Today in 1957, US Patent 2792692 A was issued, an invention of Reed A. Bryan, for his “Keg Cooler And Dispensing Bar Unit.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:
The primary object of the invention is to provide a combined keg cooling enclosure simulating a large beer barrel, dispensing bar and faucet, and auxiliary pressurizing equipment in a single unit for use at picnics, beach and boat parties, club outings and the like events.
More specifically, it is intended now to provide a keg enclosure in the form of a relatively large open-top barre]. A bar-top removably fitted over the top of the barrel so that a keg may be set down within the barrel and packed with ice, and tapping and dispensing equipment including a faucet mounted on the bar-top and a carbon dioxide cylinder mounted exteriorly of the barrel with gas connections to the top. By this arrangement there is to be provided a complete unit which may be set up iced by a distributor or dealer and delivered to the consumers in readiness for tapping and utilization without further ado.
