Today in Wheeling History: January 29--Charles C. Webb filed a patent application for an innovative bottle cap design (1936).
Charles Carrick Webb was born February 7, 1906, in Sparta, Tennessee, to William Hosea Webb and Sarah Etta Wright Webb. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Milwaukee University and relocated to Wheeling around 1933. Webb became assistant superintendent of the Wheeling Stamping Company, where he made significant contributions to industrial manufacturing. On January 29, 1936, he filed Patent No. 2,171,015 for an innovative plastic bottle cap design that revolutionized container closures. His invention addressed the problem of caps splitting when screwed tightly by incorporating flexible button-like projections instead of traditional threads, allowing the cap to assume an elliptical shape under pressure. This design made manufacturing more economical while preventing breakage. Webb was actively involved in Wheeling's cultural and educational life. On September 30, 1939, he married Miriam Bayha Doepken, daughter of Albert and Ethel Doepken of North Wheeling, in a home ceremony officiated by Dr. James Mease Potter. Webb taught at the YMCA night school, instructing courses in slide rule and dramatic presentations. He was also active in civic organizations and attended community cultural events, including Wheeling Symphony concerts. He passed away August 29, 1996, in Wilmington, Delaware, at age 90.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://tinyurl.com/c43mfcka), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/sn42zau8) (https://tinyurl.com/mtwre747) (https://tinyurl.com/3yk8n9sd) (https://tinyurl.com/yv3jn6fm), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/5es5u3xx) (https://tinyurl.com/n3sh2n8d) (https://tinyurl.com/45pn4kv7) (https://tinyurl.com/5y8ebbz9) (https://tinyurl.com/2r89xtza) (https://tinyurl.com/4ytj2mfn) (https://tinyurl.com/mtmbj6t2), Kepner Funeral Home (https://tinyurl.com/2mj9pn5n), Family Search (https://tinyurl.com/2m3bzwyu) (https://tinyurl.com/2m3bzwyu)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register, FamilySearch, U.S. Patent Office, Google Maps
Charles Carrick Webb was born February 7, 1906, in Sparta, Tennessee, to William Hosea Webb and Sarah Etta Wright Webb. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Milwaukee University and relocated to Wheeling around 1933. Webb became assistant superintendent of the Wheeling Stamping Company, where he made significant contributions to industrial manufacturing. On January 29, 1936, he filed Patent No. 2,171,015 for an innovative plastic bottle cap design that revolutionized container closures. His invention addressed the problem of caps splitting when screwed tightly by incorporating flexible button-like projections instead of traditional threads, allowing the cap to assume an elliptical shape under pressure. This design made manufacturing more economical while preventing breakage. Webb was actively involved in Wheeling's cultural and educational life. On September 30, 1939, he married Miriam Bayha Doepken, daughter of Albert and Ethel Doepken of North Wheeling, in a home ceremony officiated by Dr. James Mease Potter. Webb taught at the YMCA night school, instructing courses in slide rule and dramatic presentations. He was also active in civic organizations and attended community cultural events, including Wheeling Symphony concerts. He passed away August 29, 1996, in Wilmington, Delaware, at age 90.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://tinyurl.com/c43mfcka), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/sn42zau8) (https://tinyurl.com/mtwre747) (https://tinyurl.com/3yk8n9sd) (https://tinyurl.com/yv3jn6fm), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/5es5u3xx) (https://tinyurl.com/n3sh2n8d) (https://tinyurl.com/45pn4kv7) (https://tinyurl.com/5y8ebbz9) (https://tinyurl.com/2r89xtza) (https://tinyurl.com/4ytj2mfn) (https://tinyurl.com/mtmbj6t2), Kepner Funeral Home (https://tinyurl.com/2mj9pn5n), Family Search (https://tinyurl.com/2m3bzwyu) (https://tinyurl.com/2m3bzwyu)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register, FamilySearch, U.S. Patent Office, Google Maps
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