Today in 1897, US Patent 584863 A was issued, an invention of Jay W. Farmoff, for his “Beer-Tapping Device.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
Our invention has for its object to produce an efficient tapping device which is simple and durable in construction, reliable in action, and which can be conveniently operated.
Sunday’s ad is for Goebel Beer, from 1949. The Detroit, Michigan brewery set their ad at night in the desert, presumably to make the association with an arid climate since the tagline is “better try extra-dry Goebel beer.” It certainly makes me thirsty looking at all that sand, not to mention the campfire.
Today in 1966, US Patent 3257033 A was issued, an invention of Reginald W. Stott, for his “Beer Dispensing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to a combined apparatus for the semi-automatic dispensing of a predetermined quantity of liquid and to the simultaneous counting of the number of such predetermined quantities of liquid which have been dispersed. A subsidiary aspect of this invention is a valve control means for use in that apparatus, and particularly a switch arrangement associated with said valve. The apparatus is particularly suited for the dispensing of effervescent liquids, and more particularly for the dispensing of beer.
It is necessary, in the dispensing of effervescent or gas charged liquids such as, for example, beer, to dispense such liquid, even by relatively inexperienced help, in such a manner that uniform results are obtained. It is also necessary that such dispensing means be capable of being set quickly and easily for the drawing of varying amounts of such liquids, i.e., for the drawing of two, or more, different sizes of drafts. Furthermore, it is desirable to have means associated with such dispensing means to count the total number of each size of drafts which have been drawn.
It was proposed accomplishing these ends by the use of an auxiliary storage tank where the required amount of beer was stored prior to dispensing. This proved undesirable, since this auxiliary storage, and the means used to dispense the beer therefrom, tended to have a detrimental effect on the delicate quality of the beer.
A prime feature, therefore, of the present invention, is the provision of apparatus whereby beer and similar liquids may be dispensed by relatively inexperienced help, in such a manner that uniform results are obtained.
A further feature is the provision of means whereby the apparatus may be quickly and easily set for the automatic dispensing of two or more different quantities, i.e., two or more different sizes of drafts.
A still further feature of this invention is the provision of counter means for the cumulative totalling of the number of each size of drafts which have been dispensed.
Today in 1933, US Patent 2121458 A was issued, an invention of Wilhelm Vogelbuseh, for his “Apparatus And Process for Aerating Wort in Yeast Production.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
In the production of yeast, air is supplied to the wort during the fermentation in order to meet the oxygen requirements of the multiplying cells and also to render harmless the interchange products which are produced. Hitherto, compressed air from an air pump has usually been introduced into the wort through a rigidly mounted tube system which is placed horizontally at the bottom of the fermenting vat and the separate tubes of which are provided with holes. The attempts in recent years to reduce the size of the air bubbles have led to the diameter of the air outlet holes being reduced down to 0.3 mm. On account of the danger of stoppage and the difficulty of keep through such holes. Distributing devices provided with tubes or boxes of burnt clay, stoneware, sintered glass, etc. to act as air outlet surfaces have been used. The saving in power, however, does not correspond to the reduction of the amount of air as these materials, on account of their smaller permeability, require a higher operating pressure. keep such a body perfectly clean as is required for avoiding contamination.
The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages, and the invention consists in that a hollow body of suitable shape serving for delivery large openings and which, in the direction of movement, offers as little resistance as possible and allows the air to escape preferably in a direction different from the direction of movement and preferably at right angles or approximately at right angles thereto is moved through could hitherto only be obtained in the yeast industry by using the above-mentioned ceramic materials for the air supply member. In addition, it is difficult to ring the air into the liquid through comparative count of the above-mentioned disadvantages, have not become widely used.
Today in 1966, US Patent 3256627 A was issued, an invention of James Eugene Adair, assigned to Fishlove & Co., for his “Ornamented Drinking Glass.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The principal object of the invention is to provide an aesthetic, entertaining or amusing novelty item in the form of an ornamented drinking glass such as is commonly used for mixed drinks, beer, highballs, or the like, the glass having an opaque side wall but being provided with one or more transparent portions or peep holes, and also having ornamentation on regions thereof opposite the peep holes, such ornamentation being visible through the peep holes, transversely of the glass and through liquid such as the glass may contain. Such liquid produces effects of magnification and distortion, especially when transparent solids such as ice cubes are immersed therein, so that the ornamentation as viewed through the peep holes has an enlarged and/or animated appearance.
Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1943. I’ve talked about this before, how oftentimes back in the earlier part of the century, products like beer were referred to as “friendly.” Here’s another example where Schlitz claims that “for millions of Americans the simple joy of companionship are made richer, deeper, more satisfying with a glass of friendly SCHLITZ.” Damn straight, skippy, I don’t want one of those unfriendly beers touching my lips.
Today in 1939, US Patent 2163468 A was issued, an invention of Carl Rach, for his “Process For Making Hopped Beer Wort.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
Heretofore in the process of making this wort, unmalted cereals (such as corn grits or rice) were mixed with malt (such as malt barley or wheat malt) and were cooked with water at a temperature around the boiling point in a large container or cooker, the resulting mixture being led from the cooker into a mash tub where it was mixed with a malt mash and kept for onehalf hour or more at mashing off temperature. The wort which resulted from this .last mashing operation was strained through the undissolved grains of the material or mash resting upon a false bottom, with which the mash tub is provided. During this operation the undissolved grains on the false bottom served as a filter mass. The usual practice in the next stage of the old process was to wash the grains by pouring hot water upon them in the mash tub to remove the remaining wort extract. This washing of the grains or sparging operation, as commonly called, resulted in a wort which was of much lower As the sparging operations continued the resulting worts were of less and less density and after they were all collected together in a large kettle they had to be boiled to evaporate some of the water and increase the density to the desired degree, which is between 12 to 13% as measured by the Bailing saccharometer.
This evaporation and concentration of the wort was disadvantageous in that it required time, labor and fuel and thus increased the cost of the beer.
Thus it is an object of my invention to provide a process which eliminates the necessity of boiling the wort to concentrate it, and thus (1) to reduce the expense of the process, and (2) to permit greater control of the composition and chemical nature of the product, by reason of boiling being carried on only to chemically affect the wort and not to evaporate water.
Friday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1954. Starting with the tagline “Traditionally the Finest,” the ad equates Florida with vacationers and the state’s fame as “a center of hospitality.” And this is seventeen years before Walt Disney World opened and transformed the state, so I’m not so sure about that claim. I remember a driving vacation my family took when I was fourteen (in 1973) from Pennsylvania to the Sunshine state and we didn’t even consider going; we drove right on past to Miami and the Keys. At any rate, I have a hard time thinking of Florida as an “enchanted land.” Though to be fair, beer-wise, things are a lot better there now than went I flew there once a month when BevMo opened a couple of stores in south Florida thanks to Cigar City and other new breweries.
Today in 1860, US Patent 28771 A was issued, an invention of Oliver Z. Pelton, for his “Beer-Pitcher.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it states that Pelton has “invented a new and Improved Beer-Pitcher,” with additional information:
A represents a beer pitcher or can constructed of tin, britannia or any other suitable material, and of any desirable size. cover B, is attached to the body of the same by means of a hinge a., and a knob b, serves to open and close said cover.
The cover shuts down into a rim c, on the top edge of the pitcher, and in order to make it close tight, it is provided with a groove (Z, near to its edge to receive a ring e, of india rubber or any other suitable material. This ring projects slightly beyond the surface of the cover, and if the cover is closed, it shuts down perfectly tight, so that no part of the contents of the pitcher can escape.
The contents of the pitcher are poured out through the spout C, which is furnished with a strainer f in the usual manner. Behind the spout is the movable partition D, which tits into grooves or gnides g, so that it can be drawn out and put in at pleasure. Instead of making this partition to fit into the guides g, it might, however, be attached with a hinge or in any other convenient manner, enabling the same to be brought into such a position that it can easily be cleaned. I prefer, however, to arrange it in such a manner that it can be taken out altogether, so that the inside of the pitcher, as well as the partition itself, can be reached everywhere.
Today in 1956, US Patent 2750945 A was issued, an invention of Millard E. Crowley, for his “Hop-Picking Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
Having set forth the invention broadly, included among the objects thereof are the following: to provide a hop picking machine capable of the simultaneous raking of hops from vines and short arms; to provide apparatus capable of multi-directional combing of hop vines and arms; to combine in a single machine, functions heretofore deemed characteristic of separate machines, as well as, to produce additional functions without the necessity of employing all parts required by the separate machines; to combine in a single machine, capable of continuous operation over extended time intervals, the functions of hop vine and arm picking; and to provide a short arm picker per se capable of optimum picking action.
