Quick-connect conversion adapter for beer kegs

Claim 1

An adapter means for enabling the long-term use of quickconnect coupling means with a beer keg of the type having an inwardly extending hollow valve body cup extending inwardly from a wall of the keg with a rotary butterfly valve on the innermost endwall of the cup operable through rotary movement of a rotary axial valve actuator having a first end within the interior of said valve body cup and mounted for rotation on said endwall for movement between first and second positions respectively opening and closing a passageway extending through said endwall to respectively provide or prevent communication between the interior of said keg and the interior of said valve body cup, said adapter comprising a generally cylindrical body member having an outer end and an inner end, said inner end of said cylindrical body member including an opening matingly engaging said first end of said valve actuator when said valve adapter is rotated so as to consequently open or close said butterfly valve in accordance with the direction of rotation of said adapter member, the entire length of said generally cylindrical body member being less than the distance between said innermost endwall of said valve body cup and the outer surface of the wall of the keg adjacent said body cup so that said outer end of said generally cylindrical body member is located within the peripheral confines of the outer surface of said keg wall, an axial passageway extending through said body member between said outer end and said inner end, a check valve member mounted in said axial passageway adjacent said outer end of said body member for normally closing said passageway, a radially extending sealing flange extending outwardly from said body member, resilient sealing means adjacent one side of said radially extending flange, a pair of locking lugs extending outwardly from said radially extending flange and engageable with an inclined spiral groove on the interior of said valve body cup so that rotation of said body member in a first direction causes said body member to be forcefully moved inwardly to a relatively permanent operative position in which it remains unless removed for maintenance, said inward movement of said body member also serving to compress said sealing means against a rigid shoulder extending inwardly from said valve body cup and male coupling means on the outermost end of said body member for matingly receiving and retaining a female quick-connect coupling axially inserted over said male coupling means to provide fluid communication between said axial passageway and said female coupling.