William Painter invented and patented the crown bottle cap in 1892. After working with bottling manufacturers to develop a universal neck, Painter invented and patented all the machinery needed to manufacture the caps. He successfully launched the Crown Cork and Seal Company in that year to manufacture and market the cap. The cap is still in use today in both the pry-off and twist-off versions. The skirt has been shortened, the cap's teeth were reduced from 24 to 21 and the cork liner has been replaced by a PVC material. Most of this information is credited to the NIHF website.