This invention relates to a tapping head for a beer keg, and to a beer dispensing system incorporating such a tapping head. The invention further relates to a process for minimising beer wastage and an improved method of cleaning beer lines utilising such a tapping head.

In conventional beer dispensing systems in, for example, a pub, the beer is contained in a keg in a cellar or otherwise out of sight of customers and is fed by a flexible tube (beer line) to a beer tap in the bar from which the beer can be dispensed. To this end a tapping head is inserted into the keg, the tapping head having a beer outlet connected to the beer line and a gas inlet for pressurised gas. The pressurised gas pressurises the space above the beer in the keg so that when the beer tap in the bar is turned on, beer is forced along the beer line to the beer tap. In these conventional systems the tapping head has a non-return valve associated with the beer outlet to prevent beer returning to the keg from the beer line, and a non- return valve associated with the gas inlet to prevent gas leaving the keg.

Normally the beer lines have to be cleaned at least once a week. This is done by untapping the beer keg

(removing the tapping head), attaching the tapping head to a wash bottle filled with a mixture of water and detergent, and flushing out the beer in the beer line.

If the beer line is 30 meters from the keg to the tap, it contains from 5 to 6 pints of beer. This beer is wasted each time the beer line is cleaned. Since there are typically six to eight beer lines in a pub, some 30 to 48 pints of beers are wasted each week.

It is an object of the invention to provide a process for minimising beer wastage, an improved method of cleaning beer lines, a tapping head for a beer keg, and a beer dispensing system incorporating such a tapping head, which overcomes or mitigates this disadvantage.

Accordingly, the invention provides a tapping head for a beer keg, the tapping head comprising a beer outlet for connection to a beer line and a gas inlet for introducing gas under pressure into the keg, the beer outlet being absent an associated non-return valve to allow beer from the beer line to be returned to the keg via the beer outlet.

The invention further provides a beer dispensing system including a tapping head as aforesaid for connection to a beer keg, a beer tap connected by a beer line to the beer outlet of the tapping head, and a source of pressurised gas connected by a gas line to the gas inlet of the tapping head.

In a further aspect the invention provides a process for minimising beer wastage in a beer line, comprising the step of forcing beer located within the beer line back through a tapping head as aforesaid into a beer keg.

Preferably, said process further comprises permitting pressurised gas within the keg to be vented therefrom to permit re-entry of beer into the keg.

Further, preferably, said process comprises connecting a source of pressurised gas to an end of a beer line distal from the tapping head, said pressurised gas forcing the beer within the beer line into the keg via the tapping head.

The invention further provides a method of cleaning a beer line having an associated tapping head according to the invention, said method comprising the preparatory step of minimising beer wastage according to the process as aforesaid.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a beer keg fitted with a conventional tapping head;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a beer dispensing system incorporating a tapping head according to the invention; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the tapping head used in the system of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional tapping head 10 is shown fitted to a beer keg 12. The tapping head 10 has a beer outlet 14 and a gas inlet 16. In a conventional beer dispensing system the beer outlet 14 is connected via a beer line (not shown) to a beer tap in the bar, while the gas inlet 16 is connected to a source of gas under pressure. A tube 18 communicating with the beer outlet 14 extends to near the bottom of the keg 12, while the gas inlet 16 communicates with the interior of the keg above the level of the beer 20. In use, when the beer tap in the bar is turned on, the pressurised gas in the space above the beer 20 forces the beer up the tube 18, out of the beer outlet 14 and along the beer line to the beer tap. As mentioned previously, the tapping head 10 has a non-return valve associated with the beer outlet 14 to prevent beer returning to the keg 12 from the beer line, and a non- return valve associated with the gas inlet 16 to prevent gas leaving the keg.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a beer dispensing system includes a beer keg 12 fitted with a tapping head 100.

As seen in Fig. 3, the tapping head 100 has a beer outlet 14 and a gas inlet 16 similar to the conventional tapping head 10. However, whereas the conventional tapping head 10 has a beer non-return valve in the chamber 22 and a gas non-return valve in the chamber 24, the tapping head 100 has neither, so that both beer and gas can flow in both directions in their respective outlet/inlet.

Returning to Fig. 2, the beer outlet 14 is connected via a beer line 26 to a beer tap 28. The beer line includes an on-off lever ball valve 30 and a beer-line fob 32. The latter comprises a float chamber through which the beer passes. When the keg 12 is empty and gas enters the float chamber, a float drops to cut off the supply to the beer tap 28. The valve 30 allows the beer line 26 to be shut off when the keg 12 is empty, to allow the keg to be removed and a full one connected in its place. The valve 30 is open during normal operation of the system.

The gas inlet 16 is connected via a gas line 34 to a T- piece 36. The latter has two branches, one connected to a source of pressurised gas 38 and the other venting to the atmosphere ATM. According to the position of a lever 40, the gas line 34 is either connected to the source 38 or to the atmosphere. In normal use of the

system, the lever 40 is turned so that the T-piece 36 connects the gas line 34 to the source of pressurised gas 38 so that the space above the beer in the keg 12 is pressurised. Thus, opening the beer tap 28 will dispense beer in the usual way.

However, if it is desired to clean the beer line 26, the lever 40 is turned so that the T-piece 36 connects the gas line 34 to the atmosphere, and a source of gas under pressure (not shown) is connected to the beer tap 28. This forces the beer in the line 26 back into the keg 12, the gas in the keg escaping to the atmosphere <BR> via the T-piece 36. Only when the beer in the line 26 has been returned to the keg is the tapping head 100 disconnected from the keg for cleaning the beer line.

Thus the beer in the line 26 is not wasted.

Variations of the foregoing are possible. For example, the tapping head 100 can retain a gas non-return valve in the gas inlet 16 so that gas does not leave the keg, provided that the pressure of the gas connected to the beer tap 28 when it is desired to return the beer in the line 26 to the keg 12 is greater than the pressure of gas in the keg 12 from the source 38.

Alternatively, the gas in/out chamber 24 on tapping head 100 may include a pressure sensitive valve which opens only when the pressure in the keg 12 exceeds a certain threshold, which threshold would be set less than that applied at the beer tap 28 to force the beer

back along the beer line 26. This means that a minimum pressure would at all times be retained in the keg.

It is also possible to return the beer to the keg by pumping from the tap 28, or by sucking on the gas inlet 16, instead of applying gas pressure to the beer tap 28.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.