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Patent No. 3229852A: Draft Beer Dispensing Unit For Use In A Household Refrigerator

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Today in 1966, US Patent 3229852 A was issued, an invention of Aram Y. Lawson, for his “Draft Beer Dispensing Unit for Use in a Household Refrigerator.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention is a draft beer dispenser made of aluminum specially designed for simple installation in household refrigerators.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a dispensing unit for a pressurized beverage, which unit is to be installed on the shelf of a household refrigerator. In use, the door of the refrigerator may be opened, and the spigot of the dispenser actuated so that the beverage may flow directly into a glass (or other receiver) manually held adjacent the said spigot. After removing the glass full of beverage, the door may then be closed. During the inactive period, the refrigerating effect of the refrigerator will maintain the beverage at the desired temperature, ready for the next use.

Further objects are to provide a dispensing unit which may be readily re-filled, and, when the beverage is carbonated, (i.e. beer), the pressurization means for the dispensing will also be utilized to maintain the said carbonation.

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Patent No. 3298575A: Disposable Dispensing Container

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Today in 1967, US Patent 3298575 A was issued, an invention of Norman Bernard Larsen, for his “Disposable Dispensing Container.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to a lightweight disposable or expendable container. Preferably, the container is a square or rectangular one-gallon container for draught type beer.

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Patent No. 981768A: Jetting Attachment For Bottle-Fillers

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Today in 1911, US Patent 981768 A was issued, an invention of Alvin N. Ketterer, for his “Jetting Attachment For Bottle-Fillers.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to improvements in jetting attachments which are designed to control and direct jets of beer into bottles, one at a time in succession; the objects of which are to provide an attachment of this class, which can readily be attached to the discharge chute of beer bottle fillers now. Further objects are to so construct a jetting device that the same shall be extremely. simple, substantial and durable, and not liable to get out of order, be extremely cheap in cost of manufacture, and require but little attention or care.

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Patent No. 270844A: Beer-Cooler

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Today in 1883, US Patent 270844 A was issued, an invention of Friedrich Richter, for his “Beer-Cooler.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to beer-coolers, and will be fully described hereinafter.

Heretofore with coolers constructed according. to the plan in general use the ends of the pipes through which the cooling-liquid passes have been united by means of elbows, and as the beer or other liquid to be cooled had to be poured into pans or troughs at the top to flow through perforations in said troughs down over and around the pipes to a pan at the bottom of the cooler, that it might be deprived of its heat in this passage, it has been found difficult to keep the pipes clean, owing to their many elbows, and hence my invention, the object of which is to simplify the connections be tween the pipes, dispenses with the elbows altogether and presents a solid, smooth surface at each end of the beer-cooler, and at the same time unites the parts by such connections as will .admit of the cooler being easily taken apart when it is to be cleaned or repaired.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means for controlling the flow of the cooling-fluid, all as will be fully set forth farther on.

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Patent No. 4183226A: Refrigerated Beverage Holder

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Today in 1980, US Patent 4183226 A was issued, an invention of Stanley R. Moore, assigned to Freeze Sleeves Of America, Inc., for his “Refrigerated Beverage Holder.” Here’s the Abstract:

Means for chilling and insulating a canned or bottled beverage such as beer including a cylindrical sleeve of reusable refrigerant disposed within an insulative beverage can holder and displacing the annular “dead air” cavity between a beverage can situated therein and the side walls of the holder. The reusable refrigerant is a substance which may be frozen in conventional refrigerator freezers whereby the refrigerant in a frozen state will chill and keep chilled beer or the like disposed there within. In this manner, a beverage may be quickly chilled whether initially refrigerated or not and while being consumed out of doors. Moreover, the chilled temperature is normally unachievable in conventional refrigerators and is especially not maintainable for any length of time in conventional “dead-air” insulative holders.

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Patent No. 5079927A: Beer Cooling Apparatus

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Today in 1992, US Patent 5079927 A was issued, an invention of A. J. Rodino and James R. Kinkaide, for their “Beer Cooling Apparatus.” Here’s the Abstract:

A method and apparatus is provided for dispensing beer from a keg without excess foaming wherein the keg and beer temperatures and fluid pressures are controlled such that beer is dispensed at predetermined temperatures at substantially atmospheric pressures even over a wide range of atmospheric temperatures. Beer is supplied under pressure from the keg to a constricted flow line which abruptly decreases flow pressure. A portion of the constricted flow line is immersed in a refrigerating bath to reduce beer temperature. The length of the constricted flow line to the dispensing nozzle is sufficient long and its internal diameter sufficiently smooth that beer flow therethrough is stabilized to significantly reduce turbulence. Beer pressure drop through the nozzle is minimal and beer flow is relatively laminar.

The portion of the constricted line immersed in the refrigerating bath is formed from coiled tubing. The bath fluid is recirculated and the bath temperature is sufficiently low as to cause ice to form. The constricted line has a constant internal diameter throughout its length, and the dispensing nozzle has that same internal diameter. A portable embodiment includes a wheeled trailer for supporting and sheltering the keg.

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Patent No. EP0208450A2: Beer Filtration

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Today in 1987, US Patent EP 0208450 A2 was issued, an invention of Ronald Shackleton, for his “Beer Filtration.” Here’s the Abstract:

It has been proposed to filter beer or tank bottoms using crossflow filtration. In accordance with the invention, this crossflow filtration is achieved using ceramic membranes. In a particular form shown in figure 1, a two stage filtration process combines the functions of clarification and recovery from tank bottoms. Beer is drawn from a tank 1 by a centrifugal pump 2 to a primary filtration stage comprising a circuit in- cludinga a circulating centrifugal pump 3, a ceramic membrane filter 4 and a cooler 5. A proportion of the circulating liquid is drawn off by a positive pump 8, and passed to a secondary filtration stage, again comprising a circuit including a circulating positive pump 9, a ceramic membrane filter 11 and a cooler 12. A proportion of the retentate is drawn off via a line 14. This retentate is of a pasty consistency and normally has a commercial value, in that it is free of kieselguhr or other filter aid.

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Patent No. EP0142966B1: Valved Closure For Kegs Or Casks

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Today in 1988, US Patent EP 0142966 B1 was issued, an invention of Roger John Hyde, for his “Valved Closure for Kegs or Casks.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to valved closures for pressure vessels, such as kegs or casks for beverages dispensed through the valved closure by pressure gas admitted to the keg or cask through the closure.

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Patent No. 3554400A: Nonflipping Beer Can End

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Today in 1971, US Patent 3554400 A was issued, an invention of John S. Bozek, assigned to the Continental Can Co., for his “Nonflipping Beer Can End.” Here’s the Abstract:

An easy opening end particularly adapted for use on beverage cans, said end including an end panel, weakening line formed in said end panel and defining a removable tearout portion which extends generally from the central portion of said end panel to the periphery of said end panel, and a circumferential rib in said end panel, said rib being generally C-shaped in outline and having opposite ends terminating adjacent said tearout portion and reinforcing said end panel around said tearout portion to prevent premature rupturing of said can end along said weakening line, and a pull tab secured to said tearout portion for effecting the removal thereof, said rib being depressed to define an upwardly opening groove, and said pull tab having a free end overlying said groove whereby clearance is provided between said pull tab free end and said end panel to facilitate the initial lifting of said pull tab.

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