Improvements in and connected with Bungs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bungs.
We, LOUIS WAGNER, Machinist, and JOHN MARR, Maltster, the former of
707 Swan Street and the latter of 416 North Howard Street, both in the City
of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to that class of bungs especially intended for use with
carbonic gas-charged liquids or beverages, such, for instance, as beer, by which
air may be automatically admitted when necessary for the free drawing off of the
liquid and which will automatically close to retain all gas when there is a pressure
within the cask or other receptacle.
It is the object of our invention to provide a bung which may be more readily
and tightly secured in place, which will better hold the gas from leakage, which
will be more secure against tampering, serving as a lock-closure, but which may
be easily opened by an authorized person, the automatic action of which will be
more perfect and efficient, and the automatic valve of which may be positively
controlled when desired.
With such objects in view our invention consists in a valved bung comprising a
bushing having fitted therein a bung proper, which latter is formed with a chamber
having a valve seat and having a passage leading from the outer side of the bung
to the inner side of said seat, and a second passage leading from the outer side of
said seat to the inner side of the bung, the chamber being provided with a check
valve adapted to fit the seat and the bung having means for controlling the valve
positively, or for neutralizing its weight, or both.
Such being the general nature of the invention, in order to make it more clearly
understood, we have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into
practical effect, without limiting the improvement, in its useful applications, to
the particular construction which, for the sake of illustration, we have delineated.
In said drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a cask or receptacle provided with a
valved-bung embodying our improvements.
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line III-II, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bushing with the bung proper removed.
Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the bung having a portion thereof removed to
expose its interior.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of said removed portion or plug.
Figs. 7 to 11 are similar views illustrating another form of valved-bung
embodying our improvements.
Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a portion of a cask or other receptacle,
for instance a beer cask, formed with a bung hole in which is inserted a bushing 2.
The latter is preferably of cast iron or steel having an external screw-thread by
which it engages the bung hole securely and provided with a flange 3 which rests
upon the outer surface of the cask. The bushing is also formed with an inwardly
projecting flange or lip 4 made with a concave conical seat 5.
6 is the bung proper adapted to enter the bushing and formed with a convex
conical valve portion 7 adapted to accurately fit the seat 5, making a gas tight
joint.
The bushing and bung are formed with co-operating lugs adapted to engage each
other, the lugs of the bung within or below those of the bushing. One or both

page_text: of said sets of lugs are inclined upon their engaging surfaces so that the turning
of the bung acts to force it inward and cause the valve portion 7 to fit tightly in
the seat 5. In the construction illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6 the said inclined surfaces
are formed upon the lugs 8 of the bung, which engage beneath the lugs 9 of the
bushing. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11 said inclined surfaces
are formed upon the lugs 9 of the bushing, beneath which engage the lugs 8 of
the bung. Of said two sets of lugs those having the inclined surfaces are made
the longer in order to afford sufficient length of travel upon them of the lugs
of the other part. In introducing the bung into the bushing the lugs of the former
pass through spaces 10 between the lugs of the latter. When the bung reaches
its seat a turn in the proper direction will carry its lugs below and into contact
with the lugs of the bushing and cause the bung to be perfectly and tightly seated
as already mentioned. In order to enable the bung to he engaged by a key or
wrench for turning it so tightly into position that it cannot be removed by hand it
is formed with a projection 11 having an aperture or
recess 12. With this
projection a special and properly shaped key may be caused to engage so as to
apply the bung with great pressure, or remove it, while it cannot be interfered
with by hand or by a wrench of ordinary character.
Within the bung is formed a chamber 13 having at 14 a suitable valve seat with
which engages a check valve 15. In order to enable the interior of the bung to
be properly formed and to enable the valve to be applied or removed, the bung is
formed in two or more parts. For instance, it may be provided with a screw-
threaded recess 16 at the inner part of which is formed a portion of the chamber 13,
and there may be provided a screw-threaded plug 17 in which is formed the
other portion of the chamber 13 and which may be tightly screwed into the said
recess 16.
18 is a light spiral spring in the chamber 13 and below the valve 15, which
acts to just support the weight of the valve and enable the least additional pressure
on the underside of the valve to lift it.
19 is a passage leading from the outer side of the bung to the chamber 13 at
the inner side of the valve seat 14, and 20 is a second passage leading from the
chamber 13 at the outer side of the valve through the bung to the inner side of the
latter.
It will be observed that if there is the least vacuum in the cask, produced, for
instance, by drawing off its contents, the unbalanced air pressure through the
passage 19 upon the underside of the valve 15, will raise the latter and the air
will enter the cask through the passage 20, thus permitting the contents of the
cask to be freely drawn off. On the other hand, whenever there is a gas pressure
within the cask, it will act through the passage 20 upon the outer side of the valve
seating the valve firmly and the gas will not be permitted to escape from the
receptacle.
To
When the first mentioned action of the valve 1, to admit air, is not desired, for
instance during transportation or storage, it is necessary to positively control the
valve so that there can be no possibility of its being displaced from its seat.
this end there is formed in the bung communicating with the chamber 13, an
opening 21, in which fits gas-tight an operating plug 22. By moving the latter
inwards it may be caused to engage the outer end of the valve 15 or a stem
thereof, and press the valve positively upon its seat. For this purpose the said
plug 22 is preferably made in the form of a screw fitting tightly in a corresponding
screw thread formed in the bung in the walls of the opening 21
Referring to the engagement of the bung and bushing, it will be observed that
that portion of their meeting surfaces which is recessed, as by the recesses 10, is
ineffective for producing a gas-tight joint. It is, therefore, desirable or necessary
to cause all of the pressure produced by turning the bung into position to fall upon
that portion of the engaging surfaces 5 and 7 which is continuous. We, therefore,
form the parts so that a circular recess 23 will remain between those portions of

page_text: the meeting faces of the bung and bushing which are not continuous. Therefore,
no part of the latter can operate to hold apart the said continuous surfaces so as
to prevent the tight closure of the bung.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same and formed
with a chamber having a valve seat and having a passage leading from the outer
side of the bung to the inner side of said seat and a second passage leading
from the outer side of said seat to the inner side of the bung, a check valve in
the bung adapted to fit said seat, and means for controlling the valve, substantially
as set forth.
2. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same and formed
with a valve seat and having a passage leading from the outer side of the bung to
the inner side of said seat and a second passage leading from the outer side of the
seat to the inner side of the bung, and a check valve in the bung adapted to fit said
seat, said bung and bushing being provided with meeting surfaces for forming a
gas-tight joint and with interlocking lugs as described, the lugs of one of the said
parts being inclined, substantially as set forth.
3. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same and formed with
a chamber having a valve seat, a passage leading from the outer side of the bung to
the inner side of said seat, and a second passage leading from the outer side of the
seat to the inner side of the bung, a check valve in the bung adapted to fit said
seat, and a spring engaging the valve and neutralizing the weight of the valve or a
part thereof, substantially as set forth.
4. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same and formed with
a chamber having a valve seat and having a passage leading from the outer side of
the bung to the inner side of said seat, and a second passage leading from the outer
side of said seat to the inner side of the bung, a check valve in the bung adapted to
fit said seat, and an operating plug fitting in the bung for controlling the valve,
substantially as set forth.
5. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same and formed with
a chamber having a valve seat and having a passage leading from the outer side of
the bung to the inner side of said seat, and a second passage leading from the
outer side of said seat to the inner side of the bung, a check valve in the bung
adapted to fit said seat, a spring engaging the valve and neutralizing its weight or
a part thereof, and an operating plug fitting in the bung for controlling the valve,
substantially as set forth.
6. A valved bung comprising a bushing, a bung fitting the same, a screw-threaded
plug fitted in the inner side of the bung, and forming with the latter a chamber 13,
a valve within said chamber and passages leading through said bung and plug, as
described.
7. The combination of a bushing and bung provided with interlocking lugs as
described, the lugs of one of said parts being inclined, and formed with meeting
surfaces conical in shape for forming a gas-tight joint and having formed between
the non-continuous portions of said surfaces a circular recess 23, as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of September 1894
L. WAGNER,
J. MARR,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.