Today in 1974, US Patent 3834429 A was issued, an invention of Arthur F. Schulz, assigned to the Schlitz Brewing Co., for his “Method and Apparatus for Detecting Beverage Bottles Having a Lip Damaged Outwardly of the Crown Sealing Surface.” Here’s the Abstract:
Method and apparatus are disclosed for the detection of beverage bottles having a lip damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface. Such detection is provided for in conjunction with the bottle filling operation wherein the filling apparatus seals on the bottle lip outwardly of the crown sealing surface and the bottle is then subjected to a counter pressure. If the counter pressure developed in the bottle is less than the pressure imposed on the beverage in the source reservoir, a short fill results. Thus, if the bottle lip is damaged outwardly of the crown sealing surface and in the region of sealing, a lesser counter pressure is developed in the bottle due to leakage past the seal which will result in a detectable short fill and can be rejected from the production line.
