Today in 2007, US Patent WO 2007113292 A3 was issued, an invention of Niels Elvig, for his “Mashing Process.” Here’s the Abstract:
The present invention provides processes for production of wort and beer from a granular starch adjunct grist mashed-in at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature of said starch.
Today in 1899, US Patent 637826 A was issued, an invention of Frank Preston, for his “Combined Corkscrew and Valve for Beer Pumps.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
The invention relates to a combined corkscrew and valve for beer-pumps.
The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of beer-pumps and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device designed more especially for use at picnics and for private use and adapted to serve as a corkscrew and capable of enabling the proper pressure to be maintained on a keg or other receptacle of beer or other liquid to maintain the same in a fresh condition until it is entirely consumed.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to be readily carried in the pocket and capable of being quickly applied to a receptacle.
Today in 1876, US Patent 184795 A was issued, an invention of Herman F. Peter, William A. Klinge, Paul Assman, and George Schweikert, for their “Improvement in Vent-Valves For Casks.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
Our invention relates to an improved vent-valve for casks, &c.
The invention consists, first, in the combination, with a perforated valve seat, formed on the end of a screw-threaded stem, of an elastic valve and strap or holder, to admit air to a cask, barrel, or other receptacle; second, in the combination, with the valve seat and its stem, of a guard or cap, removably secured to the stem of the valve-seat by a set-screw, whereby the valve is protected and its displacement prevented third, in the combination, with the stem of the valve-seat, constructed. with a conical bearing, of a nut having a conical bearing and an interposed elastic ring, whereby the ring may be set out by forcing the conical bearings toward each other.
Today in 1882, US Patent 268186 A was issued, an invention of George J. Gave, for his “Measuring Vessel.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
This invention relates to that class of measuring-vessels designed to automatically indicate from the outside the quantity of beer or other fermenting liquor as it is poured into said measuring vessels, the object being to save labor and material in the construction and render the vessels less liable to get out of repair.
Today in 1973, US Patent 3774820 A was issued, an invention of Homer R. Zucconi, for his “Tapping Device For Beer Kegs.” Here’s the Abstract:
Beer tapping attachments comprising a permanent keg unit including two normally closed spring-biased one-way valves to which unit is detachably secured a valve body which also includes two registering spring biased one-way valves, one connected to a source of air under pressure and the other to a beer spigot. All four valves are yieldably opened when the valve body is connected to the keg unit.
Today in 1883, US Patent 289075 A was issued, an invention of John F. Davey, for his “Device for Tapping Beer and Other Barrel.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
My invention relates to certain improvements in faucets for barrels or casks containing beer or other liquid under pressure,’and also in the bushing which is applied to the head of the barrel and used in connection with said faucet; and my invention consists in the combination,with a bushing having an exterior screwthread and a perfectly-smooth interior from end to end, and adapted to contain a plug driven tightly therein, of a faucet provided with a rearwardly-extending threaded stem or portion, over which is screwed a coup ling-nut having a second interior thread at its inner end, whereby it is adapted to screw over the outside of the end of the bushing in the barrel-head, and thus hold the faucet in place while the latter is being screwed in to force the wooden plug through the bushing, the coupling nut having a screw-thread on the outside of its front end, over which is fitted a screw-cap provided with a packing, thus form- .in g a stuffing-box at this point to prevent lead age, which enables the faucet to be always be tight when the discharge-outlet is turned in the desired position for use, which would not always be the case if it were turned up against a shoulder.
Today in 1999, US Patent WO 1999060090 A1 was issued, an invention of Mustafa Rehmanji, Andrew Mola, Robert Ianniello, Kolazi S. Narayanan, and Tom Cheng, assigned to Isp Investments Inc., for their “Premix Composition For Clarifying Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:
A premix composition for clarifying beverages like beer includes, by weight, (a) about 40 to 90 %, preferably 60-85 %, of silica xerogel having less than 10 % water therein, preferably 5 % or less, and a particle size, as defined by its mean volume average diameter MV, in both the dry state and as a 10 % aqueous slurry, of less than 50 ν, preferably about 5-30 ν, and (b) about 10 to 60 %, preferably 15-40 %, of crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone having a particle size as defined, in the dry state, of about 10 to 50 ν, and about 30-60 ν in a 10 % aqueous slurry, and a process of obtaining, chill-haze stabilized beer with substantial reduction in high molecular weight proteins, as well as polyphenols, flavanoids and tannins, in an efficient and effective single-step process at a rapid filter-flow rate, with undetectable residual soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone thereafter, and no microbiological growth in the premix, effective haze stability after time, and advantageous redispersibility of the premix used in the process.
Today in 1966, US Patent 6820775 B2 was issued, an invention of Klaus Meike and Hans Helmut Reichmann, assigned to Schafer Werke Gmbh, for their Electric “Gas-Pressurized Beverage Keg.” Here’s the Abstract:
A beverage container has a cylindrical lower side wall and floor defining a lower beverage chamber and centered on an axis, a cylindrical upper side wall and upper wall centered on the axis and defining an upper pressurized-gas chamber, and an annular partition having an outer edge welded to an upper edge of the lower side wall and a lower edge of the upper side wall and a center part closely juxtaposed with the upper wall of the upper chamber. A tap assembly mounted on the upper-chamber upper wall has a riser tube projecting through the partition center part into a lower region of the lower chamber. An upper protective ring is fitted to the upper part and to the valve assembly and a lower protective ring is fitted to the lower part. The rings and side walls have the same diameters.
Today in 1966, US Patent 3286385 A was issued, an invention of Charles G. Tate Jr., for his Electric “Beer Tap Handle.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a beer tarp handle with an electrically operated display device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a beer tap handle with a movable display device that is electrically driven.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrically powered beer tap handle that can readily be converted from a rotating to an oscillating display device or to a stationery light.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a beer tap handle that is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.
Today in 1892, US Patent 486485 A was issued, an invention of Joseph Lehr and Joseph Bodani, for their “Pressure Regulator.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
Our present invention has for its objects to provide a device adapted to maintain an even pressure of air, gas, or other fluid in a chamber or receptacle supplied from a suitable source, which pressure is capable of easy regulation, and though it is especially adapted for maintaining an even and regular pressure on the beer in a keg from which it is being drawn said device is obviously capable of use in other connections and for other purposes; and to these ends it consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.
