Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 2938643A: Closure

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Today in 1960, US Patent 2938643 A was issued, an invention of Milton L. Geiser and George L. Herr, assigned to Armstrong Cork Co., for his “Closure.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application. “This invention relates to a bung, and more particularly to an elastomeric bung to replace the cork bung for insertion in the bung bushing of a barrel.” Which is fairly vague, so here’s quite a bit more explanation:

In order for a bung to function properly for this purpose, it is necessary that it be designed so that it can be driven easily into the bung bushing with existing driving equipment, will be held securely in position in the bung bushing to prevent the pressure developed in the keg from blowing the bung out of its sealing position, and also can be driven on through the bung bushing into the keg when the tap pump is inserted to remove the beer from the keg. Due to the fact that it must be driven into the keg and also due to the fact that the interior of the bung is in engagement with the contents of the keg, it is essential that the bong be produced from materials which will not have a toxic or other deleterious effect on the contents of the keg.

Several attempts have been made to produce bungs from plastic material such as polyethylene, and the general trend has been toward a bung which forms a seal by providing a continuous ledge around the bottom edge of the bung which is exerted against the shoulder or bottom surface of the bung bushing. In order to insure this seal, it is necessary to have a rather heavily reinforced bottom edge on the skirt of the bung which is usually deformed during the insertion of the bung into the keg, which deformation impairs the sealing characteristics of the bung. When this reinforcing ring is compressed during insertion, there is no space provided into which the compressed material can be distributed. Because of this material distribution, the bottom skirt either develops a fold or the reinforced ring assumes an oval shape in the opening in the bung bushing. In the case of the fold, the material forming the bung is usually ruptured, resulting in an improper seal; and in the case of the assumed oval, the bung is cocked in the bushing to such an extent that the top edge of the opening in the bushing gouges sections from the side of the hung. in either instance the sealing qualities of the bung are greatly impaired.

Other plastic bungs have been developed having a scrim of ribs around the skirt of the bung, giving line contact between the bung and the bushing at several points in the bushing. This line contact has not been satisfactory due to the fact that bushings through reuse become scored on their inner or sealing surface. With these score marks, it is not easy to seal the contents of the barrel with a polyethylene bung having several line contact points throughout the depth of the bung. In structures having a plurality of sealing rings around the skirt of the bung, these rings are of necessity of such nature that they serve as reinforcing rings and prevent the expansion of the bung to permit the wall of the bung to be urged against the bushing by the internal pressure on the bung. Here again, with a plurality of reinforcing rings surrounding the bung, there is no opportunity for the material in the rings to be redistributed; therefore, the ring tries to assume an oval shape and in so doing cocks the hung in the opening in the bushing, causing areas near the top of the bushing to be gouged.

Keeping in mind the limitations of the existing bung’s, the hollow, cup-shaped bung of this invention was ‘developed to be easily inserted without deformation ‘of “the bottom of the cylindrical skirt and without cocking of the bung in the opening of the bung bushing, leaving a relatively large area of the skirt of the bung for sealing engagement with the internal surface of the bushing, and at the same time provide suitably reinforced rings for sealing score marks in the bung bushing.

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Patent No. 3321861A: Beer Tap Handle

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Today in 1967, US Patent 3321861 A was issued, an invention of Charles G. Tate Jr., for his “Beer Tap Handle.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

Because of competition most beer companies provide bars with fancy tap handles carrying the name of the particular brew. These handles are changed frequently to attract attention and are made in all materials in numerous shapes and sizes. Attempts have been made to provide such handles with electrically operated devices such as lights and other moving parts. However, most communities are provided with safety regulations which prohibit the use of electric lines to beer tap handles be cause of the danger involved, the bartender normally having wet hands and handling a wet product. Battery power has also been suggested for such purpose but these are expensive because the batteries must be frequently replaced. Furthermore, a busy bartender will often forget to turn the switch and turn on the device when he comes in in the morning. The present invention is designed to provide an electrically powered beer tap handle utilizing rechargeable batteries. The device of the present invention operates with a novel switching arrangement so that the batteries are being charged only overnight when the de vice is not in use. Also, removal of the charging device turns on the beer tap handle.

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Patent No. 3091366A: Beer Dispenser

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Today in 1963, US Patent 3091366 A was issued, an invention of Thomas A. Hutsell, for his “Beer Dispenser.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This present device relates to the general art of devices intended for the measuring and dispensing of effervescent beverages. More particularly this invention relates to a beer dispensing device for dispensing draught beer. Means are provided in this present device to automatically dispense a measured amount of beer and the device is further capable for adjustment so that the desired amount of head of foam can be supplied as a part of the measured amount even though the beer in the dispensing keg may have physical properties quite different from that of the beer in the keg to which the device was previously connected.

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Patent No. 2003050A: Beer Container And Cooler

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Today in 1935, US Patent 2003050 A was issued, an invention of Harry Iselin, for his “Beer Container and Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application as being an “invention [that] appertains to liquid coolers and more particularly to a cooling device for kegs of beer and the like,” adding:

One of the primary objects of my invention is the provision of a novel device for cooling the beer directly in the keg or barrel entirely dispensing with the necessity of cooling coils and the like, the device being of a portable nature, whereby the same is particularly adapted for use on picnics, for use in the home, etc.

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Patent No. 20130126009A1: System For Cleaning Beer Lines And Recovering Draft Beer

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Today in 2013, US Patent 20130126009 A1 was issued, an invention of Tracey M. Killarney and Lawrence A. Kent, for their “System for Cleaning Beer Lines and Recovering Draft Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A beer recovery system which uses CO2 to blow unused beer backwards through the beer lines and back into a beer keg is disclosed.

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Patent No. 4927335A: Pump For Transferring Liquids, In Particular Beer Or Carbonated Beverages

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Today in 1990, US Patent 4927335 A was issued, an invention of Carlo M. Pensa, for his “Pump For Transferring Liquids, in Particular Beer or Carbonated Beverages.” Here’s the Abstract:

The present invention relates to a pump for transferring liquids, in particular for beer or carbonated beverages, characterized in that it is constituted by two mutually opposite and integral pistons sliding inside two cylinders which generate, with their reciprocating motion, four variable-volume chambers inside two of which the fluid, through suitable valves, is alternatively intaken and delivered by a gas whose pressure is modulated by a suitable pressure regulator, in which it is the pressure of the same delivered liquid to counteract the calibration force, with said gas alternatively going to act, by means of suitable control means, inside the chamber behind the delivery chamber, so that the delivery pressure of the same liquid remains constant and predetermined, wherein said delivery pressure is obtained as the sum of the thrust of the liquid intaken from the opposite chamber, plus the modulated gas pressure, which acts on the rear face of the delivery piston.

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Patent No. 3035603A: Beer Barrel Tapper

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Today in 1962, US Patent 3035603 A was issued, an invention of Walter H. Despres and Phillip D. Jamieson, for their “Beer Barrel Tapper.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

This invention relates to a new and improved beer barrel tapper, that is, a device for tapping beer kegs or barrels and has particular reference to a device of the type set forth wherein a compressed gas is introduced into the barrel or the like for removing the liquid contents, such as beer, under pressure.

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Patent No. 2792692A: Keg Cooler And Dispensing Bar Unit

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Today in 1957, US Patent 2792692 A was issued, an invention of Reed A. Bryan, for his “Keg Cooler And Dispensing Bar Unit.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application:

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combined keg cooling enclosure simulating a large beer barrel, dispensing bar and faucet, and auxiliary pressurizing equipment in a single unit for use at picnics, beach and boat parties, club outings and the like events.

More specifically, it is intended now to provide a keg enclosure in the form of a relatively large open-top barre]. A bar-top removably fitted over the top of the barrel so that a keg may be set down within the barrel and packed with ice, and tapping and dispensing equipment including a faucet mounted on the bar-top and a carbon dioxide cylinder mounted exteriorly of the barrel with gas connections to the top. By this arrangement there is to be provided a complete unit which may be set up iced by a distributor or dealer and delivered to the consumers in readiness for tapping and utilization without further ado.

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Patent No. 4665940A: Container Fitting

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Today in 1987, US Patent 4665940 A was issued, an invention of Charles S. Jacobson, for his “Container Fitting.” Here’s the Abstract:

A fitting for a container of draft beer or the like includes a first valve for permitting pressurized gas to be injected into the container and a second valve for permitting beer to be dispensed from the container. Both valves are urged to their closed positions by inexpensive elastomeric springs which also serve to hold certain components of the fitting in assembled relation. A coupler attaches the fitting to the container and enables the container to be used with Sankey-type taps.

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