Slide-on tap for a beverage container
AssigneeJohnson Enterprises, Inc.
InventorTracy K. Stenger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The tap includes a lower body adapted to slide radially onto the neck of a container and lock beneath a lip on the neck. Connected pivotally to the lower body is an upper body having means for opening valves in the neck when the upper body is swung downwardly relative to the lower body to a tapping position. A releasable latch is carried by a handle on the upper body and automatically latches the upper body downwardly against the lower body when the upper body reaches its tapping position.
Claims10
A tap for a container having an upstanding tubular neck with a radially outwardly projecting peripheral lip at its upper end, the inside of said neck having normally closed valve means which may be opened to permit pressurized fluid to be introduced into said container and to permit liquid to flow out of said container, said tap comprising a lower body having rib means configured to engage beneath said lip and hold said lower body on said neck, said rib means defining a generally C-shaped retainer permitting said lower body to be slid radially onto said neck with said rib means sliding beneath said lip, said tap further comprising an upper body, pivot means pivotally connecting said upper body to said lower body and supporting said upper body to swing upwardly and downwardly relative to said lower body about a generally horizontal axis between a pretapping position and a tapping position, means extending downwardly from said upper body for opening said valve means, said valve opening means clearing said neck when said upper body is in said pretapping position and as said lower body is slid radially onto said neck, said valve opening means moving downwardly into said neck and opening said valve means when said lower body is on said neck and when said upper body is swung downwardly to said tapping position, and latching means on one of said bodies and releasably engaging the other body to hold said upper body downwardly in said tapping position.
A tap for a container having an upstanding tubular neck with a radially outwardly projecting peripheral lip at its upper end, the inside of said neck having normally closed valve means which may be opened to permit pressurized fluid to be introduced into said container and to permit liquid to flow out of said container, said tap comprising a lower body having rib means configured to engage beneath said lip and hold said lower body on said neck, said rib means defining a generally C-shaped retainer permitting said lower body to be slid radially onto said neck with said rib means sliding beneath said lip, said tap further comprising an upper body having a handle projecting from one end portion thereof, pivot means pivotally connecting the opposite end portion of said upper body to said lower body and supporting said upper body to swing upwardly and downwardly relative to said lower body about a generally horizontal axis between a pretapping position and a tapping position, means extending downwardly from said upper body for opening said valve means, said valve opening means clearing said neck when said upper body is in said pretapping position and as said lower body is slid radially onto said neck, said valve opening means moving downwardly into said neck and opening said valve means when said upper body is swung downwardly to said tapping position, a latching lever pivotally connected to said handle to swing about an axis paralleling said one axis, and latching means on said latching lever and automatically latching against said lower body when said upper body is swung downwardly to said tapping position thereby to hold said upper body in said tapping position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.