Today in 1948, US Patent 2443550 A was issued, an invention of Michael J. Zwosta, for his “Beer Control and Pipe-Cleaning Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to beverage dispensing apparatus in which pipe connections extend from the beverage containers to the dispensing faucets and :air or carbonic gas pipes extend from a pump or tank to the beverage containers for supplying the pressure needed to raise the beverage from the containers to the dispensing faucets. More especially, this invention relates to arrangements for cleaning the beverage piping.

The pipe cleaning operation in such dispensing apparatus in general use today, is performed with special portable apparatus which necessitates disconnecting the pipe system from the beverage containers for cleaning and flushing. The operation is usually performed when the beverage dispensing apparatus is not in use and when it is performed during service hours service is necessarily discontinued during the pendency of the operation. This method is poor at best; it does not encourage or permit of sufficiently frequent and sufficiently thorough cleaning operations to insure at all times the best sanitary and palatable conditions. It also causes a serious loss of beverage contained in the pipe lines extending from the containers to the dispensing faucets. In addition to these serious shortcomings, this method is inconvenient and costly.

To overcome these objections, methods and apparatus have been invented for cleaning the pipe lines without causing loss of beverage and without disconnecting the pipe lines from the beverage containers. Invariably, however, these new methods and apparatus are complicated and impractical. In most cases the beverage in the pipe lines is saved by driving it back into the containers before the cleaning operation is started. This is an undesirable practice for the reason, among others, that the beverage from the unclean pipes would have a deleterious effect upon the beverage in the containers. Thus, despite the great shortcomings of the first mentioned method, the last mentioned methods and apparatus have not been generally accepted.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a practical method and means for encouraging and permitting the frequent cleaning of the pipe system at any time during as well as outside of service hours, without loss of beverage, without the necessity for returning the containers, without the necessity for disconnecting the pipe lines from the beverage containers and without the employment of special portable apparatus.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the character described, having easily accessible controls located in the immediate vicinity of the dispensing faucets.

A further object is the provision of safety control means which function automatically to prevent accidental fouling of the cleaning and flushing system, as for example, the passage of cleaning fluid into the beverage containers.

Today in 1978, US Patent 4094445 A was issued, an invention of James Bevan, for his “High Speed Beer Dispensing Method.” Here’s the Abstract:

A method is provided for dispensing beer rapidly into a series of containers for mass distribution to consumers at public gatherings such as stadiums, race tracks, etc. The beer is contained in kegs and is supplied to a multi-tap dispenser through a refrigerated supply line. A coolant is circulated around the beer in the supply line and in the dispenser for cooling the beer. The temperature of the beer is maintained sufficiently close to its freezing temperature as to permit pouring from the taps while preventing excessive foam from being generated in the containers as the beer is poured. Preferably, the beer is maintained at less than 34° F and preferably within about 1/2°-2° F of its freezing temperature which is approximately 28° F for most beer. The pressure drop in the beer supply line is also controlled in order to avoid excessive agitation of the beer.

Today in 1950, US Patent 2511623 A was issued, an invention of Leonard Darcangelo, for his “Keg Truck.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

My invention relates to improvements in, or a new type of, keg truck.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a one-man truck, of simple and inexpensive construction for lifting and transporting kegs of different sizes conveniently and easily, and when a keg is mounted on the truck it will be held securely in position and prevented from slipping while being moved, or transported.

Today in 1956, US Patent 2749930 A was issued, an invention of Sumner T. Whitnall, for his “Apparatus For Dispensing Beer.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The invention provides a solution .to the problems of dispensing from a number of barrels or other containers sequentially and facilitating replacement or interchange of empty or partially filled containers. The desired results are achieved by a tapping rod assembly which is applied to each of the several containers, each, such assembly having dispensing and pressure and transfer connections, the latter connection leading through the upper portion of the rod, but opening through a side portion thereof. above the level of the beer in the container to which beer is being transferred from a preceding container. By delivering the transferred beer (or gas, from empty barrels) at or above the level of the beer in the receiving container, I avoid turbulence, this being an important factor which makes the device of this invention. a success where other attempts to solve these problems have failed.

As the transferred beer is applied at or above the level of the beer in the receiving container, under pressure of gas applied to another container in the series, the beer in the receiving container is expelled through the rod from the bottom of the receiving container in substantially the same way as if the pressure had been applied directly to the surface of the beer in the container from which the beer is dispensed to the faucet.

Today in 1878, US Patent 204687 A was issued, an invention of Henry Shlaudeman, for his “Improvement in Safety-Valves for Fermented-Liquor Casks.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The object of my invention is to produce a safety-valve to be placed upon storage-casks, hogsheads, &c., in which malt and other fermenting or fermented liquors are placed in stock viz., before drawing into vessels for consumption or sale-and is constructed so that the weighted valve will be raised automatically if more than a certain quantity of carbonic-acid gas is generated, and allow said gas to escape without exposing the liquors to the open air, and by thus excluding the air stopping fermentation at a fixed degree, and preventing the bursting of the cask or hogshead, the device inclosing a weighted valve that shall have a fixed and definite capacity of retaining the gases.

Today in 1937, US Patent 2083281 A was issued, an invention of Fred M. Spayd, for his “Beer Tap Fitting.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus and more particularly to beer dispensers and cleaning apparatus therefor.

One object of the invention is the provision of a beer keg or the like having a thing through which the draft tube can be inserted and having a bayonet connection with the keg bung, the fitting having a self-closing valve adapted to be opened and to be held open by the draft tube, but normally closed when the draft tube is withdrawn so that the pressure within the keg may be maintained.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a self-closing valve fitting adapted to be readily attached to and disconnected from a barrel bung, and having attaching means at its opposite ends which are complementary to one another so that the fitting is adapted for use with standard connections.

Today in 1907, US Patent 856140 A was issued, an invention of Joseph Berkowitz and William Lapin, for their “Triple Pipe Beer Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to triple pipe beer coolers adapted to permit a continuous circulation in separate pipes, respectively, of beer, brine and ammonia, the various pipes being arranged and connected at their ends to form a continuous coil, having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other.

The invention relates more particularly to an improvement in the construction of the heads or bends connecting in alternate relation the opposite ends of the pipes of the coil.