Keg adapter valve

Abstract

A valve member containing controlled gas and liquid passageways for admitting gas into a keg and for dispensing liquid therefrom through a relatively small opening is mounted on the inside of the keg in alignment with said opening. A tapper connector member is mounted on the outside of the keg and is connected to and in operative relationship with the valve member. Installing apparatus including an elongated jointed member with lead and trailing cables is employed for pulling the valve member into the keg through the bunghole and for maintaining it in position adjacent the aforementioned small opening while the tapper connector is being fastened thereto.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application has subject-matter relationship with my prior copending applications Ser. No. 222,910, filed Feb. 2, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,445; Ser. No. 378,856, filed July 13, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,626; and Ser. No. 385,358, filed Aug. 3, 1973 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,053.

BACKGROUND AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the siphoning art, and more particularly to a novel keg adapter valve and to apparatus for and a method of installing said adapter valve inside a keg having a relatively small dispensing opening, as for example, a "Peerless" beer keg. Although the present invention has utility in dispensing other liquids from other types of containers, it is especially useful with the aforementioned "Peerless" keg for admitting cleaning fluids into said keg and for dispensing beer therefrom, and it will be so described.

As referred to in the aforementioned copending applications, for many years the prevailing draft system for dispensing beer from kegs required a wooden cork which sealed an opening in one end of the keg, which cork was removed by the bartender who then inserted into the opening an elongated tap rod assembly which had a siphoning device associated therewith. Means were provided for injecting compressed air or carbon dioxide into the keg through the tap rod assembly, whereby the beer was driven out of the keg through the siphoning device to a spigot or faucet which controlled the flow of beer from the keg.

After all of the available beer had been withdrawn from the keg, the bartender would then remove the tap rod assembly and siphoning device from the spent keg and repeat the process with a full keg. Inasmuch as the same tap rod assembly and siphoning device were used over and over again, it was necessary for the bartender to frequently clean the unit in an effort to remove old yeast deposits and bacteria so as to avoid contaminating the beer in the fresh barrel.

Another problem with the aforementioned draft system was that the spent or empty kegs had an opening in the end thereof from which the cork had been removed, which opening permitted all kinds of foreign matter and things to enter the keg. Consequently, the cleaning of these kegs at the brewery prior to refilling was a laborious and costly process.

Being familiar with the aforementioned problems, I invented various beer tapping assemblies which include a keg adapter mounted in the keg and including a spring-biased valve which remain closed to prevent the escape of beer until a tapper was engaged with the adapter and actuated to cause a probe to unseat the aforementioned valve and to permit the beer to flow therefrom under pressure from a source or compressed air or carbon dioxide which was connected to the tapper.

Although these new forms of keg adapters and tappers constituted a considerable improvement over the prior beer tapping devices, they were not completely satisfactory, primarily because of the problems encountered with properly washing all of the various parts and passageways contained in the keg adapter, including the various coiled springs which maintained valves and parts in closed and in engaged positions.

A further problem with existing equipment was that it was often difficult for a woman bartender to properly engage the tapper with the keg adapter, and subsequently actuate the probe to tap the keg and release the beer.

Realizing the limitations of prior tapping equipment and of my own developments, I then invented a novel tapper usable with various types of keg adapter units, and a novel keg adapter valve which employs sets of permanent magnets for actuating valve members which are associated with the liquid and gas passageways and by means of which gas under pressure is admitted into the keg and beer is withdrawn therefrom. The tapper and various forms of keg adapter valves are shown and described in the aforementioned copending applications.

Persons familiar with the beer dispensing art know there are two main types of beer kegs in use at the present time, the "Golden Gate" keg which has a dispensing opening approximately 11/2 inches in diameter, and the "Peerless" keg which has a like opening approximately three-fourths of an inch in diameter. My aforementioned copending application Ser. No., 385,358, filed Aug. 3, 1973, shows and describes a keg adapter valve for use with the "Golden Gate" keg and in which the keg adapter is easily mounted in the keg by inserting it through the 11/2 inch opening from the outside of the keg.

Because of the size of a valve adapter body required to receive the aforementioned permanent magnets for actuating the gas and liquid valves, such a keg valve adapter could not be made of a size to be inserted through the three-fourths of an inch dispensing opening of a "Peerless" keg.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel keg adapter valve containing magnetic valve actuators, which can be used with a relatively small opening in the wall of a keg or the like, as for example, the three-fourths of an inch opening in the "Peerless" beer keg. More particularly, it is an object to provide such a keg adapter valve which can be mounted internally of the keg with the liquid and gas passageways in controlled communication with the three-quarter inch opening.

Another object is to provide such a keg adapter valve which has a valve body of the same general configuration as the valve body of my keg adapter valve which is used with the "Golden Gate" keg.

A further object is to provide a keg adapter valve for the "Peerless" beer keg, which is usable with my tapper unit now used with the keg adapter valve for the "Golden Gate" keg.

Yet another object is to provide apparatus for and a method of mounting the aforementioned valve body internally of the "Peerless" keg. More particularly, it is an object to provide apparatus and a method for inserting the valve body through the bunghole in the side wall of a "Peerless" keg and for guiding it to and maintaining it in engagement with the end wall which contains the small dispensing opening while it is being fastened in position.

I have discovered that the foregoing objects and advantages are achieved with a keg adapter valve assembly which includes a valve member with a central opening and a separate gas passageway, adapted to be mounted inside a keg with the central opening in alignment with the keg opening; a tapper connector member containing an open tubular portion which extends from outside of the keg, through the keg opening and into engagement with the valve member, with the tubular portion in alignment and communication with the central opening in the valve member; and an elongated tubular member containing a liquid passageway with associated valve, which extends through the tubular portion of the tapper connector and the central opening in the valve member, so as to be in communication with the interior of the keg in which the assembly is mounted.

The valve member is guided through the bunghole of the keg to a position inside the keg in alignment with the keg dispensing opening, where it is held in position while the tapper connector member is fastened thereto from outside of the keg, and the elongated tubular member containing the liquid passageway is then inserted through the tapper connector member and the valve member, to complete the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a keg adapter valve assembly embodying the teachings of the present invention, shown installed in the dispensing opening of a "Peerless" beer keg;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the aforementioned valve assembly;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4--4 in FIG. 1, showing only the tapper connector member;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5--5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6--6 in FIG. 5, showing only the valve member;

FIG. 7 is a schemetic, elevational view of a keg and the apparatus for mounting the keg adapter assembly in the dispensing opening, with a portion of the keg being cut away, and illustrating the first step in the method of installation which is a part of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical view of the upper portion of the keg, illustrating the second step in the method of installation;

FIG. 9 is also an enlarged, fragmentary view, partially in cross-section, of the dispensing opening portion of the keg, illustrating the third step in the method of installation;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 7, with a portion of the keg broken away, illustrating the fourth step in the method of installation;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 7, with a portion of a keg broken away, showing the keg adapter valve assembly installed in the keg; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom portion of the installing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, and particularly to FIG. 1, the number 14 indicates generally a keg adapter valve assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, shown installed in the dispensing opening of a "Peerless" beer keg 16 which includes an end wall 18 containing a cavity having a bottom wall portion 20 supporting a tubular portion 22 which defines a passageway 24 and which terminates at the top in an annular, laterally extending flange 26.

The keg adapter valve assembly comprises an external tapper connector member 28, an internal valve member 30 fastened to said connector, and a liquid passageway member 32 which is received in the tapper connector member and the valve member.

First considering the tapper connector member 28 (FIGS. 1-4), it is preferably made of stainless steel and is generally cylindrical in shape with an upper cylindrical cavity 34 having two diametrically opposed slots 36 at the upper edge thereof, each of which is in communication with a circumferentially extending tapered groove 38. These slots and grooves receive depending leg members (not shown) on the tapper unit which is shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 385,358, filed Aug. 3, 1973, whereby said tapper can be connected to the tapper connector member 28.

At the bottom of the cavity 34 is a horizontal wall 40 which contains four circumferentially spaced gas ports 42 which lead into radially extending grooves 44. As shown in FIG. 3, arcuate ridges 46 are provided on the underside of the wall 40 between said gas ports. An annular flange portion 48 depends from the outer periphery of the horizontal wall portion 40 to provide a bottom cavity, and an annular sealing washer 50 is positioned in said bottom cavity in engagement with the flange portion 26.

The bottom wall 40 also contains an opening at the center thereof and a tubular portion 52 depends from the wall 40 in registry with said opening, the bottom end of said tubular portion containing external threads 54. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer surface of the tubular portion 52 is spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the tubular portion 22 to provide a gas passageway 55 therebetween which is in communication with the gas ports 42 and connecting grooves 44.

Referring next to the internal valve member 30 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 6), it is preferably made from a plastic material such as polyterephthalate (Eastman Chemical Products PTMP-6 PRO), which can withstand caustic cleaning materials, and includes an upper cylindrical hub portion 56 with an upper wall 58. The wall 58 supports a peripheral, vertically extending flange 60 which contains an annular groove 62 for receiving an O-ring 64 which is in sealing engagement with the bottom wall portion 20 of the keg cavity (FIG. 1). The flange 60 and the upper surface of the wall 58 define a shallow cavity 66 which is in communication with the aforementioned gas passageway 55.

A central opening 68 extends through the wall 58, the upper portion of which is relieved to receive an internally threaded metal bushing 70 which engages the threaded bottom portion 54 of the tapper connector member. An annular groove 72 is contained in the opening 68 at the bottom end of the bushing 70, for a purpose to appear.

Depending from the cylindrical hub portion are two diametrically opposed leg portions 74 (FIG. 5), each of which contains a central gas passageway 76 which extends through the hub portion 56 and which has the upper end thereof in communication with the shallow cavity 66, which, as previously mentioned, is in communication with the gas passageway 55.

A gas valve seat 78 is contained in each gas passageway adjacent the upper end thereof, for engagement by a gas valve member 80 which contains a plurality of vertical extending ridges and grooves to provide for the flow of gas around it when it is in the open position.

Received in each gas passageway is an elongated cylindrical permanent magnet 82 which functions as a valve actuator and which is in sliding engagement with the inner surface of the gas passageway 76, the magnet 82 being preferably nickel-plated and polished to reduce friction. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end of the permanent magnet 82 is in engagement with the valve member 80. Downward movement of each valve actuator magnet 82 is limited by a pin 84 which extends across the passageway 76. A gas port 86 is provided in the wall of each leg portion below the gas valve member 80, said port being in communication with the upper portion of the gas passageway when the gas valve member 80 is spaced from the valve 78 in the open position.

Associated with each magnet valve actuator 82 is a set of two elongated cylindrical permanent magnets 88 which are embedded in passageways molded in the leg portions, the ends of said passageways being enclosed by plugs 90 which are cemented in position. These stationary magnets 88 are substantially parallel with the movable magnet 82 and are spaced an equal-distance therefrom. Also, the ends of the permanent magnets are offset as shown in FIG. 6, with the upper ends of both stationary magnets 88 being above the upper end of the movable magnet 82 when the gas valve member 80 is in the closed position. The upper ends of the stationary magnets 88 are of the same polarity and are opposite in polarity to the polarity of the upper end of the movable magnet 82, whereby the latter is urged upwardly toward the upper ends of the stationary magnets and toward the closed valve position.

Referring next to the liquid passageway member 32 (FIG. 1), it is preferably made of stainless steel and includes a tubular body portion 92 which provides a liquid passageway, and which has a tubular bayonet fitting 94 fastened to the upper end thereof to provide an internal liquid valve seat 96. The upper end of the fitting 94 has an external annular groove which receives an O-ring 97. A spring retaining member 99 is received in an external groove in the upper part of the tubular body portion, for a purpose to appear.

Adjacent the lower end of the body portion is a relatively large external groove which receives an O-ring 98 of a relatively large thickness, and below it is another external groove which receives a smaller O-ring 100, the latter providing a fluid seal between the tubular body portion and the inner wall of the central opening 68 of the valve member.

Fastened in the bottom end of the tubular body portion 92, as by a press fit, is a tubular fitting 102 which has the upper end of a siphon tube 104 fastened thereto. The fitting 102 has an external groove which receives a sealing O-ring 105, and opposed liquid ports 106 are provided in the upper end of said fitting for a purpose to appear.

Extending upwardly from the upper end of the fitting 102 is a tubular extension 108 which slidably receives a cylindrical permanent magnet actuator 110 which is also preferably nickel-plated and polished to reduce friction, the upper end of said magnet supporting a liquid valve member 112 for engagement with the liquid valve seat 96. As shown in FIG. 1, the tubular extension is smaller in diameter than the tubular body portion 92 to provide an annular spaced therebetween, which functions as the liquid passageway by means of which beer is dispensed from the keg . . . and washing fluid enters the keg during the cleaning operation.

The polarity at the upper end of the movable magnet actuator 110 is opposite to the polarity of the upper ends of the two sets of stationary magnets 88, whereby the upper end of the magnet actuator 110 is "repelled" to yieldably bias the liquid valve member 112 toward the closed position. The axis of the movable magnet 110 is substantially parallel with the axes of the stationary magnets 88, and, as indicated in FIG. 5, the four stationary magnets 88 are equi-distant from the magnet actuator 110, as well as being equi-distant from the magnet actuators 82 for the two gas valve members 80.

The operation of the keg adapter valve 14 for the introduction of cleaning fluid into the keg and the operation thereof for the dispensing of beer in association with my novel tapper member is similar to the operation of the adapter valve shown and described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 385,358, filed Aug. 3, 1973, and, accordingly, that description is incorporated herein by reference.

As referred to above, the size of the actuator magnets and the stationary magnets associated therewith make it impractical to install the valve member 30 through the three-quarter inch dispensing passageway of a "Peerless" keg. Accordingly, I have invented novel apparatus for and a method of installing the valve member through the bunghole of a "Peerless" keg, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 11.

The installation apparatus includes a length of flexible lead cable 114 which has a handle 116 at the outer end thereof and a slotted receiver member 118 of a quick connect-and-disconnect assembly at the inner end.

The bayonet portion 120 of the assembly is mounted on one end of a rigid tubular upper arm 122, the other end of which is pivotally connected at 124 to a similar tubular lower arm 126.

The quick connect-and-disconnect assembly can take different forms, the primary criteria being that the bayonet portion 120 is small enough to pass through the central opening 68 of the valve member 30 (FIG. 1) and through the tubular portion 52 of the tapper connector member 28 (FIG. 4).

Fastened to the lower end of the lower arm 126 is a rectangular support plate 128 which is of a width to pass between the space-apart depending leg portions 74 (FIG. 5) of the valve member 30, but which has a length greater than the space between said leg portions. A flexible trailing cable 130 has one end thereof fastened to the support plate 128 and the other end contains a disc 132 which is slightly larger than the bunghole of the keg.

To install the keg adapter valve assembly 14 in the dispensing opening of the "Peerless" keg 16, the slotted receiver portion 118 of the connector and the lead cable 114 are inserted through the tubular portion 22 of the keg dispenser opening (FIG. 7) and into the keg. To withdraw the slotted receiver portion 118 through the bunghole, a wire hook 134 is inserted through the bunghole 136 to engage the lead cable 114 and thereby pull the bottom portion of said cable and the slotted receiver portion 118 out of the keg.

The valve member 30 is then placed over the bayonet portion 120 of the upper arm 122 with the leg portions 74 of the valve member 30 depending downwardly, and said valve member slipped over the lower arm 126 until the aforementioned leg portions 74 straddle the support plate 128.

The bayonet portion 120 of the connector is then inserted in the slotted receiver portion 118, and, by pulling on the handle 116, the aforementioned assembly is pulled through the bunghole 136 and through the tubular portion 22 until the O-ring 64 (FIG. 1) engages the bottom wall portion 20 of the keg cavity (FIG. 8). In this position, the disc 132 is received in the bunghole 136 to prevent the trailing cable 130 from passing completely into the interior of the keg.

As shown in FIG. 8, the slotted receiver 118 of the connector is disengaged from the bayonet portion 120 and the tapper connector member 128 slipped over the bayonet portion 120, the upper arm 122 and the lower arm 126, and until the external threads 54 (FIG. 4) begin to engage the internal threads of the bushing 70.

The upper arm 122 is then turned to a right-angle position as shown in FIG. 9, and, while being maintained in that position, the tapper connector member 28 is threaded into engagement with the aforementioned bushing 70 until the washer 50 (FIG. 1) is held tightly between the flange 26 and the wall of the connector member 28 opposite thereto, and the O-ring 64 is in fluid tight engagement with the wall portion 20.

The upper arm 122 is then moved to the vertical position and the two arms pushed downwardly through the tubular portion 52, and, at the same time, the operator pulls on the disc 132 to remove the trailing cable 130 and the arms 122 and 126 through the bunghole 136, as shown in FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, the bottom end of the siphon tube 104 which has the liquid passageway member 32 mounted on the upper end thereof, is inserted downwardly through the tubular portion 52 of the tapper connector member 28, until the O-ring 98 is received in the annular groove 72. In this position, the spring retainer member 99 adjacent the upper end of the tubular member 92 engages the upper end of the tubular portion 52, thereby limiting any further downward movement of the passageway member 32.

The keg adapter valve assembly 14 with the siphon tube 104 is thereby securely installed in the dispensing opening of the keg, as illustrated in FIG. 11. In this assembled position, with both the liquid valve member and the gas valve members being maintained in the closed position by the magnet actuators, the keg 16 can be filled through the bunghole 136 in the conventional manner, and the bunghole closed with a wooden bung 138.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided a novel keg adapter valve and apparatus for and method of installing the same in a "Peerless" keg, which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor.

Claims

I claim:

1. A keg adapter valve assembly for installation in a keg which includes a wall portion having inner and outer surfaces and containing a dispensing opening with an inner periphery in said wall portion, comprising:

A valve member to be mounted internally of the keg with an outer end which contains means for sealing engagement with the inner surface of the wall portion adjacent the dispensing opening of a keg in which it may be mounted;

a generally central opening extending through the valve member from the outer end thereof for alignment with the dispensing opening of the keg;

a gas passageway separate from said central opening and extending through the valve member from said outer end;

normally closed valve means in communication with said gas passageway;

a tapper connector member for mounting externally of a keg at the dispensing opening in the wall portion thereof and including an inner end having means for holding engagement with cooperating holding means at the outer end of the valve member, said tapper connector member containing a passageway extending therethrough which is in alignment with the dispensing opening and the central opening in the valve member when the latter and the tapper connector member are in holding engagement and positioned on opposite sides of the wall portion of a keg and forms a continuous passage with the central opening in the valve member.

an elongated tubular member containing a liquid passageway therethrough, dimensioned for insertion from the outside of the keg, through the passageway in the tapper connector member, the dispensing opening in the wall portion of the keg and the generally central opening of the valve member, and into assembled holding engagement with at least one of said members; and

normally closed liquid valve means in said liquid passageway.

2. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the elongated tubular member includes means for maintaining it in a predetermined axial position relative to the tapper connector member and the valve member when the latter are in holding engagement.

3. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the maintaining means includes an O-ring and a retaining member carried by the elongated tubular member in spaced apart relationship.

4. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 2, in which the maintaining means is carried on the elongated tubular member and includes an O-ring to be received in a groove in the valve member and a retaining member to engage a shoulder on the tapper connector member.

5. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the outer end of a siphon tube is connected to the inner end of the elongated tubular member in communication with the liquid passageway therethrough.

6. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 5, in which the valve member contains two, spaced apart leg portions to receive the siphon tube therebetween.

7. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which: the inner end of the tapper connector is of tubular configuration and is spaced inwardly of the periphery of the dispensing opening of a keg in which the valve member and the tapper connector member may be mounted to provide a gas passageway in communication with the gas passageway through the valve member.

8. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 7, in which the outer end of the tapper connector member contains a generally cylindrical cavity with an inner wall and gas ports are provided in said wall in communication with the gas passageway between the tubular portion of the tapper connector and the periphery of the dispensing opening of the keg in which the members may be mounted.

9. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 8, in which the outer end of the elongated tubular member extends above the wall of said cavity when the members are in the assembled relationship.

10. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the inner end of the tapper connector member contains external threads for engagement with internal threads contained in the outer portion of the central opening of the valve member.

11. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the elongated tubular member carries an O-ring to be received in an annular groove in one of the tapper connector member and the valve member for maintaining said tubular member in holding engagement therewith.

12. A keg valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the valve member contains two gas passageways, each of which is contained in a leg portion which extends from the outer end portion of the valve member, said leg portions being spaced apart to provide a transversely extending passageway therebetween.

13. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the valve member contains two spaced apart leg portions which define a transversally-extending passageway therebetween which is in communication with said central opening in the valve member.

14. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the valve means in communication with the gas passageway includes a valve member and valve member actuating means, said actuating means including a movable permanent magnet positioned in an actuator passageway in the valve member.

15. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 14, in which said valve member actuating means further includes two stationary magnets positioned on opposite sides of said actuator passageway.

16. A keg adapter valve assembly according to claim 1, in which the valve member contains two gas passageways on opposite sides of the central opening, and the valve means in communication with each gas passageway includes a valve member and a valve actuator, said actuator comprising a movable permanent magnet positioned in an actuator passageway in the valve body.