Sunday’s ad is an Easter ad for Budweiser, from 1950. It’s an ad from the “There’s Nothing Like It … Absolutely Nothing.” In this holiday-themed ad, a woman is coloring and decorating eggs for Easter, while behind her, a man is holding a sandwich and a beer, watching her do all the work. She’s in a dress with her pearls, and he’s in a white shirt and tie. That takes some sizable confidence to not put on a smock or apron when working with food dye. That green background is somewhat nauseating, too. I hope that’s not the walls of their home, but who knows. You did see interiors back then with some horrific (to our eye) colors.
Archives for April 5, 2015
Patent No. 20070075089A1: Method Of Protecting The Open Top Of A Beer Can Against Contamination By Insects, Dirt And Debris
Today in 2007, US Patent 20070075089 A1 was issued, an invention of Thomas Stein, for his “Method of Protecting the Open Top of a Beer Can and a Soda Can Against Contamination by Insects, Dirt And Debris.” Here’s the Abstract:
A cover for the open top of a soda can or beer can is substantially round and has a pair of parallel sides together with an annular bevel or chamfer to accommodate either a soda can or a beer can. The beer can has a larger diameter at its annular rim than that of the soda can, so that (in use) the cover is reversed. The cover may contain a trademark, logo, company name or message for promotional purposes. An alternate cover is substantially half-round, and a further embodiment is substantially arcuate.
I think the best thing about his patent is the drawing illustrating all of the problems that this invention will fix or make better. They’re hilarious. How did we ever drink from cans before this?
Patent No. 954397A: Keg-Rinser
Today in 1910, US Patent 954397 A was issued, an invention of Adolph C. La Budde, for his “Keg-Rinser.” There’s no Abstract, but here’s how it’s described:
The invention is an improvement in of all sizes, such as barrels, half barrel, quarter barrels and eighth barrels, and is designed to economize in labor and time; both in working the nozzle and the controlling valve or the water supply, and properly positioning the keg to receive the nozzle, as well as to make the rinsing more effectively
The invention in general consists of a water supply conduit having a nozzle and a controlling valve, a foot lever operable to simultaneously project the nozzle valve into the keg and open the valve, and rollers to support the keg over the nozzle, each roller tapering toward the center to conform to the keg and facilitate its movement to rinsing position.
Patent No. D503550S1: Combined Beer Dispensing Cooler And Lawn Chair
Today in 2005, US Patent D503550 S1 was issued, an invention of Brian Miesieski, Devin Kelly, and Geoff Blanck, assigned to Labatt Brewing Company Ltd, for their “Combined Beer Dispensing Cooler and Lawn Chair.” There’s no Abstract, which is unusual for such a recent patent. The patent application merely lists the seven submitted drawings of the design and the only other text at all is this short claim. “The ornamental design for a combined beer dispensing cooler and lawn chair, as shown.”
My first thought was this had to be a promotional item that Labatt used for some sales campaign. And, in fact, that’s what it was used for. I found a picture of the finished product, which also included this caption:
This unit was designed to promote Labatt’s “Blueprint” advertising campaign which was centered around a series of beer dispensers. This chair was featured on ABC’s“Good Morning America”, a nationally broadcast television show, as one of the “Best Gadgets For Your Life”. The cooler keeps 12 cans of beer ice cold while storing one can in a chilled holding pen. When the handle is pushed it releases the can in the holding pen and reloads itself.
And the Global Marketing Group of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, a marketing display company, currently lists the chair in their catalog under Unique Solutions. So you could still get your own beer can chair, if you really, really wanted one.