GB2247881A - Dispense heads - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispense head for operating the gas inlet/liquid outlet valve of a beverage keg comprises a body (1), a plunger assembly (2) and a handle (3) in actuating engagement with the plunger assembly. The handle (3) is provided with a pair of spaced guide formations (5a, 5b) freely movable along at least one handle guide (4) on the body (1), the handle guide (4) comprising relatively angled portions (4a, 4b) whereby the guide formations (5a, 5b) and handle guide (4) cooperate to form a detent for the plunger assembly (2) at one extremity of the handle movement. The handle (3) can slide and rotate relative to the body (1) for actuation of the plunger assembly (2) via a pivot pin (4c) passing through a slot (4c) in the body. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPENSE HEADS This invention relates to dispense heads for beverages and the like, for connection to kegs in order to extract their contents. Such a dispense head usually includes a flow passage to receive liquid from the bottom of the keg, and a gas passage for supplying pressurised gas to the top of the keg in order to displace the liquid. The dispense head is generally provided with a plunger assembly movable to open a keg valve, placing the flow and gas passages in fluid communication with the keg.

A dispense head of this type is shown for example in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2143295 and includes a handle pivotally mounted to a dispense head body portion, for actuating the plunger assembly. The handle has a forked end with a pivot pin passing through the ends of the fork limbs.

At the base of the fork, the handle is provided with a spring-loaded detent member, co-operable with latching formations on the body portion to lock the plunger in an extended or a retracted position. The detent member may be released by pulling on a hand-grip part of the handle, in a direction radially of the pivot. Thus actuation of the plunger not only requires arcuate movement of the handle. but also a radial pull on the hand grip. This combination of movements can be somewhat awkward.

A dispense head is known which includes a pivotally mounted forked actuating handle, the ends of the fork limbs forming cams for moving the plunger assembly. These cams include flat portions which act as detents for the plunger assembly at the end of its extension stroke. The plunger assembly may therefore be extended and locked in this position by a simple actuate movement of the handle. However, there is a need to adapt dispense heads to suit the various types of standard keg valve in use. These require differing plunger stroke lengths for their actuation, in turn requiring correspondingly different shaped cams on the handle. Thus several different types of handle, plunger assembly and dispense head body portion must be stocked for the manufacture of dispense heads compatible with each type of keg valve.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an easily operable, self-locking plunger assembly actuating mechanism for a beverage dispense head. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispense head which is readily adaptable to suit a range of standard keg valves of differing strokes.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a dispense head comprising a body, a plunger assembly and a handle in actuating engagement with the plunger assembly, wherein the body includes at least one handle guide and the handle is provided with a pair of spaced guide formations freely movable along the handle guide, the handle guide comprising relatively angled portions whereby the guide formations and handle guide co-operate to form a detent for the plunger assembly at one extremity of the handle movement.

In this way a single design of handle may be used with a variety of dispense heads, each having a different plunger assembly stroke length; achieved by suitable sizing and configuration of the handle guide portions on the body. The handle is easy to operate with a single swinging motion, which automatically locks the plunger assembly at one extremity of its travel.

Preferably a pair of such handle guides are provided, one on each side of the body. In this case, conveniently thehandle guide is a groove and the guide formations are bosses engaged therein. Furthermore, the handle may be attached to the plunger assembly on each side of the body by a pivot pin extending from one of the bosses through a slot in a wall of the body and formed in the base of one of the relatively angled handle guide portions, which extends parallel to the plunger assembly axis. One of the relatively angled handle guide portions may extend substantially normal or at an acute angle to a line connecting the centres of the corresponding guide formations. In this way automatic locking of the plunger assembly may be achieved at the end of the handle swinging movement.

Other features and advantages of the invention can be seen from the claims and from the following description of preferred embodiments, made by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a first embodiment of the present invention, being a slide-on-type beer dispense head for connection to circular flanged keg valves as used by Guinness. Figure 1 shows a plunger assembly in the retracted state and Figure 2 shows the plunger assembly extended.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on line III-III of Figure 1, and Figures 4 and 5 are similar views to those of Figures 1 and 2 but showing a second embodiment of the present invention, for use with Sankey well-type keg valves, and Figures 6 and 7 are similar views to those of Figures 1 and 2, but showing a third embodiment of the invention for use with tri-lobular flanged type keg valves.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, there is shown a dispense head comprising a body 1, a plunger assembly 2 and a handle 3.

The body is provided on opposite sides with a pair of handle guides in the form of cranked grooves 4, each comprising relatively angled portions 4a, 4b. In the present embodiment the groove portions 4a, 4b are joined at their ends to form continuous cranked guides 4, but other embodiments are possible in which the groove portions 4a, 4b are separate.

The handle 3 is provided with a forked end carrying inwardly directed bosses 5a, 5b, slidingly engaged in the corresponding groove portions 4a, 4b. Groove portion 4b runs parallel to the axis of the plunger assembly 2 and is provided with a slot 4c, extending from its base through the body wall.

A pivot pin 5c mounted in boss 5b passes through the slot 4c and has its inner end accommodated in a shallow blind bore 6 formed in the plunger assembly 2.

Swinging the handle 3 relative to the body 1 in the clockwise direction as shown causes boss 5a to move to the right in groove portion 4a and boss 5b to move downwardly in groove portion 4b. Plunger assembly 2 is also carried downwardly by the pivot pins 5c engaged in the bore 6. When the plunger assembly 2 is in its fully extended position as shown in Figure 2, boss 5b lies directly below boss 5a and the line passing through the centres of both bosses 5a, 5b lies at 90 to the groove portion 4a. Thus boss 5a is detained at the right-hand end of groove portion 4a and the plunger assembly 2 is locked against upward movement.

Figures 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the invention, suitable for connection to Sankey well-type keg valves. Such valves require a shorter stroke of the plunger assembly in order to open them. Therefore groove portion 4b and slot 4c are correspondingly shorter in this embodiment as compared to the embodiment of Figures 1-3. In order to ensure that the handle 3 has approximately the same range of movement as in the embodiment of Figures 1-3, groove portion 4a is angled upwardly to the right as shown. From Figure 5 it can be seen that with the plunger assembly in its extended position, the line joining the centres of the bosses 5a, 5b lies at 900 to the groove portion 4a, ensuring that boss 5a is detained against movement to the left under the influence of upward pressure on the plunger assembly 2.Thus the plunger assembly 2 is automatically locked in its extended position when the handle 3 is moved fully clockwise.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a third embodiment of the invention, suitable for connection to standard tri-lobular flanged keg valves as used by Bass. The stroke of the plunger assembly in this embodiment is intermediate of those previously described, again being determined by the length of groove portion 4b and slot 4c. In this embodiment, groove portion 4a lies at right-angles to the plunger assembly axis.

It will be apparent that locking of the plunger assembly can be achieved with other arrangements of handle guides, so long as the handle guide for the guide formation beyond the point of application to the handle of the plunger thrust to be resisted lies at an angle of 90 or less to the line connecting the centres of the guide formations, with the plunger assembly in its fully extended position.

Claims (6)

1. A dispense head comprising a body, a plunger assembly and a handle in actuating engagement with the plunger assembly, wherein the body includes at least one handle guide and the handle is provided with a pair of spaced guide formations freely movable along the handle guide, the handle guide comprising relatively angled portions whereby the guide formations and handle guide co-operate to form a detent for the plunger assembly at one extremity of the handle movement.

2. A dispense head as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pair of said handle guides are provided, one on each side of the body.

3. A dispense head as claimed in claim 2 wherein the handle guide is a groove and the guide formations are bosses engaged therein.

4. A dispense head as claimed in claim 3 wherein the handle is attached to the plunger assembly on each said side by a pivot pin extending from one of the bosses through a slot in a wall of the body and formed in the base of one of said relatively angled handle guide portions, which extends parallel to the plunger assembly axis.

5. A dispense head as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one of said relatively angled handle guide portions extends substantially normal or at an acute angle to a line connecting the centres of the corresponding guide formations.

6. A dispense head substantially as described with reference to or as shown by the accompanying drawings.