Food Fact, Feb. 2: Caps and Scoops

Photo: ninetwentysvenphotography/Flickr

On February 2 in …

1892
William Painter patents the crown-cork bottle cap.

1897
Alfred L. Cralle patents the ice cream scooper.

(© 2011 Michael V. Hynes)

The Backstory

The Cap
William Painter was a foreman and inventor, and founded the Crown Cork & Seal Company of Baltimore, MD, soon after securing his patent. The company is now a global enterprise, with corporate headquarters in Philly. The 1960s is when Crown Holdings made soft drinks its main manufacturing focus, over beer.

The Scoop
Alfred L. Cralle was an African-American born in post-Civil War Virginia. He became interested in mechanics during his youth. While working as a porter in Pittsburgh, he noticed that ice cream — growing every more popular with the public — was tricky to serve. It stuck to spoons and ladles, requiring two hands and two or more utensils to dispense. He therefore invented and, ultimately, sought a patent for an ice cream scoop. Originally called the “Ice Cream Mold and Disher,” Cralle’s gadget was practical, durable and apparently inexpensive. It could also be operated with one hand — no sticking.