Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 3147874A: Seal For Crown Closures

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Today in 1964, US Patent 3147874 A was issued, an invention of Donald D. Hundt and Edward W. Merrill, for their “Seal For Crown Closures.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to seals for crown, screw, lug and similar caps or closures. It is more particularly concerned with a composite seal utilizing a molded rubber ring sealing element, to replace the cork and composition cork seals now used for caps.

A seal for crown closures needs to be impervious to prevent gas leakage, resilient to maintain a good seal for several months, mechanically strong enough to be adapted to existing bottling equipment and must present a surface to pack side that is sufficiently soft or deformable to conform to minor imperfections on the lip of the bottle or can. The seal should not impart odor or taste to the contents of the bottle and should be capable of withstanding relatively high temperatures after capping without failure.

The seal of this invention comprises a resilient molded elastomer ring carried on a gas impervious for -stable disc, with the ring in use being between the cap and disc, and generally positioned over or registering with the lip of the container. The elastomeric or rubber ring is not capable of undergoing any appreciable cold or plastic iiow and imparts the necessary compressive force or spring action to the seal.

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Patent No. 3527391A: Means For Expelling Liquid From A Container By Applied External Pressure

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Today in 1970, US Patent 3527391 A was issued, an invention of Anthony George Dimuria, for his “Means for Expelling Liquid from a Container by Applied External Pressure.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

A liquid container having two generally side by side openings, one for ingress of pressure applying medium and the other for egress of liquid, valve means normally maintaining said openings closed and a unit having a connection to a source of pressure applying medium and a liquid dispensing connection adapted to be applied to the container, the unit having means for operating the valve means to open said openings and thus put said container in communication with said connections respectively. Each Opening may have a valve seat with a valve element normally maintained resiliently seated thereon and each connection is dimensioned to project through its corresponding valve seat and to unseat the valve element associated therewith when the unit is applied to the container, said connections sealingly engaging said valve seats before unseating the respective valve elements whereby each valve seat also acts as a seal for one of said connections.

This invention relates to means for expelling liquid from a container by applied external pressure. While the invention has broad application it is particularly well adapted for use in dispensing beer from a barrel or keg. For purposes of explanation and illustration the invention will be described as embodied in means for dispensing beer from a barrel, as in the dispensing of draught beer in a tavern, but it is to be distinctly understood that the invention has other applications. The dispensing container may take various forms, the liquid being expelled or dispensed from the container may be any liquid and the pressure applying medium, which is preferably carbon dioxide in the case of dispensing beer, may in other cases be compressed air or other gas.

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Patent No. 3979527A: Preparation Of Hop Oil

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Today in 1976, US Patent 3979527 A was issued, an invention of Derek Roy, James Laws, and John Anthony Pickett, assigned to Brewing Patents Limited, for their “Preparation Of Hop Oil.” Here’s the Abstract:

An improved method of making hop oil is described involving steam distilling the hop oil under vacuum at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. The distillate can be collected by cooling to less than -20°C. The collected distillate or hop oil extracted therefrom can be used in beer making processes to give beer having a hop character very similar to that obtained by dry hopping.

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Patent No. DE2808712A1: Plant To Manufacture Beer Wort By Hydrating Crushed Malt

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Today in 1979, US Patent DE 2808712 A1 was issued, an invention of Simon Redl, assigned to Anton Steinecker Maschinenfabrik, for his “Plant to Manufacture Beer Wort by Hydrating Crushed Malt — Introduces Water as Unbroken Film to Avoid Aeration of Product.” Here’s the Abstract:

The installation comprises a pressure roll mill for wet crushing brewers malt into a wort mixing chamber where a hydrator introduces additional water and an agitator mixes the milled malt and water. The hydrator is designed to introduce water in the form of a continuous, film which runs down a guiding surface extending into the wort mix. The guiding surface pref. extends alongside or beneath and for the full axial length of the mill rolls. The guiding surface is a side wall of the casing which forms the chamber containing the mill rolls and the agitator. Both walls are pref. employed as guiding surfaces. Water is pref. run on to the guiding surface from an adjustable width slot at the bottom of a supply pocket. The guiding surface pref. form one edge of the slot which has a width of 0.5-5.0., (1.5-3.0) mm. The hydrator offers faster and more homogeneous mixing in of water than single exit water inspectors. Undesirable aeration of the wort is held to an absolute minimum which was not possible with spray injectors.

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Patent No. 504610A: Barrel Registering Machine

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Today in 1893, US Patent 504610 A was issued, an invention of Andrew W. Oppmann, for his “Barrel Registering Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to machines for registering barrels, half barrels, and kegs, the nature and objects of which will fully appear from the subjoined description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of my new registering machine as seen arranged over an elevator, for receiving the barrels from below. Fig. 2 is a like perspective view of the same as seen for receiving the barrels through an opening in a well from a room on the same floor. Fig. 3 is a view of an office or room located above or in another part of the building having electric bells connected with the machine for the purpose of announcing the delivery and registration of barrels or kegs by the said machine.

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Patent No. 57746A: Improved Refrigerator For Liquids

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Today in 1866, US Patent 57746 A was issued, an invention of Robert W. McClelland, for his “Improved Refrigerator For Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

What I claim as my invention, and seek to secure by Letters Patent, is a refrigerator for cooling ale, beer, and other liquids, arranged so that the casks may be supported upon slides E, resting upon the ways D in the upper part of the chest A, and the liquids be conducted by a flexible pipe, G, into a receiver, I, inclosed in the cooling-tube H, and then drawn for use through a faucet, M, passing through the small doors 0, said several parts being constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

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Patent No. 4538746A: Keg-Tapping Assembly

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Today in 1985, US Patent 4538746 A was issued, an invention of James H. Hines, for his “Keg-Tapping Assembly.” Here’s the Abstract:

The invention contemplates improved safety interlock mechanism incorporated in a keg-tapping assembly which is removably attachable to a standard beer keg or the like, via a bayonet-type engagement between lugs on the keg and a slotted flange on the keg-tapping assembly. The keg-tapping assembly is of the variety in which a handle is depressed to gain beverage-dispensing access to the keg and in which the handle is raised to close the keg and to shut off supply of gas pressure to the keg. A guide formed in the keg-tapping assembly locates a vertically displaceable locking leg, having articulated connection to the handle, such that in a downward actuation of the handle, the guided locking leg will be in a position to deny lug displacement into or through one of the slots of the slotted flange, before handle displacement can either begin to open the keg or to admit gas pressure thereto. The result is that unless the handle is sufficiently raised to allow safe removal of the keg-tapping assembly from a keg, the keg-tapping assembly cannot be removed.

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Patent No. 3464435A: Quick Keg Tap With Self-Sealing Connection

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Today in 1969, US Patent 3464435 A was issued, an invention of Kay R. Lamb and Charles R. Mandeville, for their “Quick Keg Tap with Self-Sealing Connection.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg-tapping assembly consisting of a collar installed in an opening of a keg. A bushing assembly carrying a sleeve is fastened on the collar with the sleeve extending through the collar with clearance for gas to pass into the keg. A normally closed pressure-responsive gas admission valve of the type used in pneumatic tires is provided on the bushing assembly. The bushing assembly also includes a normally collapsed live rubber axial conduit. A removable draft tube assembly can be mounted on the bushing assembly, the draft tube assembly including a rigid draft tube which is forced through the live rubber conduit and is contained coaxially in the sleeve, the draft tube extending into the keg to a considerable depth so that beverage can be forced out through the draft tube responsive to the admission of gas under pressure through the gas-admission valve. When the draft tube assembly is withdrawn, the live rubber conduit collapses, sealing otf the assembly so that foreign material cannot enter the keg.

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Patent No. 4220048A: Cooler And Level Indicator For Beer Kegs

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Today in 1980, US Patent 4220048 A was issued, an invention of John A. Grepiotis and Joseph A. Grepiotis, for their “Cooler and Level Indicator For Beer Kegs.” Here’s the Abstract:

A cooler and level indicator for beer kegs comprising an insulated container for holding iced water in contact with a keg of beer, an insulated cover for sealing the container and an externally readable level gauge for indicating the iced water level, said level being proportional to the amount of beer remaining in the keg after the keg becomes buoyant.

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