Method and apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages from bulk containers

Claim 1

FOR USE IN A PORTABLE PRESSURIZED CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DISPENSING CARBONATED BEVERAGES AND WHEREIN A MANUALLY VALVED FAUCET IS CARRIED BY A WALL OF THE CONTAINER FOR CHARGING THE CONTAINER WITH BEVERAGE AND FOR DISPENSING THE SAME INTO A CONSUMER''S GLASS, AN ELONGATED FITTING HOUSED WITHIN THE CONTAINER AND HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE BEVERAGE STORED WITHIN THE CONTAINER AND TO DELIVER THE SAME TO SAID FAUCET, SAID BORE BEING OF INCREASING CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA IN THE DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW WHEN THE BEVERAGE IS BEING DISPENSED, AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN SAID FITTING ADJACENT ITS DISPENSING INLET END AND RADIAL APERTURES INTERCONNECTING SAID BORE AND GROOVE, A RESILIENT DEFORMABLE ANNULAR VALVING ELEMENT IN SAID GROOVE, A TUBE ANCHORED IN SAID BORE INTERMEDIATE SAID GROOVE AND THE DISPENSING INLET END OF SAID BORE AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL EXTENSION EXTENDING IN SAID DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW PAST SAID RADIAL APERTURES AND INTO THE BORE BEYOND SAID APERTURES, SAID EXTENSION BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE ADJACENT DIAMETER OF THE BORE TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR PASSAGE FOR LIQUID, AND RADIAL APERTURES IN SAID EXTENSION SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE RADIAL APERTURES IN SAID FITTING, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT UPON THE CHARGING OF BEVERAGE INTO SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID FAUCET FLUID MAY FLOW INTO SAID GROOVE AND OUT PAST SAID VALVING ELEMENT WHEREAS DURING DISPENSING OF THE BEVERAGE THE BEVERAGE FLOWS BOTH IN A SOLID STREAM THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID TUBE AND IN AN ANNULAR STREAM ABOUT SAID TUBE WITH SAID STREAMS BEING REUNITED AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID TUBE.