# How the Modern Paper Drinking Straw Was Invented

> A 19th-century patent for a paper tube coated in wax, designed to replace natural rye grass straws for drinking beverages.

- **Patent:** US 375962
- **Original title:** District
- **Owner:** Marvin C. Stone
- **Granted:** 1888
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 7
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical

## What it does

The patent describes a method for manufacturing a drinking tube by winding strips of paper around a mandrel to create a cylinder. The cylinder is then coated in paraffin wax to prevent it from becoming soggy when submerged in liquid. This mechanism provided a durable, sanitary alternative to the hollow rye grass stems commonly used at the time.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover plastic or metal drinking straws.
- Does not cover the use of natural plant-based stems like rye grass.
- Does not cover non-cylindrical drinking implements.
- Does not cover methods of manufacturing straws using non-paper materials.

## The clever bit

The innovation was the application of a paraffin wax coating to a paper substrate, which solved the fundamental engineering problem of structural integrity when exposed to moisture.

## Real-world examples

1. Paper straws found in modern cafes
2. Biodegradable beverage tubes

## Why it matters

This invention marked the transition from natural, inconsistent drinking tools to mass-produced, sanitary consumer goods. It established the standard for the paper straw industry that persists today as a primary alternative to single-use plastics.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How the Modern Paper Drinking Straw Was Invented cover?

A 19th-century patent for a paper tube coated in wax, designed to replace natural rye grass straws for drinking beverages.

### Who owns patent US 375962?

Marvin C. Stone owns this patent, granted in 1888.

### 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 375962 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 7 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This invention marked the transition from natural, inconsistent drinking tools to mass-produced, sanitary consumer goods. It established the standard for the paper straw industry that persists today as a primary alternative to single-use plastics.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover plastic or metal drinking straws.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/375962/drinking-straw-stone

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US375962

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How the Modern Disposable Paper Cup Was Invented](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1032557/dixie-cup-disposable-paper-cup) — A 1908 patent for a sanitary, single-use paper cup designed to prevent the spread of germs from shared public drinking vessels.
- [How the First Cotton Swabs Were Mass-Produced](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1721815/q-tip-cotton-swab) — Leo Gerstenzang's 1929 patent for the automated manufacturing of cotton-tipped applicators, the invention that created the modern Q-Tip.
- [How Margaret Knight's Machine Made Flat-Bottom Paper Bags](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/116842/paper-bag-machine-knight) — This 1871 patent by Margaret Knight describes a machine that automatically folds and glues paper to create flat-bottom bags, a major improvement over earlier V-shaped designs.
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- [How King Gillette Invented the Modern Disposable Safety Razor](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/775134/safety-razor-gillette) — King Gillette's 1904 patent for a safety razor with a thin, replaceable, double-edged blade that changed how the world shaves.