Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 1021669A: Beer-Tapper

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Today in 1912, US Patent 1021669 A was issued, an invention of William W. Frisholm, for his “Beer-Tapper.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that his “invention is an improvement in beer tappers, and consists in certain novel constructions, and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed. Sometimes the language in these is just wonderful, case in point:

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device for tapping beer and other effervescing liquids which will permit the entering of the device into the keg or other receptacle without waste, and which, while permitting the free egress of the liquid, will also permit the entrance of air under pressure to force out the liquid.

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Patent No. 848228A: Cooler For Beer

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Today in 1907, US Patent 848228 A was issued, an invention of Johann Ettel, for his “Cooler for Beer or Other Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, and the description is without a doubt one of the worst OCR conversions I’ve ever seen. For example, here’s what should be the introduction, verbatim:

To afl’ whom` if my Concern.- l Be it’known that I, JOHANN ETTEL, a enbject of the Em eror of AustriaHungalj, Brooklyn, county of Kings,

new and useful Improvements in (loolers for Beer or other Beverages, of Whiel’ithe following is eepeei’lieet-ion- L The`presentinvention ‘has for its object to provide n. meier for heer or other beverages principally in hors;restaurant-s, mul the like.- v

Which I think we can infer that Johan Ettel, who was from Austria-Hungary, but living in Brooklyn, invented a new beer cooler.
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Patent No. 8678247B2: Creamy Foam Beer Dispensing System

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Today in 2014, just one year ago, US Patent 8678247 B2 was issued, an invention of Paul Haskayne, Robert W. Shettle, Donald W. Smeller, Jarrell L. Jennings III, and Merrill R. Good, assigned to the Lancer Corporation, for their “Creamy Foam Beer Dispensing System.” Here’s the Abstract:

A creamy foam beer dispensing system includes a coupler removably securable with a keg, a transportation tube, and a faucet having a handle coupled with a plunger communicating with the transportation tube. The handle is movable among a closed position, an open position, and a creamy foam position. In the closed position, the handle maintains the plunger squeezed against the transportation tube such that no beer flows from the faucet. In the open position, the handle lifts the plunger substantially, completely off the transportation tube such that beer flows smoothly from the faucet. In the creamy foam position, the handle lifts the plunger off the transportation tube a distance such that an aperture created in the transportation tube produces creamy foam flow from the faucet.

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Patent No. 3501934A: Apparatus For Repairing Kegs

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Today in 1970, US Patent 3501934 A was issued, an invention of Albert W. Engel and Gerald J. Forbes, for their “Apparatus For Repairing Kegs.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the invention relates to a “method and apparatus for repairing metal kegs, such as the aluminum kegs used for containing beer. The apparatus includes a die shaped to the outside form of the keg. The deformed externally projecting parts of the keg are pressed into an area defining original confines of the keg. In other words all external projections are forced inwardly by pressure. To return the keg to its original condition, the keg is filled with water, and an explosive is placed in the keg. The explosive is detonated to blow the keg back to its original form. The method comprises a hydraulic means of expanding kegs against a closed die to return the kegs to their original shape.”
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Patent No. EP 2450290 B1: Plastic Beer Keg

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Today in 2014, just one year ago, US Patent EP 2450290 B1 was issued, an invention of William P. Apps, assigned to Rehrig Pacific Company, for his “Plastic Beer Keg.” There’s no Abstract, but there’s a lengthy summary after the introduction which appears to serve the same function:

According to the present invention there is provided a plastic beer keg as claimed in claim I and a method as claimed in claim 6. The locking ring secures the liner to the lid, and the locking ring is configured to release the liner from the lid upon impact of the keg in a drop. This can be accomplished by molding the locking ring from a softer material, which flexes to release the liner on impact, or a more brittle locking ring or a locking ring with design-in stress concentrators, which breaks to release the liner on impact.

In the method of the present invention, the liner of the beer keg is filled with beer while the locking ring is securing the neck portion of the liner to the lid, but the locking ring is removed after filling and prior to shipping of the beer keg. The filled keg is shipped, sold and used without the locking ring. The locking ring may be reused in the filling of many kegs.

Also disclosed is a plastic keg that includes a liner including a neck portion and a body portion. A lid having an opening is disposed at least partially over the liner. The liner is disposed in an outer container having a wall with at least one locking rib projecting therefrom. The locking rib angles downward and the lid secured to the outer container by the at least one locking rib. Optionally, the lid can be snapped onto the locking rib or rotated to lock onto the locking rib. This can be accomplished by an angled surface on at least one of the locking rib and the shoulder of the lid that snaps under the locking rib.

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Patent No. 1020877A: Combination Beer-Cock

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Today in 1912, US Patent 1020877 A was issued, an invention of Herbert Bell, for his “Combination Beer-Cock.” There’s no Abstract, but the description makes a valiant attempt, although the OCR did a pretty lousy job on this one, but the “invention relates to ‘liquid dispensing devices’ and has special reference to a form of beer cock designed to dispense beer to improve the general construction of cocks of this improved construction to provide it with a novel gormoffplu(?) valve. “The invention consists of certain novel details of construction as hereinafter fully described.”
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Patent No. 423833A: Metallic Keg

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Today in 1890, US Patent 423833 A was issued, an invention of Anthony and Michael A. Stiveson, for their “Metallic Keg.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states that their “invention has for its object to provide a metallic keg, barrel, or similar article which can be expeditiously and economically manufactured, which shall be extremely light.”

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Patent No. 2631393A: Illuminated Tap

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Today in 1953, US Patent 2631393 A was issued, an invention of Lionel S Hetherington, for his “Illuminated Tap.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states that the “invention relates to illuminated taps and more particularly to an electrically illuminated tap adapted to be used as an advertising device..” In addition, “one object of this invention is to advertise the beverage available on draught at the tap” and “Another object is to visibly indicate the specific beverage to be drawn from a specific tap.”

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Patent No. 3173586A: Beer Barrel Faucet Attachment

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Today in 1965, US Patent 3173586 A was issued, an invention of Edward A. Pawson, for his “Beer Barrel Faucet Attachment.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “invention relates to a novel beer barrel faucet attachment whereby beer barrels may be tapped and in particular relates to a barrel unit and a tap unit which is used in connection with barrels or kegs of the type in common use. These barrels to which my attachment is fastened have an opening of standard size and shape in one wall thereof. More specifically:

My invention relates to an attachment of the character stated which is attached to a single opening in the wall of a barrel or keg and which is so constructed that the same attachment provides a means of admitting a gas under pressure into the barrel and also to draw beer from the keg through this same attachment.

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Patent No. 784596A: Filling Apparatus For Liquids

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Today in 1905, US Patent 784596 A was issued, an invention of Simon Schlangen, for his “Filling Apparatus for Liquids.” There’s no Abstract per se, but this is pretty close, from the introduction:

The invention relates more particularly to apparatus for filling barrels, kegs, and similar packages with liquid, such as beer, under pressure, and has for its objects to improve the suspending means by which the closing head and filling-tube are carried, so as to insure the proper contact of the closing-head with the bung-hole or filling-hole of the barrel, keg, or package, to insure the positive opening-of the valve controlling the discharge of the filling-tube when the filling-tube has reached the limit of its descent, to improve the construction and operation of the appliance carrying the closing-head and the filling tube in connection with a fluid-pressure cylinder having therein a piston by which the cross-heads carrying the closing-head and the filling-tube are raised and lowered, to utilize the waste pressure from the filling-package in actuating’ the piston by which the closing head and the filling-tube are raised and lowered, to place the control of the pressure and the liquid under a single valve, to improve the construction and operation of the valve by which the fiI’Iid-pressure and the liquid are controlled, to improve the means by which the inflow and outflow of the pressure between the filling-tank and the to be filled package is regulated and controlled, to prevent the foaming of the liquid within the package and insure the fillingI of the package with the liquid to its full capacity without waste of liquid, to furnish an intermediate controlling means for the pressure between the one controlling-valve and the to be filled package by which the flow of the pressure in either direction will be regulated and controlled, to furnish a relief-valve by means of which the requisite amount of pressure from outside will be supplied to prevent an explosion at the withdrawal of the filling-tube, and to improve generally the construction and operation of the several parts and mechanisms which enter into the “construction of the apparatus as a whole.

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