Abstract: There is disclosed a chime for an alcohol containing cask. The chime has an annular rim portion that is secured by snap fitting with a groove of the cask. The chime further includes a pair of opposing wing portions that extend outwardly from the rim portion beyond the cask. Each of the wing portions has a central portion and two side portions. Each of the side portions has an outer edge portion that slopes in a concave curvature of predetermined radius from the central portion to the rim portion.

Abstract: A beer keg for storing a beer under pressure has an outer wall and a pressure relief passageway extending through an outer wall of the beer keg. The beer keg has a bursting disk seated in the passageway normally closing the passageway. The disk is adapted to rupture permitting fluid to escape from the beer keg through the passageway when the pressure in the beer keg exceeds a predetermined pressure value. The keg has a releasable cap mounted thereto that covers the passageway. The releasable cap has vent openings that permit the escape of fluid from the passageway. The cap is releasable to permit access to the passageway for changing the bursting disk. Preferably, a pressure build up in the keg in excess of about 7 bar results in the bursting disk rupturing.

Abstract: An animal product sampling device comprises a well arranged, in use, to collect fluid flowing through a fluid tube connected to the well, a drain, one end of which is connected to the well, which is arranged such that, in use, fluid from the well may pass to the fluid tube connected to the well, and a sample tube arranged, in use, to draw fluid from a zone of fluid of minimal turbulence within the well. The device is arranged such that, in use, the zone of fluid of minimal turbulence, from which a sample of fluid can be drawn through the sample tube, is created in the device due to the dimensions of the well and the drain. There is further provided an animal product sample transportation device and an animal product sample collecting device.

Abstract: An automated detection apparatus for testing biological samples from a plurality of individual animals. The apparatus comprises a detecting unit having a sample inlet and a sample outlet, and a biosensitive sensor comprising a biosensitive medium for indicating the concentration of at least one biological compound within each biological sample. The biosensitive medium is provided with at least one active biosensor region. Means expose each region, when in use, to a biological sample thereby detecting the concentration of the biological compound.

Abstract: A tap adapter suitable for use in dispensing an alcohol beverage from a keg which tap adapter has a hollow arm adapted for mounting to a valve assembly in fluid flow communication with a beverage dispensing valve in the valve assembly. The arm may contain a dispensing tube. A first end portion of the arm is adapted to releasably connect to the beverage dispensing valve to open the valve and has a tap permitting beverage to flow through the hollow arm and out the tap. An air line passageway is adapted to be connected to a second valve in sealed fluid flow communication therewith passing through the valve assembly or keg. A source of air is connected to the air line passageway for supplying pressurized air to the second valve and into the keg. A relief valve is provided which can be opened to allow air to pass into the discharge tube upstream of the discharge end portion whereby the beverage in the discharge tube downstream of the relief valve freely flows out of the discharge end portion.

Abstract: An alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus has a keg having top and bottom portions and a bag contained within the keg for containing an alcohol beverage. The apparatus has a dispensing device that has a hollow elongated tube extending into the bag towards the bottom portion of the keg for inserting the beverage into the bag during a bag fill operation and for dispensing the beverage from the bag during a dispense operation. The hollow tube has an end portion having an opening which may comprise a plurality of laterally spaced apart notches positioned between interval side wall portions to provide crenellated openings in the end portion throughwhich the beverage passes into and out from the hollow elongated member. The interval side wall portions have rounded tip portions or carry an interface plate to reduce the risk of the end portion puncturing the bag during beverage filling and dispensing cycles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conduit for conducting gasified liquid, which has a flow restrictor arranged in in-line relation therewith. The restrictor itself comprises an at least one aperture (although two or more can be used in series), with each such being adapted to pass the gasified liquid flowing through the conduit and across a pressure drop from a higher-pressure upstream side of the aperture to a lower-pressure downstream side of the aperture. The aperture is operable to moderate the rate of change in pressure over a transitional pressure drop to mitigate the formation of localized pressures below a critical pressure at which off-gassing from the carbonated liquid results in substantial foam formation. The conduit may take the form of a dispensing tube for use in dispensing an alcoholic beverage from a keg, the tube having a flexible wall deformable under the influence of a restricting actuator to control the partial collapse of the wall and thereby form the restrictor.

Abstract: A cooling system for a home beer dispensing apparatus has a mediated thermal bridge providing a bank of latent cooling capacity. The bridge may have a cavity filled with a cooling solution with at least one series of spaced apart heat exchange fins extending substantially along and interstitially into the cavity from at least one wall of the cavity so as to enhance heat transfer across the cavity. The bridge is arranged in thermal conducting relation through a cooling plate between a keg containing the beer and a Peltier thermoelectric cooling device adapted to cool the cooling solution by extracting heat therefrom to an active heat sink. A fan directs air flow horizontally along the fins of the sink and out the two lateral open sides of the heat sink. This prevents heat from rising in the apparatus and thereby affecting other system component parts. The cooling solution may comprise 5% by volume glycol and freezes at a temperature below that of water providing an improved thermal bank.

Abstract: An interlocking collar (72) secures a bag neck (46) in a keg aperture (42) of an alcohol beverage keg container (22). The interlocking collar is mounted in press fit surrounding relation with a peripheral wall portion of the bag neck. The collar has an outer peripheral wall portion sized larger than that of a keg aperture. The collar (72) has a recessed groove (76) in the collar outer peripheral wall portion for receiving in press fitting and sealing relation a keg flange (40) that defines the keg aperture. The collar outer peripheral wall portion has a resilient edge portion (78) adjacent the recessed groove that deflects to permit the interlocking collar to pass through the keg aperture and receive the keg flange in the recessed groove. The interlocking collar has a plurality of locking passageways (80) placed around the interlocking collar and axially extending through the interlocking collar between the neck and recessed grove.

Abstract: A home beer dispensing apparatus has a keg having a self-contained bag filled with a beer and a pressure system. The pressure system creates a pressurized air space between the keg inner walls and the bag to assist in the dispensing of the beer. The pressure system has a keg one-way air valve mounted to a top wall of the keg to permit entry of pressurized air into the keg. The pressure system has a pressure reservoir mounted in the dispensing apparatus outside the keg and in fluid flow communication with the keg one-way valve. The reservoir stores a charge of pressurized air and supplies at least a portion of this charge to the keg through the keg air valve when the dispensing apparatus is operated to dispense the beer. The reservoir provides a reserved charge of pressurized gas that is on hand to reduce dampening pressure fluctuations during beer dispensing which can result in beer frothing, especially during the early stages of beer dispensing when the air head space in the keg is small.

Abstract: A beer or like alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus has a keg for containing the beverage. A keg dispensing device is connected through a top portion of the keg and extends to a bottom portion of the keg to draw the beverage from the keg adjacent the bottom portion. The apparatus has a cooling plate in heat transfer contacting relation with the bottom of the keg and also has a Peltier thermoelectric device connected to the cooling plate so as to extract heat from the cooling plate and thereby extract heat from the keg. The cooling apparatus has a first temperature sensor, mounted in heat sensing relation with a bottom portion of the keg and a second temperature sensor mounted in heat sensing relation with an upper portion of the keg.

Abstract: The method of installing an alcohol beverage bag into a container such as a beer keg through an aperture in the container has the steps of folding the bag into overlapping panels so as to have a cross-sectional area able to pass through the aperture of the container and then inserting the folded bag through the aperture and into the container. The beverage bag comprises first and second rectangular panels having peripheral edges welded together to form a first seam. Each panel has an area larger than a cross-sectional area for the keg and the panels are sized relative to the keg cross-sectional area to permit the panels to be forced apart during bag filling so as to expand bag internal space to approximate the volume of the keg. The bag has an open neck member passing through an aperture of the first panel and welded thereto to form a second seam.

Abstract: A method is provided for filling a bag with an alcohol beverage inflates the bag with an inert gas prior to filing the bag with the beverage. The inert gas is vented from the bag as the bag is filled with the beverage. By initially inflating the bag with the inert gas, the bag is not inflated during the step of filling the bag with the beverage and hence, the bag is less susceptible to rupture during beverage filling the inert gas acts to purge any air trapped in the bag. During the venting step the inert gas and air mixture is vented from the bag. There is less chance for air to be trapped in the bag and spoil the beverage in the bag. In a further aspect, the bag is contained in a container and the air between the container and the bag is also evacuated. The inert gas may be CO2 or nitrogen when the beverage is beer. Also provided is a valve and valve and spear assembly for alcohol dispensing apparatus.

Abstract: A system and method for lossless data compression of byte oriented digital data, including but not exclusively executable program code and related data. This lossless data compression system and method when used to process sets of similar but not identical input data, will generate compressed forms of that data which also have a high degree of similarity. The present invention utilizes an update package generated based on the differences between the compressed forms of data, whereby the update package can be applied to the original compressed form to create the new form. A typical change to create the new form from the original would be when making bug fixes to deployed software.

Abstract: A tote bin liner having a liner wall to form a container, the liner wall including a transfer spigot which provides a passage from inside the liner to a tote bin outlet, the transfer spigot being adapted to have a valve mounted thereto to provide a controlled outlet from the tote bin outlet, the transfer spigot including a tubular body which defines the passage, the tubular body having a first opening on a distal end thereof; an annular surface located around the opening; a rupturable membrane sealed to the annular surface by a continuous seal around the first opening, the continuous seal being located on the annular surface; the tubular body being shaped and configured such that when in use and the valve is mounted to the body, a seal on the valve will clamp the membrane against the annular surface, wherein the annular surface has a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion, and the continuous seal is operatively located on the radially outer portion, while the radially inner portion is adapted to

Abstract: A method of removing gas from a printhead that includes a plurality of orifices configured to receive ink from a supply conduit through passages extending from the supply conduit to the plurality of orifices. The plurality of orifices are sealed from external the printhead to restrict passage of fluid through the orifices. Ink is moved along the supply conduit and through an outlet of the supply conduit disposed downstream of the passages, with the plurality of orifices sealed, so that ink displaces gas from the supply conduit.

Abstract: A method of removing gas from a printhead is provided. A sealing material may be applied to orifices of a printhead from external the printhead to restrict passage of fluid through the orifices. Ink may be moved through a printhead conduit disposed in fluid communication with the orifices to create an inward suction adjacent the orifices so that the gas is displaced from adjacent the orifices.

Abstract: A tote bin liner has a transfer spigot (2) through which product may be introduced into or emptied from the liner. The transfer spigot has a membrane (6) which seals the interior of the liner. The membrane is sealed to the spigot on an outer face (11) of the spigot which is configured so that the membrane will be clamped in position during piercing of the membrane by a cutter. The invention extends to a cutter assembly for use with a tote bin liner. The cutter assembly (40) may be adapted to be moved past a valve closure member (22) for the valve (20), the assembly furthermore including an arrangement (78) for sterilising the interior of the valve and the outer face of the membrane, and an actuator (43) for moving the cutter in order to pierce the membrane.

Abstract: A tote bin liner having a liner wall to form a container, the liner wall including a transfer spigot which provides a passage from inside the liner to a tote bin outlet, the transfer spigot being adapted to have a valve mounted thereto to provide a controlled outlet from the tote bin outlet, the transfer spigot including a tubular body which defines the passage, the tubular body having a first opening on a distal end thereof; an annular surface located around the opening; a rupturable membrane sealed to the annular surface by a continuous seal around the first opening, the continuous seal being located on the annular surface; the tubular body being shaped and configured such that when in use and the valve is mounted to the body, a seal on the valve will clamp the membrane against the annular surface, wherein the annular surface has a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion, and the continuous seal is operatively located on the radially outer portion, while the radially inner portion is adapted to

Abstract: A tote bin liner has a transfer spigot (2) through which product may be introduced into or emptied from the liner. The transfer spigot has a membrane (6) which seals the interior of the liner. The membrane is sealed to the spigot on an outer face (11) of the spigot which is configured so that the membrane will be clamped in position during piercing of the membrane by a cutter. The invention extends to a cutter assembly for use with a tote bin liner. The cutter assembly (40) may be adapted to be moved past a valve closure member (22) for the valve (20), the assembly furthermore including an arrangement (78) for sterilising the interior of the valve and the outer face of the membrane, and an actuator (43) for moving the cutter in order to pierce the membrane.