BENJAMIN J MILLER
Physician at Hoyne, Chicago, IL

4967932, Nov 6, 1990

Feb 27, 1989

7/316364

Ronald L. Wiley - Marietta GA
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL

The Coca-Cola Company - Atlanta GA

B67D 562, B67D 508

222 1

An automatic postmix beverage dispenser having a single or multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including means for preventing the dispensing of a warm casual drink. The automatic dispenser includes an on-board computer having a timer circuit to purge the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line between the cooling means and the automatic beverage dispensing valve whenever a drink is requested and no drink has been dispensed for a particular period of time. The warm water is drained out for a period of time needed to drain the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line. In another embodiment, a thermometer is used and the water is purged when a drink is requested and the water temperature is above a certain value, and until it is reduced to a desired temperature.

4227377, Oct 14, 1980

Jul 26, 1978

5/928242

Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL

Remcor Products Company - Franklin Park IL

F25C 100

62 66

A control system for an ice dispenser maintains an icemaker thereof continuously operative whenever an ice storage hopper is less than completely full. This is accomplished by continuing to operate the icemaker while momentarily agitating and leveling the mass of ice in the hopper whenever ice builds up around a thermostat therein, and thereafter sensing whether the ice has dropped away from the thermostat. If it has, the icemaker is maintained in operation and the cycle is repeated. If, however, it has not, then the icemaker is turned off until sufficient ice is dispensed from the hopper to again drop the ice level to below the thermostat. In this manner, the number of on-off cycles of the compressor and other components of the icemaker are minimized in maintaining the hopper completely full, which greatly increases their operating life and reliability.

4951719, Aug 28, 1990

Feb 27, 1989

7/316010

Ronald L. Wiley - Marietta GA
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL

The Coca-Cola Company - Atlanta GA

B65B 304, B65B 5700

141 1

An automatic postmix beverage dispensing system including a conveyor, a multiflavor valve, and a stationary flavor indicator adjacent to each cup pick-up station to inform the operator what beverage is in each cup. Each time the conveyor advances the cups one station, the flavor indicator scrolls forward to continue to correctly identify the beverage in each cup. The flavor indicator can also include order indicia identifying the order number of each cup.

5058773, Oct 22, 1991

May 15, 1990

7/523619

Frank D. Brill - Fox Lake IL
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL
Thaddeus M. Jablonski - Palatine IL
Douglas F. Marsh - Raymond ME

Restaurant Technology, Inc. - Oak Brook IL

B65B 304

2271294

A beverage and ice bodies dispensing apparatus is described in which vertically-oriented chutes through which ice bodies are dispensed are associated with spouts. Gates within the chutes are used to dispense predetermined quantities of ice bodies into the cup to be filled. A storage cabinet for ice is located above and connected to the chute for refilling the chutes with ice bodies. In accordance with one embodiment, the force of the falling ice is utilized to maintain the proper position of, and/or position the cup to be filled.

4803847, Feb 14, 1989

May 9, 1988

7/193198

Robert M. Koeneman - Oak Brook IL
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL
Thaddeus M. Jablonski - Palatine IL

Remcor Products Company - Franklin Park IL

F25C 518

62 68

A control system for an icemaker and ice dispenser operates the icemaker to periodically harvest ice for introduction into a hopper of the ice dispenser whenever the hopper is less than full. During and in response to initiation of each harvest cycle, and independent of the level of ice in the hopper, the ice in the hopper is briefly agitated twice, once shortly after harvesting begins and again toward completion of the harvest cycle, such that the second agitation and the cycle end at about the same time. A thermostat senses the level of ice in the hopper, and when ice reaches the level of the thermostat, the icemaker is turned off.

4909047, Mar 20, 1990

Feb 16, 1988

7/156346

Robert M. Koeneman - Oak Brook IL
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL
Thaddeus M. Jablonski - Palatine IL

Remcor Products Company - Franklin Park IL

B67D 562

62389

A beverage dispensing system has a plurality of dispensing faucets, each of which is supplied with carbonated water (soda) and a selected flavor of syrup. The syrups and soda are chilled upstream of the faucets, and after chilling the soda is introduced into a manifold from which it is distributed to each faucet. In order that a warm beverage will not be dispensed from a faucet as a result of the soda becoming warm downstream from the point of chilling upon the system standing idle for a period of time, soda is withdrawn from the manifold either continuously or periodically to maintain the soda downstream from the chilling point in a cold state.

5141130, Aug 25, 1992

Sep 14, 1990

7/583254

Ronald L. Wiley - Marietta GA
Benjamin D. Miller - Chicago IL

The Coca-Cola Company - Atlanta GA

B67B 700

222 1

An automatic beverage dispenser having a single flavor or a multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including a system for preventing the dispensing of a warm casual drink. The automatic dispenser includes an on-board computer having a timer circuit to purge the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line between the cooling apparatus and the dispensing valve whenever a drink is requested and no drink has been dispensed for a particular period of time. The warm water is purged or drained out for a period of time needed to purge the warm water from the uncooled portion of the water line. In another embodiment, a temperature sensor is included in the water line and the warm water purging terminates when the temperature falls to a predetermined value.