GB2264935A - Beer dispensing pipe outlet cover - Google Patents

Abstract

A cover arrangement 10 is for use with a beer dispensing pipe (12, Figure 2) and a conventional adjustable sparkler 14 to restrict access to the sparkler 14 during use. The cover arrangement may comprise an intermediate member 18 attached to the outlet of the beer dispensing-pipe by an internal thread 26, the sparkler 14 being carried by a thread 34 at the lower end of the intermediate member 18 and the thread 34 also carrying a shroud 16 which covers the sparkler 14 to restrict access to it. The intermediate member may include a spherical valve member 42 captive in through passage 40. The shroud may alternatively be clipped onto projection 30 or directly onto pipe 12. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in or relating to Beer Dispensing This invention concerns beer dispensing arrangements. References are made throughout to "beer", but this term is not intended to be restrictive, and is intended to cover beer, ale, lager, stout, porter and other like drinks.

Beer dispensing pipes in public houses are usually provided with an apertured member at the end, which is used to form the frothy "head" of the beer. This device is generally referred to as a "sparkler". These devices are usually in the form of a cylinder having a central cone at one end and arcuate slots between the cone and the walls of the cylinder. The sparkler is provided with threads so that it can be threaded onto the end of the beer dispensing pipe. By appropriate adjustment of the sparkler on the end of the pipe the consistency and density of the head of the beer can be altered.

It is usual practice for publicans to set the position of the sparkler to produce a head of desired properties. However it is not uncommon for the bar staff to make frequent adjustments to the sparkler. This has the disadvantage that the properties of the head of the beer will not be consistent.

It is an object of this invention to obviate and/or mitigate this and other disadvantages of the prior art.

The present invention provides cover means for a beer dispensing arrangement in which an apertured member is located, in use, adjacent an outlet through which beer is dispensed, the apertured member being adjustable to affect the head produced on beer passing through the perturbed member from the outlet, and in which the cover means are adapted to be attached to the arrangement to restrict access to the apertured member during use, thereby deterring a user from making an adjustment thereto.

The cover means may be adapted to be movable without causing any adjustment of the apertured member.

The cover means may provide a recess in which the apertured member can be received, in use, to be at least partly shielded from the user.

The cover means may comprise elongate cylindrical wall or walls which, in use, are located around the apertured member.

The said wall or walls may extend beyond the apertured member, in use, to prevent the apertured member being adjusted except by reaching into the space defined by the wall or walls.

Preferably, the cover means comprises an intermediate member adapted to connect the cover means to a pipe, the intermediate member defining a passage for beer to pass from the pipe to the apertured member. The cover means may comprise a cover member attached, in use, to the pipe by means of the intermediate member.

Alternatively, the cover means may comprise a cover member adapted to be mounted directly on a pipe.

The intermediate member may be adapted to be attached at an upper end thereof to the pipe and at a lower end thereof to the apertured member.

The intermediate member may be adapted to be attached to said pipe and said cover member by any suitable means. It is preferred that the upper end of the intermediate member is provided with a first thread to threadably engage the pipe. It is also preferred that the intermediate member is provided with a second thread at said lower end to threadably engage the apertured member. The cover member may be provided with a third thread to threadably engage the second thread, which may be on the lower end of the intermediate member. The second thread may be sufficiently long to allow the cover member to rotate on the thread without affecting the adjustment of the apertured member.

Preferably, the intermediate member comprises a main body portion having said first thread at one end thereof and a projection extending from the other end, said projection providing said second thread.

Preferably, the intermediate member is adapted to be connected to the pipe such that the main body portion is arranged between the apertured member and the pipe and between the cover member and the pipe.

The cover means may also include valve means to restrict the flow of beer from the pipe The valve may comprise a restrictor member in said passage of the intermediate member. Preferably the restrictor member is arranged to prevent the flow of beer above a desired maximum flow rate.

Preferably the restrictor member is substantially spherical. The restrictor member may be free to move against or away from an aperture downstream of the member, to close or open the aperture.

The invention also provides a beer dispensing arrangement comprising cover means of the type defined above. The cover means may have any of the features defined above.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a cover arrangement; and Fig. 2 shows the cover arrangement connected to a beer dispensing pipe.

The drawings show a cover arrangement 10 adapted to be connected to a beer dispensing pipe 12 (shown in Fig.

2) and to an apertured member in the form of a conventional sparkler 14. The arrangement 10 comprises a cover member or shroud 16 adapted to cover the sparkler 14, and an intermediate member 18 interposed between the beer dispensing pipe 12 and the sparkler 14.

The intermediate member 18 comprises a main body 20. At the upper end 22 of the main body 20 there is an internal thread 26 complementary to an external threads (not shown) on the dispensing pipe 12. A projection 30 extends from the lower end 32 of the main body and is provided with an external thread 34. The external thread is complementary to the internal thread 36 in the sparkler 14. The threads 34 and 26 are therefore equivalent (but complementary), because in a conventional arrangement, the sparkler 14 would be threaded onto the pipe 12 using the threads to which, in this embodiment of the invention, the main body is connected. The shroud 16 is provided with internal threads 38 which are adapted to engage the external threads 34 on the projection 30.

When the connector is assembled, the shroud 16 and the sparkler 14 both engage the projection 30, the shroud 16 being first screwed onto the thread 34, between the main body 20 and the sparkler 14.

The intermediate member 18 is provided with a passage 40 to allow the beer to pass therethrough. In the passage 40 there is provided a spherical member 42 which is captive in the passage 40, and acts as a valve.

In normal use, when no beer is being dispensed, the ball seats against an opening 44 at the bottom of the projection 30. When beer is pumped it passes through the pipe 12 and lifts the spherical member 42 in the direction indicated by the arrow A. This allows beer to be dispensed. However, if the flow of beer should increase beyond a desired maximum, the pressure of the flow of the beer will force the spherical member 42 towards the opening 44. In this way, the maximum flow rate of beer is controlled.

This arrangement which has been described permits the sparkler 14 to be adjusted on the threaded projection 30 so that the head on the beer dispensed will have the desired properties. This adjustment is analogous to the adjustment of a sparkler conventionally attached directly to a pipe. However, the shroud 16 covers the sparkler 14 to restrict access to it. It is necessary to reach up inside the shroud 16 to adjust the sparkler. The length of the thread on the projection 30 allows the shroud 16 to be screwed up and down the projection 30 without altering the position of the sparkler 14. In this way, bar staff who adjust the position of the shroud 16 will not alter the position of the sparkler 14 and thereby, the properties of the head of the beer dispensed will not be altered. The inhibited access to the sparkler 14 will deter them from adjusting it.

It has also been found that the length of the arrangement described causes the sparkler to be in the mouth of the glass, and thus in the head of the drink being dispensed. This has been found to stabilise the head, to prevent it overflowing the glass.

It will be apparent that the arrangement can be fully disassembled for cleaning and sterlising.

Various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope. For example, the shroud 16 could be manufactured without threads such that it is clipped onto the projection 30 or onto the pipe 12.

The shroud 16 and the sparkler 14 could be screwed onto the thread on the pipe 12, if the thread is sufficiently long, rather than using the intermediate member 18.

Similarly, if the beer dispensing pipe 12 was provided with internal threads and the sparkler 14 was provided with external threads then the threads on the projection 30 and the upper end 22 of the intermediate member 18 could be reversed.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims (23)

Claims:

1. Cover means for a beer dispensing arrangement in which an apertured member is located, in use, adjacent an outlet through which beer is dispensed, the apertured member being adjustable to affect the head produced on beer passing through the apertured member from the outlet, and in which the cover means are adapted to be attached to the arrangement to restrict access to the apertured member during use, thereby deterring a user from making an adjustment thereto.

2. Cover means as claimed in claim 1, and adapted to be movable without causing any adjustment of the apertured member.

3. Cover means as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and providing a recess in which the apertured member can be received, in use, to be at least partly shielded from the user.

4. Cover means as claimed in any preceding claim and comprising elongate cylindrical wall or walls which, in use, are located around the apertured member.

5. Cover means as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said wall or walls extend beyond the apertured member, in use, to prevent the apertured member being adjusted except by reaching into the space defined by the wall or walls.

6. Cover means as claimed in any preceding claim, and comprising an intermediate member adapted to connect the cover means to a pipe, the intermediate member defining a passage for beer to pass from the pipe to the apertured member.

7. Cover means as claimed in claim 6, and comprising a cover member attached, in use, to the pipe by means of the intermediate member.

8. Cover means as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein a cover member is adapted to be mounted directly on a pipe.

9. Cover means as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the intermediate member is adapted to be attached at an upper end thereof to the pipe and at a lower end thereof to the apertured member.

10. Cover means as claimed in claim 9, wherein the upper end of the intermediate member is provided with a first thread to threadably engage the pipe.

11. Cover means as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the intermediate member is provided with a second thread at said lower end to threadably engage the apertured member.

12. Cover means as claimed in claim 11, wherein the intermediate member comprises a main body portion having said first thread at one end thereof and a projection extending from the other end, said projection providing said second thread.

13. Cover means as claimed in claims 11 or 12 insofar as they are dependent on claim 7, wherein the cover member is provided with a third thread to threadably engage the second thread, which may be on the lower end of the intermediate member.

14. Cover means as claimed in claim 13, wherein second thread is sufficiently long to allow the cover member to rotate on the thread without affecting the adjustment of the apertured member.

15. Cover means as claimed in any of claims 6, 7 or 9 to 12, wherein the intermediate member is adapted to be connected to the pipe such that the main body portion is arranged between the apertured member and the pipe and between the cover member and the pipe.

16. Cover means as claimed in any preceding claim, and also including valve means to restrict the flow of beer from the pipe.

17. Cover means as claimed in claim 16, wherein the valve comprises a restrictor member in said passage of the intermediate member.

18. Cover means as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the restrictor member is arranged to prevent the flow of beer above a desired maximum flow rate.

19. Cover means as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the restrictor member is substantially spherical.

20. Cover means as claimed in claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the restrictor member is free to move against or away from an aperture downstream of the member, to close or open the aperture.

21. A beer dispensing arrangement comprising cover means of the type defined in an preceding claim.

22. Cover means for a beer dispensing arrangement, substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.