GB2174354A - Tapping openings of beer barrels - Google Patents

Abstract

A beer barrel has a container portion 1 and an end fitting 13 providing an offset tapping opening 14. The end fitting 13 is removably connected to a projecting outlet stub 17 of the container portion 1 eg by a screw threaded connector or by a flexible tube 18 secured by hose clips 20 and 21. The end fitting 13 is recessed within an end structure 7 of the barrel which is detachably secured, eg by rivets to the container portion, the fitting being located radially and in the inward axial direction by the end structure 7. The structure 7 may be formed of sheet metal as an end plate which reinforces the end wall of the container portion, the structure being detachably secured to a plurality of spaced support legs which are permanently secured to the container portion, (Fig. 4). The end fitting may be replaced by a fitting having a different form of tapping openings, eg screw threaded. The connection between the end fitting 13 and the outlet stub may include a tap, an opening 22 in the structure 7 allowing access to the tap and sleeve 18 and clips. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Beer barrels The invention relates to beer barrels, and in particular to barrels of fabricated metal construction and designed for use with conventionally dispensed or so-called "cask" beer.

Such barrels have a tapping opening at one end which is offset close to the periphery of the barrel to allow the contained beer to be fully dispensed through the opening.

In conventional barrels suitable for cask use the tapping opening is positioned within and close to an end or 'chime' ring which is welded to a central container portion of the barrel within an end wall of which the opening is provided. The end ring is susceptible to damage during the rough handling to which barrels are invariably subject, and the end ring can be deformed inwardly over the opening to the extent that the barrel cannot be tapped by a publican by the normal procedure. It can thus happen that a damaged full barrel has to be returned to the brewer.

Repair of such damage, required to enable the barrel to be tapped, is a difficult and costly procedure. It can only be effected by a specialised repairer having the necessary skill and equipment, and the brewer is faced not only with the repair charges but additionally with the substantial costs of withdrawing the damaged barrel from service and of transport to and from the repairer.

Serious damage necessitating costly repair can also result from over-enthusiastic use of a mallet when driving in the tapping bung at the brewery, or when driving in the usual external tap during the tapping procedure, and in any case reinforcement of the container portion in the region of the tapping opening is necessary.

The object of the invention is to provide a barrel which can be designed to overcome some or all of the afore-mentioned damage problems; to allow the container portion to be of lighter and also cheaper construction; and to allow the form of the tapping opening to be changed without restructuring of the barrel.

To this end a barrel, according to the invention, has a container portion and an end fitting providing an offset tapping opening which is not permanently attached to the container portion, the latter having a projecting outlet stub to which the fitting is connected with the fitting located by an end structure fixed to the container portion.

The end fitting is preferably located both radially and in the inward axial direction by said end structure, and it is preferably recessed within the latter. The end structure may provide an end ring of the barrel, and it may be formed as an end plate which reinforces the end wall of the container portion as well as providing the end ring. It is desirable that the end structure should be detachably secured to the container portion, for example by easily removable rivets, so that in the event of damage it can be detached for reshaping and re-fixing, or for replacement, inhouse by the brewer.

The end fitting may be directly connected to the outlet stub, for example have a screwthreaded connection therewith, but it is preferably connected by a flexible connection. This connection may be a length of flexible tubing secured to the stub and to a complementary stub on the end fitting by hose clips. The connection may include a tap so that the usual external tap does not have to be fitted to dispense the beer, and the tap may be operable by a special key as a protection against pilfering.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a fabricated metal beer barrel representing a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a top end view of the barrel; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line ll-ll in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail scrap sectional views to a larger scale on the lines Ill-Ill and IV-IV in Fig. 1.

The barrel illustrated in the drawings has a central stainless steel container portion 1 fabricated from two generally frusto-conical end pressings 2 and 3 and a cylindrical centre section 4. The container portion 1 has domed end walls 5 with flattened crowns, and at each end four equi-spaced support legs 6 are welded to the container portion. These legs 6 are also of stainless steel and of rectangularsection hollow stub-like form fabricated from sheet material.

End plate structures 7 and 8 are detachably secured to the ends of the container portion 1 and they are pressed from sheet metal material, for example being of galvanized mild steel. The end structure 8 comprises a central portion 9 which conforms closely to the shape of the end wall 5, for which it provides effective reinforcement, and an annular peripheral portion 10 of rectangular channel-like form which provides an end or chime ring for the barrel. This ring portion 10 fits closely over the corresponding end legs 6 to which it is attached by inner and outer rivets such as 12a. These rivets can easily be drilled out to remove the pressing 8 for re-shaping and refixing, or replacement, in the event of damage to the end ring portion 10. Thus repair in the event of such damage can easily be carried out by the brewer on an in-house basis.

The upper end structure 7 has similar central and peripheral portions 11 and 12 and is similarly secured to the corresponding end legs 6 by the rivets 1 2a as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. However, in this case the end ring portion has a circular opening 1 2b to clear an end fitting 13 disposed within the end ring portion 12 and which provides a tapping opening 14 corresponding to the keystone hole of a conventional cask and adapted to receive a tapping bung. A central side fitting 15 on the container portion 1 provides an opening corresponding to the side shive opening of a conventional cask which receives a racking bung. Thus the fittings 13 and 15 allow the illustrated barrel to be used as a cask for conventionally dispensed beer with the barrel on its side and the shive opening at the top in the so-called "racking" position.

An external and detachable rolling ring 16 surrounds the container portion 1, closely fitting and spanning the axial length of the centre section 4 thereof. The ring 16 is in the form of an inflatable sleeve which grips the wall of the barrel when inflated, as shown, and which can easily be fitted over the container portion 1 (or removed) when deflated.

In accordance with the invention the end fitting 13 is not permanently fixed to the top end wall 5 but is connected to a short tubular cylindrical outlet stub 17 welded to this wall 5 adjacent the periphery thereof within the end ring portion 12. The connection of the fitting 13 to the stub 17 is by a short flexible tube 18 which is slipped over the stub 17 and over a complementary stub 19 of the fitting 13 which projects at the inner end of the latter. The sleeve 18 is secured on the stubs 17 and 19 by worm drive hose clips 20 and 21, respectively. The clips 20 and 21 may be replaced by crimped-on rings, or other means as commonly used for securing hoses. In the region of the fitting 13 the end ring portion 12 has an outer side aperture 22 which provides access for fitting, or for replacing, the sleeve 18 and the clips 20 and 21.

The hole 12b in the end ring portion 12 has a stepped periphery 23 in which an outer end flange 24 of the fitting 13 seats. This locates the fitting 13, the clips 20 and 21 being secured with the flange 24 so seated, the fitting being recessed flush with the axially outer end surface 25 of the end ring portion 12. Thus the fitting 13 is protected against direct damage, and in the event of damage which distorts the end ring inwardly in the region of the fitting 13 the sleeve 18 will flex to allow sympathetic movement of the fitting 13 without the latter or the container portion 1 being damaged. Even when the barrel is so damaged it can still be used, until a suitable time for in-house repair-with re-shaping or replacement of the end plate structure 7-by the brewer.

The tapping opening 14 is, as shown, formed with a taper to fit a tapping bung of conventional form. The arrangement of the fitting 13 has the advantage that as the bung is hammered in the shock loading is taken by the ring portion 12 of the end structure 7 and not by the end wall 5. Hence the latter does not need the usual strengthening in the region of the tapping opening, thus providing a lighter and cheaper container, and the expensive container damage which can at present result from over-enthusiastic hammering-in of tapping bungs cannot occur. Any damage which might result would be to the ring portion 12 which, as already described, is easily repaired in-house by the brewer.

However, the described connection of the fitting 13 allows the latter to be of any desired form, for example screw threaded, to receive a closure/tapping member other than the normal hammered-in tapping bung. Furthermore, one form of fitting 13 can readily be changed for another form thereof and this also can be done in-house by the brewer. The connection between the fitting 13 and the stub 17 can if desired incorporate a tap so that the external tap usually hammered in by the publican is not then required. This tap can be operable by a special key through the opening 22, thus providing protection against pilfering.

Claims (1)

1. A beer barrel having a container portion and an end fitting providing an offset tapping opening which is not permanently attached to the container portion, the latter having a projecting outlet stub to which the fitting is connected with the fitting located by an end structure fixed to the container portion.

2. A beer barrel according to claim 1, wherein said end fitting is located both radially and in the inward axial direction by said end structure.

3. A beer barrel according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said end structure provides an end ring of the barrel.

4. A beer barrel according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said end structure is in part formed as an end plate which reinforces the corresponding end wall of said container portion.

5. A beer barrel according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said end structure is constructed of pressed sheet metal material.

6. A beer barrel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said end structure is detachably secured to the container portion.

7. A beer barrel according to claim 6, wherein said end structure is detachably secured by means of rivets.

8. A beer barrel according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said end structure is detachably secured to a plurality of spaced support legs permanently secured to the container portion.

9. A beer barrel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said end fitting has a tubular stub detachably connected via a flexible tube to the outlet stub of said con tainer portion.

10. A beer barrel according to claims 3 and 9, wherein said end ring has a hole, with a stepped periphery, axially in line with said outlet stub and in which an external flange of said end fitting seats.

11. A beer barrel according to claims 3 and 9, or claim 10, wherein the flexible tube is secured to said stubs by means of hose clips, and the end ring has a radial aperture to allow access for hose clip fitting or removal.

12. A beer barrel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tapping opening is tapered to fit a conventional tapping bung.

13. A beer barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tapping opening is screw threaded to receive a closure/tapping member other than the normal- hammered-in bung.

14. A beer barrel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection between the end fitting and the outlet stub incorporates a tap.

15. A method of repairing a beer barrel in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, including the steps of disconnecting the end fitting from said outlet stub, detaching the end structure from the container portion, and reshaping or replacing the end structure as required.

16. A method of repairing a beer barrel according to claim 15, wherein the barrel is in accordance with claims 8 and 9, including the steps of detaching the flexible connecting tube, drilling out the rivets securing the end structure to said support legs, which rivets are subsequently replaced to secure the reshaped or replacement end structure.

17. A method of converting a beer barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the end fitting is disconnected from said outlet stub and replaced by another end fitting having a different form of tapping opening.

18. A beer barrel constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A beer barrel having an end fitting providing a tapping opening, the end fitting being connected and located substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of repairing a beer barrel in accordance with claim 1, the method being substantially as herein described.