Draft beer metering apparatus

Claim 1

BEER METERING APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE DISPENSING OF PRESSURIZED BEER FROM A FAUCET, THE LATTER HAVING A BEER PASSAGE, A DISPENSING VALVE IN THE PASSAGE RECIPROCATELY TRAVELABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, AND A HANDLE CONNECTED TO THE VALVE FOR SUPPORTING THE LATTER, SAID VALVE BEING URGED BY THE ACTION OF THE BEER IN THE PASSAGE TO TRAVEL TO A FULLY CLOSED POSITION WHEN LOCATED ADJACENT THE VALVE CLOSED END OF ITS TRAVEL AND TO TRAVEL TO A FULLY OPEN POSITION WHEN POSITIONED ADJACENT THE VALVE OPEN END OF ITS TRAVEL, COMPRISING ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED OPERATING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE HANDLE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND BEING ADAPTED WHEN ENERGIZED TO MOVE THE VALVE FROM A CLOSED TO AN OPEN POSITION, RESILIENT CENTERING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OPERATING MEANS NORMALLY URGING THE VALVE TO A CENTERED POSITION ADJACENT THE CLOSED END OF TRAVEL OF THE LATTER, SAID MEANS BEING ARRANGED SO AS TO MOVE THE VALVE FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE BEER TENDING TO MAINTAIN THE VALVE IN ITS FULLY OPEN POSITION TO SAID CENTERED POSITION AND BEING ARRANGED SO AS TO YIELDABLY RESIST THE VALVE CLOSING ACTION OF THE BEAR WHEN THE VALVE REACHES SAID CENTERED POSITION, A CIRCUIT FOR CONNECTING THE OPERATING MEANS TO A SOURCE OF POWER, SAID CIRCUIT BEING IN A NORMALLY OPEN CONDITION, A SWITCH IN SAID CIRCUIT FOR CLOSING THE LATTER, THEREBY ENERGIZING THE OPERATING MEANS SO AS TO MOVE THE VALVE TO ITS OPEN POSITION, AND CONTROL MEANS IN SAID CIRCUIT INITIATED BY CLOSURE OF THE SWITCH FOR MAINTAINING THE CIRCUIT IN A CLOSED CONDITION FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME.