Today in 1877, US Patent 189795 A was issued, an invention of Freidrich Schtultz, for his “Improvement In Vent Attachments For Beer-Barrels.” There’s no Abstract, but according to the description, the “invention relates to a device for admitting air into beer-barrels, in order that the beer may be drawn therefrom, and at the same time prevent the escape of any of the gases arising from the beer.”