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Five spear systems
Which one sits in your keg decides which coupler fits. The body diameter tells you in seconds – everything else is on the type pages.
| Type | Designation | Body Ø | Coupler | Main market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Flat spear (A-type) | 74.5 mm 68 mm only with left-hand thread | push-on | Germany, Austria, large parts of Europe |
| S | EU Sankey spear (S-type) | 50.8 mm · thread 2″ × 14 TPI | screw-on | Benelux, parts of France |
| M | Combi spear (M-type) | 74.5 mm | Combi (M-type) – fits nothing else | Special applications |
| D | US Sankey spear (D-type) | US design | Draft | North America, international on export containers |
| G | Triangular spear (G-type) | 70 mm | Three-lobe – fits only G | three-lobed flange instead of a round body, otherwise as A |
Ø 74,5 mm Gehäuse
Flachfitting, type A
The most widespread type in the German-speaking region. Recognisable by the body diameter of 74.5 millimetres and by the slide-on coupler.
Go to type Asitzt in der Muffe
Korbfitting, type S
The European standard outside the German-speaking region. Smaller body, screw-on coupler.
Go to type SØ 74,5 mm Gehäuse
Kombifitting, type M
Combines features of the EU Sankey (S-type) and the flat spear. Same body dimension as type A – but a coupler of its own.
Go to type MUS-Bauform
US Sankey spear (D-type), type D
The North American standard, in Europe mainly on export containers. The only type for which complete test dimensions are publicly documented.
Go to type DØ 70 mm über den dreilappigen Flansch
Dreikantfitting, type G
Technically the same spear as type A – only with a three-lobed instead of a round body, which calls for a different coupler. That has consequences for spare parts and for conversion.
Go to type GThe difference you can measure in seconds
Flat (A-type) and EU Sankey (S-type) can usually be told apart without expert knowledge: a body diameter of 74.5 millimetres means a flat spear (A-type); if there is no body at all above the neck, it is a EU Sankey spear (S-type). A calliper is enough – twelve millimetres of difference are there to be seen.
Two exceptions belong with this, otherwise the rule turns dangerous: there is a flat spear (A-type) version with 68 mm – and it always has a left-hand thread, just as, conversely, every left-hand-thread flat spear (A-type) measures 68 mm. At 68 it is closer to the EU Sankey spear (S-type) than to its own standard, so it is easily confused. And the triangular spear (G-type) has the same dimension as the flat spear (A-type), but is recognisable by its body: not round, but three-lobed.
And one note that saves a lot of trouble: which spear goes into a keg is not decided by the spear but by the neck. If the standard thread sits there, all the common types can be swapped for one another without changing anything on the keg. The nine neck systems at a glance.
With the combi spear (M-type) the measurement does not help, because it has the same body as the flat spear (A-type). Here the coupler decides: a combi coupler (M-type) fits nothing else, and no other coupler fits a combi spear (M-type).
The spear is not an accessory
It is the safety-critical connection between pressure vessel and dispense system, and it is subject to standards of its own: DIN 3542 for the spears, DIN 32677 for the matching couplers.
And one component that is regularly underestimated: the retaining ring is a single-use part. It occurs on the threadless systems, where it holds the spear in the neck; at every removal new rings go in, together with seal and CO₂ valve. On a screwed-in spear the thread holds. Pressure is released before anything is undone, in both cases. More on this in the technical section.