Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 635925A: Machine For Preparing Finings

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Today in 1899, US Patent 635925 A was issued, an invention of William J Gindele, for his “Machine For Preparing Finings.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to a machine for preparing that form of gelatin which is known as finings and which is extensively employed for clarifying beer and other beverages; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and inexpensive machine by means of which finings may be prepared by a simple and direct process and without the employment of the heavy manual labor now ordinarily required.

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Patent No. 6308869B1: Keg And Keg Fitting For Dispensing Liquids Under Pressure

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Today in 2010, US Patent 6308869 B1 was issued, an invention of Kenneth Leonard Simpson, for his “Keg and Keg Fitting For Dispensing Liquids Under Pressure.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg for dispensing beer or other liquids under pressure is provided with a neckless spear arrangement. The spear comprises a body intended to be welded permanently to the keg with all parts of the spear assembled through that body. When so assembled escape is prevented so that in the event of interference by any unqualified person there is no risk of the spear being ejected as a missile.

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Patent No. 307412A: Ale Or Beer Cask

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Today in 1884, US Patent 307412 A was issued, an invention of Henry A. Rueter, for his “Ale or Beer Cask.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to the tap-hole bushing and the stopper and packing used in it; and it consists in the form given to the inside of the tap-hole bushing, and in the use of a stopper to close the tap-hole, which fills about half the length of the bushing at the inner end thereof, and a plug which fills about half the length of the bushing at the outer end, having a central chamber through it to receive the entering end of the faucet, which will form a packing around the faucet between it and the bushing when the faucet is driven in to its place.

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Patent No. 144119A: Improvement In Beer-Drawing Attachments For Casks

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Today in 1873, US Patent 144119 A was issued, an invention of Samuel Marks, for his “Improvement in Beer-Drawing Attachments for Casks.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment to a cask or other vessel by means of which beer, ale, or porter, under a pressure of gas, can be drawn into glasses, bottles, or other vessels without the usual excess of foam, but regulated by the operation from brisk sprinkling to any extent of foam desired; and it consists of a receptacle having a controllable valve and a porous plug in it, arranged between the keg and the point of drawing the beer, whereby I am enabled to allow the escape of more or less of the gas from a small quantity of the beer in said receptacle.

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Beer In Ads #2076: America Votes For No Bitterness

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Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from the 1943. In this ad, showing four very diverse citizens at the ballot box, claims “America Votes For No Bitterness.” Maybe in 1943, but not in 2016, where bitterness reigns supreme, both in our IPAs and also in our elections. I actually had to unfriend someone on Facebook today for the first time ever for going full wacko on me over politics. There’s only a dozen days until the election, and I for one can’t wait until it’s all over.

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First Self-Driving Truck Makes Beer Run

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I’m a huge fan of the self-driving technology. I can’t wait until the first driverless cars go on the market; I’ll be one of the first in lone to but one, if I can. Not only will it improve traffic, curb (my) road rage, and allow greater alcohol consumption outside the home, it will also have the added benefit of making organizations like MADD and Alcohol Justice obsolete (which is why I believe they’re not pushing for this technology more). So as we get one step closer to eradicating drunk driving, I think it’s appropriate that the first commercial delivery of goods via a self-driving truck was essentially a beer run.

So a few days ago, the start-up company Otto announced that their first successful test run took place last week in Colorado, when a truck using their technology delivered 200 cases of Budweiser from their brewery in Fort Collins to Colorado Spring, about 120 miles away. Much like an airplane pilot, a drive manually drove it onto the highway and then engaged the autopilot which drove the truck the rest of the way to its destination. The drive hopped in the back to relax and was on hand the entire journey in case anything needed his attention.

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Otto itself posted the story on its blog three days ago, and it’s been picked up all over the country, including by the New York Times, CNBC, Tree Hugger and Mashable

The company itself was founded earlier this year, in January, and subsequently bought by Uber for $680 million in August. But it’s pretty impressive that they’ve gone from zero to successful commercial test in such a short time. According to various reports, several other car companies are working on similar technologies, too, so maybe a self-driving world might actually happen in my lifetime. That would be awesome.

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ABI even created commemorative beer cans to mark the beer run.

Here’s a video of the story:

And Wired also has a video of the truck in action, and explains a bit about how it actually works.

Patent No. 3614875A: Apparatus For Holding Articles

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Today in 1971, US Patent 3614875 A was issued, an invention of Edmund A. Parker, for his “Apparatus For Holding Articles.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

The invention relates to a low cost collapsible and disposable apparatus for holding articles adjacent the member, as a dispensing container. The apparatus comprises an outer cover having an open end of a size to surround the container. Located within the cover is an inner liner forming at least one pocket with the cover for holding articles, as ice cubes or other cooling agents, adjacent the sides of the dispensing container. The liner permits the water from the melting ice to flow to the bottom of the cover and retains the ice evenly around the dispensing container. A closure means cooperates with the mouth of the cover to enclose the dispensing container within the cover, with the inner liner in engagement with the dispensing container.

An object of the invention is to provide a low cost disposable bag for holding ice adjacent a dispensing container. A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable, portable, small bag which is used to evenly distribute a cooling agent around a dispenser, as a pony of beer. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for holding articles which is formed from a one-piece member that is easy to manufacture and reliable in use.

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Patent No. 937850A: Coaster And Bottle Opener

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Today in 1909, US Patent 937850 A was issued, an invention of Edmund A. Parker, for his “Coaster and Bottle Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention has for its object to provide a metallic coaster which shall be neat and attractive in appearance, practically unbreakable under the ordinary conditions of use, inexpensive to produce and so formed as to adapt it for use as a bottle opener, that is for removing crown stoppers from bottles in which lager beer, ginger ale and the various soft drinks are placed for retailing.

It is of course well understood that it is common in dispensing beverages, whether served upon hard wood tables or upon a tablecloth, to provide trays or coasters upon which the bottles are placed after being opened. These trays or coasters have been variously made of metal, wood, glass and earthenware and of combinations of these materials but without-regard to the material have never been provided, so far as I am aware, with means, forming part of the coaster itself, which adapted it to serve additionally as a bottle opener or stopper remover.

It is of course well understood that bottle openers are easily lost and are frequently not to be found when wanted. Coasters, on the other hand, are not liable to get lost and each coaster, by my present invention, is also made a bottle opener.

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Beer In Ads #2074: What Do You Know About Voting?

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Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1940. In this ad, entitled “What Do You Know About Voting?,” in which how different people experience their right to vote, are explained. There are two weeks to go until arguably the most important election in my lifetime. So I thought it might be important to know everything about it. Luckily, Schlitz has all the answers.

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Patent No. 4780330A: Method Of Producing Isomerized Hop Preparations

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Today in 1988, US Patent 4780330 A was issued, an invention of Derek R. J. Laws, assigned to The Brewing Research Foundation, for his “Method of Producing Isomerized Hop Preparations.” Here’s the Abstract:

A method for the production of isomerized hop preparations comprising admixing whole or powdered hops with a solid or aqueous alkali or alkaline earth metal salt. The invention provides that the resultant admixture is simultaneously subjected to a pressure of at least 2 Kg/cm2 and at a temperature of at least 80° C. in a closed vessel, thereby to form a hop preparation high in iso-α-acids and with substantially undegraded hop oils. The closed vessel is preferably an extrusion cooker.

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