Today in 1958, US Patent D183727 S was issued, an invention of Odie D. Emberton, for his “Combined Belt Buckle, Bottle Opener, and Can Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The ornamental design for a combined belt buckle, bottle opener, and can opener, substantially as shown.
Today in 1952, US Patent 2614406 A was issued, an invention of Oliver W. Carpenter, for his “Drinking Rim for Beer Cans.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to detachable rims for beer cans and the like.
One of the objects of the invention is to provide a detachable rim for a conventional beer can which facilitates drinking of the contents directly from the can.
Another object is to provide a rim which may be disposed on the can and isolate the drinkers lips from any contamination such as germs, or the like, which may be present on the can.
A further object is to provide a rim which is inexpensive in construction, and hence may be discarded after use.
Another object is to provide a rim which will withstand a sterilizing temperature in event the rim is to be reused.
Today in 1964, US Patent 3152717 A was issued, an invention of Joseph Schwaiger, assigned to Anheuser Busch, for his “Carbonated Beverage Can.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to a novel container or can for carbonated beverages, particularly beer, and also to a method for controlling the corrosion which normally occurs within such a container when filled with a carbonated beverage or other food product.
Today in 1937, US Patent 2094869 A was issued, an invention of Earcy Ballard, for his “Drinking and Tapping Attachment For Beer Cans.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes only this summary:
My invention relates to a drinking and tapping attachment for beer cans, and the objects of my invention are:
First, to provide an attachment to be used 5 in connection with the conventional beer cans which provides a combination means for tapping the can for permitting the flow of the beer and also providing an extended rim: to facilitate drinking from the can;
Second, to provide an attachment of this class which may be readily and quickly attached to and detached from the can;
Third, to provide an attachment of this class which may be sterilized and used over and over again on different cans;
Fourth, to provide an attachment of this class which provides a sufficiently large opening in the can so that the beer will flow readily therefrom;
Fifth, to provide an attachment of this class with a handle in connection therewith to facilitate the handling of the can while drinking therefrom;
Sixth, to provide an attachment of. this class with clip means for clamping it tightly on the can and also provided with extended portions for guiding the attachment while puncturing the can;
Seventh, to provide an attachment of this class with a gasket around the pouring and puncturing means to prevent leakage between the can and the attachment when drinking;
Today in 1972, US Patent 3692202 A was issued, an invention of Thomas J. Parlagreco, for his “Beer Can Stein with Attached Handle.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
A metal beer can having a pull tab opening on the upper end thereof so to permit a person to drink directly therefrom, the beer can instead of being cylindrical in shape being slightly tapered upwardly so to resemble the configuration of a beer stein, and the outer side of the can having a flat strap placed adjacent thereto, the center of the strap being able to be pulled away from the can so to form a convenient handle for being held in the hand while drinking.
Today in 1996, US Patent 5555992 A was issued, an invention of William A. Sedgeley, assigned to the Coors Brewing Company, for their “Double Hinged Opening for Container End Members.” Here’s the Abstract:
A container end member has a peripheral wall and integral central end wall portion with a stay-on-tab mounted on the central end wall portion for pivotal and rotational movement and a score line groove defined by two spaced apart terminal ends formed in the central end wall portion for defining a severable panel portion that is large enough so that when severed will provide an elongated opening that vents the container to permit pouring of the beverage in the container at faster pour rates than now available.
Today in 2000, US Patent 6112932 A was issued, an invention of Ronald E. Holdren, for his “Beverage Can With Flow Enhancing Sidewall Structure.” Here’s the Abstract:
A beverage container with flow enhancing sidewall structure. The container is preferably provided in thin-walled aluminum for containment of carbonated or other beverages such as beer or carbonated soda. The container has a liquid outlet, and adjacent the liquid outlet, but in the substantially cylindrical sidewalls, a generally nose-shaped inwardly indented liquid flow enhancing structure is provided. The flow enhancing structure is provided with a generally reducing cross-sectional area when progressively examined in transverse cross-sectional area toward the liquid outlet end of the cylindrical sidewall. The generally nose-shaped structure may be offset from the centerline of the liquid outlet to further enhance liquid outflow. Although in a preferred embodiment the nose-shaped structure is substantially pyramidal in shape, the structure may alternately be provided as a section of an oblique circular cone, or other flow enhancing shape. Use of such a structure enables a user to locate the container outlet by use of tactile sense alone, such as by use of a thumb. Also, because the flow enhancing structure is inwardly indented, the beverage can is rollable for easy handling during manufacture and distribution.
Today in 1980, US Patent 4219578 A was issued, an invention of George J. Collias, assigned to the Kepros-Ganes Company, for his “Method For Preventing Buckle of Beer-Can Tops During Pasteurization.” Here’s the Abstract:
A method is described for preventing buckling of beer-can tops during pasteurization of the beer. Prior to the pasteurization, an anti-buckle ring is mated with each beer can such that the ring captures the double-seamed top of the can. The ring prevents radial displacement at key points of the top and, hence, buckling of the top end of the can, when the heat applied during pasteurization causes the internal pressure of the can to increase. After pasteurization, the ring is automatically removed from the can for further use with another can.
Thursday’s ad is for the American Can Company, from 1938. It’s for their “keglined” cans and includes a curiously feminine beer can (I don’t think I realized that cans could be male or female). But the text is pure gold. “I am a beer can. I have no past — no future. I belong to YOU. I was brand new when i was filled. I’ll never be used again. I am clean. I am safe. I am easy to carry, easy to stack. I protect the delicious flavor of beer and ale because I keep out harmful light.” Genius.
Today in 1985, US Patent 4530631 A was issued, an invention of Elton G. Kaminski and Carl F. McEldowney, assigned to The Stolle Corporation, for their “Pull Tab For Easy Open Can End — Method Of Manufacture Thereof.” Here’s the Abstract:
An easy open can end having a retained tear strip extending diametrically partly across the can end defined by a score line, and a graspable pull tab adjacent and outside the open end of the score line. The pull tab is provided with a nose portion to initiate a tear along the score line upon lifting of the pull tab. The edges of the nose portion are curled into a cylindrical cross-sectional shape to provide a high beam strength and to rigidize the nose portion and to prevent failure by bending before the tear strip is opened. A method for manufacture of the pull tab includes forming at least one relief notch in the peripheral edge of the pull tab blank at the nose end thereof, whereby to relieve compressive forces when the edge is curled, and curling the peripheral edge of the nose portion in successive steps to form an edge portion of continuous cylindrical cross-sectional shape.
