Today in 1912, US Patent 1046298 A was issued, an invention of John W. Hurley, for his “Beer Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to beer coolers.

The ordinary beer cooler coil which is usually made of block tin is subject to numerous objections, among which may be mentioned its short life, difficulty in cleaning, tendency to accumulate impurities which contaminate the beer passing there-through, difficulty in detaching and removing it from its place in the cooler box, and its pitting and disintegration by the ammonia in the ice water. Among its other defects is its relatively great expense and necessity for comparatively frequent renewal, aside from being insanitary.

My invention has for its object the provision of a beer cooler of simple, strong and durable construction which may be inexpensively manufactured and installed, either originally when the beer dispensing apparatus is put in, or subsequently to supplant a coil cooler. A further object is to provide an improved beer cooler which can be readily taken apart and quickly washed and cleaned, will not be liable to injury, as is the case with cooler coils, will not be subject to disintegration by the action of ammonia, will at all times afford a free and easy circulation for the beer and the ready disposal of the ice about the beer cooler and the flow or circulation of the ice water therethrough.

Today in 1875, US Patent 83953 A was issued, an invention of Joseph Gecmen, for his “Improved Beer Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention consists in a novel apparatus for cooling beer, ale, and other malt liquors, and other fluids requiring similar treatment; and to enable those skilled in the art to understand how to construct and make use of my said improvement.

Today in 1883, US Patent 287357 A was issued, an invention of William A. Babcock, for his beer “Faucet.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invent on applies more especially to} faucets for the dispensing of beer or other beverages kept on draft in bars or similar; places; and the chief object of my improvement is to keep the liquid in the faucet free from any metallic taint or flavor, and also to preserve it in a cool condition, ready to be discharged into the next glass in a perfectly palatable state.

Today in 1903, US Patent 739595 A was issued, an invention of Hugo Fluegge, for his “Cooling Apparatus For Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to cooling apparatus for liquids; and the object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the carbonic-acid gas used in an apparatus for supplying beer or other similar liquids under gaseous pressure can at the same time be also used for the purpose of cooling `the liquid to be served out, this device therefore doing away with the necessity of cooling the liquid by means of ice, as hitherto was usually the case.

The principal feature of my cooling apparatus is the arrangement of a spiral pipe, which is securely fixed within a chamber containing water or other similar fluid. The carbonic-acid gas which flows through this spiral pipe cools the water surrounding the pipe to such an extent that it begins to freeze. Consequently the liquid to be served out, which is contained in air-tight glass cylinders and which are surrounded by the freezing water, can be cooled in this manner to any required degree.

Today in 1909, US Patent 932284 A was issued, an invention of William Gee, for his “System For Dispensing Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to dispensing beverages, and particularly to cleaning and dispensing systems wherein the beverage is forced from a keg or a series of kegs through cooled piping to the service bar, and in which means for automatically cleaning the entire system forms a component part. In such systems the beer is carried through long coils of piping in order to expose a large surface of the same to the cooling medium, whereby no matter how rapid the flow the beer dispensed from the faucets is always cooled sufficiently. But because of the necessary employment of long coils of pipe there is always stored therein after tapping the kegs comparatively large quantities of beer, which if not removed when the bar is closed will spoil as a result of flattening and prolonged chemical action between the beer and the piping.

It is the object of my invention to introduce into such a system means operated from a single controller, which also operates the cleaning means of the system; to automatically cut off the flow of beer from the supply source and return such as remains in the pipe coils back into the kegs for proper preservation for future use; and to provide additional automatically operated means whereby said pipe coils, after the beer has been forced therefrom into the kegs or after a keg has been exhausted, may be blown out at will through the medium of compressed air or gas, and thereby cause any particles of beer adhering to the walls of the piping to be removed through the faucets.

Today in 1901, US Patent 681056 A was issued, an invention of Joseph Irr Jr., for his “Refrigerating and Tapping Box.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

The primary object of this invention is to provide a very simple, efficient, and compact refrigerating-box for the reception of a beer keg and for the convenient tapping of the same. In order that the beer-faucet may be conveniently operated, it must be at a fairly well defined height above the floor, while for the necessary connections to be conveniently made to the tapping-tube it must project a certain distance above the top of the beer keg. The result is that with an ordinary construction of cabinet to allow room for the insertion of a keg with the tap-tube would require the faucet to be placed at an inconvenient height, ‘wherefore the best that has and tapping of the keg all arranged in one compartment. There may be as many of these compartments laterally as desired. Where there is more than one compartment, the faucets may be provided in but one of them and properly connected with the others.