US2038349A - Portable sealed liquid container - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1936. A. DIESBOURG 2,038,349

PORTABLE SEALED LIQUID CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN OR ATTOR EYS April 21, 1936. DIESBQURG 2,038,349

PORTABLE SEALED LIQUID CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B Y IQ VATTORN 3? Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 16, 1934, Serial No. 725,867 In Canada January 5, 1934 4 Claims- (Cl. 225-15) The invention relates to portable sealed liquid containers and more particularly to containers for storing and dispensing beer.

As is well known, kegs for storing and dispensing beer are usually made of wood and are ordinarily provided with at least two openings normally closed by bungs. Beer kegs of this type are expensive to manufacture and when used for any length of time it is necessary to subject the interiors thereof to frequent cleaning and scouring in order to keep the same in a sanitary condition. Furthermore, due to the form of construction of the usual type of wooden beer keg, it is not easily or conveniently lifted or handled.

1 It is the special object of the present invention to improve upon the construction of kegs for storing and dispensing beer to overcome the objectionable features of the prior types of wooden kegs by providing an all metal keg or container which will be relatively light and strong in construction and which is so designed and arranged that it can be easily and conveniently handled and so that the interior thereof will be kept sealed from the outside air and thus be kept in a clean and sanitary condition.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a container adapted to be used to store beer and to dispense the same as and when desired, with the use of an air pump, the container, less the pump where such is not made an integral part thereof, constituting a portable sealed unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal container of a relatively inexpensive construction which will be capable of being subjected to considerable rough handling during shipment or otherwise without damage thereto or to the dispensing equipment forming a part thereof.

Another object of the invention is to ,JIOVidG a metal container formed with top and bottom rims which extend beyond the top and bottom walls thereof and which provide resilient shock absorbing means for protecting the container against damage caused by rough handling during shipment.

Afurther object is to provide a metal container with a top rim which extends beyond the top wall thereof and which defines a space with the said top wall for housing the dispensing equipment and for protecting the same from contact with the floor in case the container should be placed upside down or from contact with other objects during shipment.

A further object is to so place the intake or non-return air valve of the container and the dis- 5 pensing tap or faucet so that the faucet will operate to seal or engage with the top of the air valve when it is turned to an inoperative and non-discharging position and thus prevent an unauthorized use of the valve.

Further objects of the invention will appear 5 more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device made in accordance with my invention, parts of the container being broken away to more clearly show 10 the construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Figure 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectional views of the faucet valve and other parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A 15 is the metal container which in its preferred form, comprises three parts, the side wall ill, the bottom wall H, and the top wall I 2. Preferably, both the top and bottom walls are curved as shown, the purpose being to enable the container 20 to be as thoroughly drained as possible, when beer is being dispensed by the consumer, or the dregs are being emptied by the brewer before refilling the container with a fresh volume of beer. For the purpose also of dispensing substantially the 5 whole of the beer contents, a pipe I3 (to be referred to later and which is preferably straight) is placed as near the center of the bottom as pos sible. The top wall I! is formed with a centrally located opening I 4 which is surrounded by a 30 raised neck IS. The opening is used when emptying the container at the brewery or when filling the container with beer. After the filling operation this opening is closed by a suitable closure such as wooden bung l6 which is tapped or 35 hammered into place to seal the container. The top wall is also preferably formed with a number of ribs l1 extending radially from a raised portion l8 immediately surrounding the opening I 4, so that by turning the container upside down and 40 removing the wooden bung the container may be thoroughly drained.

The bottom wall II is preferably formed as shown, that is, extending beyond the periphery or wall l0 and then downwardly beyond the bot- 45 tom wall, and terminating in a bead l9, thus forming a. rim 20 overhanging the side wall Ill. The top wall is also preferably formed as shown, that is, extending beyond the side wall and then upwardly and terminating in a bead ISA, thus 5 forming a. rim 20A overhanging the side wall "I. The beads overhang or extend beyond the side wall to an equal extent and sufliciently to lie well beyond the side wall. The container may thus be easily rolled on the beads while the side wall this pitch adhere securely to the walls of the container. With beads, upon which the container may roll, while the side wall 10 is well clear of the ground, the pitch coating does not easily scale off. Similarly, the pitch will not easily scale of! when the container is accidentally dropped to the ground, since the impact or shock is absorbed by the resilient rims 20 and 20A. 1

The side wall and the top and bottom walls of the container are welded as at 9.

The upper rim 20A also serves a purpose other than that just mentioned. This rim extends above the top wall of the container, defines a space, generally indicated by 2| within which is placed the dispensing equipment. For instance, within this space is the tap or faucet 22, the valve 23, sealing clip 24 and handle 25 when such a handle is used. These parts are so designed that they will lie within the space 2|, when the faucet is in retracted non-operative or non-dispensing position.

The handle may be formed and positioned as shown, such a vertically disposed handle being adapted to be placed away from the side of the container and in a position best suited for convenience in handling. The position of the handle may vary according to the capacity or diameter of the container. If preferred, although not shown in the drawings, the handle could take the form of an opening p ovided through the top rim 20A Just below the bead ISA.

As shown, the dispensing equipment includes the pipe 13 aforesaid which extends substantially to the bottom ll of the container and is secured at the top, as by soldering into a casing 24A, which is threaded as at 25A into a boss 26. The casing and pipe, as a unit, can thus be removed, if necessary, although it forms for all practical purposes, a unit fixed to the container.

The casing has a horizontal tapered opening 21 communicating with a vertical opening 28 in alignment and communicating with the pipe l3. Turning in and seated in the horizontal opening 21 is a tapered hollow spindle 28A, one end of which is formed with or has an elbow 2 9 receiving the faucet 22 aforesaid.

A port 3|] is provided in the spindle and disposed in a position to register with the vertical opening 28 of the casing when the faucet is in a certain position, that is, in the discharging or dispensing position. The dispensing position of the faucet is preferably that reached when the discharging end of the faucet is over the adjacent edge of the upper rim as best shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The non-dispensing position on the other hand, is that reached when the faucet is turned back a certain distance from the adjacent rim. The faucet thus serves as a handle for operating the valve or spindle from non-dispensing to dispensing position and vice-versa.

To retain the spindle or valve in the casing the end of the spindle may be formed with a reduced portion 33 threaded at the end as at 34, to receive a nut 35, and a washer 36, and a spring 31 disposed between the end of the casing and the nut, the spring being compressed sufllciently to hold the tapered portion of the spindle in the correspondingly tapered bore of the casing.

The faucet may be sealed in retracted or lowered non-dispensing position by means of the usual wire and seal 39, the wire passing through two legs 31A of the clip 24 secured to the container, which clip is so disposed as to receive the faucet between the two legs.

The air intake or non-return valve 23 may be of the usual bicycle valve type, the shank of which is threaded into and through a boss 40. In order to prevent tampering with the valve, as by unauthorized persons attempting to dispense beer through the valve, the same may be so disposed relatively to the faucet that the faucet, when in sealed non-dispensing position (see Fig. 1) will engage or rest or cover the top of the valve, or otherwise lie in the axis of the valve. If preferred, although not shown, a small cup may be secured to the faucet and disposed so as to cover or conceal the valve when the faucet is in sealed, retracted, or non-dispensing position.

It should be said that my invention provides a new article of manufacture, for which there has been an insistent demand. This article, a device for storing and dispensing beer, is a portable, sealed unit which can be easily handled as a unit and easily operated to dispense the contents by the application or use of a pump. In the form shown, the upper rim 20A not only serves to absorb vibrations and shocks such as the container proper is called upon to withstand during handling, but defines the space 2| within which the dispensing equipment is enclosed, to protect the same from damage. It will be understood, however, that the dispensing equipment and more particularly the faucet, can be protected by means other than a rim 20A; for instance, a plate, bar, casting, etc., mounted to be moved over the faucet, when in a non-dispensing position would be one alternative form, although I prefer using a rim since it serves more than one purpose.

As has already been stated, the means for forcing air under pressure into the sealed container, a pump, in the present instance, is preferably not made an integral part of the device, although such could easily be done. and the pump designed so as to lie below the rim 20A, that is, within the space 2|. It is also possible to provide a faucet having an air intake with a non-return valve forming an integral part thereof, but I prefer making the valve separatefrom the faucet. It is also possible to use the invention on a wooden keg, although as already explained, an all metal container has manifest advantages. Therefore, I claim not only the particular instrumentalities shown, but all others which would fall within the scope of the appended claims.

To discharge or dispense the liquid, the purchaser first breaks the seal, pumps air into the container if necessary, and turns the faucet to dispensing position. The liquid will rise in the pipe l3, enter the vertical opening, then the horizontal opening in the spindle, and into and through the faucet. When suillcient liquid has been dispensed, the faucet is turned back to nondispensing position.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable unit for storing and dispensing liquid of the kind wherein the liquid is displaced by air under pressure in a sealed receptacle enclosing the liquid, the combination of a sealed container, non-return valve means for the admission of air under pressure into said container, a pipe fixed in and extending into said container forming a passage for the liquid to be dispensed, means including a faucet and valve in operative communication with said pipe for receiving the liquid, and dispensing the same and forming an operative unit with said pipe, said faucet being movable from a retracted, non-dispensing to a dispensing position, said non-return valve being disposed to lie under said faucet when in retracted, non-dispensing position, means to which said faucet may be releasably locked when in retracted, non-dispensing position over said valve, and means from said container rising above said faucet when in retracted, non-dispensing position to afford protection thereto.

2. In a portable unit storing and dispensing liquid of the kind wherein the liquid is displaced by air under pressure in a sealed receptacle enclosing the liquid, the combination of a sealed container, a faucet and valve unit adapted to be moved from a retracted, non-dispensing position adjacent one wall of said container to a dispensing position, means feeding the liquid from said container to said faucet, non-return valve means for the admission of air underpressure into said container, said faucet when in retracted, non-dispensing position intercepting the axis of said non-return valve means, and means to which said faucet may be releasably locked when in retracted, non-dispensing position.

3. In a portable unit for storing and dispensing liquid of the kind wherein the liquid is displaced by air under pressure in a sealed receptacle enclosing the liquid the combination of a sealed container, a faucet and valve unit adapted to be moved from a retracted, non-dispensing position,

means feeding the liquid from said container to said faucet, non-return valve means for the admission of air under pressure into said container, said faucet when in retracted, non-dispensing position interceptingthe axis of said non-return valve means, means to which said faucet may be releasably locked when in retracted, non-dispensing position, and means from said container rising above said unit when in retracted, non-dispensing position to afford protection thereto.

4. In a portable unit for storing and dispensing beer of the kind wherein the beer is displaced by air under pressure in a sealed receptacle enclosing the beer, the combination of a sealed container coated on the inside with a beer resistance substance and comprising a cylindrical wall and upper and lower walls welded to said cylindrical wall and having metal rims integral with said container extending above and below said cylindrical wall and terminating in outwardly curved portions on which said container may roll a faucet and valve unit adapted to be moved from a retracted, non-dispensing position adjacent one wall of said container to a dispensing position, means feeding the beer from said container to said faucet, non-return valve means for the admission of air under pressure into said container, said faucet when in retracted, non-dispensing position intercepting the axis of said non-return valve means, and being positioned adjacent to the upper wall of the container and below the outwardly curved portions of the upper metal rim of the container.

ARTHUR. DIESBOURG.

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