IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO KEGS

Abstract: A beer keg (10) has a cylindrical wall (12) and curved ends (16); removable end chimes of plastics material are provided, each end chime (20, 44) is of such shape and dimensions as to pass, without distortion, axially onto a keg end and into telescopic engagement with the keg wall, the inside (20, 48) of the chime wall has a radially extending flange (22, 50) shaped to engage in axial abutment with the keg end; the keg ends have bracket means (38, 58) shaped to contact an inner surface (20, 48) of the end chime; and means (40, 64) are provided to secure each respective end chime to its bracket means.

Description: IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO KEGS This invention relates to beer kegs and like portable fluid containers and particularly relates to plastic chimes for such kegs or containers. The advantages of a plastic ended chime have long been recognised by the Brewing Trade but, heretofore, a plastic chimed keg has not gained any commercial success. This is thought to have been mainly due to difficulties in attach¬ ing a plastic chime of adequate strength and durability to a keg. A keg with removable chimes of "flexible plastics, rubber or a mixture thereof" is disclosed in United Kingdom Specification No.2001032 (Oy Hackman AB). The methods disclosed in this application for attaching the chime to the container comprise projections or ridges or grooves or recesses or pins or attachment holes of a flange or shape locking a clamping ring, screws locking hooks or pins. These methods all require the "lifting and support rims" (i.e. end chimes) to flex and distort when fitting a chime to a container and this clearly limits the choice of the material from which the chimes may be made. Also all attachments are made to the wall of the container in an area liable to handling damage. United Kingdom Patent Specification No.2156773A (Keg Services Limited) discloses readily detachable end rings 8, 24 fitted over and attached to, respectively, supports 4 or legs 21. The end rings "may be of many different materials including plastics". United Kingdom Patent Specification No.1127305 (Grundy (Teddington) Limited) discloses an end ring 16 of aluminium alloy or a synthetic plastics material apparently permanently fitted to the keg end. No mention is made as to removal of the end ring and the end rings clearly are not readily removable. United Kingdom Patent Specification No.686993 (Barnes) discloses removable end rings for a container; whilst not explicitly stated, it is clear that only metal end rings are envisaged. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beer keg, or like portable fluid container, having readily removable end chimes that are not limited as to material have a reduced liability to attachment damage and that are designed to absorb shock to prevent or limit shock damage to a keg end. According to the present invention, in a beer keg, or like portable fluid container, having a cylindrical wall, curved ends and removable end chimes of plastics material attached to the keg; the end chimes are of such shape and dimensions as to pass, without distortion, axially onto the keg end and into telescopic engagement with the keg wall, the inside of the chime wall has a radially inwardly extending flange shaped to engage in axial abutment with the keg end, the keg ends have bracket means shaped to contact an inner surface of the end chime, and means are provided to secure each respective end chime to its bracket means. Clearly, the chime material can be chosen solely to suit in-service handling requirements without having to be able to flex or otherwise distort for fitment of the chime to any attachment means. The chime flange contacts the peripheral shoulder of the keg, i.e that keg part at the junction of the end and the wall, with a sufficient area to distribute shocks transmitted through the end chime to the keg without damage thereto. The bracket and securing means are both positioned within the chime and to the end of the keg and are thus protected from damage and, moreover, are positioned so as not to be subjected to shocks; the bracket and securing means only have to be strong enough to bear the weight of a filled keg or the torque developed by relative rotational forces applied between the keg and the end chime. Preferably the bracket means contact an inner surface of the chime wall and the securing means are rivets passing through the bracket means and a wall of the chime. In a first embodiment of the present invention, the bracket means are a series of L-shaped brackets distributed about and attached to the keg end and the chime wall is stiffened and the flange is supported by buttresses extending axially within the chime. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the bracket means is an L-section ring attached to the keg end and the chime has a double wall, of which the inner wall has said radially extending flanges; the flange being shaped to engage in axial abutment both the keg end and a radial part of the bracket ring. Preferably, an axial part of the bracket ring extends part-way up between the chime walls and the inner chime wall is rivetted to said bracket ring. In either embodiment, the chime is preferably provided with a depending skirt, to overlie the keg wall, the skirt having an integral circumferential rib extending radially outwardly and forming a rolling band for the keg. The above and other features of the present invention are illustrated, by way of example, in the Drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 is a plan of a first embodiment of a plastic chimed keg in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of a second embodiment; Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and. Fig. 5 is a detail section of an alternative design of end chime. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2, a beer keg 10 consists of an upper part 12 and a lower part (not shown), both being stainless steel or aluminium pressings, welded together to form a cylindrically walled keg with convex ends 16. The upper keg end 16 has a central fitted neck 18; otherwise the keg is plain and is not provided with conventional moulded-in rolling bands. Each end of the keg 10 is provided with an end chime 20. Both end chimes are essentially similar and are each moulded from filled or reinforced plε.stics materials such as P.P.GWM 213 or E.O.P.M. SP.25/PPN 8008. Each chime is generally cylindrical, being of a diameter to fit axially on to the keg end and into telescopic engagement with the keg wall. The chime has a radially inwardly extending flange 22 that is shown to be curved so as to fit the shoulder 24 of the keg, being the junction between the keg wall and the keg end 16. Six integral buttresses 26 are equispaced about the chime to provide axial stiffening for the chime wall and support for the flange 22; each buttress being of frusto-conical shape, being moulded about a strengthening core 28 and extending radially inwardly from the chime wall. The outer margin of the chime wall, remote from the flange 22, is provided with three circumferential, integral, strengthening ridges 30. The chime has a skirt 32 depending below the flange 22 to overlie the keg wall; the skirt is moulded with an integral circumferential rib 34, extending radially outwardly, and forming a rolling band for the keg. The chime flange 22 has six rectangular cut-outs 36 equispaced between the six buttresses 26 that each permit an L-shaped bracket 38, welded or otherwise permanently attached to the keg end 16, to protrude with clearance through the flange with the upright of each bracket lying against the inner surface of the chime wall. A rivet 40, such as a peg of plastics material with the end ultrasonically peened over, passes through complementary holes in the chime and bracket upright and secures the chime to the keg. Drainage holes 42 are provided in the chime beneath each rivet hole. The brackets 38 and rivet attachment to the chimes are wholly located within the chime. Thus the chime does not have to distort or flex when it is fitted to a keg end and the attachment points are protected within the chime. The major forces likely to be encountered by a keg during normal usage are those generated by dropping filled kegs on to their ends, such shock forces are partly absorbed by the chime and the remaining force is transmitted to the keg shoulder 24 through the buttressed chime flange 22; the area of contact between flange and shoulder being sufficient to absorb likely shock forces. The bracket attachment plays little part in transmittal of such shock forces and, hence, only have to be strong enough to support the weight of a filled keg and resist torque induced by rolling kegs on the lower chime by manually turning the upper chime 20. Consequently, the brackets can be simple and light; being either stainless steel or aluminium depending on the keg material, and the rivets of plastic material. A chime is easily removed by simply drilling out the six rivets and then sliding the chime off the keg end. The integral rolling band 34 is advantageous because it simplifies the keg moulding process and, being formed of the chime material, is equally tough. In the embodiment shown by Figs. 3 and 4, each end chime 44 is of a hollow, inverted U-shaped section; the end chimes being moulded from filled or reinforced plastics material as before. Each chime is generally cylindrical, the outer chime wall 46 being of an internal diameter to fit axially into telescopic engagement with the keg wall 12 and the inner chime wall 48 terminating in a radially inwardly extending flange 50 that is shown to have its inner end 52 curved so as to fit the keg shoulder 24. The outer chime wall 45 has a skirt 54 depending below the inner chime wall 48 to overlie the keg wall 12; as before, the skirt is moulded with an integral rolling band 56. An annular, L-section ring 58, being for example an aluminium casting or rolled extrusion, is attached, such as by welding, to the keg end 16. The underpart 60 of the ring is shaped to fit the keg shoulder 24. The chime 44 fits over the ring 58 with the axial part 62 of the ring extending part-way up between the chime walls 46, 48 and contacts the outer surface of the innder chime wall. Rivets 64, such as pop-rivets, are passed through complementary holes in the axial ring part 62 and the inner chime wall 48 and secure the chime to the keg. Inwardly extending chime flange 50 is also shaped to co-operate with the radial ring 66; by this means the chime flange engages axially both the keg end and the bracket ring. The bracket ring and its rivet attachment are wholly located within the chime. Thus, the chime does not have to be distorted or flexed as it is fitted to a keg end and the bracket ring is protected within the chime. The double wall construction of this end chime provides axial stiffening whilst permitting the chime walls to deflect under end shocks and thus absorb a greater proportion of the generated shock forces. The bracket ring also helps to distribute any forces transmitted by the inner chime wall over the keg shoulder whilst the inner chime flange feeds resultant shock forces directly to the keg end. In the modified keg end shown in Fig. 5, the inner and outer walls 68 and 70 are closer together at the upper part of the chime, the inner wall 68 being cranked inwardly away from the outer wall at 72 to accommodate bracket ring 68. Whilst the brackets 38 and bracket ring 58 have been shown to contact and be attached to an inner chime wall surface, any other attachment site could be employed, provided that the brackets or ring remain on the keg ends and within the chime.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A beer keg, or like portable fluid container, having a cylindrical wall, curved ends and removable end chimes of plastics material attached to the keg, characterised in that:- the end chimes are of such shape and dimensions as to pass, without distortion, axially onto the keg end and into telescopic engagement with the keg wall; the inside of the chime wall has a radially inwardly extending flange shaped to engage in axial abutment with the keg end; the keg ends have bracket means shaped to contact an inner surface of the end chime; and, means are provided to secure each respective end chime to its bracket means. 2. A keg as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the bracket means each contact an inner surface of the chime wall and the securing means are rivets passing through the bracket means and the chime wall. 3. A keg as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the bracket means are a series of L-shaped brackets distributed about and attached to the keg end and the chime is stiffened and the flange is supported by buttresses extending axially within the chime. 4. A keg as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the bracket means is an L-section ring attached to the keg end and the chime has a double wall, of which the inner wall has said radially extending flange; the flange being shaped to engage in axial abutment both the keg and a radial part of the bracket ring. 5. A keg as claimed in Claim 4, wherein an axial part of the bracket ring extends part-way up between the chime walls and the inner chime wall is rivetted to said bracket ring axial part. 6. A keg as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5m wherein the chime is provided with a depending skirt, to overlie the keg wall, -the skirt having an integral circumferential rib extending radially outwardly and forming a rolling band for the keg.

Inventors: GALE PHILLIP D, GRIFFIN ALAN J, GALE, PHILLIP, D., GRIFFIN, ALAN, J.
Applicants: ALUMASC LTD, LIN PAC MOULDINGS, ALUMASC LIMITED, LIN PAC MOULDINGS LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65D8
IPC codes: B65D8, B65D25