Today in 1968, US Patent 3392879 A was issued, an invention of Eugene Blea, for his “Beer Dispenser and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
This invention relates generally to vending machines. More specifically it relates to machines for vending beer in bottles or in cans.
Today in 1966, US Patent 3258288 A was issued, an invention of Lawrence L. Courter, for his “Can Carrier.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to devices for carrying containers and more particularly .relates to devices for grasping a plurality of the ordinary beaded-top type of can by their tops and thus enabling them to be transported in a group.
The uses of the invention may be particularly considered with respect to beer cans, although of course cans containing other commodities may equally well be picked up and carried by my carrier. A feature of present day merchandising of beer is that not only are cans used in place of bottles, but the cans are frequently sold in units of six cans, called picnic-packs or party-packs. These units are customarily put up in paperboard containers of egg-crate construction, having a bottom and four side walls and compartment dividers, and having two opposed walls continued upward and bent inwardly to form handles. Unfortunately such unit carriers do not stack particularly well, and being made of cardboard they can not sustain exposure to dampness such as might result from refrigeration by ice or ice-water. Furthermore their bulk when empty is the same as when full, and when discarded on beaches and picnic grounds they make an unnecessary and unsightly clutter.
It is an object of my invention to provide a carrier of flat configuration which will permit the so-called picnic packs .to be stacked one on top of another.
Another object of my invention is to provide a carrier which, when stacked, is substantially flat on its upper surface except only for centering rings for positioning cans in a superimposed layer.
A further object of my invention is to provide a carrier having hooks for lifting cans and flanges cooperating with the hooks to maintain the hooks in contact with the beaded rims of the cans.
Still another object of my invent-ion is to provide a carrier of limited flexibility, capable of being snapped on with a single pressure motion to a suitably grouped number of cans, and capable of releasing one can at a time as it may be called for.
Another object of my invention is to provide a carrier which covers the minimum area of cans carried thereby and none at all below the upper ends of the cans, so that the cans are practically fully exposed for rapid refrigeration, or advertising.
A further object of my invention is to provide a plastic carrier which may be used with cold water to refrigerate cans, and which yet contains so little material that it is economically practical.
Still another object of my invention is to provide a flexible carrier having a handle so constructed and so secured to the body of the carrier that it will normally lie in the plane of the body and yet may be lifted to a carrying position, due to flexibility of the material.
Today in 1955, US Patent 2707827 A was issued, an invention of Fred W. Petram, for his “Combined Can Holder and Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to a combined can opener and holder.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a device which may be efficiently and easily used in opening and holding a can of beer or a can of juice or similar material, the construction consisting entirely of one piece.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a combined can holder and opener of the above type which is adapted to snap on to the upper lip of the can at the end of the device remote from the can opening portion, the latter being resiliently retained against the lower lip of the can with the device intermediate its ends curving outwardly to provide a grasping portion.
Today in 1942, US Patent 2280336 A was issued, an invention of Herman J. Maihack, for his “Protector For Beer Can Openers.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to protectors for beer can openers, and the like, andy has for one of its objects the production of a. simple and efficient means in the nature of a hood or cap which is adapted to be carried by a piercing can opener so as to overhang the pierced opening within the top of a can and prevent the spray of beer or other liquid outwardly through the opening which is being cut in the top of the can.
A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient means for attaching the protector to the well-known type of piercing opener.
Today in 1991, US Patent 4996823 A was issued, an invention of William J. Byrne, assigned to Arthur Guinness Son & Company, for his “Method of Packaging a Beverage and a Package Structure.” Here’s the Abstract:
Method of packaging a beverage and a package structure has a cylindrical tube 1 over an end 3 of which is located a partition 2 having restricted orifice and both are sealed, for example by crimping, to the rim of tube 1. Primary chamber 4 is formed within the tube and secondary chamber 8 is formed between the partition 2 and closure 7 which chambers communicate through orifice 6. Chamber 4 is charged with beverage 11 containing gas in solution and sealed with end wall 12 crimped to the rim 9 of the tube 1. Prior to sealing chamber 9 is dosed with liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide so that headspace 13 is pressurized. The package adjusts to a state of equilibrium in which beverage flows into the secondary chamber 8 to form headspace 14 therein. Upon opening of the package with pull tag 15 a pressure differential between the headspaces 14 and 13 causes beverage and/or gas in chamber 8 to be ejected through orifice 6 into beverage 11 and thereby gas in solution in the beverage to be liberated and form, or assist in the formation of, a head of froth on the beverage.
Today in 2011, US Patent 7882975 B2 was issued, an invention of Jason M. Kelly, assigned to Miller Coors, LLC, for his “Double Walled Beverage Container and Method of Making Same.” Here’s the Abstract:
A double walled container is provided for insulating a beverage. An outer insulating shell or container is secured to the inner container that holds the beverage. A gap exists between the outer container and inner container and the air in the gap acts as an insulating barrier. The inner container is preferably a standard aluminum container. The outer container is preferably made from aluminum or a plastic polymer.
Today is Beer Can Appreciation Day, because on this day in 1935, the first cans of beer were sold. Cans of “Krueger Cream Ale” were sold by the Kruger Brewing Company in Richmond, Virginia, with other breweries following suit the very same year. Here’s some fun resources about the history of the beer can. First, there’s a History of the Can (that’s all cans) while Rusty Cans has a more beer-centric timeline. Keglined has An Illustrated History of the American Beer Can and Timeline has another history that goes back to ancient times. And CraftCans has this infographic timeline showing “8 Decades of Canned Beer.”
Click here to see the timeline full size.
Today in 1963, US Patent 3074678 A was issued, an invention of John Michael Mele, for his “Beer Can Holder.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to holders for cans containing beverages and more particularly to beer can holders.
As the pouring out of the cold beer into a glas will raise the temperature of the beer and also will reduce its gas content, it is considered preferable by many persons to drink the beer directly from the can through an opening cut in the cover of the can.
One of the important objects of my invention is to provide a convenient handle for the holding of the beer can and thereby eliminate the inconvenience of a direct contact between the fingers and the cold and moist beer can.
Another important object of my invention is to provide a beer can holder which collects the beer which may be accidentally spilled when cutting the opening in the cover of the can, thereby preventing the soiling of the table cover.
A further object of my invention is to provide a beer can holder which is very simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and which offers a very secure clamping of the beer can in the holder, eliminating the possibility of the rotation of the beer can in the holder and the resultant displacement of the discharge opening of the cover in relation with the handle.
Today in 1971, US Patent 3554400 A was issued, an invention of John S. Bozek, assigned to the Continental Can Co., for his “Nonflipping Beer Can End.” Here’s the Abstract:
An easy opening end particularly adapted for use on beverage cans, said end including an end panel, weakening line formed in said end panel and defining a removable tearout portion which extends generally from the central portion of said end panel to the periphery of said end panel, and a circumferential rib in said end panel, said rib being generally C-shaped in outline and having opposite ends terminating adjacent said tearout portion and reinforcing said end panel around said tearout portion to prevent premature rupturing of said can end along said weakening line, and a pull tab secured to said tearout portion for effecting the removal thereof, said rib being depressed to define an upwardly opening groove, and said pull tab having a free end overlying said groove whereby clearance is provided between said pull tab free end and said end panel to facilitate the initial lifting of said pull tab.
Today in 1955, US Patent 2698994 A was issued, an invention of Walter M. Hansen, for his “Beer Can Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to a can opening device and more particularly to a high speed opener of the performating type.
The conventional practice of storing liquids for customer consumption in cans has presented a problem for operators of restaurants and taverns who necessarily handle a large volume of canned liquids in this form such as beer and fruit juices. The usual practice is to punch a hole in the tops of the cans through which the content is poured into the customers glass. Prior to this time such a can punching operation has not only proved dangerous and laborious but also time consuming in that seldom was the punch conveniently located and its use required two hands, one hand to hold the can while the other hand was used to do the punching. Injuries are likely to occur in case of slippage of the can from the hand of the opener.
It is therefore among the objects and purposes of this invention to provide a high speed can opener requiring only a straight thrust by one hand of the operator used to grasp the can wherein a pivoted cutting blade is brought into cutting engagement with the top of the can.
