Material or article handling – Device for emptying portable receptacle – For emptying contents thereof into portable receiving means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-20
2004-02-24
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Material or article handling
Device for emptying portable receptacle
For emptying contents thereof into portable receiving means
C414S404000, C141S129000, C141S171000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06695563
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The disclosed device relates to an apparatus and method for filling large quantities of beverage containers for consumption by diners. More particularly it relates to a device for inverting racked glasses use in restaurants and banquets where glasses, cups, or any similar form of containers must be filled with ice, and then a beverage. This is most commonly done at large dinners and banquets requiring the preparation of the water glasses prior to being distributed to customers. Currently, the glass filling process is accomplished by filling one glass at a time with ice and then water, which is very time consuming. One of the reasons for this slow process is the fact that when glasses are washed in racks, they are placed in an inverted position relative to the open tops of the dividers in the racks. Consequently they must be removed and flipped over prior to being filled. While there are some apparatus that attempt to speed this process, they are complicated, expensive and hard to maintain. In the food service industry, cleanliness, limiting waste and speed of delivery, and ease of installation and transport are of the highest priorities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the food service industry with the many requirements involved in satisfying the customer, the filling of water glasses would seem to be a minor problem until one realizes it is a full time position for at least one person at large restaurants, and a congestion problem when more than one server is trying to do the same task at the same time at smaller establishments. In this industry it is fully understood that the main grouping of customers will arrive within a relatively short period of time, thereby providing only a limited preparation time especially with regard to a perishable item such as the ice in a water glass. In restaurants it is common practice to individually fill a quantity of water glasses some time in advance of their being served to the customers in order that the time consuming task be avoided during the peak customer period. The task of filling large numbers of water glasses entails the glass being removed from a washing rack in which they are conventionally stored and transported, inverted to place the open end upward, and hand held separately to be filled with ice and then fluid from a tap or a pitcher. Trays of filled glasses may sit for a considerable period prior to being served during which time the ice may melt and the drinking water return to room temperature, also being subject to dust and germ contamination.
With the advent of the new ice machines, the task of filling glasses was made somewhat easier in that ice is made in varying sizes and shapes, and kept at a uniform temperature whereby it will not solidify into larger solid pieces and not require breaking apart to use, and is easily handled in small amounts. In the past, the ice machines did not maintain a uniform temperature, especially being opened and closed often. The breaking up of the ice pieces was an added task to the filling of the glasses.
At the snack bars, sporting events, conventions, banquets, and other similar activities, it is frustrating to wait in line while the server fills one container at a time with ice, then a beverage. A problem with the multiple glass filling devices that are available is that they are very complicated, hard to maintain while others perform one procedure of the process adequately, and leave the other parts of the process to be accomplished manually. When some of these devices are filled with large quantities of ice to fill the glasses, the ice will solidify into one solid piece when not used quickly, requiring the pieces to be broken up manually.
Another problem arises with liquid disbursement when using conventional multiple filling manifold devices since when turned off, the disbursement manifolds do not drain evenly, and will produce an uneven filling of the glasses which are generally filled while multiple glasses are held in a rack. This uneven filling often requires the tipping of the very heavy rack and holding the glasses to equalize the amount of liquid within, limiting their usage mainly to the filling of water glasses where spillage does not involve product loss.
When using beverages in a multi-glass filling device, the task of cleaning the complicated mechanisms is also much too time consuming. In the food service industry, almost all equipment used in the serving of food and related products are constructed of stainless steel and must be kept very clean, which adds a great deal to their purchase costs. Some prior art attempts to address these issues but has not solved them.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,740 of Robert W. Chermack describes a dispensing apparatus for filling drinking containers. A dispensing apparatus for filling a plurality of drinking containers positioned in predetermined locations on a tray dispenses ice, water or both. The apparatus has a storage hopper for containing a supply of ice, the hopper having a discharge opening at the bottom which communicates with a gate for controlling the flow of the ice from the discharge opening. A plurality of generally upright chutes is positioned below the gate and extends from the gate to the receiving chamber near the base of the apparatus. In use, the tray and drinking containers are positioned in the chamber and receive the ice from the chutes, the outlet of each chute being positioned over one of the drinking containers. This apparatus described maintains a series of rollers to distribute the ice to the chutes, which if not refrigerated will let the ice solidify into larger pieces, requiring breaking up manually. Also, the turning of ice in this manner is used effectively in ice-cream machines to intensify the localized cooling, causing additional problems. Furthermore, this apparatus employs a slanted bottom to equalize the overflow of the water in the glasses produced by uneven dispensing, insuring that this apparatus would not be effectively useable in dispensing any other liquid beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,584 of Marinus W. van Lieshout teaches of a method and apparatus for continuously filling and dispensing large numbers of cups with beverages, such as beer. This method is a simple down flow manifold system, with problems arising when a pressurized beverage is dispensed and the quantities are not evenly distributed. Any ice put in the glasses for beverages other than beer would need to be put in at another location.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,295 of Steven D. Nutter discloses a device for equally filling a plurality of containers. Described is a device for equally filling a plurality of containers, including a primary distributor disc having a top inlet and a plurality of bottom outlets equally spaced from the top inlet, and equally spaced around the primary distributor disc, a plurality of secondary distributor discs, each having a top inlet and a plurality of bottom outlets equally spaced from the secondary distributor disc top inlets and equally around the secondary distributor disc, a plurality of equal fluid conducting pipes, one for connecting each of the outlets of the primary distributor disc to the inlet of one of the secondary distributor discs, and a filler hose connected to each of the outlets of the secondary distributor discs and extending downwardly to one of the containers of the plurality of containers. Along with the requirement of being absolutely level, the only thing harder than reading this last sentence/paragraph would be cleaning this device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,757 of Tomoyuki Nashio describes a highly mechanized ice dispenser with the capability of filling the glass with water. This dispenser retains a great volume of ice pieces requiring some form of refrigeration. Here again is a very involved machine, difficult to clean and maintain, along with the fact that it uses a downward flowing manifold distribution for the water producing an uneven flow to the glasses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,604 of Elmer L. Perry discloses a liquid dispensing device for simultaneous filling of a tray of
Harms Donn K.
Maust Timothy L.
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