Today in 1985, US Patent 4516698 A was issued, an invention of Vincent J. Cerrato, for his “Keg-Pump Construction.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg-tapping device wherein a probe is selectively actuable within a tap body, between axial positions of communication with and cut-off from the inner volume of the keg, to which it may be attached. The probe extends upwardly beyond the tap body and carries an axially reciprocal air pump at its upper end, while a beverage-dispensing port is open laterally, at a location beneath the pump and above the tap body. A pressure-relief valve with external actuating access is carried by the probe, and the arrangement is such that the probe and all components mounted thereto are bodily rotatable, over a full 360 degrees of lateral-discharge direction for beverage delivered at the discharge port. Conveniently, a flexible hose connects the discharge port to a selectively operable dispensing valve, and the dispensing valve is therefore flexibly adaptable, without keg movement, to serve glasses within a maximum radius (hose length), whatever the azimuth direction at which a glass is to be served.

Today in 1884, US Patent 298686 A was issued, an invention of Peter Gardner, for his “Faucet For Drawing Beer and Other Liquors.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to certain improvements in faucets for beer-kegs and other vessels containing liquids under pressure; and it has for its objects to provide a faucet which may be applied to any vessel or keg, and by means of which the same maybe tapped conveniently without waste of material, as more fully hereinafter specified. These objects I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation of my improved faucet, showing the same attached to a beer-keg; and Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a metallic screw-threaded annulus to be employed in connection with the faucet, in order to adapt it to bushing of different sizes, the interior diameter varying according to the size of faucet used.

Today in 1942, US Patent 2283100 A was issued, an invention of Harry C. Shores, assigned to Anheuser-Busch, for his “Pressure Regulating Attachment For Liquid Containers.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for creating pressure within liquid containers, such as beer kegs, and the like, and has for its primary object to provide an inflatable bag adapted for attaching to a wall of the keg and projecting therein so that pressure of the liquid in the container may be increased by expanding the bag.

Today in 1887, US Patent 362809 A was issued, an invention of W.J. Woodley of San Francisco, California, for his “Faucet Hole And Stopper Combined.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to a device for preventing the flow and waste of fluid while stoppering or breaching vessels containing beer, wine, or other liquids.

Today in 1916, US Patent 1182675 A was issued, an invention of August Goetz, for his “Beer Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a tap of the character mentioned with means for closing the movable member preliminary to separating it from the stationary member of said tap; to provide a drawoff pipe with a closable key valve adapted to open the draw-off valve of a tap, said key valve being arranged for closure as a preliminary to the closing of the draw-off valve; to provide a handle-like pipe-connecting extension for the movable member of said key valve; and to provide a pressure supply pipe and a liquid-delivering pipe with means for automatically opening and closing the same when connecting to or disconnecting from a liquid supply.

Today in 1906, US Patent 819768 A was issued, an invention of Alfred T. Kruse, assigned to the American Steel Package Company, for his “Sheet Metal Keg.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to improvements in sheet-metal kegs especially designed for the transportation and storage of liquids, such as whisky, beer, mineral .waters, &c. For this purpose wooden kegs are usually employed; but such vessels are objectionable from the fact that they soon become soaked with fluid, thereby becoming filthy, decayed, and heavy and liable to spring a leak, causing much damage and loss from the escape of contents.

Today in 1940, US Patent 2199503 A was issued, an invention of Michael A. Martin, for his “Beer Cooling System and Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Prior beverage cooling systems with which I am familiar have commonly cooled the beverage dispenser by an evaporator mounted therein and have maintained the beverage containers cool 10 by disposing them in a cold room which is independently cooled. The cold room or storage room is usually relatively large to accommodate the person handling the containers, resulting in considerable space to be maintained cool and which is relatively expensive. Also, the provision of two independent systems results not only in considerable operating expense but in high original cost of equipment and of installation.

The storage or cold room, although cool, is of a higher temperature than the proper consumption temperature of the beer since the cost of maintaining such a room at a desired temperature, such as 40″, would be excessive, the beer is thus required to be rapidly lowered in temperature upon reaching the dispenser, and before withdrawal and under peak conditions warm beer is frequently drawn. In transmitting the beer from the storage room to the dispenser, the been supply line usually passes through a relatively warm zone, such as the tap room, and although the line is usually heat insulated, the beer is usually raised somewhat in temperature. I have devised a system for cooling beverages wherein a relatively small, storage compartment may be provided and the evaporator unit is eliminated in the dispenser permitting a larger amount of cooling. liquid to be used in a given size dispenser. Both the dispenser and the storage unit are cooled by a single means and the pipes supplying beer or the like to the dispenser are immersed in cooling liquid from the storage cabinet to the dispenser. A reservoir of cooling liquid is maintained at a temperature normally substantially lower than the cooling liquid in the dispenser and this arrangement together with the low temperature of the beverage containers in the storage compartment and the additional pre cooling of the beer prior to reaching the dispenser, permits the capacity of a given size dispenser under peak conditions to be considerably increased while maintaining the beer within desired temperature limits.

It is an object of my invention therefore to provide an improved system and apparatus for .55 cooling beverages such as beer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cooling system for stored beverage containers and for the beverage dispenser which is relatively compact and economical in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide 5 an improved cooling system for beer containers in a storage room, a dispenser, and supply line from the container to the dispenser, wherein the capacity of a given size dispenser to cool beer under peak conditions is materially increased.

Today in 1959, US Patent 2883999 A was issued, an invention of Sandor Frankfurt, assigned to the Champion Safe Tap Company, for his “Tapping Device.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to the tapping of kegs of beer or like beverage and more particularly to a novel form of draft tube, tap rod or conduit means.

Broadly the invention comprehends the provision of a tap rod, or liquid conduit means, for use in the siphoning of beer or the like from containers, such as beer keg, having valve means incorporated therein for inhibiting the retrograde flow of beer from the rod or conduit to the keg, said valve means being movable axially to open or closed position by the flow of beer in the rod.