Skoda
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Hi all, nothing super exciting here but I did think it was interesting enough to share. I won a pair of NH blob beers last week and I was intrigued by the closures, which looked a little different from the usual Lightning closure. Turns out they are in fact Lightning closures, but a modified version from the 1880's designed by the original inventor. There are two changes here, one of which is a slightly thicker rubber gasket, but the other is a more dramatic change: the cap is permanently set in place and can not slide or rotate around on the bail. There are three patents listed, two of which are the original De Quillfeldt patents from 1875 and 1877, along with a third date stamped into the closure from June 29, 1886, which pertains to the aforementioned modifications made to the cap and bail. I don't recall seeing any other examples of this closure variant before so I'd imagine it was very unpopular. I can see why, too: it probably cost more and was an answer to a problem I would infer no one really had. Also, the rigid cap meant you had to wedge the rubber closure in at an angle while depressing the cam, which is a really awkward quirk and I could see it being prone to more points of failure.
Here's the .pdf of the patent and the description he wrote out for it. This is so incredibly niche but beer and soda bottle closure history fascinates me!
Here's the .pdf of the patent and the description he wrote out for it. This is so incredibly niche but beer and soda bottle closure history fascinates me!
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