Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 795237A: Bung

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Today in 1905, US Patent 795237 A was issued, an invention of Henry Schmidt, for his “Bung.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bungs especially designed for use in connection with beer-kegs, beer-barrels, and similar vessels or packages; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and point ed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for closing the bung-hole or the aperture through the bung bushing in a manner to prevent the escape of the contents, to protect the rubber or other compressible washer from the deleterious action of the beer or similar liquid, and to enable the bung to be quickly and easily removed and readily replaced, the same bung being adaptable for use many times.

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Patent No. 1966384A: Beer Barrel Bung

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Today in 1934, US Patent 1966384 A was issued, an invention of David A. Fenichell and Samuel Gabel, for their “Beer Barrel Bung.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to a bung especially intended for use on beer barrels, and has for an object to provide a bung which will have all the strength of the normal bung and yet at the same time wherein the spigot may be driven into the barrel through the bung with much less difficulty.

A further object of this invention is to provide a beer barrel bung which will allow the stopper portion to be easily driven therefrom by the spigot without exerting more than the minimum strain on the annulus of the bung, thus eliminating the possibility of splitting the annulus.

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Patent No. 562414A: Bung For Beer Barrels

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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.

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Patent No. 28799A: Ventilation Of Casks Containing Liquids

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Today in 1860, US Patent 28799 A was issued, an invention of Louis Wilhelm, for his “Ventilation of Casks Containing Liquids” or “Cock.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The nature of my invention consist-s in the arrangement of a ventilator in the top of the cask and the connection of the same by means of a cord or chain to the tap or faucet so that when the plug of the faucet is turned to allow the liquor to escape from the cask the ventilator will be opened and admit air in at the top of the cask and when the plug is turned to stop the flow of the liquor the ventilator will close itself by the action of a spring.

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Patent No. 1029838A: Method Of Finishing And Preparing Beverages

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Today in 1912, US Patent 1029838 A was issued, an invention of Jacob Frederic Wittemann, for his “Method of Finishing and Preparing Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The invention relates to a new and improved system or method of enhancing the value of fermented beverages such as beer, wine, cider, etc, by their treatment with the volatile products of the fermentation of such beverages.

The object. of my invention is to treat such beverages when they are matured, clarified or filtered, either or all,, to the required standard, but lacking sufficient incorporation of carbonic acid gas and fermentation ethers, generated during the fermentation of such liquids to impart to them the desired degree of effervescence, flavor and improved character by incorporating with such beverages such volatile fermentation products .while .the latter remain substantially in the same condition, as when generated by the fermentation of such beverages, but at such density or pressure and temperature that the stated object shall be attained, namely, that .the more or less quiescent state in which such beverages mature and clarify most readily, is transformed into a condition of effervescence or a foam-maintaining state at a temperature at which they attended by more or less disintegration, deterioration or other undesirable change in the character or composition of this complex gas, owing to improper treatment thereof, such as overheating during dry me chemical compression or compression in the presence of insufficient cooling medium, or its contact with a more or less impure cooling medium or with disintegrating metal surfaces, or owing to its degeneration or decomposition while kept in storage under high pressure. By my improved method all such undesirable changes or alterations in the composition, flavor and taste of the volatile products of fermentation are avoided when they are incorporated in the desired proportion with a matured, but-as yet more or less unmerchantable, beverage, owing to its lack of a sufficient proportion of such gas. The compression of the gas to the necessary density in which it capable of producing the desired effect in such beverages is preferably effected in part by its retention within the fermenting vessel, up to a pressure within a safety limit, dictated by the nature or construction of such vessel, and with the beverage into which it is to be incorporated by a liquid and gas-forcing mechanism such as a force pump.

As {this invention will find its principal use in the manufacture of beer, I shall hereafter use the term beer as a generic term for all similar beverages and in the accompanying drawing show an embodiment of ,one apparatus for carrying out my new and improved method or process as it would be used in a brewery; but I in no wise confine the use of my invention to beer only, as the process can as readily be applied to the manufacture of other similar beverages and by the use of other constructions of apparatus according to varying conditions or requirements, yet carrying out. the same method in principle.

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Patent No. 139976A: Improvement In Apparatus For Pitching Barrels

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Today in 1873, US Patent 139976 A was issued, an invention of George Sichler, for his “Improvement in Apparatus For Pitching Barrels.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved apparatus for rolling beer-kegs after they have been pitched to keep the pitch spread over the inner surface of the kegs until they have become so cool that the pitch will not flow. The invention consists in the three cross-bars, the six-posts grooved upon their inner sides, the two adjustable crossbars, the two skids, the adjustable blocks, their connecting-round, and the tilting and weighted skid, constructed and operating in connection with each other as hereinafter fully described.

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Patent No. 2084200A: Barrel Tap

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Today in 1937, US Patent 2084200 A was issued, an invention of Albert Karlson, for his “Barrel Tap.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in appliances pertaining to barrels, especially beer barrels, and to the methods of opening and drawing the contents from the latv ter; andit has” for its object to provide means, whereby said latter barrels may be opened and the beer drawn from these in a manner that will eliminate the comparatively great waste and spill of the contents, which now usually occurs in the opening of such barrels, while my device at the same time incidentally secures the retention in the barrels of the gases and fumes so essential to good and palatable beer.

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Patent No. 1139007A: Barrel Rack

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Today in 1915, US Patent 1139007 A was issued, an invention of Randolph L. Wright, assigned to Anheuser-Busch, for his “Barrel Rack.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to barrel holders and particularly to a device for supporting barrels, preferably kegs containing nails, in position whereby the said keg may be tilted to discharge the contents thereof wholly or in part without undue effort of the operator, the said invention furthermore including novel means whereby the keg is held in a vertical or upright position by gravity when manipulation thereof ceases.

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Patent No. 517400A: Pitching Casks

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Today in 1894, US Patent 517400 A was issued, an invention of Louis Wagner, for his “Pitching Casks.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

It is the object of my present invention to provide for heating the interior of casks, such as those used for the storage and transportation of beer, for the purpose either of applying new pitch to the same or for the purpose of melting and removing the old and impure pitch to allow of the reapplication of a fresh coating. By my improvements I provide for heating the casks interiorly in a rapid, thorough and economical manner, and at the same time enable the heat so applied to be accurately tempered in order that the heat and fuel may not be wasted or the interior of the cask or the pitch, injured. For this purpose I combine with a suitable heating chamber analogous in construction to a steam boiler and having an air inlet, a steam injecting apparatus adapted to force into the heating chamber such amount of air as will together with the steam when highly superheated produce the volume of vapor necessary for heating the cask. The steam jet forms the motive power for passing the vapor to be heated through the heating chamber and for applying it interiorly to the cask, and at the same time serves by the regulation of its amount to accurately determine the temperature of the vapor at the point where it performs its heating function. I further provide a stand of improved character to receive the Cask or keg while it is being operated upon.

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Patent No. 783610A: Air Vent For Beer Barrels

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Today in 1905, US Patent 783610 A was issued, an invention of Michael J. Owens, for his “Air Vent for Beer Barrels.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in air-vents for beer barrels and the like.

It has ‘for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive construction ot air-vent which may be quickly and positively connected or detached from the receptacle where employed, and more I particularly for use with a bung-socket such as illustrated and specified in patent No. 729,545, issued June 2, 1,903, whereby the beer-tap therein described is made interchangeable with the air-vent of the present invention. 1t is obvious with the use of the beer-tap described in the said invention that no supplemental means other than therein described is necessary to admit air into the barrel; .but many people prefer to use the ordinary spigot for withdrawing the contents, and in such cases it is necessary that air be supplied to replace the beer as drawn off. This has heretofore been accomplished by air vent plugs having’ tapered ends, which are driven into auger-holes made in the heads of barrels, a very unsatisfactory arrangement, for not only is it difficult to make a positive connection there between, but the tapering ends of the plugs have a tendency to split the heads from blows delivered upon the plug when securing the same in place, and where tliel.)ar1’el-he:uls are not destroyed by splitting the holes provided for the plugs are z’tli’ter ‘rei’ieated use so enlarged as to unfit them for continued service. I overcome the aforementioned objectionable features inherent to the aforementioned devices by the novel construction and combination of devices hereinafter explained.

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