Abstract: A flow diverting device is provided at the lower end of the dip-tube (D) in a bag-in-keg container (C) which is filled top-side-down, e.g. with beer. The device directs the incoming flow to run smoothly back down the outside of the dip tube, gently into the already pooled beer thus minimising any fountain effect and associated turbulence. The device can also be used with single-wall metal or plastic kegs to reduce the dispensing of sediment and allow a greater volume of beer to be withdrawn without fobbing.

Abstract: A valve closure for dispensing liquid by means of a pressurised gas has an inner sleeve (12) which includes a socket (16) and an annular inner valve seat (18). The inner sleeve carries a ring seal (14) which is urged against an outer valve seat (9) by an outer spring (15). A valve member (21) has an annular sealing face (23) co-operable with the inner valve seat (18) and a spring (24) urges the valve member (21) against the inner valve seat (18). The valve member (21) incorporates a plurality of projections (26) spaced radially from the annular sealing face (23). The valve closure can be used with a dispensing coupler having a tubular probe with a circumferential ring seal and a locking recess to engage the locking fingers of a detachable closing element.

Abstract: A flow diverting device is provided at the lower end of the dip-tube (D) in a bag-in-keg container (C) which is filled top-side-down, e.g. with beer. The device directs the incoming flow to run smoothly back down the outside of the dip tube, gently into the already pooled beer thus minimising any fountain effect and associated turbulence. The device can also be used with single-wall metal or plastic kegs to reduce the dispensing of sediment and allow a greater volume of beer to be withdrawn without fobbing.

Abstract: The valve closure (e.g. an A-type closure) has a closure body (1) for attachment to a container, a gas inlet port (14), a liquid dispensing port (25), and a valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An over-pressure relief valve (40) is configured to release gas from within the container in the event that an internal pressure limit is exceeded, and a user-operable depressurising lever (50) is arranged to permit the over-pressure relief valve to be manually opened. The over-pressure relief valve (40) comprises a plunger (53) which is urged against a seat (52) by a spring (57), and the depressurising lever (50) incorporates an abutment (58) for the spring (57). The plunger (53) includes an arrowhead formation (59) by which the depressurising lever (50) engages the plunger to hold the valve open during manual operation.

Abstract: A bag-in-keg container for a carbonated beverage has a container body C, a flexible bag B within the container body, and a valve closure V attached to the container body. The valve closure includes a gas inlet port (11), a liquid dispensing port (12), and spring-loaded valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An adapter (20) sealingly attached to the flexible bag B incorporates a bag PRV (26) to vent gas pressure from within the flexible bag. A container PRV (40) vents gas pressure from between the container body C and the flexible bag B. The bag PRV has a valve shuttle with one side exposed to gas pressure within the flexible bag B and an opposite side exposed to gas pressure within a sealed plenum chamber (37). The bag PRV therefore operates at a fixed pressure independent of the differential pressure between the bag and the outer container.

Abstract: A valve closure for dispensing liquid by means of a pressurised gas has an inner sleeve (12) which includes a socket (16) and an annular inner valve seat (18). The inner sleeve carries a ring seal (14) which is urged against an outer valve seat (9) by an outer spring (15). A valve member (21) has an annular sealing face (23) co-operable with the inner valve seat (18) and a spring (24) urges the valve member (21) against the inner valve seat (18). The valve member (21) incorporates a plurality of projections (26) spaced radially from the annular sealing face (23). The valve closure can be used with a dispensing coupler having a tubular probe inwards with a circumferential ring seal and a locking recess to engage the locking fingers of a detachable closing element.

Abstract: A container (1) supplied ready for filling with a liquid product such as beer includes a flexible bag (3) contained within a rigid outer body (2) with an outer space (4) in between, a first valve (6) for closing the bag (3) and a second valve (8) for closing the outer space (4). The first valve (6) is connected to a dip tube (7) which extends into the bag, and the first and second valves are contained within a neck fitting (5). The outer space (4) is pressurised to a first positive pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure and the bag (3) contains an oxygen-free gas such as nitrogen at a second positive pressure between the first positive pressure and atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A container for pressurised liquid has a closure (V) engaged on the neck (N), both formed of yieldable polymer. The closure (V) has an end wall (21) and a skirt (20) provided with internal screw threads (24) which co-operate with external screw threads (23) on the neck to hold the closure in place. A pressure seal (25) is formed between the mouth (22) of the neck and the end wall (21) of the closure when the closure is screwed onto the neck whereby the pressurised liquid is retained within the container. To prevent missiling when the closure (V) is unscrewed the proximal face (28) of the external screw threads (23) is formed with transverse venting channels (36) extending from the base (26) of the respective screw threads to their outer extremity (27). The distal face (29) of the external screw threads (23) opposite each of the venting channels (36) is substantially continuous. This avoids weakening the neck of the container and reduces the risk of long-term creep.

Abstract: A valve closure for a keg, e.g. incorporating an A-type valve arrangement, has a gas inlet port 11, a liquid dispensing port 12 and a valve member 6 to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. A venting mechanism includes a detent 23 which can be activated by rotating the valve member 6 after the keg has been filled. This mechanism, when activated, primes a resiliently deflectable circumferential arm 22 to move the detent between the sealing face of the valve member 6 and its valve seat when the valve is next connected for dispensing. When the mechanism is not activated it does not interfere with the normal opening and closing of the valve, e.g.

Abstract: A bag-in-keg container for a carbonated beverage has a container body C, a flexible bag B within the container body, and a valve closure V attached to the container body. The valve closure includes a gas inlet port (11), a liquid dispensing port (12), and spring-loaded valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An adapter (20) sealingly attached to the flexible bag B incorporates a bag PRV (26) to vent gas pressure from within the flexible bag. A container PRV (40) vents gas pressure from between the container body C and the flexible bag B. The bag PRV has a valve shuttle with one side exposed to gas pressure within the flexible bag B and an opposite side exposed to gas pressure within a sealed plenum chamber (37). The bag PRV therefore operates at a fixed pressure independent of the differential pressure between the bag and the outer container.

Abstract: A bag-in-keg container has a container body C, a flexible bag B within the container body, and a valve closure V attached to the container body. The valve closure includes a gas inlet port (11), a liquid dispensing port (12), and a spring-loaded valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An adapter (20) sealingly attached to the flexible bag B incorporates a bag PRV (26) to vent gas pressure from within the flexible bag. A container PRV (40) in the form of a flexible lip seal is operably associated with the valve member (6) to vent gas pressure from between the container body C and the flexible bag B. The lip seal is opened by a small positive pressure difference between inside and outside, but when the valve member (6) is opened to dispense liquid from the bag B the container PRV (40) is inoperative, allowing a relatively high internal gas pressure to be achieved when dispensing.

Abstract: The valve closure (e.g. an A-type closure) has a closure body (1) for attachment to a container, a gas inlet port (14), a liquid dispensing port (25), and a valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An over-pressure relief valve (40) is configured to release gas from within the container in the event that an internal pressure limit is exceeded, and a user-operable depressurising lever (50) is arranged to permit the over-pressure relief valve to be manually opened. The over-pressure relief valve (40) comprises a plunger (53) which is urged against a seat (52) by a spring (57), and the depressurising lever (50) incorporates an abutment (58) for the spring (57). The plunger (53) includes an arrowhead formation (59) by which the depressurising lever (50) engages the plunger to hold the valve open during manual operation.

Abstract: A palletised container assembly includes a pallet providing a base, and a group of containers (1) are arranged and supported on the pallet with a wrapping band stretched around the containers to hold them together. Each of the containers has a container (body 2), two chimes (3), (4) secured to the top and bottom ends of the container body, and a valve assembly (8) which incorporates a draw tube (8a) extending within the container body. Each chime has a substantially circular peripheral outer wall (9), (10) which, at its widest point, is provided with a series of circumferentially-spaced projections (15) which engage the projections of adjacent containers to restrict relative movement between the containers in transit.

Abstract: A keg includes a container 1 and a chime 3 fixed to each other by means of an adhesive. The container has a peripheral side wall 4, and a top wall formed with a central neck containing a valve fitting provided with a dip tube which extends into the container. A bottom wall 9 is formed with a central projection 10 defining an internal well inside the container which receives the lower end of the dip tube. The chime 3 has an inner hub 12 with a central opening 13, legs 14 which extend outwardly from the inner hub, and an outer skirt 15 joined to outer ends of the legs 14. The central opening 13 of the inner hub 12 receives the central projection 10, without fixation, to locate the inner hub against lateral movement. The central opening 13 may have the same internal profile as the outer profile of the central projection 10.

Abstract: A stretch blow moulded container such as a keg has a neck 3 fitted with a cap 4 to retain pressurised contents within the container. A miniature pressure relief valve (PRV) 30-33 is contained within the wall thickness of the neck to release gases on the occurrence of an overpressure event. The PRV may incorporate a bursting element, which renders the containers unusable, or a spring-loaded seal 30 which re-seals after the release of excess pressure. The PRV may also be permanently changed to an open condition by removal of the cap, preventing re-use of the container.

Abstract: A fully recyclable valve housing for engagement with a neck of a container, such as a beer keg, has an inner port for liquid and a concentric outer port for pressurized gas, with openings for admitting pressurized gas into the container. A dip tube is connected to a bottom end fitting, communicating with a valve stem within the valve housing. A valve member controls flow through the concentric ports, and a spring element located about the valve stem urges the valve member upwards to close the ports. The spring element is molded from a resilient polymeric material and comprises a plurality of C-shaped sections angularly arranged in two interconnected stacks on opposite sides of the valve stem such that movement of the valve member causes concurrent resilient deformation of all the sections.

Abstract: A container such as a beer keg includes a container body 1 and top and bottom chimes 2, 3. The container body has a peripheral side wall 10 provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced projections which are formed with the container body by a simple pressing or molding operation. Each chime is formed with a peripheral skirt 23 which fits over the peripheral side wall and a co-operating inner lip which snap-engages over the circumferentially-spaced projections. In a plastics container, the contents of the container tend to press against the projections and resist any tendency to distortion in normal use and therefore increase the strength of the attachment. In the case of the top chime 2 the skirt 23 is joined to an inner hub 21 which is additionally fixed to the container neck 12 by means of a valve assembly 4 which is screwed onto the neck. A cap 6 prevents unscrewing of the valve assembly 4 and provides immediate evidence of tampering.

Abstract: A container such as a beer keg includes a blow moulded container body and an injection moulded top chime 2. The chime 2 has a continuous peripheral handle 20 which is joined to a central hub 21 by radial spokes 22, with a peripheral skirt 24 which fits over the top portion of the container body. The base of the container body is formed with radial ridges 14 and intervening channels 15 producing a petaloid configuration. The ridges 14 are formed with integral foot-like projections 17 which locate within a recessed area of the chime bounded by the handle 20 to enable the containers to be stacked in a stable manner. The deepest part of the channels formed between the ridges 14 are conjoined to form a domed region 15 wall which merges into the side wall 10. The contents of the container exert internal pressure on the bottom wall which has a low tendency to distortion in use.