Today in 1997, US Patent 5664702 A was issued, an invention of Christopher E. Beauchamp, for his “Foot Operated Beer Keg Pressurizer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A foot-operated beer-keg pressurizer has a floor-based foot pump (1) with which air is pumped through a pressure tube (17) from a variably remote beer keg (2) to a keg faucet (9) that is attachable to conventional beer-keg connectors (6). A beer tube (8) extended from the keg faucet in the variably remote beer keg has a beer tap (7) that is preferably a squeeze or push-button type. Foot operation of the floor-based foot pump by a user or by a separate person frees both hands of a user for filling beer-drinking containers.

Today in 1885, US Patent 326017 A was issued, an invention of John A. Button, for his “Beer-Drawing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to that class of devices by means of which beer or other analogous liquids are drawn direct from the barrel, my object being to so improve-such apparatus that the liquid drawn shall be delivered under a uniform pressure and free from all sediment or impurities. It is also my purpose to so improve the pressure-chamber that the gas which collects therein may be automatically disposed of.

And here’s the original drawing filed with the application:

Today in 1943, US Patent 2328948 A was issued, an invention of Thomas N. Bourke, for his “Seal For Kegs.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this simple summary. “This invention relates to a seal for kegs.” That’s about all I can make out, the OCR did one of the worst jobs of any I’ve tried to read. Take a look for yourself.

Today in 1905, US Patent 798942 A was issued, an invention of Leo Baroch, for his “Beverage-Keg.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The object of my invention is to provide a portable beverage-keg provided with a cooling-chamber and a gas-chamber filled with carbonic-acid gas and a beverage-receptacle, the instrumentalities being so constructed that as the beverage is siphoned from the receptacle the remaining fluid within the receptacle may be kept in an effervescent condition as well as be continuously under a charge of carbonic-acid gas drawn from the gas-chamber, and my invention embodies certain other instrumentalities, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Today in 1885, US Patent 325316 A was issued, an invention of Edward A. Byrne, for his “Beer-Faucet.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Our invention comprises a novel construed of those faucets having air-inlets, and which are employed more especially for drawing off beer, ale, and other liquors from kegs and similar receptacles. Heretofore it has been customary to pass the air tube or inlet through the heel of the faucet and carry the almost to the top of the keg, so as to allow the air to act directly on the surface of the liquor, and thereby afford the proper ventage the instant the faucet is opened. Practical experience, however, has demonstrated that this is a very defective arrangement, inasmuch as the introduction of the air within the keg causes the beer or other liquor to become sour unless it is drawn off quite rapidly; hence such faucets are not adapted for use in small saloons, the proprietors of which places of resort demand a faucet that will afford the necessary ventage, and yet will not canse their liquors to become dat and unsalable. To meet these requirements we have devised a faucet the heel of which has one or more lateral ports, while the inner end of said heel is closed, so as to prevent the liquor taking a direct central passage through the axial channel. Furthermore, the discharging end of the tube or inlet is located in the rear of these ports in order that the flow of beer through the latter will cause a current of air to traverse said inlet and mingle With the liquor as it escapes from the faucet. By this arrangement the proper ventage is afforded, while at the same time there is no possibility of the air entering the keg or barrel, it being understood that the construction of the device is such as to allow the inlet to be opened only when the faucet-plug is so turned as to draw of the liquor

Today in 1897, US Patent 589231 A was issued, an invention of Jacob Fred Theurer, assigned to the Pabst Brewing Company, for his “Bung Branding Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention pertains to a machine for branding bungs, the construction and operation of which, together with its advantages, are set forth in the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, an end elevation, part of the chain being removed and the pistons shown in section; Fig. 3, a top plan view, and Fig. 4 a sectional view of the branding-dies and the heating device.

The object of my invention is to construct a machine for branding a series of bungs at one time and to present the bungs to the dies in successive series.

Today in 1972, US Patent 3687340 A was issued, an invention of Remes E. De La Hunt, for his “Tapping Device For Beer Kegs.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg tapping device is provided in which a pressure hose and a liquid discharge hose are connected to a common connector member connectable to a keg fitting on a keg to automatically open valving means in the keg fitting and the common connector to permit discharge of liquid from the keg and pressurization of the keg in response to the connection of the connector to the keg; seal and valve means are automatically closed upon disconnection of the connector from the keg and the keg includes a substantially permanently installed drain pipe so that there is no insertion of any member into the internal confines of the keg during the tapping operation with the connection of the connector and the pressure and lager discharge hoses being made by a simple push down and twisting movement.

Today in 1911, US Patent 1001805 A was issued, an invention of Chris Bergsvik, for his “Beer-Preserver.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to beer preservers or beer-pressure apparatus. Its object is to provide a device which shall constantly maintain the pressure during the dispensing of the beer and thus preserve the constant gaseous pressure necessary to keep the beer from staling.

Today in 2013, US Patent 20130216339 A1 was issued, an invention of William P. Apps, Sean T. Ogburn, Ryan C. Meers, Paul Thomas Walton, Jr., Ian C. McDermott, Ronald Samuel Ward, and Steven Alan Kitchin, assigned to the Rehrig Pacific Company, for their “Keg Delivery System.” Here’s the Abstract, but I’ve only included 3 of the 46 drawings filed with the application:

A keg delivery system includes a rack having a plurality of bays for receiving kegs horizontally. The keg delivery system also includes means for controllably lowering a keg from one of the bays to a floor.