Mason jar
The jar's mouth has a screw thread on its outer perimeter to accept a metal ring or "band".
The band, when screwed down, presses a separate stamped steel disc-shaped lid against the jar's rim.
[1][2] After Mason's patent expired, numerous other companies began manufacturing similar jars.
The jars became an essential part of farming culture, while being used at fairs to display jams and pickles for judging and awards.
The peak use of Mason jars came during World War II, when the U.S. government rationed food, encouraging the public to grow their own.
As migration to cities occurred, along with the rise of refrigerators, the more efficient transport of goods made fruit and vegetables available year-round, reducing the need for food preservation.
Contemporary industrial preservation transitioned to the use of plastics like bakelite and nylon and billions of containers were produced instead.
[7] French chef Nicolas Appert invented the method of preserving food by enclosing it in sealed containers.
The jar lid has a rubber or rubber-like sealing surface and is held in place by a separate metal band.
The court's decision allowed other manufacturers to patent, produce, and sell glass jars for canning.
These continuous screw-thread jars were designed with a bead between the screw threads and the shoulder as a sealing surface.
[18] As of 2022, Newell manufactures canning jars under the brand names Ball, Bernardin, Golden Harvest, and Kerr.
The lids are made of metal with a ring of sealing compound which acts as a gasket against the jar's rim.
New sealing compound is only good for about five years from date of manufacture, so older unused lids should be discarded.
While cooling, a vacuum is created inside the jar, sucking the dome downward (concave) – an indication that a seal is good.
Mouth-blown (or hand-blown) jars embossed with a version of "Mason's Patent November 28th 1858" were made about 1857 to 1908 and often had a ground lip as well.
Most mouth-blown Mason jars embossed with some type of 1858 patent date were produced in aqua glass.
Mason jars have been turned into items such as oil lanterns, soap dispensers, speakers and vases.
