Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-10
2001-10-30
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Fluid pressure
C222S542000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308869
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to kegs used in the pressurised dispensation of beer and other liquids.
Conventionally a keg has a neck, that is to say a tubular extension often from one end face of a generally cylindrical keg body, and a spear which is assembled into that neck. The neck may carry a female screw-thread and the spear have a complementary male thread, or alternatively the spear may be held in the neck by a circlip (RTM). The spear includes a tube which extends inside the keg generally from the neck to a point close to the opposite end face of the keg.
When liquid is dispensed, two valves in the spear open, one to admit the pressurising gas and the other to allow discharge of the liquid. When the keg is to be filled, it is usually inverted and the same valves may be opened to different extents in this case to allow liquid to be admitted through one of the valves and gas to be discharged through the other of the valves.
The problem in the well known and conventional arrangements is that if any attempt is made to remove the spear whilst the keg is pressurised, it may end up being blown out when it is a potentially dangerous missile.
The object of the present invention is primarily to avoid the mentioned danger and secondarily to provide for rapid filling of a keg so that in, for example a brewery filling plant, a smaller number of filling stations may be needed for unit output, whilst at the same time being compatible with conventional filling apparatus.
According to the invention considered broadly, a keg for storing and dispensing pressurised liquid comprises a spear permanently fixed in the wall of the keg without a surrounding neck.
This broadest aspect of the invention provides the increase in storage capacity or reduction in space because of the absence of neck and because the spear is permanently fixed it cannot form a missile because it cannot be detached. However, the spear requires moving parts in order to be shifted from a storage mode to a dispensing mode or a filling mode and the provision of such parts in a manner in which they cannot form a missile if interfered with is a subject of a further part of this invention.
According to this further part of the invention a spear primarily for a neckless keg comprises a body apt to be permanently secured to the keg, an axial flow passage formed in a spear tube, a poppet valve controlling flow through the tube, a radially outwardly located flow passage in or defined by said body, a second valve for controlling flow through said outwardly located passage, and means for preventing movement of said tube in the direction outwards of the keg when the body is so secured.
The spear (using this term for the complete assembly) or the body of the spear may be secured to the wall of the keg by welding.
The word “primarily” is used hereinbefore because of the possibility that the invention be could utilised in a necked keg although not originally devised therefore.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3776260 (1973-12-01), Ruddick
patent: 5713496 (1998-02-01), Ipsen
patent: 5833098 (1998-11-01), Gomi
patent: 0025 682 A (1981-03-01), None
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patent: 0734999 A1 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 2 267 252 A (1975-11-01), None
patent: 1281573 (1972-07-01), None
patent: 215917 A (1984-03-01), None
patent: 7 704 708 A (1978-10-01), None
Kaufman Joseph A.
Marshall Gerstein & Borun
Spears Limited
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