Apparatus for rapidly dispensing beer into open cups

Claim 1

Apparatus for simultaneous and rapid dispensing of beer into successive pluralities of open cups by cooling the beer to a sufficiently low dispensing temperature so as to permit the beer to be poured at a rapid dispensing rate without a substantial head as compared with the head typically formed at a dispensing temperature above 32° F, said apparatus comprising: a refrigerated vessel for storing beer in substantial volume so as to provide a supply of beer to fill the successive pluralities of cups; a plurality of side-by-side dispensing taps adapted to dispense beer into the successive pluralities of cups at the dispensing temperature; a plurality of dispensing lines connecting said vessel with said dispensing taps so as to permit the flow of beer from the refrigerated vessel to the taps; cooling coils for cooling a coolant to a temperature substantially below 27° F; coolant line means connected to said cooling coils for circulating said coolant; means for establishing a sufficiently close heat exchanging relationship between said dispensing lines and said coolant line means such that the beer flowing through the dispensing lines is cooled to a temperature below 32° F at the dispensing taps as a result of the heat exchanging relationship between the coolant and the beer; successively arranged pluralities of side-by-side open cups; and means for supporting said successive pluralities of side-by-side open cups beneath said dispensing taps for side-by-side filling of said side-by-side open cups from said dispensing taps with beer at a temperature below 32° F without forming a substantial head.