram to be forced into one end of the dry ice block forming chamber. The carbon dioxide snow compacting plate, attached to the end of the hydraulic ram, moves through the dry ice block forming chamber and compresses the low density carbon dioxide snow within the forming chamber into a solid block of high density carbon dioxide (dry ice). After the low density carbon dioxide snow has been formed into a high density block of solid carbon dioxide, the hydraulic ram forces the finished product out of the device and into a catch container. The hydraulic ram is then returned to its up-most starting position, and the system is reset to make it ready to make another block of solid carbon dioxide.

Method and apparatus for automatically producing a small block of solid

A carbonated beverage delivery system having at least two syrup storage tanks. Each storage tank is provided with a valve that allows air to vent from the tank during delivery, acts as a nozzle to deliver cleaning solution during clean-up operations and, most significantly, meters the amount of fluid delivered to the tank and prevents inadvertent overfill. The tanks are also provided with a syrup feed pipe and drain pipe for filling and discharging the tank, respectively. The drain pipe can be connected to a mixing valve that also receives carbon dioxide and water from separate sources. These components are mixed at the mixing valve to create the desired carbonated beverage which is then delivered to a beverage dispenser. The feed pipe can be connected to a delivery truck supply tank such that its supply of syrup can be replenished. The volume of syrup carried by the truck supply tank is less than the total volume of all the storage tanks to be filled from the supply tank.

Delivery system for carbonated beverages

There is disclosed a syrup delivery system for carbonated beverages which provides delivery of beverage syrup from a syrup container to a beverage mixer. The syrup delivery system comprises a source of pressurized gas, conveniently the CO.sub.2 gas source which is also used to carbonate the water used to mix the carbonated beverage, and a syrup container. The syrup container comprises a rigid drum having an opening with a closure and a pressurizing fitting for connection to the source of presurized gas. A collapsible bag for holding the syrup is fitted inside of the rigid drum and is connected by means of a double ended connector through the closure to the beverage mixer. In operation, the CO.sub.2 pressurized gas is introduced into the rigid tank between the inside of the tank and the outside of the collapsible bag thereby forcing the syrup out of the bag and to the beverage mixer at a constant pressure. Because the closure is a standard size to fit existing small and large syrup containers, the syrup deliver system can be retrofitted into existing bulk on-premises syrup containers as well as retrofitted into smaller existing syrup containers. In both cases, the need to clean and sanitize the syrup containers is eliminated.

Growing community of inventors

Waleska, GA, United States of America

Martin S Taylor