GB2429704A - Spear valve fitting for a keg - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve fitting 10 for a keg used for storing fluids under pressure is described, which includes a body 12 with an opening 18 therethrough and openings 22 in the side wall to provide a fluid path through the body and with a body valve seat 24 around the opening. The valve fitting further includes a valve member 38 movable in the body opening to open and close the fluid path through the body and which provides a seal surface which co-operates with the body valve seat to close the fluid path through the body, and a spring 36 which biases the valve member towards the body valve seat. The valve fitting is characterised in that it further includes a diversion plate 34 located above the spring and which when the valve member is moved against the bias of the spring off the body valve seat to open the fluid path through the body provides a bottom to the fluid path through the body and such that the diversion plate diverts the fluid flowing along the path laterally and out of the openings in the side wall, and thus the liquid does not flow through the spring. A second valve member 44 may be provided, the fitting may be of the well type spear or the flat top spear type.

Description

Title: Valve fitting for a keg

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a valve fitting for a keg of the kind generally used to store beer, or other liquids, under pressure. The valve fitting may be of any kind but in particular, although not exclusively, may be of the kind referred to within the trade as a well type spear or of the kind referred to within the trade as a flat top spear. The valve fitting may in use be permanently secured to the keg, typically by welding, or removably secured to the keg by appropriate means such as a screw thread or circlip.

Spears comprise a body, and located within an opening in the body are other components of the valve fitting. If the top surfaces of those additional components are recessed into the body, the spear is of the kind known as a "well type" spear. If the top surfaces of the additional components are level with the top of the body then the spear is of the kind known as a "flat top" spear. The other components of the spear include a tube which is located in the centre of the opening in the body and which extends to a point close to but not at the bottom of the keg.

In a well type spear the tube is moveable relative to the body and the top of the tube is open. The spear includes two valves, a first to control flow through the opening in the body around the top of the tube, and a second to control flow through the tube itself. When the keg is full and liquid is dispensed the first valve admits pressurised gas which forces liquid up the tube, through the second valve, and thus out of the keg. When the keg is empty and to be filled, it is turned upside down and the liquid is forced in through the first valve while the gas in the keg is forced down the tube, out of the second valve, and out of the keg.

A well type spear also includes a main seal element located on the top of the tube which seals around the opening in the body to close the first valve, and a first spring which acts between the bottom of the body and the top of the tube to bias the tube upwards in the keg and thus to bias the first valve closed. In many cases a safety washer is provided on the top of the main seal element which is larger than the opening in the body and thus prevents the removable spear components being blown out in an accident. This is particularly important for spears in which the body is welded to the keg as all the additional components of the spear have to be assembled through the opening in the body.

A well type spear also includes a valve member for closure of the second valve, this may be a second seal element which closes onto a valve seat at the top of the tube, or a rigid valve member which seals against the underside of the main seal element. In either case the valve member is biased upwards in the tube to close the second valve by a second spring acting between a formation in the tube and the underside of the valve member.

In a flat top spear the tube is fixed relative to the body and top of the tube is closed off but a series of holes is provided around the circumference a short way down from the top. A single valve member is provided around the top of the tube, and slidabJe with respect to it, which controls flow both around the tube and through the tube. A spring is provided below the valve member acting between the bottom of the body and the underside of the valve member to bias the valve member to the top of the tube. When the valve member is pushed down the tube it opens the opening in the top of the body (essentially opening a first valve) and moves at least partly below the holes near the top of the tube (essentially opening a second valve). Thus if the keg is full of liquid pressurised gas passes around the top of the tube and forces liquid up and out of the tube through the holes near the top and thus out of the keg. If the keg is empty and is to be filed it is turned upside down and liquid is forced up into the keg around the top of the tube and the gas in the keg escapes down through the tube, out of the holes and thus out of the keg.

There are many kinds of spears, in addition to the two main kinds of well type and flat top described above, and the present invention may be applicable to many of them.

The particular construction of all of the components of a spear is designed to minimise turbulence and frothing of the liquid during filling of the keg, which enables rapid filling without loss of quality of the liquid, this being particularly important when the liquid is beer of some kind. Very small changes to the shape of the opening within the body of a spear can radically alter the flow of liquid though it and make a significant difference to the manner of flow of the liquid.

In the prior art the liquid flows into the kegs when they are being filled, whether the spear is well type or flat top, past and through a spring. In a well type spear this is the first spring which acts between the bottom of the body and the top of the tube to bias the tube upwards in the keg and thus to bias the first valve closed. In a flat top spear this is the spring which is provided below the valve member acting between the bottom of the body and the underside of the valve member to bias the valve member to the top of the tube. The flow of liquid past and through a spring causes turbulence and is thus not desirable, but this has been the case for many years.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve fitting for a keg which does not require liquid to flow into the keg past and through a spring.

According to the present invention there is provided a valve fitting for a keg used for storing fluids under pressure including a body with an opening therethrough and openings in the side wall to provide a fluid path through the body and with a body valve seat around the opening, a valve member movable in the body opening to open and close the fluid path through the body and which provides a seal surface which co-operates with the body valve seat to close the fluid path through the body, a spring which biases the valve member towards the body valve seat, characterised in that the valve fitting further includes a diversion plate located above the spring and which when the valve member is moved against the bias of the spring off the body valve seat to open the fluid path through the body provides a bottom to the fluid path through the body and such that the diversion plate diverts the fluid flowing along the path laterally and out of the openings in the side wall.

The invention provides the considerable advantage that the fluid no longer has to flow past or through a spring and is thus much less turbulent than in the

prior art.

Preferably when the valve member is moved against the bias of the spring off the body valve seat to open the fluid path through the body and provides a bottom to the fluid path through the body the top of the diversion plate is level with the bottom of the openings in the side wall of the body.

Conveniently the valve fitting further includes a tube with a second fluid path therethrough an upper portion of which is located within the centre of the body opening, and which passes through a hole in a bottom plate secured to the body, and preferably the spring is located between the bottom plate and the diversion plate.

The valve fitting may be of the kind known as a well type spear, and if so the tube is movable axially relative to the body and the valve member is secured to the top of the tube. Conveniently the tube has a wider portion at its upper end and the diversion plate is located around the tube below the wider portion.

Alternatively the valve fitting may be of the kind known as a flat top spear, and if so the tube is fixed relative to the body and the valve member is slidable up and down the top portion of the tube. Preferably the valve member is secured to the top of a guide member which is slidable up and down the top portion of the tube. Conveniently the diversion plate is a part of the guide member.

Examples of valve fittings according to the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a well type spear according to the invention, shown open on the left and closed on the right; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a flat top spear according to the invention, shown open on the left and closed on the right.

Referring first to Figure 1, a well type spear 10 has a body 12 which in this case is secured into a neck of a keg (not shown) in use by a circlip 14, with a seal 16 ensuring that the connection is fluid tight. The body 12 has an opening 18 therethrough from top to bottom, which is closed at the lower end by a plate 20, and openings 22 are provided in the side wall. A valve seat 24 is provided within the opening 18.

The spear 10 further includes a tube 26 which is slidably mounted and passes through a hole in the bottom plate 20. The tube 26 has a wider top portion 28, a lip 30 at the very top and a widening 32 at the junction of the main portion and wider top portion 28. A diversion plate 34 is located around the tube 26 just below the widening 32 and a first spring 36 is located above the bottom plate 20 and the diversion plate 34. The first spring 36 biases the tube 26 and diversion plate 34 upwards.

The spear 10 further includes a main valve member 38 located in the top of the tube 26, with above it a safety washer 40 (which also protects the surface of the main valve member 38 from damage). When the tube 26 is pushed upwards by the first spring 36 the main valve member 38 and washer 40 close onto the valve seat 24 closing a first valve. When the tube 26, main valve member 38 and washer 40 are pushed downwards against the bias of the first spring 36 the first valve is opened leaving a passage 42 for the flow of fluid into or out of the keg.

The spear 10 further includes a second valve member 44 within the wider portion 28 of the tube 26 below the main valve member 38. The second valve member 44 is biased upwards by a second spring 46 located below the second valve member 44 within the wider portion 28 of the tube 26. The second valve member 44 closes onto a second valve seat 48 provided on the bottom surface of the main valve member 38 when biased upwards by the second spring 46. When the second valve member 44 is pushed downwards against the bias of the second spring 46 openings around the edge portion 50 provide passage ways for fluid.

The provision of the diversion plate 34 above the first spring 36 is a significant improvement on the prior art. When the first valve is opened in a spear 10 according to the invention, as shown on the left hand side of Figure 1, the diversion plate 34 closes off the opening 18 within the body at the level of the bottom of the openings 22 in the side walls of the body 12 thus providing a flow passage for the fluid which does not pass round or through the first spring 36. The diversion plate 34 thus diverts the fluid passing through the body 12 laterally and out of the openings 22.This means that the flow of fluid though that passage is less turbulent than in the prior art, and kegs fitted with such spears can be filled more rapidly without loss of beer quality.

Referring now to Figure 2, a flat top spear 110 has a body 112 which in this case is secured into a neck of a keg (not shown) in use by a circlip 114, with a seal 116 ensuring that the connection is fluid tight. The body 112 has an opening 118 therethrough from top to bottom, which is closed at the lower end by a plate 120, and openings 122 are provided in the side wall. A valve seat 124 is provided within the opening 118.

The spear 110 further includes a tube 126 which is fixedly mounted with it's upper end in the opening 118 in the body 112, and which passes through a hole in the bottom plate 120 which is welded to the tube 126 by welds 128, and removably secured to the body 112. The tube 126 has a wider portion 130 in it's upper portion, which has a formation 132 at it's lower end and a formation 134 at it's upper end. The bottom plate 120 is located just below the formation 132 thus ensuring that even should the welds 128 fail it cannot slip up the tube 126. The very top of the tube is closed by plate 136 and a series of holes 138 is provided around the circumference a little below the closed top 136.

The spear 110 further includes a guide member 140 slidably mounted on the tube 126 and being a close fit on the wider portion 130 of the tube 126. The guide member 140 has holes 142 around it's circumference for part of it's length (to aid in cleaning) and a formation 144 at it's upper end for receipt of a valve member 146. The valve member 146 is made of a resilient material and is a tight fit in the formation 144 such that it is retained in place in the formation 144. The guide member 140 has at it's lower end a laterally extending diversion plate 150 which is a sliding fit in the lower part of the opening 118 in the body 112. A spring 148 is provided around the tube 126 below the laterally extending diversion plate 150 and above the bottom plate 120. The spring 148 biases the guide member 140 and thus the valve member 146 upwards such that the valve member 146 closes onto the valve seat 124, as shown in the right hand side of Figure 2.

When the valve is opened against the bias of the spring 148 fluid passageways are provided around the tube 126 and through the openings 122 and through the tube 126 and through the openings 138. When the valve is open the diversion plate 150 is located level with the bottom of the openings 122 in the side wall of the body 112, and thus closes off the bottom of the opening 118 and the spring 148 from the fluid flow passage created around the tube 126. The diversion plate 150 thus diverts the fluid flowing through the opening 118 laterally and out of the openings 122. Thus the fluid flowing through the passage does not flow past or through the spring 148 and the flow is less turbulent than in the prior art, providing a very significant improvement.

The springs 36 and 148 may be of such conical form that they compress down to a substantially planar form when fully compressed, thus permitting the section of the body 12, 112 below the diversion plate 34, 150 and above the bottom plate 20, 120 to be very short if required.

The bottom plates 20, 120 of the spears 10, 110 need not completely seal the bottom of the openings 18, 118 in the bodies 12, 112, as the diversion plates 34, 150 divert the fluid away from the bottom plates. The bottom plates 20, must however provide support for the springs 36, 148.

It must be appreciated that the terms top, bottom, upper, lower etc. have been used in this specification, and in the following claims, to refer to the relative location of parts of the spears in the figures, that is with the spears in the orientation shown in the figures. When the spears are in use whilst kegs are being filled they are oriented the other way up.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (11)

1. I. A valve fitting for a keg used for storing fluids under pressure including a body with an opening therethrough and openings in the side wall to provide a fluid path through the body and with a body valve seat around the opening, a valve member movable in the body opening to open and close the fluid path through the body and which provides a seal surface which co-operates with the body valve seat to close the fluid path through the body, a spring which biases the valve member towards the body valve seat, characterised in that the valve fitting further includes a diversion plate located above the spring and which when the valve member is moved against the bias of the spring off the body valve seat to open the fluid path through the body provides a bottom to the fluid path through the body and such that the diversion plate diverts the fluid flowing along the path laterally and out of the openings in the side wall.
2. 2. A valve fitting according to claim 1 wherein when the valve member is moved against the bias of the spring off the body valve seat to open the fluid path through the body and provides a bottom to the fluid path through the body the top of the diversion plate is level with the bottom of the openings in the side wall of the body.
3. 3. A valve fitting according to claim 1 or 2 which further includes a tube with a second fluid path therethrough an upper portion of which is located within the centre of the body opening, and which passes through a hole in a bottom plate secured to the body, and wherein the spring is located between the bottom plate and the diversion plate.
4. 4. A valve fitting according to any one of claims I to 3 wherein the valve fitting is of the kind known as a well type spear, the tube is movable axially relative to the body and the valve member is secured to the top of the tube.
5. 5. A valve fitting according to claim 4 wherein the tube has a wider portion at its upper end and the diversion plate is located around the tube below the wider portion.
6. 6. A valve fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the valve fitting is of the kind known as a flat top spear, the tube is fixed relative to the body and the valve member is slidable up and down the top portion of the tube.
7. 7. A valve fitting according to claim 6 wherein the valve member is secured to the top of a guide member which is slidable up and down the top portion of the tube.
8. 8. A valve fitting according to claim 7 wherein the diversion plate is a part of the guide member.
9. 9. A valve fitting substantially as hereinbefore described by reference to figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
10. 10. A valve fitting substantially as hereinbefore described by reference to figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
11. 11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.