GB1577119A

GB1577119A - Container closure units

Info

Publication number: GB1577119A
Application number: GB3500177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GKN Sankey Ltd
Current assignee: Sankey Holding Ltd
Priority date: 1976-08-20
Filing date: 1977-08-19
Publication date: 1980-10-22

Description

(54) CONTAINER CLOSURE UNITS (71) We, GKN SANKEY LIMITED, a British Company of Hadley Castle Works, Telford, Salop Thl 1 4RE (formerly of Albert Street, Bilston, West Midlands), do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement.

This invention relates to valved closure units for containers. Such closure units are widely used in beer kegs and the units are arranged so that the containers may be emptied and filled through the closure units.

More specifically, the invention relates to a closure unit, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, which comprises a bush arranged to be received in an opening in a container or keg, the bush normally being externally threaded near one end for threaded insertion into an iternally threaded neck on the container, a downtube having a closed end and supported by the bush so that its other end can be located in the container and a valve member within the bush and surrounding the downtube, the valve member being spring loaded, when the unit is closed, into engagement with a seat on the bush and co-operating with ports on the downtube adjacent to the closed end thereof, the unit being opened by moving the valve member away from the seat against the spring loading.

According to the invention we provide a closure unit of the kind specified wherein the bush comprises a first annular metal part which has been formed by casting or hot stamping and which has, in one end, a counterbore; a second part in the form of a stainless steel tubular member held permanently and firmly in the counterbore and a sealant filling interstices between the first and second parts, the second part extending outwardly from the counterbore; wherein said seat comprises an internal flange on the second part of the bush and wherein the valve member includes a mass of resilient material having a convergent surface which engages the flange with substantially line contact when the unit is closed, the unit including a compression spring surrounding the downtube to provide the spring loading for the valve member and engaging at its one end an abutment, itself engaged with support means on the second part of the bush, and at its other end acting upon a guide member which transmits the spring force to the valve member, said guide member being separate from, and surrounding, the downtube and being dimensioned- with respect to the interior of the bush so as to move freely therein parallel to the longitudinal axis of the downtube but so as to guide the valve member when the latter is moving towards and away from its seat and prevent misalignment of the valve member and the seat, said guide member being shaped or apertured to permit passage of fluid past the guide member between the downtube and the bush.

The seat provided by the internal flange gives little or no guidance to the valve member as the latter moves into engagement with the seat. The guide member ensures that the valve member engages the seat centrally as the unit closes.

Preferably said mass of material makes line sealing contact with the downtube. The valve member preferably includes a washer of Z-shape in radial cross-section embedded in said mass of material and providing said guide member, the outer periphery of the washer co-operating with the interior of the bush to guide- the valve member.

A bush as used in the unit of the present invention is described and claimed in the Complete Specification of our Patent Application No. 12425/76. (cognate Nos.

34778/76 and 50660/76) (Serial No.

1 577 116) to which reference should be made.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section through a closure unit embodying the invention.

The closure unit there shown comprises a two-part bush comprising a flanged upper part 50, which is threadedly engaged in a container neck 51, and a lower tubular part 52 engaged with a snap-in and interference fit in the bush part 51. As described above, the part 50 is a metal casting or hot stamping and the part 52 is made of stainless steel.

The part 50 has a groove 50a and a rib 50b which interfit with a rib 52a and a groove 52b on the part 52. There is an interference fit between the rib 50b and the groove 52b. The upper part 53 of a downtube 54 has a flange 54a which forms a spring abutment and which fits with a bayonet connection into the lower tubular part 52 so as to rest on inset wall portions 52c at the end of the part. The lower part of the downtube is indicated at 55 and is threadedly received in a counterbore 56 in the part 53. The latter is closed at 57 and its upper end is provided with ports 58 therein adjacent the end 57. The ports 58 are located in an external annular recess 58a formed in the downtube and having smoothly rounded edges 58b. Ports 59 are also provided in the flange 54a.

A valve member 60 is slidable about the downtube and comprises a mass of rubber or similar resilient material 61 which is carried by a washer 62 of generally Z-shape in radial section. The washer has a central flange 63, a cylindrical portion 64 and a flat portion 65. The rubber member 61 encapsulates part of the washer 62 and a part of the rubber mass 61 has a conical or convergent surface 67 which engages with substantially line contact a seat 68 formed on an internal flange 68a of the tubular member 50. The flat part 65 of the washer has cut-outs 69 around its periphery to enable gas and beer to flow between the downtube and the bush. The internal periphery 70 of the valve member 60 engages the downtube part 53 with substantially line contact, above the ports 58 when the unit is closed and below the ports 58 when the unit is open. The rounded edges 58b prevent cutting of the resilient material of the valve member as it moves over the recess 58.

The closure unit is shown in its closed position. To open it, the valve member 60 is depressed by a cylindrical member, not shown, thus moving the valve member against a compression spring 70a (which biases the valve member to a closed position and engages the flange 54a) so that the ports 58 are exposed and an opening is provided between the seat 68 and the valve member. The interior of the cylindrical member is placed in communication with the interior of the downtube 54 through the ports 58 and fluid can flow around the cylindrical member and between the seat 68 and the valve member 60 and through the cutouts 69.

Because the seat 68 is formed by an internal flange as shown it gives little guidance to the valve member but this is guided by engagement of the periphery of the flat part 65 of the washer with the inner surface of the bore of the tubular member 52.

It will be seen that the invention provides improved guidance for the valve means in a closure unit of the kind specified.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A closure unit of the kind specified wherein the bush comprises a first annular metal part which has been formed by casting or hot stamping and which has, in one end, a counterbore; a second part in the form of a stainless steel tubular member held tending outwardly from the counterbore; and a sealant filling interstices between the first and second parts, the second part extending outwardly from the counterbore.

wherein said seat comprises an internal flange on the second part of the bush and wherein the valve member includes a mass of resilient material having a convergent surface which engages the flange with substantially line contact when the unit is closed, the unit including a compression spring surrounding the downtube to provide the spring loading for the valve member and engaging at its one end an abutment, itself engaged with support means on the second part of. the bush, and at its other end acting upon a guide member which transmits the spring force to the valve member, said guide member being separate from, and surrounding, the downtube and being dimensioned with respect to the interior of the bush so as to move freely therein parallel to the longitudinal axis of the downtube but so as to guide the valve member when the latter is moving towards and away from its seat and prevent misalignment of the valve member and the seat, said guide member being shaped or apertured to permit passage of fluid past the guide member between the downtube and the bush.

2. A closure unit according to Claim 1 wherein said mass of material makes line sealing contact with the downtube.

3. A closure unit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the valve member includes a washer of Z-shape in radial crosssection embedded in said mass of material and providing said guide member, the outer

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. made. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section through a closure unit embodying the invention. The closure unit there shown comprises a two-part bush comprising a flanged upper part 50, which is threadedly engaged in a container neck 51, and a lower tubular part 52 engaged with a snap-in and interference fit in the bush part 51. As described above, the part 50 is a metal casting or hot stamping and the part 52 is made of stainless steel. The part 50 has a groove 50a and a rib 50b which interfit with a rib 52a and a groove 52b on the part 52. There is an interference fit between the rib 50b and the groove 52b. The upper part 53 of a downtube 54 has a flange 54a which forms a spring abutment and which fits with a bayonet connection into the lower tubular part 52 so as to rest on inset wall portions 52c at the end of the part. The lower part of the downtube is indicated at 55 and is threadedly received in a counterbore 56 in the part 53. The latter is closed at 57 and its upper end is provided with ports 58 therein adjacent the end 57. The ports 58 are located in an external annular recess 58a formed in the downtube and having smoothly rounded edges 58b. Ports 59 are also provided in the flange 54a. A valve member 60 is slidable about the downtube and comprises a mass of rubber or similar resilient material 61 which is carried by a washer 62 of generally Z-shape in radial section. The washer has a central flange 63, a cylindrical portion 64 and a flat portion 65. The rubber member 61 encapsulates part of the washer 62 and a part of the rubber mass 61 has a conical or convergent surface 67 which engages with substantially line contact a seat 68 formed on an internal flange 68a of the tubular member 50. The flat part 65 of the washer has cut-outs 69 around its periphery to enable gas and beer to flow between the downtube and the bush. The internal periphery 70 of the valve member 60 engages the downtube part 53 with substantially line contact, above the ports 58 when the unit is closed and below the ports 58 when the unit is open. The rounded edges 58b prevent cutting of the resilient material of the valve member as it moves over the recess 58. The closure unit is shown in its closed position. To open it, the valve member 60 is depressed by a cylindrical member, not shown, thus moving the valve member against a compression spring 70a (which biases the valve member to a closed position and engages the flange 54a) so that the ports 58 are exposed and an opening is provided between the seat 68 and the valve member. The interior of the cylindrical member is placed in communication with the interior of the downtube 54 through the ports 58 and fluid can flow around the cylindrical member and between the seat 68 and the valve member 60 and through the cutouts 69. Because the seat 68 is formed by an internal flange as shown it gives little guidance to the valve member but this is guided by engagement of the periphery of the flat part 65 of the washer with the inner surface of the bore of the tubular member 52. It will be seen that the invention provides improved guidance for the valve means in a closure unit of the kind specified. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A closure unit of the kind specified wherein the bush comprises a first annular metal part which has been formed by casting or hot stamping and which has, in one end, a counterbore; a second part in the form of a stainless steel tubular member held tending outwardly from the counterbore; and a sealant filling interstices between the first and second parts, the second part extending outwardly from the counterbore.

periphery of the washer co-operating with the interior of the bush to guide the valve member.

4. A closure unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spring abutment forms part of the downtube.

5. A closure unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the ports in the downtube are located in an annular recess in the outer surface of the downtube, the recess having smoothly rounded edges.

6. A closure unit of the kind specified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.