IE890886L

IE890886L - Protection device for the valve of a barrel

Info

Publication number: IE890886L
Application number: IE890886A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Guy Breger
Original assignee: Henry Kevin O Byrne
Priority date: 1988-03-22
Filing date: 1989-03-21
Publication date: 1989-09-22
Also published as: DE68903977T2; EP0334697A1; DK126189D0; GR3007090T3; PT90067A; DE68903977D1; FR2629054B1; FI97365B; DK126189A; EP0334697B1; PT90067B; FI97365C; ATE83728T1; IE62693B1; FI891347A; FR2629054A1; FI891347A0; ES2036808T3

Abstract

a)The invention concerns a protection element for a barrel valve, particularly a beer barrel valve or similar, this valve being carried by an adapter which protrudes from the bottom of the barrel in order to be connected to the filling or tapping pipe, b) this device is characterised in that it comprises: A - a covering plate (11) intended to be placed on the valve (8) of the tubular adapter (7) in order to protect the valve from shocks, B - a heat shrinking sleeve (12) intended to fit over the plate (11) the adapter (7) and the valve (8), this sleeve being heat shrunk over the adapter and the plate in order to attach the plate to the adapter. c) the invention applies to barrel valve protection devices. <IMAGE>

Description

62693 i f The present invention relates to an assembly according to the preamble of Claim 1.

Certain drinks, and in particular beer,, are 2 packed in returnable metal casks. Although casks of various capacities exist, their format and volume are being standardised.

Such a stainless steel beer cask is represented in the cutaway view of Figure 1.

This cask 1 is composed of a lateral wall 2 provided with reinforcement ribs 3, 4 and of two ends 5, 6 one (6) of which is equipped with an end-fitting 7 provided with the valve 8. This valve, not shown in detail, is accessible via the front face of the end-^ fitting 7 and is extended by an immersed tube 9 which serves to draw off or fill with liquid.

The end-fitting 7 extends beyond the end 6 over a certain height which, nevertheless, is less than the height of the edge 10 of the cask.

The casks are often handled in a very vio- lent manner, wheter they are rull or empty.

In the case of a beer cask, filling is done through the valve. At the end of filling with beer, carbon dioxide is introduced which rises up in the cask under the end 6 (when the cask is arranged in the 2 use position represented in Figure 1) so as to act as a propellent gas for drawing off the beer.

When it is put on tap, the valve is connected to the pipework and to the pumps on the bar. The valve comprises precision mechanics and seals. This valve is the essential and the most delicate element of the cask of beer. Figure 2 shows, in section, the shape of the valve the description of which will not be detailed.

The correct operation of its valve is a determining element in dispensing so-called draught beer.

Due po the prime importance of the valve which must not leak and allow liquid or gas to escape during storage or transport, the valve is checked very carefully when the casks are returned to the brewery.

In order to protect the valve, it is known (US-4 616 763) to provide the latter with a plastic or aluminium cap. The plastic cap is an extruded component. In order to comprise marking for the make of the product, large batches must be manufactured so that the unit price does not become prohibitive. It is therefore not possible to envisage providing these caps with very precise indications on the date when the beer was put into the cask, the particular type of beer, etc.

Finally, the cap whose shape is specific is only suitable for a single size of valve.

At the isntant at which the cask is put on tap, it is necessary to tear off the plastic cap with a knife. The rubber lips of the valve thus risk being damaged.

Aluminium covers, which protect the known end-fittings with valvese are components made from aluminium cut out from a strip which is embossed on 3 the packing date. The bit of aluminium strip can cut the hands which manipulate it and also the valve which the cover is supposed to protect.

In order to put the cask on tap, it is necessary to tear the aluminium cap with pliers. It is necessary to prevent, at all costs, bits of metal froxa remaining on the valve because they would damage the valve. Generally/ this removal, either of the plastic cap or of the aluminium cover is an unpleasant and dangerous operation to carry out.

Furthermore, the current protection systems have the drawback that the indications carried on the plastic cap are incomplete and not very visible ; when the plastic cap or the aluminium cover has been removed, it is no longer possible to know the make of beer contained in the cask, the date of the last filling, and the packing site.

It is also known (see document EP-A0038 458) to close bottles with the aid of a rigid disc capping the opening of the neck and fixed to the neck by a heat-shrunk sleeve fastened to the disc and to the neck reinforcement. The disc has a diameter greater than that of the reinforcement so as to be retained by the heat-shrunk sleeve.

In order to open the bottle the lwoer part of the sleeve is torn whilst the upper part remains fastened to the washer and forms a cap.

The object of the present invention is overcome these drawbacks and proposes creating a device for protecting a cask valve, especially for a beer cask, making it possible efficiently to protect the valve against any damage,, which device can be fitted to valves and valve-end fittings of various dimensions, and will allow indications relating to the contents of the cask to be available, event after the 4 latter has been put on tap.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a protection device of the abovementioned type, characterised by the characteristics of the first claim.

This device is installed in a very simple manner and in an automatic or manual manner, and it is sufficient to place the plate over the valve and then to slip the heat-shrinkable sleeve over the end-fitting of the valve and over the plate. The sleeve is than made to shrink, for example with the aid of a current of hot air. The sleeve traps the plate and is fastened to the end-fitting.

The plate has a shape corresponding to that of the valve or of the end-fitting, that is to say, in general, a circular shape. However, if other shapes of end-fitting were to exist, it is simple to produce a plate of different shape.

Since the plate does not have to overhang with respect to the front face of the end-fitting provided with the valve, it is possible to use the same plate for various types of cask.

The indications relating to the product contained in the cask may be printed or marked on the sleeve. This printig may be done filat* before producing the sleeve. Thust, it is particularly advantageous to print strips of single-direction heat-shrinkable material„ in the flat state, so as to have a better printing quality, then to roll up this strip in order to form a tube. The tube is itself put onto a spool and is cut upt to the length of the sleeves in the automatic fitting machine, or manually if this fitting is done in this way.

The tear strip is perforated, or more generally produced in the strip before or after printing,, so that the sleeve, even before heat-shrinking, com- prises this tear strip. This facilitates the intervention of the user who puts the cask on tap ; the said user does not have to use particular tools and in particular a knife.

By virtue of the "lower" part of the sleeve which remains fixed to the end-fitting, the user has,, at any instant, the indications relating to the product contained in the cask. He may know its exact nature, the date on which it was put in the cask, etc. For the manufacturer, this simplifies packing because it is not necessary to stick a label on the end of the cask, which label, when the casks are stored outside,, risks becoming damaged by the rain or which also must be removed when the casks are returned because the 1 g cask does not necessarily always receive the same type of product or beer.

The present invention will be described in a more detailed manner with the aid of the appended drawings, in which : - Figure 1 is a cutaway perspective view of an example of a beer cask to which the invention applies ; - Figure 2 is a detailed view of the upper part of the cask of Figure 1,, sectioned in the region of the valve : - Figure 3 shows the valve of a cask on which the protection device before heat-shrinking has been placed ; - Figure 4 shows the valve and the protection device after heat-shrinking ; Figure 5 shows a sleeve belonging to the protection device,, which sleeve is folded flat.

According to Figure 3f the protection device is composed of a cover plate 11 placed on the valve 8 carried by the tubular end-fitting 7 securely fastened to the end 6 of the cask. The device also comprises a heat-shrinkable sleeve 12 capping the plate 11, the end-fitting 7 and the valve 8 in order to keep the plate 11 applied against the front face of the end-fitting 7 over the valve 8.

Figure 3 shows the protection device (11, 12) after fitting.

When the sleeve 12 is fitted as fitted as described above, it is not yet heat-shrunk. It is sufficiently large to slip easily over the end-fitting 7 and the plate 11.

This sleeve 12 is, preferably, made form a synthetic single-direction material and, in particular, made from polyvinyl chloride PVC. The plate 11 is generally a plate of circular shape and of a diameter slightly less than the upper edge of the end-fitting and of the valve 7, 8. It may also have other shapes if, in particular instances, the end-fitting were to have a polygonal or other shape.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a sleeve 12 after production.

In fact, it is preferable, in order to produce the sleeve 12, to start from a strip of heat-shrinkable material, to print this strip by providing it with information 13 relating to the nature of the product, its date of manufacture or packing, etc. It is also advantageous to provide the strip with transverse perforated lines 14 as well as with a tear strip 15. The tear strip 15 preferably joins the upper edge 16 of the future sleeve 12 at the transverse perforated line 14.

Once these various operations have been performed on the strip, the latter is rolled up so that these edges 17} 18 overlap one another and are bonded in order to form a sleeve. The sleeve is then prefera 7 bly wound onto a bobbin and is cut to length at the moment of use. The sleeve in a flat state 12 appearing in Figure 5 is then obtained.

On this sleeve,, there will be a lower part 19 and an upper part 20. After shrinking and as it appears in Figure 4, in order to put the barrel on tap and to be able to remove the plate 11 freeing the valve 8 , the tear strip 15 is torn as far as the perforated line 14. This makes it possible simply to remove the "upper" part 20 of the sleeve whilst the lower part 19 remains fastened to the end-fitting. It is thus possible,, after putting it on tap, still to have the indications 13 on the end-fitting of the cask.

In an advantageous fashion , the lower part 19 may comprise a tear strip 21 coming from the lower edge 22 of the sleeve and arriving at the transverse perforation 14. This strip 21 is not aligned with the tear strip . Thust, the tear strip 21 makes it possible easily to remove the lower part 19 without requiring any tools. As the tear strips 1521 are not situated in the extension of one another, there is no risk that, when removing the tear strip 15, the lower part 19 of the sleeve will also become detached.

Although the description given above mainly relates to a beer cask, the invention may be applied under the same conditions to any similar cask, comprising a valve such as that of a beer cask. 8

Claims

1. Assembly formed by the valve of a cask, especially of a beer cask, of a end-fitting carrying the valve, this end-fitting having an upper part and a lower part projecting with respect to the bottom of the cask and a device for protecting the valve, characterised in that this device comprises : a cover plate (11) in the shape of a washer placed over the valve (8) of the tubular end-fitting (7) in order to protect the valve (8) against impacts and light, - a heat-shrinkable sleeve (12) having, before shrinking, a length greater than that of the end-fitting carrying the valve in or'der to cap the plate (11), the end-fitting (7) and the valve (8) and being heat shrunk onto the end-fitting (7) and the plate (11) in order to fasten the plate (11) to the end-fitting (7) „ the covering plate (11) is a washer of diameter slightly smaller than the external diameter of the valve (8) and/or the end-fitting (7), the sleeve (12) comprises transverse perforation (14) separating it, into a lower part (19) equipped with inscriptions, which part is intended to remain on the lower part of the end-fitting (7) and to allow the identification of the cask, and into an upper part (20) intended to clamp the upper part of the end-fitting (7) and the protection plate (11) of the valve (8), the upper part (20) comprising a tear strip (15) only reaching the line of perforation (14).

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower part (19) of the sleeve (12) comprises a tear strip (21) coming from the lower edge (22) and arriving at the transverse pre-cut (14), this tear strip (21) not being aligned with the tear strip (15) produced in the upper part (20) of the sleeve. 9

3. An assembly according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. F. R. KELLY St CO., AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS.