GB2326635A

GB2326635A - Ventilating cask bung

Info

Publication number: GB2326635A
Application number: GB9713497A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Scruton Dye
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-27
Filing date: 1997-06-27
Publication date: 1998-12-30
Also published as: GB9713497D0

Description

Cask Buna The present invention is a bung for sealing, in a controlled manner, a cask intended for storing beer, cider or wine. It will be described herein by reference to its application to beer casks but it is equally well adapted to use with casks in which wine is stored and/or dispensed.

Beer which is brewed and delivered in a cask, from which it is subsequently dispensed, constantly generates carbon dioxide.

That carbon dioxide must be released when the beer cask is delivered to a publican and at regular intervals thereafter.

This regular venting of beer casks is a time-consuming activity for the publican.

When beer is drawn from a cask, air must be allowed to enter the cask to replace the volume of the beer which has been drawn from it. Uncontrolled admission of air from a storage cellar into a cask is, however, a somewhat unhygienic practice in that bacteria and/or other contaminants may also readily enter the cask.

With the object of overcoming or at least reducing some at least of the disadvantages of such conventional practices, I have devised, and have described in Patent Specification GB 2199815B, a cask ventilator which is intended for installation in the cask by the publican at the time of delivery of the flask.

This earlier form of cask ventilator has proved to be very advantageous in practice but still must be installed by the publican at the point of use. It would be more advantageous if the cask could be delivered with the ventilator already installed but this form of ventilator is not really suited for that purpose, in particular because it projects outwardly from the cask once installed.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a novel form of cask bung, which is suitable for installation in the cask at the brewery before delivery to the licensed premises from which the beer is subsequently dispensed.

The cask bung according to the present invention comprises a generally planar first part, adapted to abut the outer face of a cask in a zone surrounding an orifice in the cask, a second part adapted to extend into the interior of the cask through a said orifice, two gas-flow passages extending through said first and second parts into said cask interior, two non-return valves in the respective gas-flow passages and operable respectively in opposite directions relative to the cask interior, and a removable seal overlying the outer ends of said gas-flow passages. The cask bung of the present invention is readily installed at the brewery in the cask socket which conventionally receives a simple conventional cask bung and is then delivered to the licensed premises from where the beer is to be dispensed. Upon delivery, the publican removes the seal overlying the gas-flow passages in the bung, which thus become free to permit outward flow of carbon dioxide and inward flow of air respectively.

The cask bung may be assembled from discrete components but the main body of the bung, that is the generally planar first part, the second part extending from it, and the two gas-flow passages, are preferably formed in a single piece, for example by injection-moulding, most preferably of a food-grade polymeric material. However the cask bung or some of its parts may be made in a wide range of materials, including metals such as brass and stainless steel and various synthetic polymeric materials, including polyethylene terephthalate, ABS resin, polycarbonate and nylon.

The inwardly-extending second part of the cask bung may advantageously be generally cylindrical in form, so as to match the shape of a conventional bung aperture, and is preferably of somewhat shorter axial length than its diameter. Most preferably it tapers slightly in its axial direction away from the generally planar first part.

Extending through the bung are the two gas-flow passages.

These passages may conveniently be generally parallel to each other and may be parallel to the axis of the bung. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the two passages are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the axis of a generally cylindrical bung , in parallel to each other and to the axis.

The non-return valves may take any form compatible with their function of controlling flow of gas, each in a single direction. For example they may each comprise a flexible seal, flap or membrane, adapted to close the passage when in a collapsed or rest condition. However they preferably each comprise a valve of a mechanical type wherein a valve member seals the gas-flow passage by moving against a valve seat.

For example they may be ball valves, wherein the balls move to close the valves under gravity, or under spring pressure, or simply in response to gas pressure in the respective passages.

When the cask bung according to the invention is installed at the brewery and until the cask is delivered to its eventual point of use, the outer ends of the gas-flow passages are closed by a seal, which is removed by the user to whom the cask is delivered. The seal may conveniently take the form of a simple disc, for example of thin sheet metal or plastics material, which may clip into place against the outer face of the bung. In one preferred form, the seal is of the ring-pull type.

Preferably an air filter is provided to filter air flowing into the cask via the inwardly-flowing gas-flow passage.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example only, one preferred embodiment of the cask bung according to the present invention and wherein: Fig.l is a vertical sectional view of the bung, as installed in a cask; Fig.2 is a plan view of the bung of Fig.1; and Fig.3 illustrates the ring-pull seal for the bung of Fig.l, shown in plan view.

The illustrated cask bung has a tapering, generally cylindrical body 10 extending from a generally planar face 11. The face 11 has a circumferential flange 12 which is designed to abut the wall 13 of a cask 14 around a conventional circular bung socket 15. An annular keep 16 assists in retaining the cask bung in position in the socket.

The bung has an axial bore 17, closed by a removable cap 18; removal of the cap 18 allows a dipstick to be inserted into the cask via the bore 17 to allow the contents of the cask to be measured as required. Disposed on opposite sides of the bore 17 are two gas-flow passages 19, 20.

Each of the passages 19, 20 contains a non-return valve in the form of a ball (21 or 22) which seats against a valve seat (23 or 24). When it is necessary for carbon dioxide to be released from the cask, the gas escapes via the passage 20. When beer is drawn from the cask, air to fill the volume left by the beer may enter via the passage 19. A short nozzle 25 at the outlet from passage 20 allows a tube to be attached if desired, to channel escaping air away from the bung.

A flat sealing cap 26 is clipped into place over the bung before the cask leaves the brewery. The cap protects the bung during transit and seals the passages 19, 20 against the ingress of dust and other contaminants. The cap 26 is readily removed at the licensed premises by pulling on a ring-pull 27.

When the cask is eventually empty, the cap 26 may be replaced in position to seal the empty cask.

It will readily be recognised that the cask bung according to the present invention affords in use the advantages of controlled venting which are given by the device described in Patent Specification GB 2199815B but has the further advantage that it may be installed at the brewery and subsequently used with minimal demands upon the time of the publican. When the cask is eventually empty and is returned to the brewery, the cask bung is readily removed and discarded.

Claims

1. A cask bung comprising a generally planar first part, adapted to abut the outer face of a cask in a zone surrounding an orifice in the cask, a second part adapted to extend into the interior of the cask through a said orifice, two gas-flow passages extending through said first and second parts into said cask interior, two non-return valves in the respective gas-flow passages and operable respectively in opposite directions relative to the cask interior, and a removable seal overlying the outer ends of said gas-flow passages.

2. A bung according to claim 1, wherein the bung is assembled from discrete components.

3. A bung according to claim 2, wherein the main body of the bung, that is the generally planar first part, the second part extending from it, and the two gas-flow passages, are formed in a single piece.

4. A bung according to claim 3, wherein the main body of the bung is formed by injection moulding.

5. A bung according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the main body of the bung is formed of a food-grade polymeric material.

6. A bung according to ny one of the preceding claims, wherein the bung or some of its parts is made of materials including metals such as brass and stainless steel and/or various synthetic polymeric materials, including polyethylene terephthalate, ABS resin, polycarbonate and nylon.

7. A bung according to ny one of the preceding claims, wherein the inwardly-extending second part of the cask bung is generally cylindrical in form, so as to match the shape of a conventional bung aperture.

8. A bung according to claim 7, wherein the inwardlyextending second part of the cask bung is of-shorter axial length than its diameter.

9. A bung according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inwardly-extending second part of the cask bung tapers slightly in its axial direction away from the generally planar first part.

10. A bung according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two gas-flow passages are substantially parallel to each other.

11. A bung according to claim 10, wherein the two gas-flow passages are substantially parallel to the axis of the bung.

12. A bung according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two gas-flow passages are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the axis of a generally cylindrical bung.

13. A bung according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each non-return valve comprises a flexible seal, flap or membrane, adapted to close the passage when in a collapsed or rest condition.

14. A bung according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each non-return valve comprises a valve of a mechanical type wherein a valve member seals the gas-flow passage by moving against a valve seat.

15. A bung according to claim 14, wherein each non-return valve is a ball valve, wherein a ball moves to close the valve under gravity, or under spring pressure, or simply in response to gas pressure in the respective passage.

16. A bung according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal takes the form of a simple disc, for example of thin sheet metal or plastics material, which clips into place against the outer face of the bung.

17. A bung according to claim 16, wherein the seal is of the ring-pull type.

18. A bung according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an air filter is provided to filter air flowing into the cask via the inwardly-flowing gas-flow passage.

19. A cask bung, the bung substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.