Today in 1896, US Patent 562414A was issued, an invention of Jeremiah J. O’Leary and Patrick T. O’Leary, for their “Bung For Beer Barrels.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

Our invention relates to bungs in the heads of beer barrels or hogsheads, which are adapted to receive a coupling fora pipe, through which the beer passes to one or more faucets, from whence it is drawn.

Our invention consists in the improved construction of the bung proper, and also of the coupling which enters said bung for the purpose of making a pipe connection, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the nature thereof indicated by the claims.