How Pringles Potato Chips Are Stacked and Packaged
A 1970 patent by Procter and Gamble describing the precise method for stacking uniform, saddle-shaped potato chips into a cylindrical container to prevent breakage.
Original patent title: “Packaging of chip-type snack food products”
A 1970 patent by Procter and Gamble describing the precise method for stacking uniform, saddle-shaped potato chips into a cylindrical container to prevent breakage. Granted to Procter and Gamble Co in 1970 with 83 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a method for packaging snack chips that are uniform in shape, specifically the hyperbolic paraboloid or saddle shape. By creating chips that nest perfectly within one another, the invention allows them to be stacked in a column rather than poured loosely into a bag. This stacking mechanism is designed to minimize air space and prevent the chips from fracturing during shipping and storage, as the nested structure provides structural integrity to the entire stack.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover standard potato chips that are irregular in shape or size.
- Does not cover flexible packaging methods like traditional plastic or foil bags.
- Does not cover the specific chemical recipe or dough composition used to create the chips.
- Does not cover non-cylindrical container shapes that do not support the nested stack.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in engineering the chip's geometry to be a uniform saddle shape, which allows for perfect nesting and structural stability, effectively turning a fragile food item into a rigid, stackable column.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Pringles original potato crisps
Generic store-brand stackable potato crisps
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent enabled the creation of the Pringles brand, which fundamentally changed the snack food industry by moving away from the traditional bagged chip model. It allowed for a shelf-stable, highly transportable product that could be stacked efficiently for retail display and shipping.
Filed
July 29, 1966
Granted
March 3, 1970
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Procter and Gamble held this technology for decades before selling the Pringles brand to Kellogg Company in 2012. Today, Kellogg continues to utilize these fundamental stacking and packaging principles.
Market impact
This patent created an entirely new category of snack foods known as potato crisps. It forced competitors to either develop their own proprietary shapes or stick to the traditional, breakage-prone bagged chip market, establishing a distinct retail shelf presence that remains dominant today.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a method for packaging snack chips that are uniform in shape, specifically the hyperbolic paraboloid or saddle shape. By creating chips that nest perfectly within one another, the invention allows them to be stacked in a column rather than poured loosely into a bag. This stacking mechanism is designed to minimize air space and prevent the chips from fracturing during shipping and storage, as the nested structure provides structural integrity to the entire stack.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in engineering the chip's geometry to be a uniform saddle shape, which allows for perfect nesting and structural stability, effectively turning a fragile food item into a rigid, stackable column.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover standard potato chips that are irregular in shape or size.
- Does not cover flexible packaging methods like traditional plastic or foil bags.
- Does not cover the specific chemical recipe or dough composition used to create the chips.
- Does not cover non-cylindrical container shapes that do not support the nested stack.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
38/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$19K – $62K
Midpoint $39K · expired or expiring · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Baur, F. J., & Hawley, H. K. (1970). How Pringles Potato Chips Are Stacked and Packaged (U.S. Patent No. 3,498,798). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3498798/pringles-stackable-chips
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US3498798"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4405829 · 1983
How RSA Public-Key Encryption Keeps Digital Messages Secret
This patent describes the foundational RSA algorithm, a method for securely sending messages where anyone can encrypt a message using a public key, but only the intended recipient can decrypt it using a secret private key.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 4575330 · 1986
How 3D Printers Build Objects Layer by Layer from Liquid
This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy.
UVP Inc
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 3997676 · 1976 · Nissin Shokuhin KK
How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly
US 1773079 · 1930 · Frosted Foods Co Inc
How Clarence Birdseye Invented Modern Frozen Food
US 2487400 · 1949
How Earl Tupper Invented the Airtight Plastic Food Container
US 558393 · 1896 · John Harvey Kellogg
How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Pringles Potato Chips Are Stacked and Packaged cover?
A 1970 patent by Procter and Gamble describing the precise method for stacking uniform, saddle-shaped potato chips into a cylindrical container to prevent breakage.
Who owns patent US 3498798?
Procter and Gamble Co owns this patent, granted in 1970.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 3498798 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 83 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent enabled the creation of the Pringles brand, which fundamentally changed the snack food industry by moving away from the traditional bagged chip model. It allowed for a shelf-stable, highly transportable product that could be stacked efficiently for retail display and shipping.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover standard potato chips that are irregular in shape or size.
Same assignee
More from Procter and Gamble Co
Patent monitoring