Abstract: A beverage cooling, carbonating and dispensing apparatus has a refrigerator cabinet having a cold air cooling chamber, a cold beverage reservoir and carbonator in the cooling chamber, an outlet from the reservoir to a dispensing valve, and a spring-like helically coiled thermally conductive precooler secured to a beverage inlet of the reservoir, the precooler is suspended in the cold air chamber and has a substantial restriction to flow of beverage therethrough so that the refilling flow into the reservoir is very slow and is cooled to about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.) before admittance into the reservoir, so the entire contents of the reservoir can be dispensed without warmup or loss of carbonation.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling the contents of a vessel in which refrigerant is passed through pipelines placed as a coil alongside the outer wall of the vessel, the pipelines in the areas of the starting end and of the finishing end of the coil are fastened upon the vessel by clamping elements and laid under tensile stress alongside the vessel.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling the thickness of an ice bank as might typically be found in the beverage dispenser field, wherein the method has the steps of attaching an ice sensor to the cooling coils of the ice bank reservoir, selecting and setting an operatively fixed but user-selectable space between the sensor and the cooling coils, freezing a portion of water to form the ice bank, sensing the formation of ice at the sensor, and controlling the freezing responsive to the sensing of ice. The apparatus is usually flat and manufactured from a single piece of injection molded plastic. Included within a first region are a curved portion for interweaving between adjacent cooling coils, and a strap for wrapping around an additional cooling coil spaced from the adjacent coils. The apparatus bends to form a substantially triangular support for the sensor. The sensor is retained by clips to the second region and extends outside of the triangular area bounded by the three portions of the apparatus.

Abstract: A fluid cooler comprises a housing, a chamber located in the housing, a conduit for the fluid to be cooled and a float controlled valve for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant into the chamber.

Abstract: A self-cooling container is provided having a hollow body with a cooling chamber and directing means for directing the flow of a portion of a beverage therein in contact with the cooling chamber to cool predominantly the next-to-be-consumed portion of the beverage.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser that can be used with either figals or bag-in-box. The dispenser includes a built-in carbonator, and when used with a bag-in-box syrup supply it includes a plurality of built-in syrup pumps, one for each of four, five or six valves. The dispenser includes an easily removable refrigeration unit and an easily removable carbonator unit.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser that can be used with either figals or bag-in-box. The dispenser includes a built-in carbonator, and when used with a bag-in-box syrup supply it includes a plurality of built-in syrup pumps, one for each of four, five or six valves. The dispenser includes an easily removable refrigeration unit and an easily removable carbonator unit.

Abstract: A refrigerated dispenser for beverages includes a housing, a solid state cooling assembly in the housing, a container member which is receivable in the housing and a discharge assembly including a neck portion which extends outwardly from the container member and a valve on the neck portion. The housing comprises first and second housing sections including peripheral edge portions having opposed open notches therein, and the housing sections are movable between an open position wherein the peripheral edge portions are separated and a closed position wherein the peripheral edge portions are received in mating relation, and the notches define an aperture in the housing. The container member and the discharge assembly are receivable in the housing so that when the housing sections are in the closed positions thereof, the neck portion extends through the aperture and the valve is disposed on the exterior of the housing so that it can be manipulated for discharging a beverage from the container member.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for making, cooling and dispensing carbonated water or beverage wherein the method has the steps of providing a single supply of condensed refrigerant, discretely routing a first portion of the refrigerant to a precooler and precooling the water only to an intermediate moderate temperature of about 40 degrees F. (5 degrees C.) with the first refrigerant portion, carbonating the water before or after precooling, transferring the precooled and carbonated water to a final cooler of the ice bank type and final cooling the carbonated water and syrup to as close to 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C.) as is possible, and discretely routing a second portion of refrigerant to the ice bank. The discrete flow of refrigerant to the precooler and the discrete flow of refrigerant to the ice bank final cooler are each discretely controlled and portioned and routed, with this method and apparatus having extremely high efficiency and making very cold carbonated water reliably and without freeze ups.

Abstract: A cold beverage dispensing apparatus is powerable by compressed gas and has a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing a source of compressed gas and a water reservoir and a normally non-pressurized syrup pump fluidly connectible to a non-pressurized syrup tank in the chamber, a dispensing nozzle and a manual actuator are on the outside of the cabinet, a pneumatic power valve is operable to connect the gas source to the pump and expel syrup to the nozzle, a pneumatic water valve servo is connected to all of the power valves and the opening of any power valve will effect operation of the servo and opening of the water valve, the pump is inside of the syrup tank and used propellant gas is vented inside the cabinet, a gas bottle and the syrup tanks are racked on the inside of a cabinet door and the power valves are pneumatically connected in series between the gas source and the water reservoir.

Abstract: The dispenser of the present invention is operative to dispense both uncarbonated and carbonated drinking water. It consists of a reservoir for retaining uncarbonated drinking water and a first heat exchange associated with the reservoir and supplied with a fluid refrigerant, for maintaining the water at an optimum drinking temperature. The reservoir has a direct connection to a dispensing faucet for dispensing uncarbonated water. In conjunction with this, the unit makes use of a carbonator for dispersing carbon dioxide in water, and a second heat exchanger located within the reservoir in contact with the uncarbonated water. A pump is arranged to take drinking water from the reservoir and delivers it to the carbonator the carbonated water is supplied to the inlet of the second heat exchanger. A second faucet is connected to the outlet of the second heat exchanger to dispense the carbonated water.

Abstract: A cardioplegia system in which cardioplegia medication or a mixture of arterial blood and medication is delivered to the heart of a patient undergoing open heart surgery. A cooling system incorporates flat coils vertically disposed in upright tanks in which the level of cooling liquid is controlled and thus the percentage area of the coil which is immersed. This permits the control of the cooling while isolating the blood or medication from the cooling system.

Abstract: Dispenser apparatus for particulate ice and/or ice cooled beverage has an ice bin with upright walls about a substantially vertical axis, a bottom canted rearwardly, a transverse ice discharge chute coplanar with the bin bottom and having a width continually divergent from the bin, a metallic ice dispensing chute point is secured in a resin bin wall on a downstream side of a dispensing rotor sweep and a self-closing dispensing door on an outlet of the chute has a barrier and a limit stop for placing the barrier in the path of ice being dispensed when the door is fully opened, an elongate drainage slot for melt water is in the bin bottom and extends radially outward from an axis of dispensing rotor rotation, a drain port extends from within the drain slot and is at a level below a level of the chute outlet, an ice dispensing rotor is within the bin and is revolvable about an axis canted rearwardly from the axis of the bin; the rotor has a hub, a ring, a plurality of paddlewheels mounted to the ring, entry ring

Abstract: The present beverage cooling apparatus has an insulated container with an inclined bottom wall shaped to fit on top of a wheel well in the engine compartment of a car. A series of coiled pipes inside the container can be connected to the car's air conditioner to pass refrigerant through the interior of the container to cool the drinking water or other beverage. A thermostatic expansion valve cools the refrigerant just before it enters the container. This valve is regulated by a temperature sensor which senses the temperature of the refrigerant as it leaves the container. The container has a capped drain opening at the bottom at its deeper end, a capped fill opening at the top, and a freeze plug on one side which detaches itself from the container if the beverage freezes. A motor-pump unit on top of the container has a beverage intake pipe extending down near the bottom of the container at its deeper end, and a filter is provided on this end of the intake pipe.

Abstract: A portable container for cooling or heating liquids stored therein. The container comprises a hollow body and a releasably secureable lid assembly therefor. The container body includes a threaded mouth onto which the lid assembly is secured to seal liquids within the container body. The lid assembly includes thermoelectric chiller/warmer means having thermally conductive immersion means extending downward from the lid for immersion within the liquid in the container body, Peltier type thermoelectric means in intimate thermal engagement with the thermally conductive immersion means and with heat dissipating means. An electrical means for connecting the thermoelectric means to a source of direct current and for enabling the polarity of the direct current provided to the thermoelectric means to be reversed so that the thermally conductive immersion means can either heat or cool the liquid disposed within the container body.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a post-mix or pre-mix dispenser for soft drinks including a cooling tank which can either be filled with particles of ice for cooling the beverage to be dispensed or operated with a mechanical refrigeration system including a compressor and a cooling fluid which is circulated through cooling coils extending into the tank. The mechanical refrigeration system, when in use, is inserted through an upper opening in the cooling tank and forms the closure of the tank when in place. When particles of ice are used as a cooling medium, they are also inserted through the upper opening in the cooling tank and a conventional closure would then be placed over the opening of the tank.

Abstract: A refrigeration and delivery system for chilling a cardioplegic fluid contained in a receptacle, for maintaining the fluid at a predetermined temperature and for delivering the fluid to a patient as needed. The refrigeration and delivery system consists of a refrigerator cabinet having an evaporator disposed in an internal chilling compartment for supporting the fluid receptacle. The evaporator has a heat transfer surface in direct engagement with the receptacle to facilitate the conduction of heat from the fluid to the evaporator. The receptacle has inlet and outlet ports connected by recirculation tubing which provides a flow path to recirculate the fluid insuring that chilled fluid is contained in the recirculation tubing. A discharge tube is connected to the recirculation tubing and when opened allows the chilled cardioplegic fluid to be administered to the patient.

Abstract: A cooler for chilling a working fluid used in a manufacturing or production process comprised of a tank having a reservoir in the bottom and one or more cooling coils mounted above the reservoir. A metering plate is inserted in the tank above the cooling coils to distribute the working fluid to be cooled over the refrigerant-containing coil at a predetermined rate. The metering plate has a plurality of tapered metering holes in a circular pattern aligned with each coil of the cooling coils mounted in the tank. The metering holes evenly distribute the hot working fluid over the cooling coils. Distribution and overflow barriers are provided on the metering plate to provide a constant maximum flow of hot working fluid through the cooling tank. Refrigerant is pumped through the cooling coils from the bottom to the top in a counterflow action with respect to the hot working fluid to be cooled.

Abstract: An improved refrigeration system for chilling a circulating water supply for reuse in cooling industrial equipment. The system includes a water container having therein a coiled refrigerant tube and a coiled water tube. The coiled refrigerant tube has a plurality of turns normally positioned below the level of water in the container with the coiled water tube being generally positioned within the coiled refrigerant tube in coaxial relationship. Water inlet means is provided adjacent one end of the coiled water tube through which water from the industrial equipment may flow into the water tube and water outlet means is provided adjacent the other end of the coiled water tube from which water from the water tube may flow into the container.

Abstract: The hydronic heating and cooling system includes a packaged or integrated outdoor combination heat and cool unit for both residential and commercial installations comprising control valve means for directing water or liquid through alternately an evaporator for cooling the liquid during the cooling mode of the system or a heater for heating the liquid during the heating mode of the system. With such a construction the liquid passes through the heater in both the heating and cooling modes of the system; however, the heater is energized only in the heating mode.

Abstract: A heat exchanger takes the form of a cylindrical tank having an inlet at one end to receive an influent liquid to be chilled, an outlet at the opposite end of the tank from which the chilled liquid may be discharged. A cooling coil is wrapped around the outer side wall of the tank for circulating a refrigerant in conductive, heat exchange relation to the tank. A cylindrical cup-shaped baffle is arranged coaxially within the tank for directing the influent liquid toward the side wall of the tank, and a pressure-expanded, helically wound conduit is positioned between and disposed in intimate heat exchange contact with both the side wall of the tank and the cup-shaped baffle and defines two relatively separated passages through which separate portions of the influent liquid pass to be chilled by contact with the tank, the baffle and the intervening helically wound conduit.

Abstract: The evaporator coil of an ice bank type of beverage cooler and dispenser is provided with a multiplicity of spaced apart copper rods extending both inwardly and outwardly of the coil. The evaporator is operated in a tank of water to form a body of ice on the coil and a beverage conduit is cooled by the water. The water gives up its heat in melting the ice. The rods cause the body of ice to have separate and spaced projections of ice extending therefrom to present more surface to the water for more efficient cooling, particularly during peak loads.

Abstract: Syrup tanks in a beverage dispenser having a cold water bath are cooled by circulating water from the water bath through a coil disposed adjacent to the syrup tanks in heat exchange relationship therewith. In the preferred embodiment, the coil is located between adjacent rows of syrup tanks to maximize heat transfer.

Abstract: A portable refrigerating unit has a condenser coil which may be inserted directly into the drying chamber of a freeze drying apparatus. A flexible tube is utilized to convey refrigerant to and from the condenser coil. The flexible tube and the condenser coil are connected through a closure member, which provides a vacuum tight seal for the drying chamber of the freeze drying apparatus. The closure member may be removed from the condenser coil, so that various closure sizes may be utilized and so that the condenser coil may be utilized as an immersible refrigerating device.