The Coca-Cola contour bottle patent was issued in 1915. The U.S. design patent, commonly identified as Design Patent No. 48,160, was granted on November 16, 1915, to the Root Glass Company’s design.
The patent followed Coca-Cola’s effort to distinguish its bottles from the many ordinary straight-sided soda bottles then in use. The company wanted a package that could be recognized by its shape, including by touch or when lying broken on the ground. Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, developed the winning design.
Earl R. Dean created the prototype, but Alexander Samuelson was named as the inventor on the patent application. That difference explains why sources may mention both men when discussing the bottle’s creation. The bottle entered wider production after Coca-Cola selected the design in 1916.
A later date can cause confusion: the patent was renewed in 1923, and December 25, 1923 became associated with the so-called “Christmas Bottle.” That renewal date does not replace the original 1915 patent year.