# How the Crown Cork Bottle Cap Changed Soda and Beer

> William Painter's 1892 invention of the crown cork bottle cap, a simple metal disc with a crimped edge that provided an airtight, disposable seal for carbonated beverages.

- **Patent:** US 468226
- **Original title:** Bottle-sealing device
- **Owner:** William Painter
- **Granted:** 1892
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 19
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical

## What it does

The device functions by using a metal cap with a corrugated or crimped edge that is pressed over the rim of a glass bottle. A small gasket inside the cap creates a hermetic seal against the bottle's lip. This design allows the cap to withstand the internal pressure of carbonated drinks like beer or soda without leaking or popping off prematurely. It is designed to be easily removed using a separate opener, rendering the cap single-use.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover screw-top bottle closures.
- Does not cover cork-based stoppers that rely on friction inside the bottle neck.
- Does not cover re-sealable caps or flip-top mechanisms.
- Does not cover the glass bottle design itself.

## The clever bit

The genius lies in the crimping process; by deforming the metal edge to lock under the bottle's rim, Painter created a secure, low-cost seal that could be applied at high speed on an assembly line.

## Real-world examples

1. Standard glass beer bottles
2. Traditional glass soda bottles

## Why it matters

Before this invention, bottles were sealed with expensive, difficult-to-remove, and often leaky corks. The crown cork allowed for mass-produced, shelf-stable carbonated beverages, effectively launching the modern soft drink and beer bottling industries.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How the Crown Cork Bottle Cap Changed Soda and Beer cover?

William Painter's 1892 invention of the crown cork bottle cap, a simple metal disc with a crimped edge that provided an airtight, disposable seal for carbonated beverages.

### Who owns patent US 468226?

William Painter owns this patent, granted in 1892.

### 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 468226 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 19 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

Before this invention, bottles were sealed with expensive, difficult-to-remove, and often leaky corks. The crown cork allowed for mass-produced, shelf-stable carbonated beverages, effectively launching the modern soft drink and beer bottling industries.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover screw-top bottle closures.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/468226/bottle-cap-crown-cork-painter

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US468226

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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:

- [The Invention of the Modern Soda Can Pull-Tab](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3349949/pull-tab-pop-top-can) — A 1965 design for a ring-shaped metal tab that makes it easy to pull open a tear strip on a beverage can.
- [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 Aerosol Spray Can Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2331117/aerosol-spray-can-goodhue) — A 1941 invention by Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan that created the modern aerosol spray can by using a liquefied gas to propel liquid contents.
- [How Earl Tupper Invented the Airtight Plastic Food Container](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2487400/tupperware-airtight-seal) — A 1947 patent for a flexible plastic container with a unique, airtight lid that seals by pressing down on the center, creating the foundation for Tupperware.
- [John Mason's 1858 Patent for the Mason Jar Lid](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/22186/mason-jar) — An 1858 invention by John L. Mason that introduced a threaded glass jar and a screw-on metal lid to create an airtight seal for home food preservation.