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On February 6, 1894 William Painter (1838-1906) received a patent for a "Capped Bottle Opener" (US. Patent number 514,200). Two years earlier Painter had received three patents for a "Bottle Sealing Device."
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Pop top - (can opener)
48 years
According to the US PTO site,it is: # 63,775 on Mrch 3,1925.
The "can opener" was invented along with the "can" - cans had to be opened to be of any use! The first cans were invented around 1772 in the Netherlands. Some of the earliest cans were opened with a hammer and chisel. As canning became more popular a plethora of patents were taken out both for the canning process and for various means of opening them. The first can opener patent obtained was in 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. I recall "keys" were very popular in my youth.
The "can opener" was invented along with the "can" - cans had to be opened to be of any use! The first cans were invented around 1772 in the Netherlands. Some of the earliest cans were opened with a hammer and chisel. As canning became more popular a plethora of patents were taken out both for the canning process and for various means of opening them. The first can opener patent obtained was in 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. I recall "keys" were very popular in my youth.
If the bottle is protected by copyright, there may be a notification on the bottom, although notification is not required for protection. It is more likely that the bottle would be protected by trademark as trade dress (i.e. packaging), or even a design patent. Copyright protection is comparatively unlikely.
William Painter invented the bottle cap, his patent was granted in 1892. He was American but not African-American.
500000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 years ago
Can manufacturers of early cans recommended using a cold chisel and hammer to open their cans, but users rarely had such tools available in the field when they wanted to eat.The first "can openers" were often whatever device that the person already had, typically a knife or bayonet. These "can openers" were improvised in their use and were usually less than adequate.On January 5, 1858, Waterbury native Ezra J. Warnerinvented the first tool specifically intended as a can opener (not some other tool being forced into this use). This was the first recorded patent (US patent No 19063) for a can opener. However, Warner's can opener was not a tool for household use, because it could be dangerous. Grocers opened the cans before they left the store.The first can opener safe for household use was patented by William Lyman on July 12, 1870 (US patent No 105346).
The shape of an item can be patented. It is called a design patent. The most famous is probably the shape of the Coca Cola bottle.