Ovidio Farias III, Jim Lee McNeil and Theresa Eilers, all of Manchaca, Texas received U.S. Patent 8,091,378 for “Hitch Mounted Keg Beverage Dispenser.”

Texas Business Patent Of The Day:  Beer kegs are something that fraternities, tailgate parties and other social events need, if not outright require.  Now three Texans have invented the portable keg for your trailer hitch.

Ovidio Farias III, Jim Lee McNeil and Theresa Eilers, all of Manchaca, Texas received U.S. Patent 8,091,378 for “Hitch Mounted Keg Beverage Dispenser.”

The three filed for the patent on August 17, 2008.

 The invention relates generally to beverage coolers and dispensers and more particularly to a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser for mounting on a hitch assembly of a vehicle for transporting, cooling and dispensing the liquid contents of a pressurized keg, according to the patent document.

Beer is commonly sold in pressurized metal kegs and dispensed directly from the keg during picnics, parties and the like. Half, quarter and one-eighth kegs of beer are widely available from distributors and retailers, and a usually pre-chilled. These metal kegs are heavy and are typically transported by the purchaser to the site where they will be used, and after arrival are placed in a large was tub or trash can and surrounded by crushed ice to keep the beer cold. Beer is dispensed from these kegs by first pressurizing the keg with a manual air pump or by introducing pressurized carbon dioxide into the keg from a canister, and then drawing the beer from the keg through a spout, spigot or tap. However, various problems have been associated with this practice. 

It is typically preferred that the pre-chilled keg remain in a chilled condition, or at least not reach an elevated temperature, at all times for best flavor. Thus, one of the problems associated with this practice is that if the point of purchase is a long distance from the site where the beer will be dispensed, there is a likelihood that the beer may reach an elevated temperature and lose the desired flavor. 

Another problem with the use of kegs is that the transport, handling, and dispensing set-up is troublesome for the user. The full metal kegs are typically quite heavy, and are difficult to carry manually. The keg must be lifted and placed into the transporting vehicle, and then manually unloaded at the site of use and placed into the receptacle. 

Insulated containers have heretofore been suggested to retard the melting of the ice and to lengthen the time during which kegs of this type can be kept cool, some of which are supported on wheels or casters. Special electric refrigerators are also commercially available for chilling and serving beer from kegs at a desired temperature. However, the insulated containers and electrical refrigeration units are also very heavy and, if the site of use is a long distance away, that must be lifted and placed into the transporting vehicle, and then manually unloaded. Another disadvantage of electrical units is that they require an accessible electrical outlet at the site of use to supply electricity and are impractical in locations where electricity is not readily accessible. 

The three Manchaca residents’ invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a hitch mounted self-contained keg beverage dispenser that is removably mounted on a conventional receiver hitch of a vehicle and capable of transporting a beverage keg over long distances to a site of use while maintaining the contents in a cooled condition and dispensing the contents at the site while supported on the transporting vehicle.

The dispenser has a cylindrical insulated container that receives the keg and is mounted on a cross-shaped tubular platform adapted to be received in the hitch and support the container vertically proximate the vehicle rear bumper. The container may be secured in a vertically supported position on the platform and pivoted to an angular position relative to the platform to allow access to the cargo area of the vehicle. A compressed gas cylinder, a dispensing spigot and a drip tray are mounted on the side wall of the container. The keg inside the container is surrounded by ice and connected with the gas cylinder and the spigot and by hoses extending through the container side wall. The dispenser significantly reduces the time and effort involved in loading, transporting, and manually handling heavy kegs from the point of purchase to the site of use. 

It’s an object of  the invention of Farias, McNeil and Eilers to provide a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser that is removably mounted easily and quickly on a conventional hitch assembly of a vehicle for transporting, cooling and dispensing the liquid contents of a pressurized keg. The three designed a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser that allows a keg containing a beverage to be easily transported over long distances while maintaining the contents in a cooled condition and prevent loss of the desired flavor. 

Another object of this invention is to provide a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser that will significantly reduce the time and physical effort involved in loading, transporting, and manually handling heavy kegs from the point of purchase to the site of use, and the time involved in setting up the dispensing apparatus. 

A further object of this invention is to provide a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser that is self-contained and allows a keg containing a beverage to be easily transported over long distances and to be easily and quickly dispensed at any location while connected with the transporting vehicle. 

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hitch mounted keg beverage dispenser that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and rugged and reliable in use. 

These objectives are accomplished by a hitch mounted self-contained keg beverage dispenser that is removably mounted on a conventional receiver hitch of a vehicle and capable of transporting a beverage keg over long distances to a site of use while maintaining the contents in a cooled condition and dispensing the contents at the site while supported on the transporting vehicle. The dispenser has a cylindrical insulated container that receives the keg and is mounted on a cross-shaped tubular platform adapted to be received in the hitch and support the container vertically proximate the vehicle rear bumper. The container may be secured in a vertically supported position on the platform and pivoted to an angular position relative to the platform to allow access to the cargo area of the vehicle.

A compressed gas cylinder, a dispensing spigot and a drip tray are mounted on the side wall of the container. The keg inside the container is surrounded by ice and connected with the gas cylinder and the spigot and by hoses extending through the container side wall. The dispenser significantly reduces the time and effort involved in loading, transporting, and manually handling heavy kegs from the point of purchase to the site of use.