Today in 1887, US Patent 362809 A was issued, an invention of W.J. Woodley of San Francisco, California, for his “Faucet Hole And Stopper Combined.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to a device for preventing the flow and waste of fluid while stoppering or breaching vessels containing beer, wine, or other liquids.
Today in 1955, US Patent 2707827 A was issued, an invention of Fred W. Petram, for his “Combined Can Holder and Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to a combined can opener and holder.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a device which may be efficiently and easily used in opening and holding a can of beer or a can of juice or similar material, the construction consisting entirely of one piece.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a combined can holder and opener of the above type which is adapted to snap on to the upper lip of the can at the end of the device remote from the can opening portion, the latter being resiliently retained against the lower lip of the can with the device intermediate its ends curving outwardly to provide a grasping portion.
Today in 1916, US Patent 1182675 A was issued, an invention of August Goetz, for his “Beer Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a tap of the character mentioned with means for closing the movable member preliminary to separating it from the stationary member of said tap; to provide a drawoff pipe with a closable key valve adapted to open the draw-off valve of a tap, said key valve being arranged for closure as a preliminary to the closing of the draw-off valve; to provide a handle-like pipe-connecting extension for the movable member of said key valve; and to provide a pressure supply pipe and a liquid-delivering pipe with means for automatically opening and closing the same when connecting to or disconnecting from a liquid supply.
Today in 1906, US Patent 819768 A was issued, an invention of Alfred T. Kruse, assigned to the American Steel Package Company, for his “Sheet Metal Keg.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My invention relates to improvements in sheet-metal kegs especially designed for the transportation and storage of liquids, such as whisky, beer, mineral .waters, &c. For this purpose wooden kegs are usually employed; but such vessels are objectionable from the fact that they soon become soaked with fluid, thereby becoming filthy, decayed, and heavy and liable to spring a leak, causing much damage and loss from the escape of contents.
Today in 1940, US Patent 2199503 A was issued, an invention of Michael A. Martin, for his “Beer Cooling System and Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
Prior beverage cooling systems with which I am familiar have commonly cooled the beverage dispenser by an evaporator mounted therein and have maintained the beverage containers cool 10 by disposing them in a cold room which is independently cooled. The cold room or storage room is usually relatively large to accommodate the person handling the containers, resulting in considerable space to be maintained cool and which is relatively expensive. Also, the provision of two independent systems results not only in considerable operating expense but in high original cost of equipment and of installation.
The storage or cold room, although cool, is of a higher temperature than the proper consumption temperature of the beer since the cost of maintaining such a room at a desired temperature, such as 40″, would be excessive, the beer is thus required to be rapidly lowered in temperature upon reaching the dispenser, and before withdrawal and under peak conditions warm beer is frequently drawn. In transmitting the beer from the storage room to the dispenser, the been supply line usually passes through a relatively warm zone, such as the tap room, and although the line is usually heat insulated, the beer is usually raised somewhat in temperature. I have devised a system for cooling beverages wherein a relatively small, storage compartment may be provided and the evaporator unit is eliminated in the dispenser permitting a larger amount of cooling. liquid to be used in a given size dispenser. Both the dispenser and the storage unit are cooled by a single means and the pipes supplying beer or the like to the dispenser are immersed in cooling liquid from the storage cabinet to the dispenser. A reservoir of cooling liquid is maintained at a temperature normally substantially lower than the cooling liquid in the dispenser and this arrangement together with the low temperature of the beverage containers in the storage compartment and the additional pre cooling of the beer prior to reaching the dispenser, permits the capacity of a given size dispenser under peak conditions to be considerably increased while maintaining the beer within desired temperature limits.
It is an object of my invention therefore to provide an improved system and apparatus for .55 cooling beverages such as beer.
Another object of my invention is to provide a cooling system for stored beverage containers and for the beverage dispenser which is relatively compact and economical in operation.
Another object of my invention is to provide 5 an improved cooling system for beer containers in a storage room, a dispenser, and supply line from the container to the dispenser, wherein the capacity of a given size dispenser to cool beer under peak conditions is materially increased.
Today in 2008, US Patent 7367670 B2 was issued, an invention of Travis E. Duane, for his “Eyewear Bottle Opener.” Here’s the Abstract:
An eyewear bottle opener wherein a bottle opener is housed within the reinforced earpiece of the frame of the eyewear for the convenience of a person wearing the eyewear and desiring to open a bottle having a metal cap.
Today in 1936, US Patent 2039345 A was issued, an invention of Edward A. Ravenscroft, for his “Screw-Top Bottle Mouth.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to bottle mouths capable of being closed by drawn or molded caps of practical depths ‘and diameters. It resides in a formation of mouth which provides for a pouring lip without materially reducing the area of the throat or increasing the diameter of the required cap, and without necessitating a lowering of fastening means on the neck to such a point that drawn or molded caps .of impractical depths are required for closing.
In forming closures for bottles substantial economies may be erected through the use of cap closures instead of corks. The cap closure is ideal for bottles intended to contain dry or semi-dry substances, but for closing bottles intended to contain liquids, which are to be dispensed therefrom, cap closures known prior to this invention are open to very serious objections. The common screw cap closure is entirely devoid of any pouring lip and the stream emitted from such a bottle mouth breaks during pouring, spreads down the side of the bottle and is so erratic in behavior that it cannot be directed with any degree of certainty. The fluid which flows down the side of the bottle spreads in copious quantities into the threads or other fastening means on the neck and in many cases causes sticking of the cap. In the case of corrosive or poisonous fluids, the fluid on the outside of the bottle constitutes a real hazard; and in any case is decidedly disagreeable.
Attempts have been made to remedy the above difficulties but none of them has been acceptable. One of these attempts proposes the forming of a pouring lip at the top of the bottle, the threads for securing the cap being displaced a relatively long distance down the neck. This necessitates an exceptionally deep cap, which is so expensive to draw that any economy over the use of ordinary corks is impossible. Further, a substantial constriction of the throat of the bottle is involved in this construction which interferes with rapid pouring. In other constructions proposed a notch at the neck of the bottle is employed, the same producing a malformed lip of small effectiveness in producing a good stream and a clean cut-off. In this form the fastening means are placed entirely below the notch and here also a cap of excessive depth is required. In this form a very substantial constriction in the throat also is involved prior to this invention no means of eliminating the same has been proposed.
According to this invention, however, a good pouring lip is provided without constricting the throat to a substantial degree, the same being that the pouring stream is kept thin and in the accomplished without requiring a lowering of the fastening means on the outside of the neck. With the mouth of this invention a cap of ordinary depth may be employed, the same being substantially no deeper nor more expensive than 5 caps used with ordinary closures. There is also provided in this invention a crest concentric with the exterior of the neck so that a gasket in the cap will repeatedly seat to form a good seal.
Today in 2006, US Patent WO 2006046879 A2 was issued, an invention of Alberto D. Rivera, Emiliano S. Macapugay, Jade Y. De Carlos, assigned to the San Miguel Corporation, for their “Method of Making Colorless and Artificially Colored Clear Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:
This invention is directed to a method of preparing a colorless and artificially colored, clear beer through adsorption process by contacting the wort with activated carbon during wort boiling. This method produces a colorless, clear beer with originally processed inherent taste and aroma utilizing existing brewery process and equipment. Artificially colored, clear beer such as primary- colored beer, which can be conveniently produced using the colorless, clear product is also disclosed.
Of course, Miller Brewing tried their hand at something similar with their Miller Clear beer, which they tested in 1993. And of course, there was Coors Brewing’s Zima, released a little before that, although they referred to it as a “malt beverage” rather than a beer.
Today in 1938, US Patent 2116006 A was issued, an invention of Edouard Thys, for his “Hop and Stem Separator.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of separators; to provide a separator which is particularly intended for separating stems from hops; and more specifically stated, to provide an inclined endless conveyor having trough-shaped members extending crosswise thereof, said troughs being divided into small pockets and said pockets being so shaped that the hops when deposited on the conveyor will settle in the bottom portion of the pockets while the stems will stand endwise and project upwardly from the pockets or lie on the surface thereof in a position where they can be readily removed by a revolving brush under which the vation of the hop and stem separating machine.
Today in 1996, US Patent WO 1996012669 A1 was issued, an invention of Alexander Richard Dunn and John Cooke, assigned to Scottish & Newcastle Plc, for their “Method and Apparatus For Enhancing a Beverage Head.” Here’s the Abstract:
A gas jetting apparatus is used to jet a fine jet of gas through an orifice at a nozzle (18) into a beverage, for example beer, to promote formation of a creamy head. This apparatus may be incorporated into a beverage dispenser, for example a beer tap which dispenses draught beer.
And includes the following description:
“Method and Apparatus for Enhancing a Beverage Head”
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for enhancing a beverage head, particularly, but not exclusively, a head on a draught beer dispensed from a tap.
Sparklers are sometimes used to agitate a flow of beer as it is dispensed from a beer tap; this can promote frothing of the beer and contribute to formation of a head on the dispensed beer. It is also known to provide a single use secondary chamber within a sealed, pressurised beer can from which gas and/or beverage is jetted into beer within the can when the can is opened.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of promoting formation of a beverage head, comprising jetting a fine jet of gas derived from a gas source through at least one orifice and into a dispensed beverage.
The method may form or assist in the formation of a head.
The beverage may be dispensed from a tap; it may be a draught beverage.
The gas may be jetted into the beverage once the beverage has been dispensed. Alternatively or additionally, the gas may be jetted into the beverage whilst the beverage is being dispensed, it may be jetted into a stream of beverage.