Sunday’s ad is for the British ad campaign “Beer is Best,” from 1938. Part of “A Calendar of British Beer” from that year, March features a wonderful illustration of a farmer sowing his field with barley, and the text explains that this is the month for it, with some statistics of how much of the grain it takes each year to create all of England’s beer. “All the year round. Beer is Best.” Happy March.
Archives for March 1, 2015
Patent No. 4728010A: Keg Tapper
Today in 1988, US Patent 4728010 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Keg Tapper.” Here’s the Abstract:
A keg tapper for use with a keg having a neck with a closure valve carried therein and a flange with a tapered edge on the neck. An arrangement for attaching the tapper at the flanged neck so that completion of the attachment opens the inner valve of the keg closure. A plunger carried in the keg tapper with an arrangement for moving the plunger axially within the tapper body to engage the keg closure and open the outer valve. A keg tapper which can be utilized in the tavern configuration and in the picnic configuration.
Patent No. 2462930A: Keg Closure
Today in 1949, US Patent 2462930 A was issued, an invention of Victor Alvear, for his “Keg Closure.” There’s no Abstract, but the description claims that the “object of the present invention to provide a bung for a keg in which the stopper is a fixture on the keg and cannot become lost and the chance of its becoming damaged is reduced to a minimum.” Alvear also writes that in addition, additional reasons for his patent include the “means for bringing the stopper or plug to alignment with the bung hole by gravity where it can easily be moved into closed position, the “means for readily grasping it with a tool and with means for sealing the opening in the bung,” “eliminate hammering and pounding on the barrel head and to eliminate spearing of corks,” to “facilitate tapping of the keg,” “provide a stopper that is sanitary, simple in construction and economical to manufacture,” “provide a stopper that cannot leak or blow out regardless of the pressure in the keg thereby providing an air-tight seal,” and “to provide a stopper that is self-sealing.” That is one impressive keg stopper.
Patent No. 2109489A: Liquid Filling Machine
Today in 1938, US Patent 2109489 A was issued, an invention of John Daniel Le Frank, assigned to the American Can Co., for his “Liquid Filling Machine.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “present invention relates to a machine for filling cans with liquids that have a tendency to foam and has particular reference to devices which minimize foaming of the liquid passing into a can, passages in the devices being automatically purged of any foam which may have accumulated during the filling of a preceding can.”