Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
  • B67D1/08—Details
  • B67D1/0829—Keg connection means
  • B67D1/0831—Keg connection means combined with valves

Definitions

• This invention relates to kegs, containers or the like which are normally used in the pressurised dispensation of beer or other liquids.
• a keg has a neck or a tubular extension, usually on one end face of a generally cylindrical keg body, and a spear which is assembled into the neck or tubular extension.
• the neck/extension may have a female screw-thread and the spear may have a complementary mating male thread or alternatively the spear may be held instead in the neck/extension by a circlip.
• the spear will usually include a tube which extends inside the keg, in use, generally from the neck/extension to a location close to the opposite end of the keg.
• valves in the spear When beer or other liquid is dispensed, two valves in the spear are opened, one to admit pressuring gas and the other to allow discharge of the liquid.
• a keg When a keg is filled, it is usually inverted and the two valves are opened to different extents to allow liquid to be admitted through one of the valves and gas to be discharged through the other of the two valves.
• spear types generally fall into two categories namely the "well-type” and “flat-top type” of spear.
• the problems involved with the safe fitting of such different spear types are dissimilar owing to the different nature of said spears.
• Well- type spears are provided with a well or opening in the top into which an extractor tool can be located in order to remove the spear for replacement and/or maintenance.
• Flat top type spears are spears which do effectively present a flat-top rather than an opening or well on the exterior of the keg, an example of same being shown in patent specification No.EP0025682.
• well-type spears will generally employ two independently operable valves whereas the flat-top type spears employ a dependent two valve or double valve arrangement.
• well-type spears have two helical coil springs (one for each independently operable valve) whereas flat-top type spears usually employ one helical coil spring only.
• spears (the name for the valve arrangement used for extracting the pressurised liquid out of a keg or other container) may still be in use which have no safety device for preventing the spear from blowing out on removal or tampering of the spear and other arrangements have indeed been 3 proposed for adapting or modifying the existing spear with a blow-out safety device, the spear then being replaced in the keg or container.
• the existing spear may be replaced by a completely new spear equipped with a blowout safety device.
• the general form of well-type spears is well known and as previously stated the spear has two independent valves which, although independent, are usually activated together more particularly by a special tool which releases the pressure out of the keg and at the same time deactivates the blow-out safety device allowing removal of the spear where required whilst preventing the spear from flying out.
• the two independently operable valves are kept closed by their respective springs when not in use (i.e. closed) and the internal working parts of the valves are held together by a body and a retaining washer.
• the body of the spear is usually assembled into the keg by a screw thread co-operating with an internal thread on the neck (usually welded into the top end wall of the keg), the body being sealed to the neck by means of an 0-ring seal.
• a safety blow-out device for attachment to a spear, said device comprising a retaining washer co-operable with a spring member in such a manner that the radial extent of the spring member, in use, prevents blow-out of the spear in the event that removal of the spear from a keg or container is attempted without pressure being released from the keg or container, the arrangement being such that the radial extent of the spring member can be reduced allowing it to pass through a neck of the keg/container on axial movement of an inner tube of the spear relative to a surrounding body of the spear, said axial movement being provided, in use, by means of a tool.
• the spring member comprises an end portion which is usually circular having an aperture through which said inner tube of the spear is passed in use.
• the spring member may have a plurality of legs extending from the end portion, generally upwardly or towards the neck of the keg in use, said plurality of legs locating in holes or slots in the retaining washer.
• the ends of the 5 legs are turned radially outwardly, preferably to extend approximately at right angles to the remainder of the associated leg.
• the ends of the legs may be arranged to lie generally in a transverse plane of the spear, when in a locking position.
• At least two or three legs are provided with are equi-angularly spaced around the end of the spring member and (although 6 or more could be provided), preferably, said legs flare slightly outwardly in a conical fashion when the spring member is not under stress and, preferably, said legs curve smoothly into the flared-out ends.
• the spring member is stressed when the leg ends are introduced into the holes/slots in the retaining washer.
• an axial gap is provided between the said end portion of the spring member and a stop on said inner tube such that initial axial movement of the spear inner tube inwardly relative to the keg neck, in use, will be lost up until engagement of said end portion with said stop on the inner tube; at which point the end portion will move with said inner tube relative to the retaining washer and the outwardly-turned leg ends will begin to pull through the slots (along the curved portions provided which act as cammed surface) thereby gradually deforming the legs in an accurately controlled manner until they are pulled radially within the inner diameter of the neck of the keg, thus allowing the spear to be extracted through said neck (release position).
• the curved parts of the legs may contact the inner tube, where said curved parts are provided and, in any event, the spring member legs will, preferably, remain engaged in the slots in the retaining washer, in which position the ends of the legs may extend at an angle of about 30+ 5° degrees to a transverse plane of the inner tube.
• the spring member is such that it will be returned 6 to its previous position so that no permanent distortion will take place of the spring member as it is moved between its respective locking position and release position.
• keg/container provided with at least one spear in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph.
• a spear fitted with a safety blow-out device comprising one or more of the following features:- 7 a) a spring member mounted for limited free movement along an inner tube of the spear on relative movement of the body of the spear and inner tube, prior to contact of the spring member with a stop on the inner tube;
• a spring member with a plurality (preferably 3) of axially extending (preferably flared outwardly) legs having, preferably, integral outwardly turned ends joined, preferably, by smoothly curved portions, which curved portions, preferably act as cam surfaces in slots in a retaining washer attached to said body of the spear;
• a spring member with a plurality of legs having outwardly turned ends engaged in slots in a retaining washer, said legs, preferably, extending inwardly beyond the bottom of a body of the spear, in use, preferably beyond a stop position on an inner tube of a spear, said stop position, preferably, being formed by an end of a wider diameter portion of said tube (said end preferably being part conical in shape);
• FIGURE 1 shows a part sectional view of a known "well-type" spear
• FIGURE 2 shows a front elevational view of a spear in accordance with the present invention, threadably engaged in a neck welded in on end wall of a keg (not shown) in partial cross-section in a normal, closed position;
• FIGURE 3 shows a view similar to FIGURE 2 but with the spear in a position ready to be extracted from the keg;
• FIGURE 4 shows views of a retainer washer of the spear shown in FIGURES 2 and 3;
• FIGURE 5 shows views of a spring member of the spear as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, which spring member co-operates with the retainer washer shown in FIGURE 4.
• FIGURE 1 shows a well known well-type spear 1 in half vertical longitudinal cross-section. Since the various components of the spear 1 are very well known, said spear is only briefly described here.
• the spear 1 has a long tube or stem 2 which, in use, extends down to near the inside bottom wall of the keg or other container or the like which, in use, contains liquid such as beer to be dispensed through the spear.
• the upper portion of the tube 2 tapers frustoconically outwardly at 2a to a wider diameter portion 2b (which should be evident from FIGURE 1 of the drawings) and said portion 2b houses a loosely coiled helical compression spring 3 having flattened end surfaces 3b, 3c supporting a valve member 4 9 constrained for longitudinal movement in the wider diameter tubular portion 2b, against the spring biasing force of spring 3 acting in a direction so as to return the valve member 4 to the top of the tube 2.
• the valve member 4 is located by a flanged seal 5 (of rubber or any suitable material) having a ribbed narrower diameter portion 5 a that fits snugly into the top of the tubular portion 2b more particularly as should be evident from FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Additionally, seal 5 is provided with an inner strengthening metal insert 6 of a shape which should be evident from FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Seal 5 seats an upper integral, radially outwardly extending lip or flange 2c of tube 2.
• the spring 3 and valve member 4 comprises a first valve assembly, appropriate actuation of which allows beer (or other liquid) to flow outwardly from the keg through the neck of the keg (not shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings).
• the valve assembly 3, 4 is effectively a poppet valve.
• An 0-ring seal of nitrile rubber or EPDM is provided at f to form a seal to prevent the contents of the keg/spear assembly from escaping.
• the spear 1 includes a separate body 7 having an upper external screw thread which mates with the internal screw thread on a threaded neck of the keg (said neck being welded to an end wall of the keg) in a manner which is well known.
• the body 7 is introduced onto the tube 2 from above over the seal 5 and a second wider diameter loosely coiled helical coiled spring 8 having flattened end surfaces 8a and 8b is introduced onto the upper wider diameter portion 2b of tube 2 from the lower end of the tube 2 up inside the body 7.
• the helical coiled spring 8 is pushed right up inside the body 7 and retained thereto by means of a retainer washer 9 introduced onto the tube 2 from the lower end thereof.
• the body 7 includes three, lower radially directed equi-angularly spaced lugs (not shown) which co-operate lockingly with three radial lugs (not shown) on the retainer washer 9.
• the gaps in-between the radial lugs on the body 7 allow 10 insertion of the lugs into the body on appropriate alignment of the retainer washer 9 with the body and then on appropriate relative rotation of the retainer washer 9 and the body the lugs on the washer 9 overlap the lugs on the body to lockingly retain the body 7 on the tube 2, with the helical spring 8 held captivate between the retainer washer 9 and the radially outwardly extending lip or flange 2c at the upper end of wider diameter tubular portion 2b.
• the rubber seal 5 is provided with a conical edge 5b which seats on an undercut, similarly angled conical edge 7c of the body 7.
• the seal acts as a second valve member that may be displaced longitudinally of the body with the tube 2 relative to the body 7 against the spring biasing force of the helical coil spring 8, in order to provide a second valve through which pressurising gas or fluid can be introduced into the keg or container in a well known manner; said pressurising gas or fluid being able to flow through the holes 7b in the body 7 into the liquid in the barrel.
• FIGURE 1 A problem exists with the known well-type spear shown in FIGURE 1 in that it possesses no safety blow-out device. Thus, it is possible to rotate the spear 1 relative to the keg neck in order to unscrew said spear and, if the keg has not been de-pressurised by appropriate valve actuation, the spear will fly out since the radial extent of the washer 9 is less than the radial extent of the internal dimensions of the neck of the keg. If the radial dimensions of the retainer washer 9 were greater than internal radial dimensions of the neck there would be a radial overlap which would allow some outward displacement of the spear but which could prevent the spear from flying out of the keg possibly causing serious injury.
• FIGURE 1 shows a view of a spear 101 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• the spear 101 is shown screwed into a neck 102 welded to an end wall 103 of a keg by an external weld 104.
• the spear 101 includes exactly the same parts as shown in FIGURE 1 (which parts are numbered the same) except for the fact that the retaining washer 9 is now replaced by two components, namely washer 105 and co-operating spring member or bracket 106.
• FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the washer 105 and spring member 106 shown in a second position with the radial extent of three legs 106a, 106b and 106c (see FIGURE 5) having been retracted to within the dimension x of the neck 102 of the keg in order to allow extraction of the spear 101 to take place through the neck 102 of the keg, when required.
• Washer 105 is shown more clearly in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, and the format of washer 105 is generally similar to washer 9 save for the provision of three equi-angularly spaced holes or slots S which allow the introduction of the outwardly turned ends 106d, 106e, 106f of legs 106a, 106b, 106c to be passed therethrough in order to connect the spring member 106 to the retaining washer 105.
• the spring member 106 has a central circular aperture 106g very slightly larger than the external diameter of the lower end of the tube 2, to allow the spring member to be slotted onto the tube 2 from the bottom thereof with the legs in an upward orientation as should be evident from FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings.
• the legs 106a, 106b, 106c flare out slightly as shown in FIGURE 2 with the ends 106d, 106e and 106f being arranged generally in a transverse plane of the spear.
• tube 2 On appropriate actuation of the rubber seal 5 in a downward direction (such appropriate actuation may be accomplished by using a special tool not shown), tube 2 is pushed downwardly relative to the body 7 against the spring force of 12 compression spring 8. This action closes the coils of the spring 8 together (see
• FIGURE 3 with the flat circular end 106h of the spring member being brought into contact with the lower end of the conical portion 2a of the tube (which lower end acts as an axial stop for said flat end 106h) thereby pulling the legs 106a, 106b, 106c into the distorted shape as shown in FIGURE 3.
• the outwardly turned ends 106d, 106e, 106f of the legs are distorted and pulled inwardly, thereby reducing the radially outward extent of said legs 2 within dimension x, as required for extraction of the spear through the neck of the keg.
• Axial gap X (see FIGURE 2) is regarded as being very important by the Applicant because the safety device is, thereby, not partly disengaged in a normal working situation of the spear.
• the gap X advantageously, allows some relative axial movement of the body and tube 2 to take place without affecting the safety blow-out device in any way.
• the axial gap X provides, effectively a lost motion arrangement in disengaging the safety device.
• any disclosure in this specification of a range for a variable or parameter shall be taken to include a disclosure of any selectable 13 or derivable sub-range within that range and shall be taken to include a disclosure of any value for the variable or parameter lying within or at an end of the range.
• the singular may include the plural or vice versa.
• the retaining washer 105 and spring member 106 arrangement in FIGURE 2 could be inverted so that the washer replaces the end 106g of the spring member and means (preferably integral means e.g. lugs) are provided on the spring member to engage with the lugs on said body 7.
• Embodiments of the present invention may provide the spear 101 made up of the following: -
• the liquid container/keg has a welded neck with an internal thread.
• the internal thread at 14 threads per inch is for the assembly of the spear into the liquid container/keg.
• the body assembly holds the spear internal parts together.
• the body assembly is made up of two parts, the body casting and the skirt which is welded into the body casting. There is an external thread on the body casting which is for the assembly into the keg neck thread.
• the stem is a tube that goes to the bottom of the keg.
• the liquid/beer in the keg flows up the stem from the bottom of the keg and out past the second valve.
• the keg is upside down and the stem has gases escaping out of the keg as the liquid/beer enters the keg.
• Spring member/Bracket This spring member/bracket is an additional part to a non safety spear to make it safe.
• the bracket has three prongs that pass through the three slots in the new retaining washer described earlier. When the spear is in the closed position or in the dispense mode the spring bracket has its three prongs projecting beyond the inside diameter of the keg neck. This prevents the spear from coming out of the keg and thereby making the device safe by stopping the spear from blowing out of the keg if the spear is unscrewed.
• FIGURE 3 shows the spear 101 in the fully open position. This position is achieved by a special tool which compresses the main spring to a maximum and moves the stem some 11 to 11.5 millimetres.
• New Retaining Washer the new retaining washer that has three slots with a width of 4.5 millimetres which are there to enable the new spring bracket prongs to pass through them freely.
• the new retaining washer is stronger than the washer it replaces as it has to withstand the impact load of the spear if it is unscrewed without releasing the keg pressure.
• a minimum gap between the inside diameter of the keg neck and the major diameter of the retaining washer needs to be achieved. This small gap will mean the spring bracket is unable to bend and pass through this small gap forcing the material of the three prongs into shear. The material is unable to shear as the forces are so great. Thus making the device have a high safety margin.
• Spring Member/Bracket key features are that the material has spring properties and at 1.0 millimetre thick it is both flexible to retain its shape in action and strong enough to act as a safety device to prevent the spear from coming out if blown out from a keg with a 5 bar pressure.
• the normal use of the spear in both its fill and dispense modes should not activate the effective reduction in the prong diameter.
• the main spring when the main spring is totally compressed the effective diameter is reduced to permit the spear to come out of the keg therefore the overall height at 27 millimetres is important to achieve these results, in the embodiment shown.
• the arrangement may comprise a spear which is the double "well” type valve mounted vertically in the neck of the container and able to be detached.
• the spear and the container may be screwed together and sealing is achieved by a rubber "O" ring.
• the spear may be made up of the Body Assembly which holds together the one gas valve held in place by the Main Spring, the second valve the poppet valve may be held in place by the Poppet Valve spring and a Stem tube which goes to the bottom of the container.
• the Retainer Washer may be locked into the Body Assembly holding the aforementioned parts in the Body Assembly and a Spring Bracket may be clipped into the Retainer Washer.
• the Spring Bracket may have three prongs which pass through three slots in the Retainer Washer.
• a safety arrangement in that the three prongs act as springs and they are brought together by a ring which fits around the spear stem.
• a safety arrangement in that the three prongs are of a form that means they are being pre-stressed when the spring bracket prongs are mounted in the slots in the retaining washer.
• a safety arrangement characterised in that when the spear is in its normal open position for dispensing liquid the larger diameter of the stem will not come into contact with the spring bracket ring that fits around the smaller stem diameter.
• a safety arrangement characterised in that all bacterial growth is washed and sterilised off the whole of the spear assembly including the spring bracket when the keg and spear are processed by a conventional cleaning and filling line.
• the gap should be at a minimum between the keg neck and external diameter of the new retaining washer. Shear force greater than bending force. Hence greater safety factor.
• a retro-fit safety arrangement for a double valve "well” type spear made up of a spear that has no safety device to prevent the spear from blowing out under the force of the keg pressure, when it is unscrewed out of the keg without releasing the pressure in the keg.
• the safety device that is fitted retrospectively to such a spear is made up of an additional spring bracket (see FIGURE 4). Also the new retaining washer (see FIGURE 3) replaces the normally fitted pressed retained washer.
• the additional spring bracket together with the new retaining washer is assembled to the original spear (see FIGURE 1).
• the three prongs on the spring bracket have an effective diameter greater than the keg neck and prevent the spear from flying out of the keg under pressure when the spear is unscrewed from the keg.

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• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

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• 1999
  • 1999-03-22 EP EP99911915A patent/EP1066215B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-03-22 DE DE69931153T patent/DE69931153T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-03-22 WO PCT/GB1999/000892 patent/WO1999048801A1/en active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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