KEG TAPPING DEVICE

• US 3,599,843 A
• Filed: 04/14/1969
• Issued: 08/17/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Draft Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mack S. Johnston
• Inventors: Johnston, Mack S.
• Application Number:
  US04/815,542
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• US Class Current: 222/399
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0802 Dip tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0832 with two valves disposed concentrically

Abstract

Disclosed is a tapping device for beer kegs and the like including a keg adapter semipermanently secured within the keg opening and a coupler releasable secured to the adapter. The adapter includes a axially movable subassembly containing gas and liquid passages and gas and liquid valves in the respective passages. The coupler includes liquid and gas passages and a depending probe for displacing the subassembly and thereby opening the liquid and gas valves whereby gas under pressure is communicated into the keg and liquid is withdrawn therefrom.

Claims

1. A keg adapter for semipermanent installation in the opening in one of the walls of a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls whereby the keg adapter seals the keg about the opening and provides for withdrawal of liquid from the keg, comprising:

a generally tubular body receivable in the keg opening and having gas and liquid passages for respectively permitting ingress of gas into the keg and withdrawal of liquid from the keg, a tubular member coaxially located in said tubular body and having a reduced diameter as to define an annular portion of said gas passage between said body and said member, means carried by said body for mounting said member for axial movement between first and second positions, a gas valve in said gas passage cooperable with said member for sealing said gas passage when said member lies in said first position and for opening said gas passage when said member lies in said second position, said mounting means including means biasing said member into said first position to maintain said gas valve in a normally closed position, said member being movable into said second position to open said gas valve, said member having at least a portion of said liquid passage extending therethrough, a normally closed liquid valve carried by said member in said liquid passage portion, a siphon tube carried by said member in communication with said liquid passage, said siphon tube being movable with said member, and a gas check valve carried by said body for preventing liquid flow into said gas passage when the pressure in the keg exceeds the gas pressure, said check valve comprising a flexible sleeve secured about the inner end of said body and having an annular formation adjacent its lower end about said siphon tube, said annular formation being spaced from said siphon tube to normally permit gas flow into the keg, said member carrying an annular valve seat about the lower end thereof, said annular formation being sealingly engageable against said annular valve seat in response to pressure in the keg in excess of the gas pressure.

2. A keg adapter according to claim 1 wherein said valve sleeve has a plurality of elongated slits spaced thereabout for permitting flow of gas into the keg.

3. A keg adapter according to claim 1 wherein said annular formation is axially spaced from said annular seat when said member lies in said second position, said flexible valve being collapsible in response to pressures in the keg in excess of the gas pressure to displace said annular formation into sealing engagement against said annular valve seat.

4. A keg adapter for semipermanent installation in the opening in one of the walls of a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls whereby the keg adapter seals the keg about the opening and provides for withdrawal of liquid from the keg, comprising:

a generally tubular body receivable in the keg opening and having gas and liquid passages for respectively permitting ingress oF gas into the keg and withdrawal of liquid from the keg, a tubular member coaxially located in said tubular body and having a reduced diameter as to define an annular portion of said gas passage between said body and said member, means carried by said body for mounting said member for axial movement between first and second positions, a gas valve in said gas passage cooperable with said member for sealing said gas passage when said member lies in said first position and for opening said gas passage when said member lies in said second position, said mounting means including means biasing said member into said first position to maintain said gas valve in a normally closed position, said member being movable into said second position to open said gas valve, said member having at least a portion of said liquid passage extending therethrough, a normally closed liquid valve carried by said member in said liquid passage portion, said mounting means including a polygonally shaped insert having a central bore, and means for retaining said insert coaxially within said body adjacent the outer end thereof with the sidewalls of said insert and said body defining portions of said gas passage in communication with said annular gas passage portion, the outer end portion of said tubular member being slidably received in the central bore of said insert.

5. A keg adapter according to claim 4 wherein said liquid valve comprises an annular valve seat carried by said member and spaced axially inwardly of said insert, a valve element, a spring engaging between said member and said element biasing said element into sealing engagement against said seat, a tubular extension slideably received in said tubular member and engageable with said valve element, said extension being movable axially from a first position to a second position to open said liquid valve when in said second position and means for normally retaining said extension in said first position.

6. A keg adapter according to claim 5 wherein the outer ends of said member and said insert lie substantially in a common plane normal to the axis of said adapter, said member having an inwardly directed shoulder axially inset from the outer end thereof for engagement with a probe, the outer end of said extension lying intermediate the outer end of said member and the shoulder carried thereby when said extension lies in its first position.

7. A keg adapter according to claim 4 wherein said biasing means includes a spring engaging between said body and said member for urging said member in an axially outward direction, said tubular member including a shoulder portion engageable against said insert when said member lies in said first position to retain said member in said body against axial outward movement.

8. A keg adapter for installation in a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls with an aperture in at least one keg wall, whereby the adapter seals said keg and provides means for removal of liquid therefrom, said keg adapter being characterized in that it comprises:

a generally cylindrical body adapted to be received in said keg aperture, means for securing said body to the keg, means for providing a seal between the exterior of said body and the keg in which said adapter is installed, a sleeve carried by said body for axial movement between first and second positions, said sleeve defining a gas passage between said sleeve and said body for permitting gas to flow from the outside of said keg to the inside thereof, a gas valve in said gas passage and cooperable between said body and said sleeve to seal said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said first position and to open said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said second position, means for normally retaining said sleeve in said first position, said sleeve further defining a central liquid passage bypassing said gas passage to permit passage of liquid from the interior of said keg to the exterior thereof, a valve seat and a valve element in said sleeve, means carried by Said sleeve for resiliently biasing said valve element against said valve seat to normally close said liquid passage, a siphon tube means connected with the interior end portion of the liquid passage in said body, and an insert in said body adjacent the outer end thereof, said retaining means including a spring engaging between said body and said sleeve for urging the latter in an axially outwardly direction into said first position engaging said insert, said insert being adapted to preclude further outward axial movement of said sleeve, said insert having a central bore and a polygonally shaped cross section respectively defining a portion of said liquid passage through said bore and portions of said gas passage between the sidewalls of said insert and said body, a portion of said sleeve being slidably received within the central bore of said insert.

9. A keg adapter according to claim 8 wherein the sidewalls of said insert have axially extending grooves for enlarging the flow passage between said sidewalls and said body.

10. A keg adapter according to claim 8 wherein said body has a radially inwardly directed rim adjacent the outer end thereof, said rim having a plurality of notches spaced circumferentially, the corner edges of said polygonally shaped insert being received through said notches when said insert is inserted through the outer end of said body, means cooperating between said insert and said body to prevent axial inward movement of said insert when in said body, and a ring received through the outer end of said body and engageable between the under face of said rim and said insert to retain said insert in said body.

11. A keg adapter according to claim 8 wherein said valve seat and said valve element are spaced axially from said insert, a coaxial tubular extension slidably carried within said sleeve for axial movement between first and second positions, means for biasing said extension into said first position, said extension being engageable at its inner end with said valve element to open said valve in response to axial movement thereof into said second position.

12. A keg adapter according to claim 11 wherein the upper end faces of said sleeve and said insert are substantially coterminal adjacent the outer end of said body, a radially inwardly directed shoulder on said sleeve, axially inset from the outer end thereof, the outer end of said extension being located intermediate the outer end of said sleeve and said shoulder whereby a probe receivable in said sleeve first engages said extension to axially displace the latter to open the liquid valve and then engages said shoulder to open said gas valve.

13. A keg adapter for installation in a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls with an aperture in at least one keg wall, whereby the adapter seals said keg and provides means for removal of liquid therefrom, said keg adapter being characterized in that it comprises:

a generally cylindrical body adapted to be received in said keg aperture, means for securing said body to the keg, means for providing a seal between the exterior of said body and the keg in which said adapter is installed, a sleeve carried by said body for axial movement between first and second positions, said sleeve defining a gas passage between said sleeve and said body for permitting gas to flow from the outside of said keg to the inside thereof, a gas valve in said gas passage and cooperable between said body and said sleeve to seal said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said first position and to open said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said second position, means for normally retaining said sleeve in said first position, said sleeve further defining a central liquid passage bypassing said gas passage to permit passage of liquid from the interior of said keg to the exterior thereof, a valve seat and a valve element in said sleeve, means carried by said sleeve for resiliently biasing said valve element against said valve seat to normally close said liquid passage, siphon tube means connected with the interior end portion of the liquid passage in said body, and a flexible gas check valve carried by said body and about said siphon tube for valving said gas passageway to the interior of said keg.

14. A keg adapter for semipermanent installation in the opening of one of the walls of a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls whereby the keg adapter seals the keg about the opening and provides for withdrawal of liquid from the keg, comprising:

a generally tubular body receivable in the keg opening and having gas and liquid passages for respectively permitting ingress of gas into the keg and withdrawal of liquid from the keg, a tubular member coaxially located in said tubular body and having a reduced diameter as to define an annular portion of said gas passage between said body and said member, means carried by said body for mounting said member for axial movement between first and second positions, a normally closed gas valve in said gas passage cooperable with said member for sealing said gas passage when said member lies in said first position and for opening said gas passage when said member lies in said second position, said mounting means including means biasing said member into said first position to maintain said gas valve in a normally closed position, said member being movable into said second position to open said gas valve, said member having at least a portion of said liquid passage extending therethrough, and a normally closed liquid valve carried by said member in said liquid passage portion including a valve seat carried by said member, a movable valve element, and a spring engaging between said member and said element for biasing said element into sealing engagement against said seat.

15. A keg adapter according to claim 14 wherein said gas valve includes an annular sealing ring about said member engageable with said body when said member lies in said first position, said ring being spaced from said body when said member lies in said second position.

16. A keg adapter according to claim 14 wherein said biasing means and said spring respectively urge said member and said valve element in like axial directions, the force exerted on said valve element by said spring being less than the force exerted on said member by said biasing means.

17. A keg adapter according to claim 14 wherein said gas valve precludes flow into and out of the keg when said member lies in said first position, and a gas check valve carried by said adapter for permitting flow through said gas passage in one direction only.

18. A keg adapter according to claim 14 including a siphon tube carried by said member in communication with said liquid passage, said siphon tube being movable with said member.

19. A keg adapter according to claim 14 together with a coupler unit comprising a cylindrical head, a tubular probe coaxially carried by said head and having a reduced diameter defining an annular gas passage between said probe and head, said probe having a liquid passage therethrough, means for coupling said coupler unit to said keg adapter with the liquid and gas passages in said coupler unit lying in respective communication with the liquid and gas passages in said keg adapter, and means on said probe for engaging said member in said first position to displace the latter into said second position.

20. A keg adapter according to claim 19 including means carried by said probe for opening said liquid valve, said opening means and said engaging means carried by said probe and said liquid valve and said member being arranged such that said liquid valve is at least partially opened by said probe when said probe engages said member in said first position.

21. A keg adapter according to claim 14 wherein the keg wall has a laterally outwardly projecting flange spaced from the one wall including collar means releasably engageable with said body for securing said keg adapter within the keg opening, said collar means including a ring having a laterAlly inwardly extending projection for underlying the keg flange.

22. A keg adapter according to claim 23 wherein the outer ends of said member and said insert lie substantially in a common plane normal to the axis of said adapter, said member having a radially inwardly directed shoulder axially inset from the outer end thereof for engagement with said probe, the outer end of said extension lying intermediate the outer end of said member and the shoulder carried thereby whereby said probe first engages said extension to open said liquid valve and then said member to open said gas valve.

23. A keg adapter according to claim 19 wherein said valve seat carried by said member is spaced axially from the outer end of said member, a tubular extension slidably received in said tubular member and engageable with said valve element, said extension being axially movable from a first position to a second position to displace said valve element against the bias of said spring and thereby open said liquid passage, and means on said probe for engaging said tubular extension and displacing the latter into said second position.

24. A keg adapter for installation in a keg having top, bottom and sidewalls with an aperture in at least one keg wall, whereby the adapter seals said keg and provides means for removal of liquid therefrom, said keg adapter being characterized in that it comprises:

a generally cylindrical body adapted to be received in said keg aperture, means for securing said body to the keg, means for providing a seal between the exterior of said body and the keg in which said adapter is installed, a sleeve carried by said body for axial movement between first and second positions, said sleeve defining a gas passage between said sleeve and said body for permitting gas to flow from the outside of said keg to the inside thereof, a normally closed gas valve in said gas passage and cooperable between said body and said sleeve to seal said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said first position and to open said gas passage when said sleeve lies in said second position, said sleeve further defining a central liquid passage bypassing said gas passage to permit passage of liquid from the interior of said keg to the exterior thereof, a valve seat and a valve element in said sleeve, said valve element being movable independently of said sleeve, means carried by said sleeve for resiliently biasing said valve element against said valve seat to normally close said liquid passage, and siphon means connected with the interior end portion of the liquid passage in said body.

25. A keg adapter according to claim 24 including an insert in said body adjacent the outer end thereof, said retaining means including a spring engaging between said body and said sleeve for urging the latter in an axially outwardly direction into said first position engaging said insert, said insert being adapted to preclude further outward axial movement of said sleeve.

26. A keg adapter according to claim 24 wherein the keg wall has a laterally outwardly projecting flange spaced from the one wall including collar means releasably engageable with said body for securing said keg adapter within the keg opening, said collar means including a ring having a laterally inwardly extending projection for underlying the keg flange.