Today in 1979, German Patent DE 202014002381 U1 was issued, an invention of Vetreria Di Borgonovo S.P.A., for his “New Type of Beer-Tasting Glass.” Here’s the Abstract, translated from German:

Glass (10), namely thought to try out of beer (B) comprising:
– A receiving body (11) for receiving the consumer to cast into the glass beer (B), and
– A lower handle (18) for supporting and for manual handling of the glass,
wherein the receiving body (11) in turn comprises:
– An upper edge (12) having a rounded shape;
– An upper part (13), adjacent to the upper edge (12) and having an outwardly divergent flared shape;
– A central part (14), adjacent to the upper part (13) and having a bottom up to inwardly converging flared shape, and
– A circular lower part (16), which adjoins the central part (14) and with this at the bottom of the receiving body (11) of the glass (10) has a bulge (17);
wherein the glass (10) is adapted to allow a consumer who used to drink beer (B) the glass (10) both fully perceive the flavor characteristics and flavors of the drink and its visual characteristics, namely foam, to improve.

I think this is the Italian-designed glass that’s called a TeKu, and it certainly resembles the commemerative glass that the BA gave out at the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland last year.

Today in 1895, US Patent 534840 A was issued, an invention of Michael J. Owens, for his “Apparatus For Blowing Glass.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to an apparatus for blowing glass, and has for its object to perform mechanically, what has heretofore been done manually.

The invention consists in providing an apparatus which shall receive a blow pipe and mechanically blow the glass thereon into the desired form.

Heretofore in the art of blowing glass, there has been a blower necessary, who manually blows the article into the desired form, there being a gathering boy to secure the gathering upon the pipe previous to blowing, and remove the moil after the article is formed and removed from the pipe.

This invention has for its object to mechanically blow the glass and dispense with the blower, it only being necessary for the gathering boy to secure the gathering upon the pipe and place it upon the apparatus and remove the same when the article has assumed the desired shape.

Today in 1871, US Patent D4641 S was issued, an invention of John P. Pears, for his “Design For Molds For Lager-Beer Glasses.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

I have invented a new and useful Design for Mold for Lager-beer Glass; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being/had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, which represents a sectional view of a dropmold, and illustrates my improved design.

Today in 2014, US Patent D698201 S1 was issued, an invention of Brian Rice Bradford and Klas Fredrik Perman, for their “Beer Glass.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

We claim the ornamental design for beer glass, as shown and described. The claim to the beer glass is directed to the collective appearance of the articles shown, including a transparent body, transparent interior portion, and lid.

Today in 1980, US Patent 4183226 A was issued, an invention of Stanley R. Moore, assigned to Freeze Sleeves Of America, Inc., for his “Refrigerated Beverage Holder.” Here’s the Abstract:

Means for chilling and insulating a canned or bottled beverage such as beer including a cylindrical sleeve of reusable refrigerant disposed within an insulative beverage can holder and displacing the annular “dead air” cavity between a beverage can situated therein and the side walls of the holder. The reusable refrigerant is a substance which may be frozen in conventional refrigerator freezers whereby the refrigerant in a frozen state will chill and keep chilled beer or the like disposed there within. In this manner, a beverage may be quickly chilled whether initially refrigerated or not and while being consumed out of doors. Moreover, the chilled temperature is normally unachievable in conventional refrigerators and is especially not maintainable for any length of time in conventional “dead-air” insulative holders.

Today in 1902, US Patent 715828 A was issued, an invention of Albert Markmann, for his “Tray For Beer Glasses.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to supports or saucers for beer-glasses and the like; and my improvements in the same consist in certain arrangements and combinations of parts, as are fully described hereinafter.

Today in 2010, US Patent 20100304005 A1 was issued, an invention of James M. Beale, for his “Pouring Spoon For Producing Layered Beverages.” Here’s the Abstract:

A pouring spoon (301) is provided which comprises a bowl (303) and a handle attached to said bowl. The handle has first (321), second (323) and third (325) segments, wherein said second segment is attached to said first segment by way of a first bend (322), wherein said second segment is attached to said third segment by way of a second bend (324), and wherein said third segment is attached to said bowl by way of a third bend (326).

Today in 1985, US Patent 4555034 A was issued, an invention of Ludwig Gerhards, for his “Beer Mug.” Here’s the Abstract:

A beer mug is formed of the mug container and a lid made out of wood. The lid is hingedly connected to the handle secured to the mug container and can be releasably attached to the handle by a snapping connecting device which includes a connecting element of an elastic plastics on the lid and a hinge mounted on the handle and provided with a pivot which can be snapped into a slot formed on the end portion of the elastic connecting element.