BUNG ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN BEVERAGE ALCOHOL BARRELS AND CASKS

Abstract

A bung assembly for closure of a hole in a beverage alcohol barrel comprises an upper flange having a top surface. A straight shaft extends downwardly from the upper flange, and includes a base cap adjacent to the upper flange and a bottom portion opposite the upper flange. A threaded portion extends along the shaft between the base cap and the bottom portion. Barrel assemblies are further provided and include a barrel having a bung hole, and the bung assembly. Methods of sealing a barrel includes steps of providing a barrel including a bung hole, and inserting the bung assembly into the bung hole.

Claims

1. A bung assembly for closure of a hole in a beverage alcohol barrel, the bung assembly comprising: an upper flange having a top surface; a straight shaft extending downwardly from the upper flange, the straight shaft including a base cap adjacent to the upper flange and a bottom portion opposite the upper flange; and a threaded portion extending along the shaft between the base cap and the bottom portion.

2. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper flange has a first diameter, the base cap of the straight shaft has a second diameter, and the bottom portion of the straight shaft has a third diameter, and wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the second diameter is greater than the third diameter.

3. The bung assembly of claim 2, wherein the first diameter is greater than about 2 inches.

4. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the base cap is connected to the upper flange at a right angle.

5. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein base cap has a diameter of about 1.5 inches to about 1.875 inches and/or a length of about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches.

6. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the threaded portion includes threads having a thread depth of about 1/16 inch to about inch.

7. The bung assembly of claim 1, the threaded portion having a spacing between the threads configured to engage a stave of a barrel or cask.

8. The bung assembly of claim 7, wherein the spacing between the threads comprises a space of about inch to about 3/16 inch.

9. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the threaded portion has a crest and wherein the crest is spaced a distance from a bottom edge of the base cap.

10. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the straight shaft includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining a hollow interior chamber of the bung assembly.

11. The bung assembly of claim 10, wherein the straight shaft has a thickness between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and wherein the thickness is about 3/32 inch to about inch.

12. The bung assembly of claim 11, wherein the threaded portion includes threads having a thread depth of about 1/16 inch to about inch.

13. The bung assembly of claim 1, wherein the threaded portion has a diameter greater than about 2 inches and/or equal to the first diameter.

14. The bung assembly of claim 10, wherein the hollow interior chamber extends from a bottom edge of the straight shaft to the base cap.

15. The bung assembly of claim 1, further comprising interior walls extending downward from the top surface of the upper flange, the interior walls defining a recess.

16. The bung assembly of claim 15, wherein the recess is square shaped.

17. The bung assembly of claim 15, wherein the recess has a width of about inches and a length of about inches.

18. The bung assembly of claim 15, wherein the straight shaft includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining a hollow interior chamber of the bung assembly, and wherein the interior walls extend below the base cap such that the recess extends from the top surface of the upper flange and into the interior chamber.

19. A barrel assembly, comprising a barrel having a bung hole; and a bung assembly according to claim 1.

20. A method of scaling a barrel, comprising: providing a barrel including a bung hole; and inserting a bung assembly according to claim 1 into the bung hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bung assembly made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a top view of the bung assembly of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a cut-away side view of the bung assembly of FIG. 1, and showing the bung assembly inserted into a barrel and positioned in a bung hole against a stave of the barrel.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view of the bung assembly of FIG. 1, and again showing the bung assembly inserted into a barrel and positioned in a bung hole against a stave of the barrel.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the bung assembly of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The present invention includes a bung assembly for closure of a hole in beverage alcohol barrels and casks. In particular, certain embodiments of the present invention include a bung assembly that make use of combinations of materials, threaded portions, and other features to provide a bung assembly that can be taken in and out of a beverage alcohol barrel or cask, such as with a battery powered drill or impact driver, and that is re-usable.

[0020] Referring first generally to FIGS. 1 to 5, an exemplary bung assembly 10 is provided and which can be used for the closure of a bung hole on a barrel or cask used for maturation and transport of beverage alcohol. In this regard, while the term barrel is often used in the art to refer to larger containers for aging spirits and while the term cask is often considered a more general term for referring to vessels capable of aging spirits, the terms may be used interchangeably herein to refer to any vessel capable of aging spirits and capable for use with a bung assembly of the present invention.

[0021] The bung assembly 10 itself includes an upper flange 12 having a top surface 14 with a straight shaft 20 that extends downwardly from the upper flange 12. The straight shaft 20 includes a base cap 22 adjacent to the upper flange 12 and a bottom portion 24 at a lower end of the straight shaft 20 opposite the upper flange 12. A threaded portion 30 then extends along the length of the straight shaft 20 between the base cap 22 and the bottom portion 24.

[0022] To allow the bung assembly 10 to act as an effective and efficient closure system for a barrel or cask, and as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base cap 22 is generally connected to the upper flange 12 at a right angle to give the bung assembly 10 the ability to fit into a bung hole and be held in place by having more friction and a greater area of contact between the stave 52 of a barrel 50 and the bung assembly 10. The above-mentioned features of the bung assembly 10 also include varying diameters that assist in securing the bung assembly 10 in the bung hole 54 of a barrel 50. More specifically, in the bung assembly 10, the upper flange 12 has a first diameter, the base cap 22 of the straight shaft 20 has a second diameter, and the bottom portion 24 of the straight shaft 20 has a third diameter, where the first diameter of the upper flange 12 is greater than the second diameter of the base cap 22, and the second diameter of the base cap 22 is greater than the third diameter of the bottom portion 24 of the straight shaft 20.

[0023] By making use of such diameters, the bottom portion 24 of the straight shaft can thus be initially inserted into the bung hole 54 of the barrel 50 to act as an initial guide for the insertion of the bung assembly 10. The diameter of the base cap 22 is then typically of sufficient size to seal the bung assembly 10 against the surrounding stave 52 of the barrel 50 within the bung hole 54, while the larger diameter of the upper flange 12 also acts to seal the bung assembly 10 against the outer surface 51 of barrel 50 and prevent the bung assembly 10 from being driven into the interior of the barrel 50. Upon complete insertion of the bung assembly 10 into the bung hole 54, as is depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper flange 12 and base cap 22 of the bung assembly 10 thus effectively acts as a stopper to seal the bung hole 54 of the barrel 50, while also keeping the straight shaft 20 and the associated threaded portion 30 from being driven into the barrel 50.

[0024] In the exemplary bung assembly 10, and as most barrels utilized with the aging of spirits make use of bung holes having standard diameters, the first diameter of upper flange 12 is generally greater than 2 inches and is typically in the range of about 2.4375 inches to about 2.5 inches with a thickness of the upper flange of about 1/16 inches to about inches to ensure that the upper flange 12 sufficiently covers the bung hole 54. The base cap 22 then has a diameter of at least about 1.5 inches (i.e., at least the size of the bung hole) to about 1.875 inches and a length of about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches, such that the base cap 22 has a diameter and length that allow it be secured in the bung hole 54 along a sufficient portion of the width of the stave 52, such as, for example, with the type of staves commonly used in the production of barrels and casks for the aging of spirits and which typically have a thickness of approximately inches. In this regard, the straight shaft 20 and the threaded portion 30 typically have a combined diameter that is approximately equal to that of the base cap 22, along with a length of the straight shaft of about 1.5 inches to about 1.75 inches such that the straight shaft 20 and threaded portion 30 also act to guide and assist in securing the bung assembly 10 in the bung hole 54 and further ensure that the bung assembly 10 effectively acts as a closure mechanism that provides a liquid tight seal around the bung hole 54 of the barrel 50.

[0025] To further assist in ensuring the that the bung assembly 10 is secure and acts as a sufficient seal, and referring still more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the threaded portion 30 also has a spacing between the threads 32 and a depth of the threads that is configured to engage the stave 52 of the exemplary barrel 50. Such spacing between the threads 32 is, in some embodiments, about inch to about 3/16 inch, while the depth of the threads 32 (i.e., the distance from the outermost edge of the threads 32 to the underlying straight shaft 20) is about 1/16 inch to about inch (e.g., about 3/16 inch) as it has been experimentally determined that such spacing and depth of the threads 32 results in both a number and a depth of threads 32 in the threaded portion 30 that is sufficient to engage the stave 52 and prevent leaks of spirits from the barrel 50 over prolonged periods of time, including the months to years necessary for effectively aging spirits. To further ensure the absence of leaks, however, the threaded portion 30 also includes a crest 34 of the threads 32 that is spaced a distance apart from a bottom edge 23 of the base cap 22 such that the threads 32 do not interfere with the ability of the base cap 22 to provide an effective seal, such as what may be the case when, for example, a thread connected or otherwise in close enough proximity to an exemplary base cap would provide a route for liquid to exit from a barrel.

[0026] To further assist and keep the bung assembly 10 sealed against the stave 52 of the barrel 50, and referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the straight shaft 20 also includes an interior surface 26 and an exterior surface 28, with the interior surface 26 defining a hollow interior chamber 29 of the bung assembly 10 that extends from a bottom edge 25 of the straight shaft 20 to the base cap 22. In this regard, the straight shaft 20 thus has a thickness between the interior surface 26 and the exterior surface 28. This thickness between the interior surface 26 and the exterior surface 28 is in the range of about 3/32 inches to about inches in the exemplary bung assembly 10 and without wishing to be bound by any particular theory or mechanism, it is believed that this combination of the thickness of the straight shaft 20 with the hollow interior chamber 29 not only allows for efficient use of materials during manufacturing, but also allows the straight shaft 20 of the bung assembly 10 to create a spring-like effect and keep the bung assembly 10 and, more specifically, the straight shaft 20, base cap 22, and threaded portion 30, liquid tight against the stave 52 of the barrel 50.

[0027] Referring again generally to FIGS. 1-5, the bung assembly is typically manufactured as a single unitary body to provide sufficient strength to the bung assembly and allow the bung assembly 10 to be reusable and not easily damaged, while still doing so in a cost-effective manner. For instance, the exemplary bung assembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5 is manufactured a single unitary body using injection molding techniques and high density polyethylene (HDPE). Such a use of HDPE to produces a bung assembly having a modulus of elasticity ranging from about 0.5 GPa to about 1.50 GPa, a tensile strength of about 5 MPa to about 40 MPa, and a hardness (shore D) of about 50 to about 75. Of course, it is appreciated that other ethanol resistant materials, including other ethanol resistant plastic materials, having similar hardness, strength, and elasticity values can also be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0028] To assist in inserting and removing the bung assembly 10, the bung assembly 10 further includes interior walls 16 that extend downward from the top surface 14 of the upper flange 12 to define a recess 18 in the upper flange 12. The recess 18 extends from the top surface 14 of the upper flange 12 and into the interior chamber 29 of the straight shaft 20. In this way, the recess 18 is thus of a sufficient depth to allow for the use of a tool to be inserted into the recess 18 and utilized for the effective and efficient installation of the bung assembly 10 without causing damage to the recess 18 or remainder of the bung assembly 10. In the bung assembly 10, and as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recess is square-shaped to allow for the use of a square-drive ratchet. For instance, in certain embodiments that make use of the square-shaped recess 18, the recess has dimensions of inches by inches and is inches deep such that the recess 18 is dimensionally-sized to receive and be used with a ratchet drive square.

[0029] By making use of the foregoing features, including the materials and combinations or arrangements of the various structures (e.g., thread configuration, base cap, interior chamber, etc.) of an exemplary bung assembly of the present invention, the exemplary bung assemblies are imparted with the strength and flexibility that allow the bung assemblies to be held in a barrel without failure and in manner in which the bung assemblies can be readily inserted and removed as necessary while not being easily damaged. Again without wishing to be bound by any particular theory or mechanism, it is believed that the combination of the features of bung assembly, included the dimensions of the assembly, both alone and relative to one another, are responsible, at least in part, for such advantageous properties. As such and while the bung assemblies described herein have been described with reference to particular dimensions, in some embodiments, it is further believed that the exemplary bung assemblies of the present invention can be produced to fit a number of different sized bung holes so long as the dimensions of the relevant features of the exemplary bung assemblies are maintained relative to one another.

[0030] The bung assemblies of the present invention thus further allow the use of the bung assemblies in a method of sealing a barrel that comprises the steps of providing a barrel including a bung hole, and inserting a bung assembly of the present invention into the bung hole. Moreover, the bung assemblies of the present invention allow businesses that manage or use barrels or casks of beverage alcohol to be provided with a closure device that makes more efficient use of materials, can be inserted or withdrawn in tighter spaces, can be inserted or withdrawn with ordinary tools commonly available, and can be re-used instead of discarded with each use as is common practice with poplar wood hard bungs commonly used in the distilled spirits industry.

[0031] As used herein, the term about, when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration or percentage is meant to encompass variations of in some embodiments 20%, in some embodiments 10%, in some embodiments 5%, in some embodiments 1%, in some embodiments 0.5%, and in some embodiments 0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed method.

[0032] As also used herein, ranges can be expressed as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. It is also understood that there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each value is also herein disclosed as about that particular value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value 10 is disclosed, then about 10 is also disclosed. It is also understood that each unit between two particular units are also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

[0033] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional embodiments are also possible without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the claims which follow. This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, is given primarily for clarity of understanding, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.

EXAMPLE

[0034] An exemplary bung assembly was produced from HDPE using injection molding techniques. The bung assembly, as produced, included a straight shaft having a thickness of 4/32, a length of 1 18/32, and an outside diameter of 1 20/32. The produced bung assembly further included a base cap having a length of 12/32 and an outer diameter of 1 24/32. The base cap was produced such that the base cap was straight and was not tapered or rounded. The recess included in the bung assembly was square with dimensions and extended to a depth of 26/32. The upper flange of the bung assembly had a diameter of 2 14/32 and a thickness of 3/32, while the threads of the bung assembly were spaced 8/32 apart, had a thickness of 2/32,and a depth of 3/32. The bung assembly was installed in a test barrel and no leaks were observed as the barrel was manipulated. The bung assembly removed from the barrel easily and was re-installed with no damage to the bung assembly. Additionally, the bung assembly was left installed in the barrel containing liquid for a period of time over 6 months and no leaks were observed during that time period despite pressure on the bung assembly from the liquid in the barrel.