Abstract: An all-purpose dispensing unit for dispensing liquid products such as milk, cream, juices, iced tea, water, liquid eggs, fruit drinks, lemonade, wine, and other liquids, and for dispensing bulk products such as salad dressings and condiments including ketchup and mustard, comprises a cabinet having a chamber adapted to receive one or more cartridges with each cartridge containing a different selected liquid to be dispensed. Each cartridge comprises a container for holding the liquid, a front door panel on the cartridge adapted to close the front wall opening of the cabinet chamber to prevent the escape of cold air from the chamber and act as a door to the cabinet chamber, and a dispensing valve extending outwardly from the front door panel and connected to the liquid in the container.

Abstract: A food dispenser having a vessel for containing food, such as a beverage, is provided. A delivery conduit communicates with the vessel to deliver a flow of food from the vessel. A valve cooperates with the deliver conduit to open and close the delivery conduit to regulate the flow of food through the delivery conduit. A primary actuator is displaced from a first position to a second position to actuate the valve to ebable food to flow through the delivery conduit. Valve control circuitry connected with a source of power is responsive to actuation of the primary actuator for opening the valve to permit a flow of food through the delivery conduit during the period of time that the primary actuator is in the second position up to a selected time limit provided by primary actuator timer circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to apparatus which is designed to dispense a variety of food service items such as packets of condiments, sauces, toppings, etc. The apparatus provides a receptacle in which the packets may be bulk-loaded without regard to their orientation. The packets may be mixed or matched without the necessity for loading them in magazines or other dispensing devices. An electrically-powered heat exchange means is provided to cool the apparatus.

Abstract: A portable temperature-controlled food dispenser is provided for dispensing condiments, salad dressings and related types of foods under temperature control to prevent or at least retard food spoilage by preferably suitably cooling such foods. A thermally-conductive receptacle on the dispenser receives and supports selected alternative arrangements of thermally-conductive magazines for dispensing individual portion packs of food and thermally-conductive bulk storage food dispensing containers. The receptacle enables heat transfer between the receptacle and the selected arrangement of magazines and food containers on the receptacle. An electrically-powered heat exchanger is thermally coupled with the receptacle to enable heat transfer between the heat exchanger and the receptacle.