US3447558A - Tap assembly for beer kegs - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1969 F. P. CSERNY TAP ASSEMBLY FOR BEER KEGS Filed Aug. 4, 1967 IIIIIIIIII i"""` Fig. 3

Fred Cserny INVENTOR.

l, wywayzf/alm United States Patent O 3,447,558 TAP ASSEMBLY FOR BEER KEGS Fred P. Cserny, 927 N. 7th St., Allentown, Pa. 18101 Filed Aug. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 658,523 Int. Cl. B67d 5/54; F04f 1/00; B65d 83/00 U.S. Cl. 137-212 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tap assembly for beer kegs to facilitate the gas pressurized dispensing of beer by providing a simplified means of coaxially introducing pressurized gas into and withdrawing pressurized beer from kegs. The tap assembly comprises a unitary tap tube having an axially bored spool bushing of suicient length to normally have its top ange outside of the Wall of the keg and its bottom flange within the keg whereby pressurizing gas introduced into the annular chamber between the ilanges through a suitable tting, passes outwardly from the annular spool chamber through a suitable aperture in the tap tube into the head space in the keg. The beer so pressurized is forced upwardly through the tap tube, axial bore in the spool bushing and outwardly through a suitable discharge outlet fitting to a conventional bar spigot. The lower end of the tap tube is provided with a radially perforated, removably secured, end plug adapted to axially displace a bung plug as the tap tube is urged downwardly through a tap nut assembly removably secured to the keg. The beer outlet 4litting is provided with lock ears which cooperate with complementary slots on the tap nut assembly to secure the tap tube against displacement from its normal position within the keg by virtue of the pressure within the keg.

The present invention relates to an improved tap assembly for beer kegs and more particularly to a tap assembly having a tap tube provided with means for coaxialy introducing pressurized gas into and removing beer from a keg with which the device is removably associated.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simplified improved tap assembly for beer kegs which may be readily maintained in a sanitary condition.

Another object of the present -invention is -to provide an improved construction for a tap assembly for beer kegs wherein the assembly may be operatively positioned on conventional beer kegs without requiring the structural modification of the kegs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved tap assembly for beer kegs wherein the lower end of a tap tube is provided with a radially apertured closure plug adapted to preclude the blocking of the apertures in the plug when the tap tube displaces a resilient plug that is temporarily sealing lthe tap bung of a keg.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tap assembly for beer kegs wherein a tap tube comprising a portion of the assembly may be rapidly and sealingly seated in operative position with the lower portion of the tap tube within the keg without causing any significant frothing of the beer or spraying of beer outwardly from the ykeg around the tap tube during tapping of the keg.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had -to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view of a beer dispensing 3,447,558 Patented June 3, 1969 system illustrating the operative placement of an exemplary embodiment of a tap assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top elevational view of the tap assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical medial cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the tap assembly taken substantially along the plane of the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssectional medial vertical view of the tap assembly taken substantially along the plane of the line 4 4 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged medial crosssectional view of a portion of the lower end of the tap assembly taken substantially along the plane of the line 5 5 of FIGURE 1; and

yFIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view, in reduced scale, of a portion of the tap nut assembly utilized to secure the present tap assembly to the flanged tap plug of a conventional beer keg.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and FIGURE l in particular, it will be seen that an exemplary embodiment of a tap assembly indicated generally at 10 is primarily intended to comprise a component of a gas pressurized beer dispensing system including a keg of beer 12, pressurizing gas cylinder 14, such as containing compressed carbon dioxide, and a conventional dispensing spigot 16. The gas pressurizing cylinder and spigot 16 are connected to the tap assembly 10 by suitable conduits 18 and 20 comprising a pressurizing gas inlet conduit and a pressurized beer outlet conduit respectively.

As vseen best in FIGURES 3 and 5, taken in consideration with FIGURE 1, the tap assembly 10 includes a tap nut assembly indicated generally at 22 adapted to be removably secured to a tap plug 24 comprising a portion Vof the conventional beer keg 12. The tap plug 24 is provided with diametrically opposed radial lugs 26, and a centrally disposed tap or bung hole indicated generally at 28 which prior to tapping of the keg 12 was temporarily sealed by a cork or other resilient stopper or bung. Referring once again to the tap nut assembly 22 it will be seen that it comprises an annular exteriorly knurled ring 30 having threads 32 on the interior thereof and terminating on its lower end with an inwardly disposed radial liange portion 34, which as seen best in FIGURE 6 is provided with diametrically opposed slots indicated at 36 for the reception of the lugs 26. A tap nut bushing 40 externally threaded as at 38 and provided with a centrally disposed tap tube receiving aperture indicated at 42 is threadably received in the tap nut ring 30. -In use, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter, a resilient washer 44, such as of neoprene or other suitable relatively inert resilient material, is interposed between the tap nut bushing 40 and the tap plug 24. As seen in FIGURE 4 the tap bushing 40 is provided with integral handles 46 being undercut as at y48 to provide suitable slots for the reception of lock lugs associated with a tap tube means indicated generally at 50. In addition, the tap bushing 40 is provided with an annular groove '52 for the reception of an O-ring 54, formed of a `suitably resilient inert material, so as to provide a radial seal for sealingly and slidingly engaging the tap tube assembly 50.

The tap tube assembly 50 includes a tap tube 56 having an outer diameter generally complementary to the tap hole 28. Thus it will be appreciated that the outer diameter of the tap tube 56 is just 4slightly less than the diameter of a conventional tap hole in a conventional beer keg such as the keg 12. The tap tube A56 is of suicient length to normally extend from a point adjacent the bottom of a keg to a point somewhat above the tap nut assembly 22. Adjacent its lower end, the tap tube 56 is provided with a radially apertured removably secured tap tube plug 58 having a plurality of apertures 60 extending from the radial surface of the plug 58 to the upper axial face 62. The upper portion Vof the radial surface lof the plug 58 is threaded as at 64 whereby it may be removably secured within suitable complementary threads provided on the lower interior radial surface of the tap tube S6. It will be understood that the outer diameter of the tap tube plug 58 would not normally be greater than the outer diameter of the tap tube 56 and that the lower edge of the tap tube plug '5S is preferably chamfered as at 66 to minimize wear of the O-ring 54.

Adjacent its upper end, the tap tube 56 is provided with an elongated spool bushing 68 having upper and lower radial flanges 70 and 72 respectively and a centrally disposed longitudinally extending bore 74. The flanges 70 and 72 are provided 4on their radial surfaces with annular grooves for the reception of O-rings 76 to facilitate sealingly seating and frictionally retaining the spool bushing 68 in the normal position as seen in FIG- URE 3. The upper end of the tap tube means 50 is provided with a pressurized beer outlet means including a downwardly opening generally cylindrical tap tube beer outlet cap 78 having a stepped bore indicated generally at 80 therein and including an vaxial annular shoulder 82 against which is sealingly seated the upper end of the tap tube 56. As seen best in FIGURE 3 the shoulder 82 extends inwardly a suiiicient distance to also provide a stop for the spool bushing 68. The outlet cap 7-8 is preferably sweated to the upper contiguous portion of the tap tube 56. On its lower axial face the outlet cap 78 is provided with a suitable annular groove for the reception of an O-ring seal 84 so as to provide an auxiliary seal means between the tap tube assembly 50 and the tap nut assembly 22.

The beer outlet 78 is further provided with an integral beer outlet nipple :86 adapted to be connected to the beer outlet conduit 20 with a conventional coupling means. Bef-ore discussing utilization of the tap assembly 10 of the present invention it will be noted that assembly of the tap tube assembly `50 is accomplished by first integrally securing the outlet member 78 to the top of the tap tube 56 and then urging the spool bushing '68, with the O-rings 76 thereon, upwardly through the tap tube 56 until it comes to rest against shoulder 82 after which the tap tube plug S8 is threadably engaged. The device is constructed in this manner lto facilitate removal of the spool bushing 68, as -required for sanitary reasons, such as by utilization of a suitable hooked tool inserted through the bore 74 to engage the upper surface of the iiange 70 thus enabling withdrawal of the spool bushing 68 -through the lower end of the tap tube 56.

'Pressurizing fluid, such as carbon dioxide gas from the conduit 18 is introduced into the head space above the beer in the keg 12 through a pressurizing gas inlet valve indicated generally at 90 such as comprises a conventional check valve of the type utilized in pneumatic tire inflation stems and the like and wherein the body of the valve 90 is threadably received in a suitable threaded bore passing through the outlet 78 and contiguous Wa'll of the tap tube 56 so as to place the pressurizing gas conduit 18 in unidirectional fluid-How communicaltion with the annular chamber defined between the anges 70 and 72 of the spool bushing 68. *Pressurizing gas passing downwardly through the annular chamber discharges from the chamber and enters the head space above the beer, indicated at 94, through an aperture indicated at 96 in the wall of the tap tube '56. The aperture 96 is preferably positioned so as to be just beneath the tap plug 24 so as to insure that the pressurizing gas is introduced into the head space above the beer V94 and not into the beer 94. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that pressurizing gas entering through the conduit 18 is segregated from the beer discharging through the tap tube 56, bore 74 and outlet 78 by means of the sealingly but removably seated spool bushing 68.

In use, the tap nut assembly 22 is secured to the keg 12, and particularly the tap nut 24 by turning the tap nut bushing 40 in a counterclockwise rotational movement, as seen in FIGURE 3, by means of the handle 46 so as to permit engagement of the slots 36 of the tap nut ring 30 with the lugs 36 of the tap nut 24 after which the ring 30 is rotated in either direction a short distance so as to preclude disengagement of the ring 30 from the lugs 26. The tap nut bushing 40 is then rotated in a clockwise direction to draw the annular ilange 34 up against the lugs 26 and simultaneously sealingly compress the gasket 44 between the tap nut bushing 40 and tap plug 24. At this point it will be appreciated that the tap nut assembly is secured to the tap plug 25 and that a cork or resilient plug, not shown, is still in sealing engagement in the tap hole 28. The tap tube assembly 50, with the pressurizing gas conduit 18 and beer outlet conduits 20 connected thereto is quickly urged downwardly through the central bore 42 in the tape nut bushing 40 thereby urging the resilient stopper temporarily closing the tap hole 28 into the interior of the keg under the influence of the tap tube plug 58 being urged thereagainst. The tap tube assembly 50 is maintained against displacement, from the position shown in FIG- URE 3, by engaging the lugs 79 integral with the outlet 78 into the lock slots 48 defined beneath the inner ends of the handles 46 thereby sealingly seating the O-ring 84 to complete setup of the tap tube assembly. The lock Slots 48 are preferably angled so as to assist in urging the O- ring 84 against the upper surface of the tap bushing 40. Conversely, to release the assembly after depletion of the beer it is merely necessary to shut-ofi the pressurizing gas supply, rotate the lugs 79 out of the slots 58 and withdraw the tap tube after which the tap bushing 40 may be loosened to permit disengagement of the tap ring 30.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tap assembly for the pressurized dispensing of beer from kegs and the like which comprises, a tap tube means, said tap tube means including an elongated tap tube having a top and a bottom end, a downwardly opening generally tubular liquid outlet fitting including a stepped longitudinal bore having a downwardly disposed counterbore, said fluid outlet fitting having an axial shoulder at the upper end of said counterbore, the upper end of said tap tube being received within said counterbore and sealingly secured with the upper end thereof contiguous with said shoulder, a spool bushing having upper and lower flanges normally sealingly and removably seated in said tap tube with said upper flange contiguous with said axial shoulder, said spool bushing having a longitudinal bore therethrough communicating the interior of said tap tube below said bushing with said bore in said fluid outlet fitting, a pressurizing gas inlet valve means removably carried by said fluid outlet iitting and said tap tube and adapted to introduce pressurizing gas into an annular chamber defined by said spool bushing and said tap tube, means defining an aperture in said tap tube intermediate said tianges of said tap bushing whereby pressurizing gas in said annular chamber will be introduced into the head space of a beer keg and the like with which said tap assembly is associated, a tap nut assembly adapted to be removably secured to the tap plug of a beer keg t0 be tapped, said tap nut assembly including a tap nut ring adapted to removably engage the lock lugs of a keg tap plug, a tap nut bushing threadably received in said tap nut ring, said tap nut bushing being provided with an axial bore for the reception of said tap tube, a radial seal means in said bore in said tap nut bushing whereby saidA tap tube is sealiugly and slidingly received in said tap bushing bore and an axial seal means interposed between said tap nut bushing and the tap nut of a keg and the like with which said tap assembly is associated.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tap nut bushing is provided with a handle means to facilitate rotating said tap nut bushing relative to said tap ring.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said uid outlet tting is provided with at least one radially disposed outwardly projecting lug adjacent the lower end thereof and said tap nut bushing is provided with at least one lock lug slot adapted to releasably secure said uid outlet tting adjacent said tap nut bushing.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said iluid outlet tting is provided with an annular seal means on the downwardly disposed axial face thereof.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower flanges of said spool bushing are provided with annular resilient seals in the radial faces thereof.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bottom end of said tap tube is provided with a removably secured perforate tap tube plug.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said tap tube plug depends downwardly from said bottom end of said tap tube and includes at least one perforation communicating the exterior radial face of said tap tube plug with the interior of said tap tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,991,264 2/1935 Thomas 285-130 X 2,762,534 9/1956 Kish 285-130 X 3,156,252 11/1964 Johnston 137-212 ALAN COHAN, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R.

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