Apparatus for dispensing valuable bulk commodities and method therefor

An apparatus for controlling the dispensing of beers to maintain accountability over said beers, said apparatus comprising:

• a controller for routing one of a plurality of said beers to a dispensing port, for controlling an amount of said one beer which is routed to said dispensing port, and for identifying a person responsible for causing said amount of said one beer to be routed to said dispensing port;
• a plurality of valves coupled to and controlled by said controller, said valves being configured to promote and impede flow of said plurality of beers in response to control signals generated by said controller, wherein each of said valves resides in a beer circuit having an upstream and downstream section relative to said valve, wherein one of said valves is located in one of said beer circuits, wherein said downstream section of said one beer circuit extends between said one valve and said dispensing port and wherein said downstream section is comprised of tubing having a length of at least 48 inches;
• and
• recording means, coupled to said controller for recording said selected one beer, said amount, and said responsible person identity in association with one another.

An apparatus for controlling the dispensing of valuable bulk commodities to maintain accountability over said commodities, said apparatus comprising:

• a commodity identity selector configured to permit the concurrent selection of a plurality of said commodities, and to route said selected plurality of commodities to a plurality of respective dispensing ports;
• a commodity quantity selector configured to adjust amounts of each of said selected commodities routed to each of said respective dispensing ports in response to the number of said commodities selected;
• a dispensing attendant selector for identifying a person responsible for causing said amounts of said commodities to be routed to said respective dispensing ports;
• and
• recording means, coupled to said commodity identity selector, said commodity quantity selector, and said dispensing attendant selector, for recording said selected plurality of commodities, said amounts, said respective dispensing ports, and said responsible person identified in association with said dispensing.

A method for controlling the dispensing of valuable commodities to maintain accountability over said commodities, said method comprising the steps of:

• identifying two commodities from among a plurality of commodities;
• choosing a quantity from among a plurality of quantities;
• selecting a dispensing attendant identity of a person responsible for the dispensing of said two identified commodities;
• dispensing, in response to said selecting step, said selected quantity of said two identified commodities through to two respective dispensing ports;
• adjusting, in said dispensing step, quantities dispensed of each of said two identified commodities so that the total dispensed amount substantially equals said selected quantity;
• and
• recording said two identified commodities, said selected quantity, said two respective dispensing ports, and said identity of said responsible person in association with one another.

A method for controlling the dispensing of valuable commodities to maintain accountability over said commodities, said method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a commodity from among a plurality of commodities, wherein said identifying step is initiated by a person responsible for the dispensing of said commodity;
• choosing a quantity from among a plurality of quantities, wherein said choosing step is initiated by said responsible person;
• selecting a dispensing attendant identity of said responsible person, wherein said selecting step is an ultimate step initiated by said responsible person;
• automatically dispensing, in response to said selecting step said selected quantity of said identified commodity through to a dispensing port;
• and
• automatically recording said identified commodity, said selected quantity, and said identity of said responsible person in association with one another.

An apparatus for controlling the dispensing of beers to maintain accountability over said beers, said apparatus comprising:

• a controller having:
• a beer brand selector configured to permit the concurrent selection of a plurality of said beers, and to route said selected plurality of said beers to a plurality of respective dispensing taps;
• a beer quantity selector configured to adjust amounts of each of said selected beers routed to each of said respective dispensing taps in response to the number of said commodities selected;
• a dispensing attendant selector for identifying a person responsible for causing said amounts of said beers to be routed to said dispensing taps, said dispensing attendant selector being configured as an ultimate selector assigned prior to initiating said routing of said beers to said dispensing taps;
• recording means, coupled to said beer brand selector, said beer quantity selector, and said dispensing attendant selector, for recording said selected plurality of beer brands, said amounts, and said responsible person identified in association with said dispensing of said beers;
• and
• annunciating means for annunciating warnings;
• a plurality of valves, each of which resides in a beer circuit having an upstream and downstream section relative to said valve, and each of which is coupled to and controlled by said controller, said valves being configured to promote and impede flow of said plurality of beers in response to control signals generated by said controller;
• a pressure sensor located in one of said upstream sections of one of said beer circuits and being coupled to said controller;
• and
• a temperature sensor located to sense temperature of at least one of said beers and being coupled to said controller;
• wherein
• said controller is configured to open one of said valves for a dispensing duration to route said amount of said one beer to said dispensing tap, said dispensing duration being responsive to said selected beer brand and to said selected beer quantity, and to annunciate a warning when said pressure sensor indicates a beer pressure outside a predetermined desired pressure range or when said temperature sensor indicates a beer temperature outside a predetermined desired temperature range.