US3221935A

US3221935A - Liquid container and valve therefor

Info

Publication number: US3221935A
Application number: US426216A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wood B Shurtleff; Philip N Rawson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-01-18
Filing date: 1965-01-18
Publication date: 1965-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-12-07

Description

DeC- 7, 1965 w. B. SHURTLEFF ETAL 3,221,935

LIQUID CONTAINER AND VALVE THEREFOR Filed Jan. 18, 1965 WOOD B. SHUR TLE FF PH/L /P N. RWSON INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,221,935 LIQUID CONTAINER AND VALVE THEREFOR Wood B. Shurtlef't', 8113 Rush St., and Philip N. Rawson, 702 Continental Life Bldg., both of Fort Worth, Tex.

Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,216 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-52) This invention relates to containers and a dispensing valve therefor. This application is an improvement over our prior application, Ser. No. 395,776, filed Sept. 1l, 1964. Both applications have reference to containers for storing and dispensing liquids containing gas, and the inventions of both applications are directed to inexpensive disposable constructions. While the constructions of the prior application are capable of serving their intended purposes, it has been found that beer stored in the container, after the container is first opened, should be recharged with carbon dioxide gas automatically and maintained at a constant pressure within the container.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive dispensing valve for the described purpose, and one capable of accommodating a mechanism for automatically recharging the gas of the container and maintaining a desired constant pressure.

Another object of the invention, in addition to the foregoing object, is to provide a simplified valve body which may be made by injection molding in one piece.

A further object is to provide a simplified sliding valve construction for the described purpose and including a simple one piece lock capable of separate uses, namely, securing the valve body outwardly of the container when applying the recharge and operating lever mechanism, and, in a different position, securing the referred to mechanism in an upright operating position.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, where- 1n:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a valve in accordance with the present invention and shown in its retracted position relative to the wall of a container, the latter being shown in fragmentary section.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l, but showing the valve in its extended position.

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the pressure regulator and lever operating mechanism applied to the extended valve body.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container, extended valve body, pressure regulator and lever operating mechanism, and the single piece lock as positioned when applying the pressure regulator and lever operating mechanism to the valve body.

FIGURE 5 is an inverted exploded perspective view of the valve body and push bar for operating the valve element.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the valve body and valve element, and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational and sectional view showing the linkage between the operating lever and the push bar.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates a container of suitable size and shape and includes a vertical end wall 11. A sleeve 12 extends through and projects from both sides of the wall 11, and the outer extending end of the sleeve has a circular lip 13 on which there is a crown cap 14 or other readily removable disposable closure. Preferably, the sleeve 12 and container 10 are made of synthetic resin, for example, polypropylene.

The valve body 15 is slidably received in the sleeve 12, and which body is shouldered near its inner end, at 16, for engagement with an inwardly directed flange 17 ice around the outer end of the sleeve. Thus, the forward length 18 of the body 15 is of reduced diameter so as to extend outwardly of the sleeve 12, whereas the remaining length 19 is of substantially the same as the inside sleeve diameter. To assure sealing contact between the last named parts, a groove 20 may be provided around the body length 19 for receiving an O ring washer 21.

Parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body 15 there are upper and

lower ports

22 and 23 extending therethrough. As will become apparent, the upper port 22 has to do with recharging the container 10 with gas, and the lower port 23 has to do with dispensing the liquid contents of the container. The inner end of the upper port 22 may be of reduced diameter, not numbered. It is to be noted that the described arrangement of

ports

22 and 23 lends to simplified coring if the body 15 is molded by the injection method.

The inner end surface of the body 15 serves as a valve seat for a circular flexible valve element 24 which is secured to said end surface between the

ports

22 and 23. As best shown in FIGURE 6, the end of the valve body 15 may be notched, at 25, to receive projections 26 on the inner face of the element 24 for locating a length of adhesive 27 when applying the element to the body end.

The forward end of the lbody 15 has a rectangular recess 28 in alignment with the lower or liquid dispensing port 23 for slidably receiving a correspondingly shaped button 29 on the end of a push bar 30 received in the length of said port. The recess 28 also serves as a lateral discharge opening. The bar 30 is relatively thin but is of a width nearly equal to the diameter of the discharge port 23. The inner end of the bar 30 is beveled in a direction so as to lift the outer portion of the element 24 first when the bar 30 is pressed thereagainst.

schematically shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and generally indicated by the numeral 31, there is a conventional gas injection unit including a gas pressure regulator. Such units are well known to the art, and the only modification required may be the size and/or the shape of the housing. Not necessarily conventional in such unit is a tubular projection 32 slidably received in the outer end of the gas injection port 22. A ring washer 33 may be provided around the projection 32. The unit 31 is removable but is in an upright position on the extended end of the valve body 15 when in operation. When pushing the projection 32 into the valve gas injection port 22, a forked locking piece 34 is secured in parallel transverse slots 35 on opposite sides of the body 15 to prevent inward movement of the latter. The same locking piece 34 is received in a vertical sleeve 36 on the back of the unit 31 and received in the same slots 35 on the body 15 to hold the said unit in a vertical position.

Liquid is dispensed from the container by means of a generally vertical lever 37 pivotally mounted on the lower front of the unit 31. As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the lever 37 is mounted on a pin 38 between ears 39 on the unit, and the lower end of the lever has a spring link 40 for connection with the button 29 on the end of the push rod 30. The inwardly extending end of the link 40 has a hook 41 for engagement in a notch 42 in the bottom of the button 29. The lever 37 may be spring loaded, not shown, at the pin 38 for normally maintaining the push rod 30 in its outward or off position. The flow of liquid is around the raised portion of the element 24, along the sides of the push rod 30, thence outwardly through the recess 28. The housing of the unit 31 includes a depending baille portion 43 to direct the dispensed liquid downwardly.

It is to be understood that the recharge-regulator unit 31 is to be reused, and that the container 10 and valve assembly in the sleeve 12 are to be thrown away after the liquid contents of the container have been used. The disposable parts would be difficult to clean and sterilize. When the container 10 and its liquid contents are in storage or transit, the disposable closure 14 is in place and gas pressure forces the valve body 15 thereagainst. When the closure is removedthe gas pressure moves the body 15 outwardly as shown in FIGURE 3.

By reason of the described construction and arrangement, a constant pressure is maintained in the container. Operation of the lever, which dispenses the liquid, reduces the container pressure. However, as soon as the pressure is reduced, the unit 31 automatically replenishes the same. The action of the valve element 24 over the inner end of the gas injection port 22 prevents loss of liquid prior to installing the recharge-regulating unit 31.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for liquids having gas pressure therein, a sleeve in a wall of said container providing an opening therein, avalve body slidably mounted in said sleeve, means limiting the movement of said body partially/ outwardly of said sleeve, a gas injection port extending through said body, valve means preventing outward flow through said gas injection port, a liquid dispensing port extending through said body, and manually operated valve means selectively controlling flow through said liquid dispensing port.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, and wherein said manually operated valve means is comprised of a check valve positioned inwardly of the outer end of said liquid dispensing port, and a push bar slidably mounted in said liquid dispensing port outwardly of said check valve.

3. The construction deined in claim 2, and including a lateral recess in said body in communication with and in alignment with said liquid dispensing port, a button on the outer end of said push bar, a transverse baffle at the outer end of said recess, a lever supported by said valve body when the same is in its extended position, and means linking said lever with said button.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, and including transverse parallel slots in the outer surface of said body just outwardly of said sleeve when said body is in its extended position, and a forked locking piece slidably engageable in said slots.

5. In combination with the construction defined in claim 1, a gas injection pressure regulator unit mounted on said body when the same is in its extended position, the discharge of said unit being connected with said gas injection port in said body.

6. The construction defined in claim 5, and including detachable means securing said gas injection pressure regulator unit in an upright position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,157,966 5/l939 Reisinger et al. 222-538 X 2,980,300 4/1961 Waddington et al. 222-538 X 3,039,656 6/1962 Wentz 222-538 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS HAVING GAS PRESSURE THEREIN, A SLEEVE IN A WALL OF SAID CONTAINER PROVIDING AN OPENING THEREIN, A VALVE BODY SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE, MEANS LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY PARTIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SLEEVE, A GAS INJECTION PORT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY, VALVE MEANS PREVENTING OUTWARD FLOW THROUGH SAID GAS INJECTION PORT, A LIQUID DISPENSING PORT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY, AND MANUALLY OPERATED VALVE MEANS SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING FLOW THROUGH SAID LIQUID DISPENSING PORT.