GB2289889A

GB2289889A - Spiles for barrel shives

Info

Publication number: GB2289889A
Application number: GB9410355A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick William Charles Lovell
Original assignee: KEGMASTER Ltd
Current assignee: KEGMASTER Ltd
Priority date: 1994-05-24
Filing date: 1994-05-24
Publication date: 1995-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-24
Also published as: GB9410355D0; GB2289889B

Abstract

A spile 10 formed of plastics or wood, comprises a tapered peg having a single taper from a flange 12 to a lead-in bevel 13, with grooves 14 extending lengthwise from the bevel towards the flange but separated therefrom by a non-grooved portion (15, Figure 1), the grooves serving to vent a cask (or barrel) when the spile is initially pushed into the hole in a shive fitted in the cask so that the upper parts 14X of the grooves still lie outside the shive hole. On pushing the spile further in the outer ends of the grooves move inside the hole and so become closed, (Figures 6 and 8). The spile is provided with a central blind hole for receiving an extractor tool, and the shive hole may have a countersink (20, Figure 7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPILES This invention relates to spiles which are used in conjunction with shives for the purpose of venting casks or barrels e.g., containing beer.

The object of the invention is to provide a versatile form of spile.

A spile is a tapered peg inserted in a hole in a shive disposed uppermost on a cask or barrel on a stillage, with the larger end of the spile projecting slightly above the shive.

There are "hard pegs" and "soft pegs". Hard pegs are usually made of hardwood with little or no porosity so that when they are tapped into the shives they effectively seal the casks or barrels, while soft pegs are usually made of wood having considerable porosity so as to be able to vent casks or barrels into whose shives they are driven.

It is also known to form composite or synthetic plastics spiles or pegs to afford porosity for venting when these spiles or pegs are driven into the shives.

British Patent 1 530 478 discloses a synthetic plastics spile or peg provided at its larger end with a laterally extending flange and having two contiguous portions with different degrees of taper e.g., 10 and 20, that portion having the smaller taper angle being adjacent the flange. The surface of the peg adjacent the flange may be roughened so that a firmer grip can be obtained. As beer is drawn off from the cask the spile will be gradually eased from the shive by the user grasping the flange (and the adjacent roughened surface) so there will be no need to use a mallet as is the case with unflanged wooden spiles.The spile is disposed with its portion of greater taper in the hole in the shive until the cask has been emptied, when the spile is driven fully home by a mallet on the flanged end, which preferably has a central recess for location of a drill for drilling through the spile on return of the cask to the brewery.

According to the present invention, a spile comprises a tapered peg having a single taper from a flange at the larger end to a lead-in bevel at the smaller end, with grooves extending lengthwise from the bevel towards the flange but separated therefrom by a non-grooved portion.

In use the spile can first be pushed firmly into the hole in a shive until the outer ends of the grooves (i.e., those nearer the flange) remain exposed above the outer end of the hole, the grooves then serving to vent the cask (or barrel) in which the shive is fitted; then, when the contents have settled, the spile can be pushed further into the hole until the outer ends of the grooves lie within the hole and are thereby closed. Thus the one spile can serve firstly in the manner of a "soft peg" and secondly in the manner of a "hard peg". The spile can be eased from the hole when tapping-off from the cask and pushed back in again when tapping-off ceases. When the cask has been emptied the spile can be driven further home by a mallet on the flange end ready for return of the cask to the brewery.

The flanged end of the spile is preferably provided with a central blind hole for engagement by an extactor tool, thus avoiding the need for drilling through the spile on return of the cask to the brewery. The blind hole preferably has a countersink, to provide a lead-in for the extractor tool.

The spile may be formed of plastics, e.g. polyethylene (polythene) or any other suitable food-grade "rigid plastics, e.g. polypropylene, or it may be formed of wood.

An embodiment of the invention and its manner of use in shives will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spile in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan of the spile of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an underneath plan of the spile; Figure 5 is a sectional view of a shive showing the spile of Figures 1 to 4 (in side elevation) pushed into place; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows the spile after having been pushed further into the shive; and Figures 7 and 8 correspond to Figures 5 and 6 respectively but show a slightly different form of shive.

In Figures 1 to 4, a spile 10 comprises a tapered peg 11 having a single taper from a flange 12 at the larger end to a lead-in bevel 13 at the smaller end, with grooves 14 extending lengthwise from the bevel towards the flange but separated therefrom by a non-grooved portion 15.

As indicated in Figure 2 the spile is made of plastics, but it could equally well be made of wood.

In use the spile 10 can first be pushed firmly into the hole 16 in a shive 17 (Figure 5) until the outer ends 14X of the grooves 14 remain exposed above the outer end of the hole, the grooves then serving to vent the cask or barrel (not shown) in which the shive is fitted; then, when the contents have settled, the spile 10 can be pushed further into the hole 16 until the outer ends 14X of the grooves lie within the hole and are thereby closed, as will be evident from Figure 6.

The flange 12 facilitates gripping of the spile 10 so that it can be eased from the hole 16 when tapping-off from the cask or barrel and pushed back in again when tapping-off ceases.

When the cask or barrel has been emptied the spile 10 can be driven further home by a mallet (not shown) on the flange end ready for return of the cask or barrel to the brewery.

The flanged end of the spile 10 is provided with a central blind hole 18 (see Figures 2 and 3) for engagement by an extractor tool (not shown) to avoid the need for drilling through the spile on return of the cask or barrel to the brewery, and the blind hole has a countersink 19 providing a lead-in for the extractor tool.

In Figures 7 and 8 the shive 17A has a countersink 20 leading to its hole 16A, so the outer ends 14X of the grooves 14 in the spile 10 lie below the outer surface 21 of the shive when the spile is first pushed into the shive (Figure 7), and when the spile is pushed further into the shive (Figure 8) to close the grooves 14 the outer ends 14X of the grooves lie below the countersink 20.

Claims

1. A spile comprising a tapered peg having a single taper from a flange at the larger end to a lead-in bevel at the smaller end, with grooves extending lengthwise from the bevel towards the flange but separated therefrom by a nongrooved portion.

2. A spile as in Claim 1, wherein the flanged end of the spile is provided with a central blind hole for engagement by an extractor tool.

3. A spile as in Claim 2, wherein the blind hole has a countersink, to provide a lead-in for the extractor tool.

4. A spile as in any one of Claims 1 to 3, and formed of plastics.

5. A spile as in any one of Claims 1 to 3, and formed of wood.

6. A spile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.