GB2257234A

GB2257234A - Beer sparklers

Info

Publication number: GB2257234A
Application number: GB9114208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger John Hyde
Original assignee: Alumasc Ltd
Current assignee: Alumasc Ltd
Priority date: 1991-07-01
Filing date: 1991-07-01
Publication date: 1993-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-01
Also published as: GB9114208D0; GB2257234B

Abstract

An adjustable beer sparkler 30 is arranged in the dispensing passage 26 of a dispense tap 10 so that its orifice adjusting screw 50 is only accessible through the passage 26. The sparkler 30 may be formed as a subassembly press fitted into the dispensing passage 26. The orifice of the sparkler is preferably defined between a head position of the screw 50 and a surrounding wall portion of a sparkler body 34. <IMAGE>

Description

BEER SPARKLERS This invention relates to sparklers through which beer from casks, kegs or the like, is served and also to taps incorporating such beer sparklers.

Beers differ as to their carbon dioxide content and hence in their inherent tendency to foam and form a head. The way in which the head on a glass of beer is usually presented varies both as to the type of beer (bitter, lager, stout) and the country or part of the country in which the beer is being served. Conventional beer dispense taps only have the facility to allow a straight full flow of beer into a glass.

For example, when a highly carbonated beer is dispensed, the head is formed either by natural precipitation of carbon dioxide from solution or, if dispensed in a calm manner, by subsequent agitation; in either case, vast amounts of overspill can be produced. Low carbonation beers on the other hand do require some form of agitation to encourage a head and, when such a beer is being dispensed, it is usual to fit a "sparkler" device to the outlet of the dispense tap.

Such sparklers for example as disclosed in Patent Specifications GB 2178980A and GB 2180475A usually consist of a generally cylindrical body portion having an end wall provided with a pair of arcuate slots and a truncated cone secured therein co-axially of the slots for co-operation with the tap outlet. The sparkler is screwed upon the tap nozzle such that the clearance between the truncated cone and the tap outlet may be varied in order to adjust the degree of turbulence and agitation produced in the beer stream.

By virtue of their adjustment and fitting these devices are somewhat unhygienic. If adjustment is attempted whilst the beer is being drawn, it is also possible for such sparklers to be inadvertently unscrewed and dropped into the beer glass. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beer sparkler or beer dispense tap incorporating a sparkler which has none of these disadvantages.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a beer dispense tap having a beer dispensing passage extending from a tap valve to a tap outlet and a sparkler, captive within the dispensing passage and having an adjustable orifice wherein the sparkler is only accessible for adjustment through the dispensing passage.

The sparkler is thus not readily accessible by bar staff in use. As it is not subject to handling, good hygiene is preserved. Moreover the sparkler is held captive within the dispensing passage and so cannot fall into a glass being filled. The sparkler may be adjusted at the factory or on installation of the tap to suit a given degree of beer carbonation.

Advantageously the sparkler comprises a screw extending axially within the dispensing passage, the orifice being defined between a head portion of the screw and a surrounding wall portion of the sparkler, a driving formation on the head portion being accessible through the dispensing passage.

Usually, such access will be via the tap outlet. However, it is also possible to arrange the driving formation to face the tap valve end of the dispensing passage, for example when it is desired that access should be very limited once the tap is installed. In this case it will be necessary to dismantle the tap valve in order to reach the drive formation.

The sparkler may include a boss within which a shank portion of the screw is engaged, and an outer sleeve supporting the boss and separated therefrom by a through channel, the sleeve being held captive in the dispensing passage. In this way, the sparkler is conveniently formed as a subassembly which is fixedly located in the tap's dispensing passage, e.g. by an interference fit. The central boss may be supported within the sleeve by longitudinally extending radial webs which subdivide the through channel. Other forms of through channel will be apparent, for example circumferentially spaced through bores. The webs or through bores also serve to straighten the beer flow.

The sleeve may include an inwardly extending rim which forms said surrounding wall portion. Beer flowing through the sparkler will be directed inwardly towards the shank of the screw beneath the head portion, there to be deflected radially outwards again through the orifice, causing much turbulence and agitation.

The invention also provides a beer sparkler comprising a body member having a periphery configured for captive location within a beer dispensing passage, and an obturator, movable with respect to the body member, to provide an adjustable orifice through which beer in the passage flows in use; the obturator being provided with a driving formation engageable from a direction substantially coaxial with the body member periphery, for effecting the adjustment movement whereby, in use, the sparkler is only accessible for adjustment through the beer dispensing passage.

The invention may be further understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment made by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a dispense tap according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sleeve and boss forming part of a sparkler sub-assembly shown in Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a view on arrow III in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the adjustment screw shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a view on arrow V in Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, the dispense tap 10 comprises a valve actuating mechanism 12 of conventional form, operable by means of a handle 14 pivotable about a horizontal axis to move a resilient sealing plug 16 axially within a chamber 18. The upper end of chamber 18 is sealed by a diaphragm 20 integrally formed with the sealing plug 16. A beer inlet passage 22 communicates with the chamber 18 and is provided at its upstream end with a conventional counter-top connection 24, for example a John Guest" fitting. The lower wall portion of chamber 18 forms a frusto-conical seat 25 against which the plug 16 is spring-loaded to close the tap valve. Downstream of the seat 25 a beer dispensing passage 26 leads to the tap outlet 27. The passage 26 is provided with a widened portion 28 into which a sparkler subassembly 30 is pressed, with an interference fit. A small locating step 32 for the subassembly 30 may be provided in the widened passage portion 28.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the subassembly 30 includes a body 34 of plastics material. The body 34 comprises a sleeve 36 and a central boss 38 between which is defined a through channel 40. The boss 38 is supported within the sleeve 36 by longitudinally extending radial webs 42. The boss includes a threaded bore 44 which receives the shank 52 of a screw 50 shown in Figs. 1 and 4, which forms an obturator for the sparkler.

At its downstream end the sleeve 36 includes an inwardly extending rim 46. The periphery 48 of the underside of the screw head co-operates with rim 46 as shown in Fig. 1 to define an annular orifice 49. By rotating the screw 50 in the boss 38, the width of the orifice 49 may be adjusted. As the screw 50 is concealed well upstream of the tap outlet 27, it is not readily accessible by bar staff and it is intended that such adjustment is only performed at the factory or upon installation of the tap, by insertion of a screwdriver along the dispensing passage 26.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the screw 50 includes a shank portion 52 and a head portion 54 having a smoothly radiussed junction 56 which serves to redirect beer outwardly towards the orifice in use. The screw head is also provided with a driving formation in the form of a slot 58. The screw is preferably of stainless steel.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A beer dispense tap having a beer dispensing passage extending from a tap valve to a tap outlet and a sparkler, captive within the dispensing passage and having an adjustable orifice, wherein the sparkler is only accessible for adjustment through the dispensing passage.

2. A dispense tap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sparkler comprises a screw extending axially within the dispensing passage, the orifice being defined between a head portion of the screw and a surrounding wall portion of the sparkler, a driving formation on the head portion being accessible through the dispensing passage.

3. A dispense tap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sparkler includes a boss within which a shank portion of the screw is engaged, and an outer sleeve supporting the boss and separated therefrom by a through channel, the sleeve being held captive within the dispensing passage.

4. A beer sparkler comprising a body member having a periphery configured for captive location within a beer dispensing passage, and an obturator, moveable with respect to the body member, to provide an adjustable orifice through which beer in the passage flows in use; the obturator being provided with a driving formation engageable from a direction substantially coaxial with the body member periphery, for effecting the adjustment movement whereby, in use, the sparkler is only accessible for adjustment through the beer dispensing passage.

5. A sparkler as claimed in claim 4 wherein the obturator comprises a screw, the orifice being defined between a head portion of the screw and a surrounding wall portion of the sparkler, the head portion including the driving formation.

6. A sparkler as claimed in claim 5, wherein the body member includes a boss within which a shank portion of the screw is engaged, and an outer sleeve supporting the boss and separated therefrom by a through channel, an outer surface of the sleeve forming said periphery.

7. A dispense tap as claimed in claim 3, or a sparkler as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sleeve includes an inwardly extending rim which forms said surrounding wall portion.

8. A dispense tap substantially as described or as shown with reference to the drawings.

9. A beer sparkler substantially as described or as shown with reference to the drawings.