Today in 1936, US Patent 2039564 A was issued, an invention of Elmer H. Smith, for his “Beer Dispensing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states that his “invention relates to new and useful improvements in beer dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a beer dispensing faucet having means embodied in the construction thereof, whereby the beer, regardless of the pressure on, the beer at its source, may be dispensed into, a glass or suitable container without excessive foam.”

Today in 2013, US Patent EP 2172402 B1 was issued, an invention of William P. Apps, assigned to the Rehrig Pacific Company, for his “Plastic Beer Keg.” There’s no Abstract, but they state in the description that the “present invention relates generally to large multiple serving beverage containers, in particular, beer kegs.” They also list 13 claims about why this invention is unique, but the main one, of course, is that these are plastic, which is far cheaper than the stainless steel ones that are used today, and are also prone to theft. It will be interesting to see if they catch on.

Today in 1934, US Patent 1957083 A was issued, an invention of Frank Schneible, for his “Apparatus for Dispensing Beer and the Like.” There’s no Abstract, but the description tries to explain it, though I’ll leave it up to you if it makes a great deal of sense as described:

In another application oF the present applicant for Letters Patent of the United States for a beverage cooling apparatus, Serial No. 674,823 filed June 8, 1933, there was shown and described an apparatus particularly designed to meet the peculiar conditions which arise in the dispensing of fermented malt liquors, such as beer, in the dispensing of which conditions or” temperature and pressure must be regulated carefully. ln the apparatus so shown and described provision was for final regulation of temperature and flow in a final cooling chamber in which the beer passes on its way to the dispensing faucet through a coil or a container surrounded by a cooling medium, such as a cold brine. It has been found that some advantages reside in the use of a container, that is, as distinguished from a coil, a vessel in which there can be held a more substantial volume of the beverage to be dispensed than can be held in a cooling coil or pipe. it has therefore been the object of the present invention to devise a beverage cooling container in which it shall be possible to cool and store for a considerable period or” time a quantity of beer on its way to the dispensing faucet without any deleterious effects on the beer and by the operation of which flow or” beer can be regulated to meet the requirements of consumption and temperature. In accordance with the invention there is provided an outer shell or vessel, preferably of metal, which can be opened readily for inspection and cleaning, and an inner vessel, preferably of porcelain or glass, into which the beer is delivered from the keg or barrel, which is the source of supply, through a narrow space which separates the inner container from the outer shell and in which the beer, on its way to the inner container, is cooled through contact with the inner wall of the outer shell or vessel which is itself surrounded by the brine or other cooling medium employed. The inner container is supported within the outer shell in such manner that it may rise or fall with variation in its contents and in rising or falling may regulate the inflow of beer from the source of supply in accordance with the demands of consumption.

Today in 1957, US Patent 2789654 A was issued, an invention of David Zurit, for his “Apparatus for Filtering Air or Gas That Enters Beer Kegs.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description summarizes it thusly. “This invention relates to apparatus for filtering the air or compressed gas supplied to a beer keg, and the invention relates more particularly to a construction in which a separate filter, with a replaceable filter cartridge, is connected with each individual beer keg from which draft beer is drawn.”

Today in 1993, US Patent 5203181 A was issued, an invention of Charles E. Brossia, Philip S. Desmond, and Eckhard F. Rahn, assigned to Miller Brewing Company, for their “Container-Cooler.” Here’s the Abstract:

A container-cooler for a beverage, such as beer, includes a conventional keg-shaped outer shell, an inner vessel for containing the beverage retained within the shell, and a space between the inner vessel and the outer shell for receiving a cooling medium, such as ice.

Today in 1965, US Patent 3178896 A was issued, an invention of Bjorn P. Sandsto, for his “Beer Keg Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that “This invention relates to a new and improved beer keg cooler for use in cooling small beer kegs and other items, characterized by the simplicity of its cooling system and the portability and freedom from moving parts of the cooler itself.”

Today in 1954, US Patent 2675822 A was issued, an invention of Alfred W. Redlin, for his “Beer Dispenser with Means for Controlling the Head of Foam.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that “This invention relates to a beer dispensing system and is particularly directed to a system designed to dispense liquid beer with the full carbonization retained in solution therein, and foam in separate quantities desired.”

Today in 1966, US Patent 3246825 A was issued, an invention of Harold G. Zastrow, for his “Beer Keg Container.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “invention relates to an improvement in a beer keg container and deals particularly with a paperboard container including a small keg of beer or a similar product and in which the keg may be carried and retained.”