Today in 1969, US Patent D215807 S was issued, an invention of Wilfred W. Weingardt, for his “Bottle Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The ornamental design for a bottle opener, as shown and described.
Today in 1943, US Patent 2333088 A was issued, an invention of Raymond M. Brown, for his “Bottle Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a bottle opener of the type described, having one or more back stops adjacent the prying lip and slightly spaced therefrom which permit the prying lip to exercise its function of detaching the cap, but which may contact with the flange of the cap as to spread andthereby limit the extent to which it can be flared, thus preventing the bending of the disk of the cap under any circumstances and particularly under the conditions of sudden operation above referred to.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of spaced back stops preferably symmetrically arranged with respect to the apex of the prying lip, permitting the latter, if necessary, to bulge the flange between the back stops by drawing upon the fullness of the flutes of the flange beyond said back stops, the metal moving.
Today in 1909, two patents were issued: US Patent 938577 A for “Process of Bottling Beer” and US Patent 938578 A for “Machine For Bottling Beer.” Both were patented by Rudolf Gull, and the drawings filed with each application are identical, except for the titles. There’s no Abstract for either patent, although in the description it includes this summary:
Patent 938577 A: Process of Bottling Beer
1. The improvement in the method of bottling beer consisting in maintaining in the bottles while they are being filled with beer, and independent of the flow of the beer, a higher gaseous pressure than on the surface of the suplly or column of beer with which the bottles are filled, and changing such hi her pressure at predetermined intervals during the time the beer is entering the bottles, substantially as set forth.
2. The improvement in the method of bottling beer consisting in maintaining successively in the bottles while they are being filled with beer two or more distinctly different gaseous pressures each one of which is successively maintained in a substantially constant proportion to the gaseous pressure on the column of beer, substantially as set forth.
3. The improvement in the method of bottling beer, consisting in maintaining in the bottles while they are being filled a higher gaseous pressure than that on the column of beer from which the bottles are filled, and in maintaining such higher gaseous pressure within the bottles at such a’ proportion to the gaseous pressure on the column of beer that the surplus of pressure in’ the bottle over the gaseous pressure on the column of beer balances the weight of the column of beer above the level of beer in the bottle as soon as the beer in the bottle reaches a predetermined level.
938578 A: Machine For Bottling Beer
Bottling the beer to flow from the tank into the bottles and permitting also the passage of air from the tank, above the beer, to the bottles, so as to have the same air pressure in both tank and bottles at or before the time the valves are opened, thus permitting the beer to flow by gravity from the tank into the bottles the height of the beer column above the end of the filling spout, the width of the filling spout and the size of the air vent through which the air escapes from the bottles when the beer enters regulating the flow of the beer into the bottles.
Today in 1938, US Patent D111959 S was issued, an invention of Clarence B. Deible, for his “Design for a Beer Bottle,” although he’s more famous for having invented to crown bottle cap. There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this very short summary:
I claim an original and ornamental Design for Beer Bottles.
Today in 1894, US Patent 528485 A was issued, an invention of William Painter, assigned to the Crown Cork and Seal Company, for his “Bottle Seal or Stopper,” although he’s more famous for having invented to crown bottle cap. There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
I claim as my invention, a bottle seal, an extracting attachment which consists of the combination of a main loop or eye adapted to receive an extracting tool, and two additional loops or eyes.
Today in 1977, US Patent 4055202 A was issued, an invention of James Albert Greene, for his “In-Case Bottle Filling Apparatus.” Here’s the Abstract:
A bottle filling device which raises in-case bottles to be filled to engagement with a fill valve assembly which controls fluid communication between a fill tube inserted into each bottle and a pressurized fill tank. Cup members, which engage the bottle openings in fill position, communicate with a vacuum line, such that the combination of pressurized fill source and air-evacuated bottles realizes extremely fast filling. The fill tubes are the shafts of respective double acting fluid pressure operated cylinders of simple construction which position a port in the fill tube upper wall extremes within the fill tank confines or within pressure sealing cylinder end bushings to define respective open and closed fill-valve conditions.
Today in 1958, US Patent D183727 S was issued, an invention of Odie D. Emberton, for his “Combined Belt Buckle, Bottle Opener, and Can Opener.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The ornamental design for a combined belt buckle, bottle opener, and can opener, substantially as shown.
Monday’s ad is for O’Keefe’s, from 1949. The ad copy begins: “The seven-league boots of today …,” which I confess made no sense to me. Apparently seven-league boots “are an element in European folklore. The boots allow the person wearing them to take strides of seven leagues per step, resulting in great speed. The boots are often presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task.” In this case, it’s uniting Canada, by “shrinking time and distance … bringing our peoples closer together … that’s the role of Canadian aviation.” The Rockwell-like illustration was created by a Clare Shragge. It’s an emotionally charged painting, brimming with optimism … and beer.
Today in 1995, US Patent 5458253 A was issued, an invention of Michael Shapcott, for his “Bottle Cap.” Here’s the Abstract:
A crown seal for sealing an opening of a bottle including a flange having between twenty-eight and thirty-two flutes around the circumference thereof. Each flute comprises depression having a generally triangular surface area between a pair of ridges. The additional flutes provide more points of contact with the bead are provided, ensuring a securement of increased strength between the crown and bottle.
Saturday’s ad is for Duraglas, from 1940. It’s Duraglas, a brand of glass bottles owned by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, that’s “Changing Beer Bottle Behavior.” If you peek behind the action of the woman handing a green bottle to one of the two tuxedoed gentlemen into the refrigerator, you can see a green, brown and clear glass bottles sitting on the shelf inside. But in the foreground, it’s a brown bottle of beer being poured into the glass next to the salad. If you look closely at the bluish wallpaper around the ad, there are bottles of beer with brands on them, like Carnegie Pilsener Beer, Kato Pilsner Beer, Felsenbrau, Old Ox Head Ale, Mule Head Stock Ale, Topaz, Stegmeier Porter, Monarch Beer, Ruppert Ale, Hillcrest Lager Beer, Lucky Lager, Cincinnati Burger Brau, Top Hat Beer, Lucky Ale, Edelbrau Porter, and that’s just some from the left side. They all appear to be different, which is pretty amazing. I recognize enough of the brands to assume they must all be real brands from the time period.
