Bung bushing

Sept 18, 1945. _{A L}owy 2,385,294

BUNG BUSHING

Filed June 17, 1944

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INVENTOR.

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Patented Sept. 18,1945 2,385,294

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,385,294

BUNG BUSHING . '

Arthur Lowy, Newark, N. J., assignor to New York Engineering Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York

Application June 17, 1944, Serial No. 540,853

Claims.

This invention relates to bushings such as are used for receiving the bungs in barrels, and it has for its object to provide a novel and improved bushing of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bushing of the type which is expanded and permanently set in a bung hole by a special forming tool, without employing screwthreads or spurs to prevent rotation.

Still another object is to provide a bushing of the above type which is especially adapted for insertion in laminated bung staves and will effectively prevent the formation of checks in the wood even when set in , a counter-bore which extends beyond the depth of the outer veneer'

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

The bung bushing shown in A. C. Ludlum Patent #1,226,090, issued May 15, 1917, has a resilient arched external flange, a smooth tapered body portion which fits into the bung hole in a barrel stave, and an expansible inner end which is adapted to be spun over and set by a special flanging tool so that it grips the wood of the stave and seals the bushing against rotation and leakage.

For many years these bushings have been used with complete satisfaction in seasoned oak beer barrels, etc., but considerable difficulty has been experienced in applying them to laminated wooden barrels which, because of their lightness, cheapness and other advantages, would otherwise find a ready market in competition with the aluminum kegs which are widely used at the present time.

The bung holes of wooden barrels are usually countersunk to receive the outer flange of the bushing and make it lie substantially flush with the surface of the barrel, since a protruding flange would be subject to constant jars which might result in splitting the bung stave. In the case of a laminated wooden barrel the counterbore of the bung hole extends beyond the depth of the outer wooden veneer, and this has been found to result in the formation of checks or longitudinal cracks which radiate outwardly from the edge of the counter-bore and cause leakage and destruction of the barrel.

My improved bung bushing is inserted in the bung hole in the same manner as before, but it has a specially shaped external flange including a thin peripheral lip which spans the edge of the counter-bore and grips the surrounding marginal surface of the stave in a novel manner (Cl. 16—3) which prevents the formation of checks and protects the veneer of the stave against accidental damage.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of this invention are set forth more in detail in the claims appended hereto, the nature and scope of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming: a part thereof, in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view: of the bung hole of a barrel stave;.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the bushing set in place;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing the bushing being placed in position to be set; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section showing the bushing set in place.

In the following description certain specific terms are used for convenience in referring to the various details of the invention. These terms, however, are to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

The drawing shows a portion of a barrel comprising a laminated stave I composed of thin outer and inner veneers 2 and 3 of seasoned oak or the like, and a plurality of intermediate layers of any suitable light inexpensive material such as gumwood.

A barrel constructed in this manner compares favorably in lightness and cheapness with an aluminum barrel and, furthermore, it possesses an additional advantage over solid oak barrels in that the staves can all be made in quantity in identical shapes and sizes and used interchangeably instead of being carefully matched and fitted together as heretofore.

The stave I is bored with a tapered bung hole which is countersunk as at 6. In the embodiment illustrated this counter-bore 6 extends inwardly beyond the depth of the outer veneer 2, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The metal bung bushing has an externally smooth body 7 which is tapered to closely fit the tapered bung hole 5 throughout its depth. The lower or inner end of the bushing is sharply tapered at 8 to provide a thin lower edge 9 to facilitate turning this end of the bushing over to form the flange 10 shown in Fig. 4.

The bushing is provided with a resiliently arched outer flange (2 having a peripheral biting edge 13 and a relatively thin marginal lip 14 which overlies said biting edge 13, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The bushing is placed in the bung hole 5 and is set therein by means of a suitable machine such as that disclosed in my Patent #1,234,680, issued July 24, 1917. The said machine includes a pair of rollers which engage the thin lower edge 9 of the bushing, and, while downward pressure is exerted on the outer flange 12, the lower edge 9 is rolled back on itself and simultaneously expanded as the pressure is increased and the rollers revolve relatively to the bushing.

As a result, the rolling of the lower end of the bushing forms the flange 10 in. clamping engagement with the inner surface 3 of the barrel stave about the inner end of the bung hole. At the same time the resiliently arched outer flange 12 is forced in place so that the biting edge 13 bites into the stave while the outer face of the flange is somewhat flattened to lie substantially flush with the outer surface of the stave.

When the bushing is set, as shown in Fig. 4, the thin marginal lip 14 of flange 12 spans the periphery of the counter-bore 6 and resiliently grips the adjacent surface 2 of the stave in which said lip 14 is slightly embedded, thus protecting the circular cut edge Of the veneer and preventing the formation of checks Or cracks therein.

it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the bushing disclosed herein may be used to advantage in various situations with various types of barrels, and the invention is therefore to be limited only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.