Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Patent No. 2481897A: Device For Separating Leaves, Stems, And Other Material From Hops

By

patent-logo
Today in 1949, US Patent 2481897 A was issued, an invention of Zack Anderson, for his “Device For Separating Leaves, Stems, and Other Material From Hops.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention pertains to separators and particularly to a machine for separating leaves, stems, and other material from hops.

The present invention relates to a machine for separating the hops from the leaves, stems, and other material more efficiently than has heretofore been accomplished. Due to novel features of the machine the separating action is positive and precise. These novel features also enable the machine to accomplish precise results under varying hop-crop conditions.

Untitled
Untitled
Untitled

Patent No. 264185A: Refrigerator

By

patent-logo
Today in 1882, US Patent 264185 A was issued, an invention of James Miller of Oakland, California, for his “Refrigerator.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to the class of refrigerators; and it consists generally in the construction and arrangement of peculiar vessels, providing for the holding of the substance to be kept cool, and a surrounding and underlying water-space.

It consists particularly in a deep vessel with vertical sides, and provided with a centrally perforated false bottom, upon which a holding-vessel of smaller diameter and extending above the exterior vessel is placed, whereby a surrounding and underlying water-space is formed.

It further consists in the provision of an airtight cover for the holding-vessel, all of which will hereinafter fully appear.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and effective refrigerating device for containing any substance or article which should be kept cool.

I can’t say for certain if this was even used by breweries, but the shape seems to suggest that it may have been.
Untitled

Patent No. 1003014A: Automatic Keg Washing And Sprinkling Machine

By

patent-logo
Today in 1911, US Patent 1003014 A was issued, an invention of Friedrich Strohl, for his “Automatic Keg Washing and Sprinkling Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to a combination can-piercing device and drinking cup.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of :a drinking cup provided with can-piercing instrumentalities depending from its bottom wall, guide means for attaching the cup to the top of a beverage can and sealing means associated with the cup and guide means to prevent leakage between the top of the can and the outside of the cup after the top of the can has been pierced.

Untitled
Untitled

Patent No. 3834429A: Method And Apparatus For Detecting Beverage Bottles Having A Lip Damaged Outwardly Of The Crown Sealing Surface

By

patent-logo
Today in 1974, US Patent 3834429 A was issued, an invention of Arthur F. Schulz, assigned to the Schlitz Brewing Co., for his “Method and Apparatus for Detecting Beverage Bottles Having a Lip Damaged Outwardly of the Crown Sealing Surface.” Here’s the Abstract:

Method and apparatus are disclosed for the detection of beverage bottles having a lip damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface. Such detection is provided for in conjunction with the bottle filling operation wherein the filling apparatus seals on the bottle lip outwardly of the crown sealing surface and the bottle is then subjected to a counter pressure. If the counter pressure developed in the bottle is less than the pressure imposed on the beverage in the source reservoir, a short fill results. Thus, if the bottle lip is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface and in the region of sealing, a lesser counter pressure is developed in the bottle due to leakage past the seal which will result in a detectable short fill and can be rejected from the production line.

Untitled

Patent No. 2806217A: Apparatus For Clarifying Brewer’s Wort

By

patent-logo
Today in 1957, US Patent 2806217 A was issued, an invention of Friedrich Schmatz, for his “Apparatus For Clarifying Brewer’s Wort.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to an apparatus for clarifying brewers wort.

Especially this invention refers to a process for clarifying the wort discharged from a straining vat by means of drain pipes communicating with a standpipe, drain taps being provided in the drain pipes substantially under the straining vat.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate this disadvantage so that the wort will remain substantially clear after changing the taps from the clarifying trough to the drain pipes.

According to the invention the above is brought about in such a way that at the beginning of the draining of clear wort first a communication with a small clear opening is established between the clarifying vat at the communicating system until clear water runs in the drain pipes and the standpipe is displaced by the wort, and only then the clear opening is enlarged to the full clear opening of the drain pipes.

This process may be carried out in such a way that the clarifying tap is not completely adjusted to the drain pipe when adjusting its passage from the clarifying trough to the drain pipe, so that the clear opening of the passage is reduced in this way. In this operation, however, it is difficult to reduce the clear opening to the necessary degree, that is, the opening will be adjusted too small or too wide. If the clear opening is adjusted too wide, the purpose of the process according to the invention will not be attained, and the Wort will become turbid. If the clear opening is adjusted too small, the clear water will be displaced too slowly. Several drain pipes each provided with a tap being usually provided, the clear opening of the passage cannot uniformly be adjusted at will even with the greatest care. If some taps are opened too much and others too little, an undesired turbidness of the wort will occur.

Untitled

Patent No. 4610888A: Beer Foam Enhancing Process And Apparatus

By

patent-logo
Today in 1986, US Patent 4610888 A was issued, an invention of James Teng and John H. Dokos, assigned to the Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., for their “Beer Foam Enhancing Process and Apparatus.” Here’s the Abstract:

A beer foaming process and apparatus in which a smooth stable foam is formed by intimately admixing a nitrogen containing gas, preferably air, by a Venturi effect in a nozzle positioned on the beer tap. The nozzle has a mixing chamber with a perforated plate at its intake end to divide the flow of beer from the keg into smaller streams of higher velocity in the mixing chamber, intake ports in the side walls of the chamber for admitting gas into the chamber, and a screen of 30 to 200 mesh at the discharge end of the nozzle to form the stable foam discharged from the chamber.

Untitled
Untitled
Untitled

Patent No. 2448063A: Machine For Stripping Hops From Vines

By

patent-logo
Today in 1948, US Patent 2448063 A was issued, an invention of Edouard Thys, for his “Machine For Stripping Hops From Vines.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to means for mechanically picking hops and has particular reference to the picker fingers and bars for supporting the same, by which the hop blossoms and clusters are mechanically removed from the vines when the latter pass through the machine.

Untitled

Patent No. 589065A: Method Of And Apparatus For Treating Beer

By

patent-logo
Today in 1897, US Patent 589065 A was issued, an invention of Otto Zwietusch, for his “Method Of And Apparatus For Treating Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to the treatment and finishing of beer and other malt liquids, and especially the impregnation thereof with carbonic-acid gas; and it consists in a new and useful method or art of accomplishing these results, as well as in the novel and useful apparatus therefor, all as will be fully set forth hereinafter and subsequently claimed.

Untitled
Untitled

Patent No. 8250968B2: Wort Copper With An External Boiler

By

patent-logo
Today in 2012, US Patent 8250968 B2 was issued, an invention of Dietmar Lohner, Christian Wetzl and Robert Gruber, assigned to Krones Ag, for their “Wort Copper with an External Boiler.” Here’s the Abstract:

A wort copper and a method of boiling wort, with the wort copper having an external boiler arranged outside of the wort copper, which cyclically heats wort from the wort copper, wherein the heated wort is re-supplied to the wort copper, and comprises an infeed tube and a rising pipe, through which wort heated by the external boiler rises upwards in the wort copper, as well as at least one intake opening is provided in the rising line for sucking in wort from a wort reservoir of the wort copper, wherein the cross-sectional surface of the rising pipe enlarges at least section-wise towards the upper end of the rising pipe.

Untitled

Untitled Untitled

Patent No. 409956A: Malting And Germinating Apparatus

By

patent-logo
Today in 1889, US Patent 409956 A was issued, an invention of Joseph P. Gent, for his “Malting And Germinating Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to apparatus for the continuous malt-ing or germinating of grain; and it consists in certain improvements in construction and combination of parts, hereinafter fully described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for malting or germinating grain, consisting of an outer casing, a series of perforated floors one above the other, provided with automatically dumping sections, said floors having each a central aperture, an air-supplying pipe extending through said apertures and provided with apertures to discharge air beneath each of said floors, a shaft for rotating said floors, also extending through said openings, and a water pipe extending Within said openings and provided with a discharge above each floor, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for malting or germinating grain, consisting of perforated floors one above the other, having central apertures in each, a shaft for revolving said floors extending vertically through said apertures, and a water-supply pipe extending also vertically through said apertures and having a spraying-discharge above each floor, the said floors having pivoted automatically-dumping sections, the dumping-point of each floor being a short distance in advance of the dumping point of the floor above, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for malting or germinating grain, consisting of an inclosing-casing, revolving perforated floors one above the other, an air-pipe extending centrally through said floors and having a discharge-opening beneath each floor, an air-forcing and air moistening device communicating with said pipe, a water-supply pipe extending within said air-pipe and provided with a spraying discharge above each floor, and stirring and leveling devices above each floor, the said floors being provided with pivoted automatically dumping sections, the dumping-point of each floor being slightly in advance of the floor above, substantially as described.

Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled