Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 2710818A: Method And Apparatus For Simultaneously Washing Containers And Removing Labels Therefrom

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Today in 1955, US Patent 2710818 A was issued, an invention of Ralph J. Winters, assigned to Ballantine & Sons, for his “Method and Apparatus For Simultaneously Washing Containers and Removing Labels Therefrom.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My present invention relates to the automatic washing of containers carrying labels and more particularly to a method for simultaneously washing such containers, removing and disposing of the labels as well as apparatus for carrying out the same.

In the art of packaging products, particularly products intended for human consumption, highly complex and expensive equipment for substantially automatically handling the containers has been provided. This is especially true in the brewing industry where machinery capable of handling many thousands of bottles per hour has been provided for automatically washing the bottles. In this industry containers such as bottles are used over and over again. Before each use each bottle is scrupulously cleaned. It is conventional for each bottle to have affixed thereto a paper label which washes off or otherwise becomes detached from the bottle during the washing process and settles downward in one or the other of the compartments of the washing machine. While the machines are provided with a dead space at the bottom of such compartments, nevertheless the accumulation of labels is so rapid that in a relatively short time they extend upward sufficiently far to impede the passage of the bottles. To avoid damage which may result therefrom, it has been customary to put the washing machine out of operation to permit manual cleaning and removal of the labels. Manual cleaning is, of course, time consuming and costly. Furthermore, because of the highly caustic washing solutions commonly utilized, care must be exercised in carrying out the removal of the labels to avoid injury to personnel during the operation.

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Patent No. 4838419A: Keg Board

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Today in 1989, US Patent 4838419 A was issued, an invention of Ferdinand Weits, William F. Mekelburg and Marc R. Latour, assigned to the Adolph Coors Company, for their “Keg Board.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg board for use in stacking beer kegs and the like in an upright orientation during storage and transporation of the kegs comprising: a generally planar surface for engaging and supporting a generally planar end surface of each keg; and pockets operatively associated with the planar surface for limiting relative lateral shifting movement of the kegs such as caused by shocks and vibration associated with transporting of the kegs.

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Patent No. 995001A: Agitating Device

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Today in 1911, US Patent 995001 A was issued, an invention of John H. Hathaway, for his “Agitating Device.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The object of my invention is the provision of a device of the character mentioned which will be so designed as to adapt the same to be readily arranged in a paint-keg, upon the removal of one of the heads of the latter, in such a manner as to permit of the ready manual oscillation thereof therein, in effecting the thorough breaking of the lead or oil contained in the keg.

A further object is the provision of an agitating device as mentioned which will be of an adjustable nature adapting the same for arrangement in kegs of various dimensions; and further a device which will be effectual in operation, and which will be of strong, durable and economical construction.

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Patent No. 651651A: Apparatus For Racking Beer

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Today in 1900, US Patent 651651 A was issued, an invention of Harry W. Colby, for his “Apparatus For Racking Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for racking beer, and more particularly to improvements upon the invention or apparatus shown and described in my pending application, Serial No; 616,386, filed December 21, 1896. In the invention and apparatus of my said pending application the beer was forced from the tank into the barrel under pressure, the barrel itself being first filled with air or gas under pressure approximating that of the tank, and the necessary difference of pressure to cause the liquid to flow from the tank into the barrel was maintained by a spring or weight actuated safety valve controlling the vent through which the air or gas escaped from the barrel into the outer air as the barrel filled with the beer. In the practical use of this apparatus I have found difficulty in keeping the safety-valve or its weight or spring so nicely adjusted as to entirely prevent foaming of the beer, especially as the pressure in the tank itself is liable to variation as the liquid is drawn therefrom.

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Patent No. 3888839A: Isolated Yeast Protein Product With Intact RNA And A Process For Making Same

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Today in 1975, US Patent 3888839 A was issued, an invention of Jon Albert Newell, Robert Dudley Seeley, and Ernest Aleck Robbins, assigned to Anheuser Busch, for their “Isolated Yeast Protein Product with Intact RNA and a Process for Making Same.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it states that “We have discovered a process for obtaining a protein isolate from yeast cells. This process makes use of a neutral or slightly alkaline extraction of disintegrated cells to avoid the deleterious effect on nutritional quality and flavor.”

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Our process is comprised of the following steps: production of yeast cells, rupture of the cells, separation of the insoluble cell wall fragments from the soluble cytoplasmic fraction, treatment of the soluble fraction with alkali, recovery of the protein by precipitation and centrifugation, vacuum concentration, and drying. The substantially cell free isolated protein product contains about 40% of the solids, -65% of the protein, 60-65% of the nucleic acid, 64-68% of the lipid and less than 5% of the carbohydrate that was present in the yeast cell. The isolated protein product has the composition (dsb) of 65-85% crude protein, 9-14% nucleic acid, 2-8% ash, 9-14% lipid, and 2-10% carbohydrate, while including less than 1% crude fiber.

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Patent No. 2641357A: Device For Cleaning Out The Bottoms Of Grain Elevators

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Today in 1953, US Patent 2641357 A was issued, an invention of Lester Jones (presumably not the economist with the NBWA), assigned to Pabst Brewing Co., for his “Device for Cleaning Out the Bottoms of Grain Elevators.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it states that the “invention appertains to the handling of grain, and more particularly to a novel cleaning attachment for a grain elevator.”

In the handling of grain by bucket elevators, there is a clearance between the bottom wall or pan of the elevator housing and the elevator buckets. Consequently, a certain small portion of grain lies in an inactive state on this bottom wall or pan. If this grain is not periodically removed, there is danger that the same will spoil or become infected and contaminate the grain passing through the elevator. This condition is recognized, and provisions have been made to remove the inactive grain, but in all constructions with which I am familiar, it is necessary to shut down the elevator to effect the cleaning thereof. Consequently, there is a tendency to put off the cleaning of the elevator as long as possible.

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Patent No. 730651A: Brewing

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Today in 1903, US Patent 730651 A was issued, an invention of Herbert Amos Hobson, assigned to the Concentrated Beer Company Ltd., for his “Brewing.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it states that “this invention relates to a method of brewing in which a hopped wort is produced by first making an infusion or decoction of hops, then running off the infusion or decoction, and after fixing the tannic acid extracted from the hops mashing malt (or malt and grain) in the hop infusion or decoction as the mashing liquor.” Hobson was a British analytical chemist, and obviously he didn’t patent “brewing,” but an improvement on the process. I use the same titles that the grant of application uses, but sometimes they’re a little strange, case in point this one. Anyway, Hobson goes on to describe it great detail:

The invention consists,first, in a methodical process whereby the residual soluble matter contained in the spent malt and spent hops is extracted, the liquor containing such residual extractive matter being used instead of plain water for making the decoction of hops for a fresh brew, so that the residual malt and hop extract obtained from the spent malt and hops left from one brew will be utilized in the next succeeding brew, and so on.

The invention consists, secondly, in withdrawing from the hop extract (after it has been treated to fix the tannic acid, but before it is used for mashing) a portion of the hop liquor, separately heating the liquor thus withdrawn, and returning it to the bulk of the liquor after the mashing of the latter with malt, (or malt and grain,) so as to thereby raise the temperature of the mash without causing dilution thereof, as would be the case were naked steam blown in.

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Patent No. 20488A: Apparatus For Manufacture Of Beer

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Today in 1858, US Patent 20488 A was issued, an invention of George Habioh, for his “Apparatus For Manufacture Of Beer.” There’s no Abstract, though the description in the application states that he’s “invented an Improved Apparatus for Brewing or Manufacturing Beer.” What follows is a very lengthy explanation, but here’s the start of a fuller explanation.

For this boiling of the wort I use a closed copper or kettle; its steam I employ for new mashing and increase its pressure by a superincumbent column of water. This steam enters directly into the mash, and the increasing height of the water increases also the boiling point of the wort contained in the copper. This increased temperature manifests itself in stirring up again the wort, after it becomes clear, and finally the wort clears itself of all the coagulated albumen. The only thing to be observed is that the temperature should be sufficiently high, 2′. e. the steam pipe must be closed by a sufficient column of water.

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Patent No. 476652A: Beer-Racking Trough

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Today in 1892, US Patent 476652 A was issued, an invention of John Kass, for his “Beer-Racking Trough.” There’s no Abstract, though the description in the application states that he’s invented “a new and useful Beer-Racking Trough,” adding:

My invention relates to beer-racking troughs for barreling beer as the same is taken from reservoirs or vats; and the objects in view are to provide an apparatus of cheap and simple construction adapted to support barrels or kegs during the operation of filling the same, to so construct the apparatus as to permit of observation of the beer during the operation and for conveniently discharging the barrel at the end of each filling and bunging, to facilitate the changing of the position of the pipe with relation to the barrel, and to prevent waste of the beer or contact of the same with the person of the operator during the operation.

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Patent No. 4837156A: Tilting Lauter Tun

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Today in 1989, US Patent 4837156 A was issued, an invention of Leo K. Lampinen, for his “Tilting Lauter Tun.” Here’s the Abstract:

A vessel has a central longitudinal axis, a pair of trunnions defining a tilting axis, and a fixed bottom and a false bottom. The false bottom comprises at least one screen. At least one of the screens is affixed to the vessel by a plurality of hinges so as to allow the screens to freely swing from a first position to a second position as said vessel is tilted about the tilting axis.

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