{
  "patent_number": "US 1032557",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How the Modern Disposable Paper Cup Was Invented",
  "original_title": "Cup.",
  "summary": "A 1908 patent for a sanitary, single-use paper cup designed to prevent the spread of germs from shared public drinking vessels.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent describes a drinking cup formed from a single piece of paper, folded into a conical or tapered shape. It uses a specific method of overlapping the edges and securing them to create a watertight seal without the need for adhesive that might taint the water. By creating a cheap, disposable vessel, it addressed the public health crisis of the early 20th century where shared metal cups at water coolers were spreading tuberculosis and other diseases.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover cups made from materials other than paper or paper-based pulp.",
    "Does not cover reusable drinking vessels made of glass, metal, or ceramic.",
    "Does not cover the process of coating the paper with wax, which was a later improvement."
  ],
  "filed": "1908-05-23",
  "granted": "1912-07-16",
  "expires": "1929-07-16",
  "status": "expired",
  "holder": "Individual",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/individual",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Lawrence W Luellen",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/lawrence-w-luellen"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 4,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "mechanical"
  ],
  "abstract": null,
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1032557/dixie-cup-disposable-paper-cup",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1032557/dixie-cup-disposable-paper-cup/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US1032557",
  "relatedPatents": [
    {
      "patentNumber": "375962",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How the Modern Paper Drinking Straw Was Invented",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/375962/drinking-straw-stone"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "775134",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How King Gillette Invented the Modern Disposable Safety Razor",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/775134/safety-razor-gillette"
    },
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      "countryCode": "US",
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    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "3997676",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3997676/cup-noodles-instant-ramen-ando"
    },
    {
      "patentNumber": "3349949",
      "countryCode": "US",
      "title": "The Invention of the Modern Soda Can Pull-Tab",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3349949/pull-tab-pop-top-can"
    }
  ]
}