Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1951. A suitor holds a ball of yarn on the sofa as his best girl as he eyes the tray of bottles of Schlitz on the end table. There’s also two glasses and an opener on the tray. But she’s watching his expression pretty carefully, too. This is a test.
Today in 2003, US Patent 0873396 B1 was issued, an invention of Vinod K. Chaudhary, Robert J. Mizerak, Sydney R. Rader, David S. Ryder, William G. Schulze, and Matthew L. Tripp, assigned to Miller Brewing Company, for their “Brewing Products And Their Methods For Production.” Here’s the Abstract:
A method is disclosed of preparing a colorless, clear beer by a method including ultrafiltration and the addition of dextrins, bittering agents and a foam enhancer. Methods of preparing improved nonalcoholic malt beverages and making natural beer foaming components also are disclosed.
Today in 1935, US Patent 2018543 A was issued, an invention of William Buirk, for his “Beer Tapping Mechanism.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of my invention is to provide a valve in the air line to the tap’ which is so constructed to permit closing of the air inlet and outlet ports; or to provide an uninterrupted free passage of air through the valve; or to provide a free passage of air through the valve with a safety valve in conjunction therewith to relieve any excess pressure from being applied to the contents of the barrel; or to provide closing of the inlet port and maintaining a limited pressure on the contents of the-barrel; or to provide closing of the inlet and safety valve ports and forming an open connection between the outlet port and a port exposed to the atmosphere to permit venting of the barrel when so desired. A further object is to provide means for disconnecting the air line from the valve whereby a suitable water thief can be attached thereto to make connection with the dispensing faucet for applying pressure to the liquid in the coil through the dispensing faucet.
Today in 1974, US Patent 3843172 A was issued, an invention of Frederick F. Stevens, assigned to Hoff Stevens, for his “Keg Tapping Device Having Improved Sealing Means.” Here’s the Abstract:
A tapping device for beer kegs or the like includes a keg unit permanently or semi-permanently mounted on a keg and having a pair of passageways therethrough for receiving a pair of tubular probes associated with a tavern unit which is connected to the keg unit at a tavern or restaurant where beer is dispensed. The device includes a unitary elastomeric seal member carried by the tavern unit and surrounding the probes thereon. The seal member provides a gas and liquid tight seal between the tavern and the keg units when the two units are assembled in connected relation. Means is provided to limit compressive force applied to the seal member by connection of the units so that it retains its sealing integrity even after prolonged usage involving repeated connection ,and disconnection.
Wednesday’s ad is for Ballantine beer, from 1964. I confess I’ve gotten caught up in baseball’s playoffs this year, despite the fact that the Giants didn’t make them. I don’t really care that much who gets to, and wins, the World Series (though I have a soft spot for my namesake Jays) but I’ve still enjoyed the games, and the various stories behind each team’s history. So this ad features former Yankee catcher, and later Mets’ coach, Yogi Berra. What might he say on Back to the Future Day? “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
Today in 1975, US Patent 3913608 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Keg Adapter Valve.” Here’s the Abstract:
A valve member containing controlled gas and liquid passageways for admitting gas into a keg and for dispensing liquid therefrom through a relatively small opening is mounted on the inside of the keg in alignment with said opening. A tapper connector member is mounted on the outside of the keg and is connected to and in operative relationship with the valve member.
Today is the birthday of Martin Gardner, who was an American science and mathematics writer. For many years, beginning in 1957, he wrote a column that appeared in Scientific American. He helped popularize science, and especially math, creating hundreds of puzzles, often collected into books. He passed away in 2010, at age 95. My father-in-law was a huge fan and read most, of not all, of his books.
One of his brain teasers was called “Beer Signs on the Highway,” and originally appeared in Gardner’s column in Math Horizons, in the November 1995 issue. It was also included in the collection My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles and also New Mathematical Diversions.
So here it is:
If you think you know the answer or have worked it out, leave your answer in the comments. I’ll post the answer in a couple of days. Good luck.
And the answer is? Drumroll, please:
Could I get a proper drumroll, please?
The Answer:
We can answer this without knowing the car’s speed. If x is the number of signs that the car passes in one minute, then the car will pass 60x signs in an hour. We’re told that the car is traveling at 10x miles per hour, so in 10x miles it will pass 60x signs, and in one mile it will pass 60x/10x signs, or 6. So the signs are 1/6 mile, or 880 feet, apart.
Today in 1958, US Patent D183727 S was issued, an invention of Odie D. Emberton, for his “Combined Belt Buckle, Bottle Opener, and Can Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The ornamental design for a combined belt buckle, bottle opener, and can opener, substantially as shown.
Visions of the future are rarely what was predicted or promised. I’ve been waiting decades for my Jetsons space car that fold up into a briefcase, my Rocketeer jet-pack (I’d even settle for the one James Bond used in Thunderball) not to mention that sweet holodeck from Star Trek: Next Generation..
You’ve probably noticed that there’s been a considerable amount of hype over the fact that today — October 21, 2015 — is the date that Marty McFly heads to in the sequel Back to the Future 2, released in 1989. We’re all still waiting for those hoverboards and it’s looking increasingly like the Cubs won’t “sweep series in 5” (wouldn’t 4 wins be all you need for a series sweep?) if they can’t beat the Mets four games in a row to even make to the World Series, much less win it.
Anyway, it seems like lots of people are celebrating the day as “Back to the Future Day,” which I think is great since I’m an unabashed lover of holidays and believe there can’t be too many reasons to celebrate life. A couple of worthwhile stories about Back to the Future Day include one from Popular Science and another from Chicago History Cop speculating why the film’s producers and writers chose October 21.
You may also recall that the film’s time machine, a modified DeLorean, had a California license plate reading “OUTATIME,” which is at least somewhat close to Lagunitas’ session IPA, DayTime, especially if you scribble “Day” on the license plate so it reads OUTA DAY TIME.”
And that’s just what Lagunitas did when they were recently paid a visit by the Northern California DeLorean Motor Club, which they documented with a photo galley, 10/21/15: GOIN’ BACK IN (DAY)TIME. By far, my favorite photo from the day was their arrival at 88 MPH into the brewery.
But check out the rest of the photos, they’re pretty sweet, too.
Today in 1969, US Patent 3473556 A was issued, an invention of Edward G. Akers, Keith M. Johnson, and Robert P. Marine, for their “Beer Keg Tapping Device and Seal.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The disclosure herein describes a novel seal and more particularly a new beer keg tapping device. The beer keg tapping device described herein includes a tapping valve and an outer fitting with the tapping valve having a beer passageway extending therethrough. The passageway has an outwardly flared portion adjacent the outlet thereof. The tapping valve is releasably secured to the beer keg and a valve element is movable axially within the beer passageway to selectively open and close the beer passageway. The outer fitting includes an elongated probe receivable within the outwardly flared portion of the passageway and engageable with the valve element to move the valve element to open the beer passageway. The probe has a beer passageway therein and a skirt-type seal adjacent the inner end of the probe. The seal is engageable with the outwardly flared portion of the beer passageway of the tapping valve and as the probe is moved axially, the skirt seal is cammed radially inwardly to form a very tight probe-to-tapping valve seal before the beer passageway is Opened. The tapping valve is secured to the beer keg by cooperating lug members on both of the keg and the outer fitting and by a pair of tabs driven through apertures in the tapping valve and engageable with projections or ribs on the keg.
