GB2210029A

GB2210029A - Bungs

Info

Publication number: GB2210029A
Application number: GB8821562A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Auguste Joseph Menard
Original assignee: BRITISH BUNG MANUFACTURING COM
Current assignee: BRITISH BUNG MANUFACTURING COM
Priority date: 1987-09-17
Filing date: 1988-09-15
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Also published as: GB8821562D0; GB8721912D0

Abstract

A bung for the fluid tight closing of the filling opening of a cask comprises a head 2 and a body member 3 formed from a resilient plastics material, the body member having a number of spaced peripheral flanges 4, successive flanges in a direction away from the head having a smaller corresponding transverse dimension than the immediately preceding flange. Beyond the flanges 4 is a large diameter flange 8, which locks behind the bush into which the bung is inserted. <IMAGE>

Description

BUNGS This invention relates to bungs for the fluid tight closing of an opening or passageway and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with the closing of the filling opening of a cask.

There are many applications where an opening or a passageway, pipe or the like needs to be closed fluid tight manner. Thus, in particular there is the widespread use of casks for the transport and storage of fluids, such as beverages, and from which casks the beverages are ultimately dispensed. It is therefore equally well known to provide a filling opening on the cask closed by a bung during transport and storage, the bung being removed when dispensing has been completed, and the cask needs to be cleaned and refilled. It is also the case that the dispensing outlet of a cask needs to be closed during transport and storage, and opened to permit the dispensing of the fluid in the cask.

Ordinarily. a filling and a dispensing hole in a cask is provided with a bush, suitably connected to the cask, e.g.

by welding, and it is known that such bushes can exhibit an internal bore diameter that varies from a required diameter and can exhibit ovality and taper of the bore through the bush. It is also known that the surface finish of the bore through the bush can be of relatively poor quality, and in the securing of the bush in the hole, the outer end of the bush being square to the surface of the cask adjacent the hole, cannot be guaranteed. These problems separately and collectively frequently result in there being leakage of fluid during transport and storage of the cask and it is the object of the invention to provide a bung that can substantially eliminate the possibility of the leakage of fluid from a cask.

In other applications, in an attempt to ensure the prevention of leakage, a hole or an outlet is provided with a tapered bore to be engaged by a correspondingly tapered bung, and the provision of such tapered bores can add noticeably to costs in comparison with the provision of parallel side holes or outlets.

The object of the invention is to provide a bung that can adequately seal an opening or a passgeway and overcome the problems mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a bung for the fluid tight closing of an opening or passageway comprises a head and a body member dependent from the head, formed from an appropriate resilient material, the body member having a number of spaced peripheral flanges, successive flanges in a direction away from the head having a smaller corresponding transverse dimension than the immediately preceding flange.

Preferably, at the end of the body remote from the head. an end section of larger transverse dimension than the spaced peripheral flanges is provided, to create a peripheral flange to serve as a locking flange, and to assist in the prevention of accidental removal of the bung.

It is further preferred that the body member is hollow and has a relatively small wall thickness to provide a degree of flexibility, and it is still further preferred that each peripheral flange has a surface facing the head that is flat and qenerally parallel to the surface of the head from which the body depends- and has an angled opposite surface to provide flanges of generally triangular cross-section.

Thus, for example, with a circular hole fitted with an annular bush, a circular bung is provided, with the circular flange formed by the end section of the body member of larger diameter than the bore of the bush. The inherent flexibility of the body member allows it to be forced through the bush, and when the flange of the end section lies clear of the inner end of the bush, its diameter is restored to engage the inner end of the bush and act as a locking flange, and the peripheral flanges contact the bore of the bush under compressive deformation.

By providing a number of annular flanges on the body member of different diameters, any variation or taper of bush bore diameter can be accommodated (within permitted limits), and the flexibility of the body member and the flanges allows any ovality or other deviation from true circularity of the bush bore to be accommodated (again within permitted limits).

Because each annular flange in contact with the bush bore is under compressive deformation, a sealing effect is provided despite any poor surface finish of the bore wall, and should the outer edges of the flanges be scored or otherwise damaged during insertion- their compressive deformation causes such scores or the like to close.

In the application of the invention to the closing of a filling or dispensing opening of a cask, because of the effectiveness of the sealing of the body member in the bore of the bush, any out-of-square between the end of the bush and the surface of the cask preventing the head from sealing against the surface, becomes of no consequence.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a bung in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a part-sectional side elevation of the bung of Figure 1.

In the drawings, a bung 1 of resilient plastics material for a cask or the like, has a head 2 from which depends a hollow flexible body member 3. On the body member are three peripheral flanges 4 of different outside diameters, the uppermost flange adjacent the head being of the largest diameter and the flange remote from the head being the smallest. Each flange 4 has a flat surface 5 facing the head and an angled opposite surface 6 to provide a generally triangular cross-section. Beyond the flange 4 of smallest diameter the body has an end section 7 that tapers in a direction away from the head 2 the diameter of the end section adjacent the flanges being greater than the largest flange 4, and provides a locking flange 8.

It will be understood that the particular dimensions of the head, the flanges and the locking flange are selected to suit the nominal dimensions of an annular bush fitted in a circular filling or dispensing hole in a cask and are influenced by the characteristics of the plastics material of the bung, the arrangement being such that the diameters of the flanges 4 and locking flange 8 are greater than the bore of the bush, and when the inherent flexibility of the body member 3 allows it to be forced through the bush, and the locking flange 8 when clear of the bush, restored to its original diameter to engage behind the bush to prevent accidental removal of the bung.

By providing flanges 4 of different diameters any variation of taper of bush bore diameter can be accommodated, of course within permitted limits, and the flexibility of the body member 2 and flanges 4 allows any ovality or other deviation from true circularity of the bush bore to be accommodated, again within permitted limits. Because the flanges 4 contact the bush bore under compressive deformation an effective seal is provided despite any poor finish of the bore wall. or any damage occasioned the edges of the flanges 4 during insertion of the bung, the compressive deformation of the flanges causing scores or the like -to close. The effectiveness of the seal is such that any out-of-square between the end of the bush and the surface of the cask preventing the bung head 2 from sealing against the surface of the cask, is of no consequence.

Claims

1. A bung for the fluid tight closing of an opening or passageway comprising a head and a body member dependent from the head, formed from an appropriate resilient material, the body member having a number of spaced peripheral flanges, successive flanges in a direction away from the head having a smaller corresponding transverse dimension than the immediately preceding flange.

2. A bung as in Claim l, wherein at the end of the body remote from the head, an end section of larger transverse dimension than the spaced peripheral flanges is provided, to create a peripheral flange to serve as a locking flange, and to assist in the prevention of accidental removal of the bung.

3. A bung as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the body member is hollow and has a relatively small wall thickness to provide a degree of flexibility.

4. A bung as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each peripheral flange has a surface facing the head that is flat and generally parallel to the surface of the head from which the body depends, and has an angled opposite surface to provide flanges of generally triangular cross-section.

5. A bung as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the bung is circular.

6. A bung substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.