220
Here are two of Painter
‟
s
“
Bottle Sealing Device
”
patents issued February 2, 1892:
Although the patent on the left has a lower number, the application was filed
almost one year after the one on the right (May 19, 1891 vs. June 18, 1890). The
earlier application includes a drawing of the cap being engaged by an over-the
top style cap lifter and states that the cap has
“
the edge of the flange so projected
as to afford a reliable shoulder, with which a detaching lever may be engaged,
for enabling a cap to be promptly removed as a result of a prying or wrenching
action.
”
Three pages later in his application, Painter writes
“
It will be obvious that while
some special form of opener may be required for detaching caps with the
greatest possible convenience any thin-edged tool or knife may be readily
applied to the projecting edge for detaching the cap, and to provide for use of a
corkscrew each cap is centrally perforated at the top, enabling a corkscrew to
better the sealing disk or cork.
”
He also hints at what is to come with
“
Bottle openers devised by me...and
adapted to the removal of sealing-caps...will be made the subject of one or more
separate applications for Letters Patent.
”
U. S. Patent No. 468,226
U. S. Patent No. 468,258
