GB2446393A

GB2446393A - A Plastic Lower Chime and Keg Assembly for Beverage Kegs

Info

Publication number: GB2446393A
Application number: GB0702672A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Mcderment; Albert Wauters
Original assignee: Anheuser Busch InBev SA
Current assignee: Anheuser Busch InBev SA
Priority date: 2007-02-12
Filing date: 2007-02-12
Publication date: 2008-08-13
Also published as: UA98950C2; CN101610954A; CN101610954B; GB0702672D0

Abstract

A keg bottom chime 1 comprising a keg bottom finish surround 10 adapted to engage a keg bottom in mutually inter-fitting secured relation, thus securing the chime 1 to the keg. Preferably the surround 10 of the chime 1 comprises an opening 10a, circumscribed by respective free ends 10d of a plurality of resilient flexible tines 10b, and wherein the fixed ends of the tines are rooted on a central hub 3. The chime 1 may include a spider 2 for engaging a bottom portion of a keg body. The chime 1 may also be provided with channel drains 11 for draining accumulating liquids. Additionally a blow mould for injection blow moulding the keg is described.

Description

"A Plastic Bottom Chime and Keg Assembly for Beverage Kegs"

Background of the Invention:

The earliest containers for beer included dried gourds, clay pots and bags made of tar-coated leather, and sometimes denominated as "blackjacks'.

Historical records indicate that wooden kegs, in the form of "tuns" or barrels date back to before 1000AD -and by early in the 16th century, nearly all beer was sold in barrels, with prices based on volume.

For centuries, wooden barrels prevailed as the dominant form of beer packaging throughout the world Originally, beer was brewed to meet the needs of small communities and was consumed at the production site but, as demand for it grew and beer had to be taken to more distant points-of-sale, transportable casks were required and these, too, were made from wood. While such packaging served well when beer sold quickly, (i.e. locally), it was not a viable option for broader distribution.. In the late 19th century, technological advances made compressed gases available, and dispense systems using clean, pressurized carbon dioxide resulted in beer with improved carbonation throughout the life of the barrel and a very significant reduction in microbiological spoilage. The benefits of this system were quickly recognized and by 1900, it was used for at least 75 percent of the United States beer dispense. About the same time, the widespread use of refrigeration in the transport and dispense of draft beer -to help keep the growth of spoilage microorganisms in under control.

With these improvements, wooden barrels remained widely used into the middle of the 20th century. Wooden casks were made from vertical strips of oak, or "staves", held tightly together by horizontal steel hoops. For this arrangement to be watertight, the staves were not only tapered so that together they created a circular crosssection, but also bowed so that steel hoops could be forced down from the circular end to squeeze them together. The resulting "bellied shape" of casks, held practical advantages in handling, so that even full kegs could be readily rolled and steered into position. In addition, it facilitated positioning the keg onto the rack (or, "stiflage"), since the bellied shape allowed the container to be rocked backwards and forwards longitudinally until it could be lifted smoothly onto its end and then swung completely over and onto the storage rack. The belly also provided a low point in the vessel, into which the yeast settled below the bung level -so that beer could be drawn off from above the sediment, keeping it "bright".

Eventually, with the advent of brewing on an industrial scale, metallic materials were introduced for the production vessels, but these were selected essentially for their strength. From the middle of the 19th century (with little recognition of the effects of corrosion and the resultant product contamination) process tanks were made out of soldered copper sheet and massive open fermenting chambers were lined with lead.

Vessels were sometimes named after the materials which the industry had begun to use and the ingredients for beer are even today boiled in "coppers". However, until the mid 1900s wood remained the only material commonly used for casks for storage, distribution and dispense, it having the advantage that staves damaged by impact during delivery could be replaced individually by the Cooper. About that time, however, other materials were being considered for use. Although at least one brand of India Pale Ale was, for a short time in 1934, exported from Britain to India in experimental steel casks, it was not for another quarter-century that metals became extensively used for the bulk packaging of beers. The trend was noted in "The Practical Brewer", 1942 edition, which listed five types of barrels then in various degrees of use, including wood, laminated wood, stainless steel, steel and aluminum. During the 1950s, attempts were made in the UK to develop containers which were stronger, cheaper to maintain and more hygienic than timber alone. A number of materials combinations were tried, some more successfully than others. A thin stainless steel liner was encased in a wooden cask.

This presented to the beer a more hygienic surface than timber alone, but the wood still broke during handling and the stainless steel liner could easily be dented. Later, a stainless steel vessel was complete encased in a mild steel jacket. This was known as a "Brown Bomber" and was strong but very heavy. External rusting of the jacket also presented a poor image of the contents. Later still, a thin stainless steel body had a pair of mild steel chimes longitudinally bolted together to entrap the vessel. This was quite strong but, again, unacceptably heavy. Stainless steel as such was not broadly adopted as such until the late 1950s: and its use then was restricted to the smaller sizes of cask, and was dimensioned to mimic as far as possible those of the traditional oak ones so that they could operate side-by-side with them. On a comparative strength basis, however, these stainless kegs weighed less than a comparable wooden casks. In time, a cylindrical stainless steel body was developed which provided for an interference-fit with galvanized mild steel chimes (sometimes spelled chimes) with integral rolling-rings pressed onto each end. This "Sunbrite" design, developed by GKN-Sankey in the UK, is still in service today.

In the early 1960s, aluminum alloys were introduced because they offered the advantage that, for an equivalent size and strength of container, they were approximately 30% lighter than stainless steel.

Unlike stainless steel, however, aluminum kegs (as well as the wood, laminated wood and steel kegs), all of these kegs still needed to be pitched" or lined with an organic resin or wax to isolate the beer from the container material itself. This facilitated sanitizing of the interior prior to filling and minimized the development of microbial induced off-flavors. In the case of steel and aluminum, it was also necessary to prevent corrosion of the keg by the acidic beer, as well as the development of metallic off-flavors in the beer itself. Modern European legislation, (EC Directive 89/109/EEC on Materials and Articles in Contact with Food), stipulates that materials must not "react with, or alter the organoleptic properties of, foods with which they come into contact" This standard has necessitated much research into materials, including the epoxy resins used to line aluminum containers.

Today, nearly all beer barrels or kegs are made of stainless steel.

The practice of refrigerating continues even today, since there continue to be microbial and physio-chemical issues in beer storage -even in the relatively superior stainless steel packaging.

There is a need in the art to facilitate the adoption of lighter weight packaging for the transportation of beer, especially in relation to larger multi-serving packaging, such a draught beer kegs.

In order for plastic packaging to be acceptable, particularly in these larger container sizes, there are a number of obstacles that must be overcome, before the plastic packaging can displace the still widely used and successful stainless steel kegs described above. Other, earlier aborted attempts to migrate to lighter weight packaging in this connection, testifies to the problems of bettering the current day stainless steel standard On the other hand the history of attempts to provide alternatives to stainless in this application also makes it clear that there is a longstanding recognition of the desirability of, in particular, lighter weight packaging.

Summary of the Invention:

The present invention relates to a keg bottom chime which comprises a keg bottom finish surround that is adapted to engage a cooperating keg bottom finish which extends prominently from the base of a complementary keg. The surround and the bottom finish engage in mutually inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure the chime to the keg. Preferably, both the keg and the chime are made of plastics materials.

ln another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keg body comprising a bottom having a keg body bottom finish there on that is adapted to engage a complementary keg bottom finish surround in cooperative mutually inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure the chime to the keg.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mold for producing a keg body, which mold includes means for forming a keg bottom finish. Preferably, the mold is a blow mold for forming thermoplastic materials.

Finally, in relation to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keg and chime assembly. The assembly comprises a keg body having a bottom whereon a keg body bottom finish is provided. The assembly further comprises a keg bottom chime having a keg bottom finish surround 10. That keg bottom finish surround is adapted to engage with the cooperating keg bottom finish in inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure the chime and the keg in their mutually assembled relation.

Advantages associated with various embodiments of the present invention include the snap on assembly of the chime, as it engages the keg bottom finish, (which of course, lends itself to automated production).

Moreover, in cases where no other means of fixation is employed, the bottom chime can be readily removed and recycled separately from the keg, and if appropriate easily replaced by another replacement chime so that the keg can be returned to production. In addition, the bottom chime provides for ease of handling, and its resilient flexibility provides for drop resistance benefits.

The present invention also relates to a method for forming a snap on chime engaging keg bottom finish. The method comprises blow molding a parison into a mold cavity that includes a bottom finish cavity portion for molding a keg bottom finish. That cavity is configures such that the resulting finish has a complementary exterior shape adapted to engage corresponding portions of a snap on chime. In a preferred form, stretch blow molding is employed for this purpose, and in an especially preferred practice, a core rod is extended during the stretch blow molding of the parison to force a portion of the parison's bottom wall into the bottom finish cavity of the mold.

Introduction to the Drawings:

Figure 1 of the drawings appended hereto depicts a top-down elevated perspective view into a preferred embodiment of a plastic bottom chime according to the present invention.

Figure 2 of the drawings appended hereto illustrates an underside, elevated perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a plastic bottom chime according to the present invention.

Figure 3 of the drawings is a cross-sectional view taken through the bottom chime according to the present invention, in combination, (i.e. iii mounted relation) on a beer keg of the present invention.

Figure 4 of the drawings is a more detailed view of the cross-section depicted in Figure 3.

Figure 5 depicts a schematic cross-sections through a stretch blow mold according to one aspect of the present invention.

Figure 6 is an elevated cross sectional view of a chime and keg assembly according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment:

Referring in general to Figures 1 and 2 of the appended drawings, there is provided a preferred keg bottom chime 1 according to the present invention. Keg bottom chime 1 comprises a keg bottom finish surround 10. Surround 10 is specifically adapted to engage a cooperating keg bottom finish (not shown in Figures 1 and 2, but refer instead to Figures 3 and 4). That engagement sustains a mutually inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure the chime to the keg.

In this preferred form of the chime 1 according to the present invention, surround 10 comprises an opening lOa, which is circumscribed by respective free ends lOd of a plurality of resilient, flexible tines lOb.

Tines lOb extend radially inwardly into opening lOa, from fixed ends of said tines lOb that are rooted on a central hub 3.

Chime 1 includes a spider" 2 for engaging a bottom portion of a keg body (again, not shown in Figures 1 and 2, refer to Figures 3 and 4 and the description that follows below), in cradled relation in the chime 1.

The spider 2 in turn comprises the central hub 3 with a plurality of radially outwardly extending legs or spokes 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d. These spokes terminate at a rim wall 5, with rim wall 5 defining one side of a channel 6 that is further bounded at the bottom thereof by a chime base 13, and surrounded on a spaced apart side by an wall surface 7a of an upstanding chime skirt 7.

Spokes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, have contours 14, (e.g. are scallop-shaped) to provide a stiffened girder effect.

The upstanding chime skirt 7 supports a peripheral bead 12 adapted to engage adjacent surfaces of a secured keg body.

Skirt 7 also includes keg body drains 9 for draining liquids accumulating between the skirt 7 and an associated keg body wall.

When in use, keg assemblies according to the present invention can accumulate water or other liquids that would remain trapped between the chime and the keg when the assembly is oriented in its normal upright position, but which is permitted to drain away through these drains 9.

Similarly, bottom channel bottom 6 includes channel drains 11 for draining liquids accumulating with channel 6. Notably, keg assemblies according to the present invention are often washed and filled in an inverted orientation, during which time water might otherwise accumulate in the channel unless permitted to drain away through these drains. Note that the keg of the present invention and assemblies comprising same are preferably closed-system kegs.

Referring now Figures 3 and 4 in particular, there is shown a cut away section of lower portions of keg body 15. Body 15 comprises a bottom 15a having a keg body bottom finish 16, which is adapted to engage a complementary keg bottom finish surround 10 of keg bottom chime 1 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Bottom finish 16 includes tapered side walls 16a extending proud of the periphery of the keg body 15 and terminating in an overhanging abutment 16b that is particularly suited to engage in inter-fitting secured relation with the complementary features of bottom chime 1 as described elsewhere herein.

Referring now to Figures 5of the drawings, there is shown an example of a blow mold useful in variously forming keg bodies for use in the present invention, from blow molded thermoplastics material. Both of the exemplary molds for producing their respective keg bodies, comprise respective means for forming the keg bottom finishes that are described elsewhere herein.

More particularly Figure 5 illustrates a stretch blow molding mold and comprises a stretch rod adapted to extend internally of a sump defining region in the base of surround blow mold cavity. The stretch rod and the blow mold cavity co-operate to form a keg having a bottom finish (see finish 16 in Figures 3 and 4, for example) which includes tapered Side walls ( see Figures 3 and 4, ref.16a) extending proud of the periphery of said keg body, and terminating in an overhanging abutment 1(see Figures 3 and 4 and reference numeral 16b, by way of example) that is adapted to engage in said inter-fitting secured relation with bottom chime 1.

Under the preferred practice, the invention relates to the use of blow molding processes. The family of blow molding processes are employed in the production of hollow-bodied thermoplastic articles including, in particular, containers such as bottles. The basic process entails the production of pre-shaping the thermoplastic material into an intermediate for that is referred to as a parison or perform. The heated perform is then further shaped by inflating it under gas pressure, within the constraints of a mold cavity that is designed to provide the final shape of the article.

Blow molding technology in the industrial sense, dates from the late 1930s -but its widespread commercial application was triggered in the 1950's with the introduction of high density polyethylene and the availability of non-proprietary production equipment. Since then, a variety of other thermoplastic materials (in particular with the growth of polyesters as compared with the polyolefin's -which have in some cases been associated with "flavor scalping" and concomitant swelling and increase in oxygen permeability in some beverage packaging applications) have come into use, and while high density polyethylene HDPE continues to account for as much as 55% of all blow-molded thermoplastic material, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accounts for nearly 88% of the balance. Markets for the more expensive but, in some performance respects, superior polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) are also quickly developing, especially in returnable reusable applications.

The family of blow-mold processes includes "extrusion", "injection' (and its relative displacement") and "stretch", (a.k.a. "biaxial-orientation") blow molding, as well as a number of hybrids thereof.

Extrusion blow molding is currently the most widely used of these techniques and it consists of extruding, (either intermittently or continuously), a hollow parison in a downward dropping direction. When the parison has grown sufficiently, a predetermined length thereof is embraced within a mold cavity, (e.g. by closing off two complementary mold halves around the predetermined length of the descending parison). Reciprocating screw and dual screw extrusion machines equipped with a secondary accumulator and ram for intermittent parison extrusion1 are employed for small container production. For large containers, up to and including drums, however, an accumulator-head extruder with a plunger feed is employed.

Once the parison P, see Figure 5, is engaged within the mold M, it is inflated under gas pressure and conforms to the rigid internal surfaces of the enclosing cavity mold, taking on a hollow-bodied shape that will ultimately lead to that of the finished container, which can include the formation of the keg bottom finish 16. Note that while older blow molding machines required an additional reaming action to bring container finishes to final specifications (and presented problems with debris being left behind within the resulting bottle), this problem has been overcome for smaller containers through the cooperative interaction of the glow pin and the mold neck ring while the blown bottle is still resident in the mold.

However, wide-mouth blow molded containers still must be finished in a subsequent trim press operation. -11 -

Injection blow molding is a multi-stage operation (historically a two step, but now almost universally a three step operation) in which the parrson is injection molded into a space defined by a parison mold and a core rod disposed therein, (instead of being extruded), and is then transferred (e.g. on the core rod) into a subsequent blow-molding station.

In a "displacement' variant of this type of blow molding, a measured quantity of thermoplastic melt is inserted in a parison mold, and the core rod is then inserted into the mold to forcibly displace the melt into the spaces remaining between the core rod and the molds inner surfaces -thus forming the parison.

Stretch blow molding is particularly suited to applications involving thermoplastics capable of taking up internal linear molecular orientations -such as PET. The parison can be either extrusion molded or injection molded, although the latter is most often used in association with stretch blow molding operations. What specifically characterizes the stretch blow mold process is that the preformed parison is carefully conditioned to just above the thermoplastic's glass transition temperature (i.e. where it is warm enough to permit the parison to be inflated but cool enough to retard post-alignment re-randomization of the molecular structure), and then stretched, oriented, ("partial" and axially or bi-axially) and blown.

The strain-induced crystallization in the stretched thermoplastic can, in the case of PET be increased by as much as 20, and even to as high as 28%.

A core rod R is employed as shown in figure 5. Note that in a particularly preferred practice of the present invention, and in addition to providing for a component of the axial stretching of parison P during the blowing operation, rod R can also be extended to force plastic material into a portion BF of the mold cavity M, to produce exterior keg bottom finish 16. Portion BF includes means for clamping finish 16 to produce a waist at 16a, which then broadens out at 16b. -12-

Finally, there is provided a keg and chime assembly as illustrated in Figure 6. In that connection, reference is made to Figures 1 through 4 and 6. The assembly comprises keg body 15 having a bottom 15a bearing a keg body bottom finish 16. Keg bottom chime 1 comprises a keg bottom finish surround 10. The keg bottom finish surround 10 and the keg bottom finish 16 are mutually adapted to engage a cooperating keg bottom finish in inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure said chime and keg in mutually assembled relation. In the variously illustrated embodiments, the inter-fitting secured relation is a resiliently biased mechanically interfering registration between the salient portions of keg 15 and said chime 1. As illustrated in Figure 6,. the bottom chime 1 is depicted at rest, in stacked relation on a cooperative surface T of a supporting keg, not shown, but substantially identical to the top chime C illustrated in surmounted relation on the top of keg 15.

Claims

Claims: 1. A keg bottom chime 1 comprising a keg bottom finish surround

10, adapted to engage a cooperating keg bottom finish in mutually inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure said chime to said keg.
2. The chime I according to claim 1, wherein said surround 10 comprises an opening lOa, circumscribed by respective free ends lOd of a plurality of resilient, flexible tines lOb which extend radially inwardly into said opening lOa, from fixed ends of said tines lOb that are rooted on a centralhub3.
3. The chime I according to claim 2, including a spider 2 for engaging a bottom portion of a keg body in cradled relation in said chime, said spider 2 in turn comprising a central hub 3 with a plurality of radially outwardly extending spokes 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d, terminating at a rim wall 5, said rim wall 5 defining one side of a channel 6 bounded at the bottom thereof by a chime base 13, and surrounded on a spaced apart side by an wall surface 7a of an upstanding chime skirt 7.
4. The chime according to claim 1, wherein spokes 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, have contours 14, (e.g. are scallop-shaped) to provide a stiffened girder effect.
5. The chime 1 according to claims 3 and 4, wherein said upstanding chime skirt 7 supports a peripheral bead 12 adapted to engage adjacent surfaces of a secured keg body.
6. The chime 1 according to claim 3, wherein said skirt 7 includes keg body drains 9 for draining liquids accumulating between the skirt 7 and an associated keg body wall.
7. The chime 1 according to claim 3, wherein said channel bottom 6 includes channel drains 11 for draining liquids accumulating with channel 6.

-14 -
8. A keg body 15 comprising a bottom 15a, and having thereon a keg body bottom finish 16, adapted to engage a complementary keg bottom finish surround 10 of keg bottom chime 1, in cooperative mutually inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure said chime Ito said keg 15.
9. The keg body 15 according to claim 8, wherein said bottom finish 16 includes tapered side walls 16a extending proud of the periphery of said keg body, and terminating in an overhanging abutment 16b adapted to engage in said inter-fitting secured relation with said bottom chime 1.
10. A mold for producing a keg body 15, comprising means for forming a keg bottom finish 16.
11. The mold according to claim 10, wherein said mold is a blow mold.
12. The mold according to claim 11, wherein said mold is an injection blow molding mold and comprises a core rod adapted to extend internally of a sump defining region in the base of surround mold cavity, whereby said core rod and said mold cavity a co-operate to form a keg having a bottom finish 16 includes tapered side walls 16a extending proud of the periphery of said keg body, and terminating in an overhanging abutment 16b adapted to engage in said inter-fitting secured relation with said bottom chime 1.
13. The mold according to claim 11, wherein said mold is an stretch blow molding mold and comprises a stretch rod adapted to extend internally of a sump defining region in the base of surround mold cavity, whereby said core rod and said mold cavity a co-operate to form a keg having a bottom finish 16 includes tapered side walls 16a extending proud of the periphery of said keg body, and terminating in an overhanging abutment 16b adapted to engage in said inter-fitting secured relation with said bottom chime 1. -15-
14. A keg and chime assembly comprising: * keg body 15 comprising a bottom 15a, and having thereon a keg body bottom finish 16, and, * a keg bottom chime 1 comprising a keg bottom finish surround 10, wherein said keg bottom finish surround 10 and said keg bottom finish 16 are mutually adapted to engage a cooperating keg bottom finish in inter-fitting secured relation to thereby at least partially secure said chime and keg in mutually assembled relation.
15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein said inter-fitting secured relation is a resiliently biased mechanically interfering registration between said keg 15 and said chime 1.
16. A method for forming a snap on chime engaging keg bottom finish comprising blow molding a parison into a mold cavity including a bottom finish cavity portion for molding a keg bottom finish having a complementary exterior shape adapted to engage corresponding portions of a snap on chime.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the said blow molding is a stretch blow molding method.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a core rod is extended during said stretch blow molding process to force a portion of said bottom wall into said bottom finish cavity portion.