Measuring and dispensing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A PLURALITY OF CLOSED VESSELS CONSTITUTING FLUID RESERVOIRS EACH HAVING AN INLET, AN OUTLET AND A VENT, PUMPS FOR WITHDRAWING FLUID FROM THE RESERVOIRS AND DELIVERING THE SAME TO A COMMON MIXING CHAMBER, VALVE MEANS OPERABLE TO ALTERNATELY CONNECT SAID PUMPS EACH WITH THE OUTLET OF A CORRESPONDING RESERVOIR AND WITH SAID MIXING CHAMBER WHILE SEALING THE PUMPS FROM THE RESERVOIRS, AND FLUID FORCING MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLUID FROM CORRESPONDING SUPPLY SOURCES TO THE INLETS OF SAID RESERVOIRS, INCLUDING A VALVE IN EACH RESERVOIR AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A DEFINITE QUANTITY OF FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR TO SEAL THE VENT AND THUS PRECLUDE THE DELIVERY OF MORE FLUID THEREIN, SO LONG AS THE VALVE REMAINS CLOSED, SAID VALVE SERVING TO OPEN THE VENT IN RESPONSE TO WITHDRAWAL OF FLUID FROM THE RESERVOIR BY OPERATION OF THE NECTED PUMP, TO THEREBY PERMIT INSTANT REPLENISHMENT OF FLUID IN THE RESERVOIRS AS SOON AS FLUID IS DRAWN THEREFROM BY THE PUMPS.