Today in 1968, US Patent 3392879 A was issued, an invention of Eugene Blea, for his “Beer Dispenser and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
This invention relates generally to vending machines. More specifically it relates to machines for vending beer in bottles or in cans.
Friday’s ad is entitled Chess, and the illustration was done in 1955 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #104 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, a couple is enjoying a couple of beers while playing chess. Based on body language, I think the woman has the upper hand in the game. She’s sitting back in her chair, relaxed, and smiling, while playing with her necklace. The man, by contrast, is sitting cloer to the table, head down, staring down at the game with an expressionless face. He’s going down.
Today in 1884, US Patent 301860 A was issued, an invention of Peter James Catterall and Edward Birch, for their “Valve for Regulating the Supply of Liquor.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
Our improvement relates to the invention for which we obtained Letters Patent of the United States No.’ 253,683, dated February 14, 1882, and is partly or wholly applicable for other purposes and the object of our invention is to form an improved valve for regulating the supply of beer, water or other liquid. We attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the valve applied to apparatus for raising beer or other liquid. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation upon a larger scale of the valve. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of a modified form of the valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the back-pressure valves. Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the ball-valve in the water-supply pipe, and of the treadle for actuating the same. Fig. 7 is a plan of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of an air-vessel for the prevention of concussion in the water-supply pipe; and’Fig. 9 is a detached view in section, showing our arrangement for connecting the chamber to the water-chest.
Thursday’s ad is entitled After a Day on the Slopes, and the illustration was done in 1955 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #103 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, several young people are in the lodge starting a fire and handing out beers. Through the giant picture window we can see a few stragglers still coming in After a Day on the Slopes, waving to one another. It’s nice to see one of the dudes being the server for a change, but then he’s probably just hoping to get lucky.
Today in 1903, US Patent 733732 A was issued, an invention of Jacob Mueller, for his “Screen For Hop Separating Machines.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
This invention relates to an improved screen for separating hops from the seeds after they have been separated from their stems by one of the well-known machines used for this purpose, such as the one for which Letters Patent were granted to me, No. 314,116, and dated March 17, 1885, or any other suitable machine; and the invention relates more specifically to a compound screen by which the larger leaves of the hop-scales are separated from the seeds and the smaller leaves from the lupulin or fine gummy particles in a very effective manner in four separate receptacles, so that the seeds and other parts which are not used in brewing processes are separated from the lupulin, scales, and leaves, which permits thereby a better utilization of the hop seeds in the brewing process, as the objectionable parts of the same have been separated and for this purpose the invention consists of a screen for separating hop-scales after they are removed 0 from their stems which comprises an oscillating shaker provided with a bottom screen and conveying-hopper and a plurality of inclined screens arranged below the lower end of the shaker, said screens being of different character and degrees of fineness,so as to separate the hop-scales from the seeds, lupulin, and smaller particles and pass each into suitable receptacles; and the invention consists, further, of certain details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.
Wednesday’s ad is entitled Getting Ready for Christmas, and the illustration was done in 1954 by Haddon Sundblom. It’s #102 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, a family is wrapping their presents, Getting Ready for Christmas. Pop is opening their received Christmas cards, while sonny boy is serving beer to everyone. Mom and daughter are wrapping the presents. Hopefully, they’ll get some beer, too.
Today in 1954, US Patent 2683594 A was issued, an invention of Harvey J. Davis and Eugene Martenson, for their “Grain Drying Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
Our invention relates to improvements in grain drying machines for small grain, especially oats, wheat, rye, barley and corn.
The primary object of our invention is to provide an efficient portable machine for removing, under the action of heat a sufficient amount of moisture from such grain to prevent molding, but, without damaging the grain as regards germination, color, odor, or taste.
Another object is to accomplish the above while agitating the grain so that it will be uniformly but slowly dried under the action of heat at a low temperature.
Still another object is to provide a machine for the above purposes which is economical to manufacture, use and service, and easily cleaned.
Today in 1937, US Patent 2086832 A was issued, an invention of Charles Candee Green, for his “Dispensing and Storage Cabinet for Effervescent Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
I claim:
1. The combination in a beverage dispensing cabinet having an open front, a center-post at the front of the cabinet, and anelevated horizontal support rigid with the post and cabinet,
with a pair of oppositely opening hinged doors, of a tray extending substantially the combined width of the two doors and hinged to the cabinet above the doors, a prop pivoted on the cabinet adapted to rest on the support for holding the tray in open position, a stop-rib mounted on the under face of the tray, and rabbets on the upper edges of said doors for frictional engagement with the stop-rib when the tray and doors are closed.
2. The combination with an open-front cabinet having a center-post, and a pair of oppositely-opening hinged-doors, of a tray extending substantially the combined Width of the two doors and hinged to the cabinet above the doors, a stop-rib mounted on the under face of the tray to form a front edge-groove, and rabbets forming a complementary groove at the upper edges of the doors, whereby frictional engagement of the rabbets against the stop-rib holds the tray against opening movement when the tray and ‘doors are in closed position.
Tuesday’s ad is entitled Thanksgiving Dinner, and the illustration was done in 1954 by John Gannam. It’s #101 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, a young woman carries a very large turkey to the table, and all the man sitting there can think to do is get out of the way. Which is essentially what all the men are doing, staying out of the way while the womenfolk do all the work putting on the Thanksgiving Dinner. It was certainly a different time. That’s how I remember Thanksgiving, which growing up was always at great-grandmother’s home (and then later by great aunt who live there, too) when the men would be in the living room watching television (usually sports) while all the women would be in the kitchen. Then we ate in two shifts because it was a small house but a large family. Then we’d split up again by gender as the women cleaned everything up, and the men watched football. It seemed strange to me, even then.
Today in 1892, US Patent 478592 A was issued, an invention of Charles Candee Green, for his “Hop Picking Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to an improvement in machines for picking hops from the vine.
