Abstract: A closure for a bartender's bottle trough comprises three hingedly connected flat panels. In an open position the three panels, in coplanar relationship, are disposed edgewise upright, serving as a rear wall of the bottle trough and vertically slidably confined in channels along the rear edges of the bottle trough end walls. The three panels can be raised and swung forward to a closed position in which the medial panel is horizontal and overlies the tops of panels in the trough and the other two extend down from it to close the front and rear of the trough.

Abstract: A valved keg closure unit is secured in a keg bushing by means of an axially shallow, externally threaded annular collar, received in an internally threaded upper portion of the bushing and overlying an upper cylindrical element of the closure unit that comprises a coaxial annular valve seat. The collar bottoms on an upwardly facing circumferential shoulder in the bushing to prevent excessive axial compression of a resilient sealing ring between the cylindrical element and the bushing. To prevent rotation of the cylindrical element, it has circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly projecting tits, received in axially extending internal grooves in the bushing. A downwardly projecting annular wall portion of the cylindrical element, having a circumferential internal groove, surrounds the top portion of a fixed tubular element, which has a radially outwardly rolled circumferential land received in said groove to permanently connect those elements.

Abstract: A portable keg tapping unit, cooperable with a valved keg closure, has an outer body member which makes a bayonet connection with the closure and an inner body member with a lower portion that is rotatably and axially slidably received in the outer body member, an upper portion that comprises a pump chamber, and an intermediate portion above the outer body member. In the inner body member are a liquid passage that opens to its bottom and to a nipple at one side of its intermediate portion and a gas passage that extends down from the pump chamber and opens to its bottom in laterally spaced relation to the liquid passage. A vent passage, communicated with the gas passage below a check valve therein, has an outlet at another side of said intermediate portion, which outlet is normally blocked by a push button valve. A brief opening of the push button valve relieves excess keg pressure to prevent dispensing of wild beer.

Abstract: A portable key tapping unit for a keg having a conventional valve assembly comprises concentric inner and outer body members, the latter cooperable with lugs on the keg to provide a bayonet connection. A small diameter lower portion of the inner body member is surrounded by the outer body member and has a cam connection therewith. A concentric larger diameter upper portion of the inner body member comprises a cylindrical upwardly opening pump chamber wherein an upwardly biased plunger is reciprocable vertically. A liquid passage in the inner body member has a concentric inlet at the bottom thereof and opens laterally to one side of it. A vertical gas passage through the inner body member, spaced from its axis, opens downwardly to its bottom and upwardly to the pump chamber.

Abstract: In a keg tapping system, a keg unit in each keg has coaxial gas and liquid valves, and a tavern unit, detachably connectable to the keg unit, has a lever actuated plunger that is depressed to open the valves in the keg unit and to open a gas valve in the tavern unit. The keg unit has a well in its top in which the tavern unit is rotatably received and diametrically opposite lugs projecting into that well to cooperate with a flange on the tavern unit body in providing a bayonet connection between the units. Affixed to the lever on the tavern unit is an abutment carrier having abutment portions cooperable with said lugs. If the bayonet connection is not fully engaged, one abutment portion engages an upper surface on one of the lugs to prevent the lever from being swung down to its valve-open position; with the lever down, an abutment portion engages a lug to prevent rotation of the tavern unit to a position at which the bayonet connection is disengaged.

Abstract: A safety relief valve especially suitable for connection in a pressure gas system for beverage dispensing equipment has a body that defines a vented cylindrical valve cage and a coaxial annular valve seat at one end of the cage with an annular seating surface that faces axially into the cage. A pressure chamber in the body is communicable with the valve cage through the valve seat. A valve element, coaxially movable in the valve cage, is biased towards engagement with the seating surface and presents a pressure surface to the pressure chamber. Opposite tubular nipple portions of the body have bores that are symmetrical to the valve cage axis and communicate at their inner ends with the pressure chamber, said inner ends being separated by a baffle which is symmetrical to said axis and projects into the pressure chamber from the side thereof opposite the valve seat.