Today in 1885, US Patent 322318 A was issued, an invention of Friedrich W. Polle, for his “Beer-Faucet.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description there’s not really a summary, all that’s really said generally is that he’s “invented a new and useful Improvement in Beer-Faucets.”
Beer In Ads #1615: Harrison Ford For Kirin Lager
Monday’s ad is for Kirin Lager, from the early 1990s, probably 1994. I’m guessing 1994, because Ford also did a television commercial for Kirin that year. Featuring actor Harrison Ford, whose birthday is today, the poster is advertising Kirin Lager. According to one account, here is a translation of the poster, which was seen in a convenience store window:
Harrison Ford endorsing Kirin beer, Fukushima 福島
“Kono aji ga, biiru.” = “This taste, beer.”
“Kire aji, daigo aji” = “cutting edge taste, the epitome of taste”
“Kirin ragaa.” = “Kirin lager.”
And apparently the small letters at the bottom here translate as: “You have to be 20 years old for beer and recycle the empty cans.”
Patent No. 927893A: Beer-Pipe-Cleaning Apparatus
Today in 1909, US Patent 927893 A was issued, an invention of John R. Steiger, for his “Beer-Pipe-Cleaning Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to a new and useful beer pipe cleaning apparatus and consists in providing means whereby a circulation of the cleansing material may be made through the pipes. It further consists of means for directing the flow of the cleansing material first in one direction and then in the other through the pipes. It further consists in providing an ejector for forcibly directing water and air through the pipes.
Patent No. 586323A: Bung-Starter
Today in 1897, US Patent 586323 A was issued, an invention of Henry Sternkopf, for his “Bung-Starter.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for starting or withdrawing bungs from barrels, casks, kegs, and like receptacles.
Patent No. 2324312A: Bottle Feeding Mechanism
Today in 1943, US Patent 2324312 A was issued, an invention of George J. Meyer Jr., Charles Steckling, and Joseph F. Classen, for their “Bottle Feeding Mechanism.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The present invention relates to feeding mechanism adapted for use in connection with bottle handllng machines, such as cappers, fillers and labelers, although the invention is also applicable to the feeding of cans and other articles.
A bottle-handling machine, such as a capper, is commonly provided with a traveling carrier having means for holding the upstanding bottles in spaced relation to present the bottles successively to the operation of the machine. It is also common practice to provide the machine with a conveyer for conducting the bottles to the carrier, the successive bottles on the conveyer being usually in abutting or closely spaced relation. The spacing of the bottles on the carrier is ordinarily somewhat greater than the bottle diameter and because of this and other factors it is necessary to provide some means for controlling the feed of the bottles to the carrier, so as to suit the bottle spacing or bottle pitch of the carrier. Various mechanisms have heretofore been devised for this purpose, but they have been open to certain objections, such as relatively complicated construction and excessive rubbing and agitation of the bottles.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved form of feeding mechanism which will effect the safe and accurate transfer of bottles to the traveling carrier of a capping machine or other bottle-handling machine, which will minimize rubbing or marking of the outer walls of the bottles, which will reduce agitation or jostling of the bottles, which is adapted for high-speed operation, which will accommodate bottles of different diameter, and which is capable of inexpensive manufacture and easy mounting.
Beer In Ads #1614: For That Smoother Taste —
Sunday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1950. Featuring actor William Bendix, who did mostly character roles but also played the Babe in The Babe Ruth Story, it shows him relaxing in his den, pipe in one hand and a mug of beer in the other. Pabst must have been a sponsor of his radio show at the time, “The Life of Riley.” Bendix tended to play everyday guys, blue collar toughs with street smarts, masculine men, so that may be what Pabst was trying to associate themselves with, especially in that setting with its leather chair, and other manly accouterments.
Patent No. 366207A: Beer-Pitcher
Today in 1887, US Patent 366207 A was issued, an invention of Fred E. De Jean, for his “Beer-Pitcher.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to pitchers into which frothy drinking liquids-such as ale, beer, &c.aredrawn, and from which they are poured for consumption.
It is well known that in drawing beer, etc., from a barrel much froth is formed on its surface, which causes delay in pouring the same into tumblers and tankards, and time has to be allowed for the beer to settle, and in no case is the beer perfectly clear and liquid.
My invention has for its object to obviate these annoyances, and to cause the beer or other liquid to be strained and settled immediately, and to be drawn from the bottom of the pitcher in any desired quantity, free from froth or any annoyance.
Patent No. 765112A: Beer-Cooler Tank
Today in 1904, US Patent 765112 A was issued, an invention of Robert Surry Valentine, for his “Beer-Cooler Tank.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of the invention is to provide a construction of tank of the type referred to which will admit of the thorough cleansing thereof with facility; and to this end the invention includes the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Patent No. 764657A: Pasteurizing Apparatus
Today in 1904, US Patent 764657 A was issued, an invention of William Clasmann, assigned to Pabst Brewing Co., for his “Pasteurizing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates particularly to apparatus for pasteurizing or sterilizing bottled beer and other products, beverages, food, or perishable substances contained in sealed or closed receptacles-such as bottles, cans, jars, and the like.
The main objects of the invention are to gradually heat the beer or other material to be treated to a pasteurizing temperature, to hold it at that temperature for a certain time and then graduallyT cool it, to save heat, to avoid waste of water, to economize space, and generally to improve the construction and operation of apparatus of the class to which the invention relates.
Beer In Ads #1613: The Swing Is Definitely To Labatt’s
Saturday’s ad is for Labatt’s, from 1956. “Confused by a crazy canvas?” Yes, modern art is tough to understand, isn’t that hilarious. Of course, in the 1950s, there was a lot of modern art that challenged notions of what it meant to be art, so it was a pretty easy target for the beer drinking demographic, I would imagine.
