Today in 1908, US Patent 900076 A was issued, an invention of Sylvester J. Asbell, for his “Beer-Dispensing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes only this summary:

My invention relates to apparatus for dispensing beer and similar beverages stored under pressure; and particularly to apparatus of this nature in which the beverage is of either different kinds or qualities and therefore requires separate storing vessels and separate discharge means therefor in order to avoid intermingling. The principal object of my invention is to so construct an apparatus of this character that it may be thoroughly flushed with a place where the vessels are situated in order to shut off the several vessels fromthe system of piping t: be cleansed.

Today in 1971, US Patent 3610478 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Tapping Device For Beer Kegs and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes only this summary:

Disclosed is a novel tapping device for beer kegs and the like including a keg adapter mounted in the opening of a keg at the brewery and a probe-type coupler secured to the keg adapter at the dispensing establishment to dispense beer.

Today in 1963, US Patent 3105599 A was issued, an invention of Henry O. Hausermann, assigned to the Blitz Weinhard Co., for his “Barrel Loading.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improvided pallet construction which accommodates easy rolling of beer kegs onto the pallet and nesting of the kegs in position with the kegs snugly packed thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet that employs a panel of relatively simple construction as a supporting means, the latter being effective to hold the bottom sides of beer kegs firmly in place and above possible contact with the forks of a forklift truck inserted beneath the pallet, and to provide such a pallet that is capable of being lifted from all sides.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a slip sheet for stacking one tier of barrels or kegs over another, such a slip sheet taking the form of a panel having cutouts effective to seat on the top sides of a lower tier of barrels and seat the lower sides of an upper tier of barrels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet and Islip sheet construction that enables the stacking of barrels on their sides and in tiers, one over another, with the barrels of an upper tier aligned with the barrels of a lower tier. This is important for space reasons, as most barrels are longer than they are Wide, and many vehicles can only be fully loaded if the barrels of successive tiers are aligned and extend all in the same direction.

Today in 1975, US Patent 3908871 A was issued, an invention of Antonin Gottwald, for his “Keg Closure and Coupler Assembly.” Here’s the Abstract:

The assembly includes a keg connector body having first and second passages communicating with the interior of the keg and a dispensing line connector body having first and second passages communicating with a dispensing line and a source of compressed gas. Lower and upper separable plates having registering bores are disposed between the two bodies. Relative movement between the plates and the bodies enables closing off of both the interior of the keg and the dispensing line and source of compressed gas, the plates then being separable with the respective closures still in effect.

Today in 1959, US Patent 2906435 A was issued, an invention of Frank Nichols, for his “Air Pressure Actuated Beer Dispenser and Coil Cleaner.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to beer dispensing apparatus in which beer is on tap continuously, and in particular, beer dispensing apparatus where beer is supplied from kegs or other containers to cooling coils and taps by filtered air under pressure continuously and in which the coils are cleaned by a detergent suspended in water and wherein the moisture is removed by air under pressure.

The purpose of this invention is to provide beer dispensing apparatus in which all foreign tastes or flavors due to leakage of oil, gases, and the like into the system are eliminated.

Today in 1981, US Patent 4291821 A was issued, an invention of James E. Nezworski, assigned to The Perlick Company, Inc., for his “Keg Tapping System Unit and Valve Interlock.” Here’s the Abstract:

In a keg tapping system, a keg unit in each keg has coaxial gas and liquid valves, and a tavern unit, detachably connectable to the keg unit, has a lever actuated plunger that is depressed to open the valves in the keg unit and to open a gas valve in the tavern unit. The keg unit has a well in its top in which the tavern unit is rotatably received and diametrically opposite lugs projecting into that well to cooperate with a flange on the tavern unit body in providing a bayonet connection between the units. Affixed to the lever on the tavern unit is an abutment carrier having abutment portions cooperable with said lugs. If the bayonet connection is not fully engaged, one abutment portion engages an upper surface on one of the lugs to prevent the lever from being swung down to its valve-open position; with the lever down, an abutment portion engages a lug to prevent rotation of the tavern unit to a position at which the bayonet connection is disengaged.

Today in 1971, US Patent 3608790 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Tapping Device For Beer Kegs and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The present invention relates to a new improved tapping device for drawing fluids such as beer from containers such as beer kegs or barrels using a gas to drive the fluid from the container. Particularly, the present invention relates to a new improved tapping device usable with conventional beer kegs of the type having a 1% inch tapping opening and comprising a novel keg adapter for sealing and the keg opening, a unique coupler reliably attachable to the adapter at the dispensing establishment for dispensing beer, a new siphon tube configuration for the keg adapter whereby the keg may be substantially completely drained of beer notwithstanding its employment in high-pressure systems, and a novel beer shutoff valve for the coupler whereby flow of beer from the keg to the faucet can be shutoff at the keg.

Today in 1988, US Patent 0283797 A1 was issued, an invention of Digby Hubbard, for his “Keg Tap.” Here’s the Abstract:

It is described for household use a Keg tap, in which through a pressure chamber (2) surrounds, essentially cylindrical housing (1) an axially movable valve-opening rod (3) with valve-opening element (4) and is plugged by a piston (8) is disposed in the lower region of the housing (1) and the located here pressure chamber (2) limited. The valve opening rod (3) is at the same riser, and has a continuous liquid passage (7) leading at one end from the valve-opening element (4) to the outside and at the opposite end in a fluid channel (17) merges, in a substantially right angle arranged to the fluid flow (7), with shut-off valve (19) and thus closable spout (18) provided with brackets (15) is recessed. Of the pressure chamber (2) closing piston (8) is connected via piston rods (14) with a handle (5), with which the piston (8) is actuated independently of the valve-opening rod (3).