They call me Ms. Literal.  Sorry.

So...home consumers of milk had a ready supply, at home, of these disks...to reseal their bottles?   I'm not quite old enough to have 'experienced' this closure type, but had heard my parents mention them.  My dad even claims he 'invented' (at least in his small town in SD) attaching a tab to make opening the lid much easier.  He showed the milkman his 'invention', and some months later (kid time)...bottles came with lids with a tab! I imagine many folks "invented" this means of opening the lids...to make it easier.

Regardless (one part does mention they Can be reused tho)..the point being...the disks for sealing milk bottles were not made out of hard rubber.  Hence, I don't think Candace's disks were for such function.

:o)

>-----Original Message-----
>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On 
>Behalf Of Bob Skiles
>Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 2:50 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Weird disks - milk lid
>
>Carol,
>
>You're being too literal and restrictive in reading the patent 
>... these are suggestions of some materials the inventor found 
>useful/workable ... check-out these fine webpages discussing 
>milk bottle closures:
>
>"    After the introduction of a number of other closure 
>types, the ligneous (cardboard) disk was introduced along with 
>the "common sense" milk bottle in 1889 (patented September 
>17).  Commonly called a cap seat by modern archaeologists and 
>collectors, a ledge was molded inside the mouth of the "common 
>sense" bottle for the insertion of the special ligneous disk.  
>This method of closure was easy to use and acceptable for 
>limited periods of time and transportation over short 
>distances.  The ligneous disks originally sold for 40¢ per 
>thousand and were available in lots of 1,000, 5,000, and 
>10,000 in sacks and 50,000 lots in barrels.  The disks were 
>marketed as cheap, sanitary, and easier to use than prior 
>closures.  The combination of the common sense bottle and the 
>ligneous disk revolutionized the dairy industry, and the disk 
>continued in use as long as glass containers were the industry 
>norm (Gallagher & Munsey 1969:333; Jones & Sullivan 1989:161; 
>Rawlinson 1970:13, 32-34).  An ad in the Champion Milk Cooler 
>Co. Dairy Supplies Catalog of 1899 states that the "caps are 
>used but once and therefore are always clean and carry no 
>filth or disease" (Tutton 1994:14). 
>     An ad in the J. S. Biesecker Catalog of 1900 offers this 
>description of the cap on the common sense milk bottle: 
>  
>
>      The cap or cover is made of heavy wood fibre, prepared 
>so as to resist the moisture from within and without, and when 
>pressed into the neck of the Jar to the shoulder with the 
>thumb or finger it forms a tightly fitting cover.  The 
>operation of capping is quickly and easily accomplished, and 
>when completed is perfectly tight, and can be handled in any 
>position and transported without danger or leakage.  The disc 
>can be removed when the milk is required for use by inserting 
>the blade of a penknife or any other sharp instrument and 
>lifting the cap out.  The cap can again be used and will seal 
>the Jar reasonably tight, but their nominal cost allows the 
>dealer to discard them after using them once (Tutton 1994:16). 
>
>     Thatcher (1902:8) noted that: 
>  
>
>      The selection of woods for preparing [the caps] for the 
>board machines, the method and process of manufacture of the 
>board, the printing and cutting of the caps and the process 
>required in the paraffining and water proofing all call for 
>our personal supervision and constant watchfulness to produce 
>a cap that will perform all the exacting and trying 
>requirements and guard against the slightest defect in taste or odor. 
>
>     Thatcher caps were available in three qualities: the 
>Thatcher Cap (40 cents per thousand); the Star Cap (30 cents 
>per thousand); and the Crescent Cap (24 cents per thousand) 
>and were available in five diameters (see Table 1). 
>  
>
>      Table 1 - Thatcher Cap Diameters (following Thatcher 1902:9) 
>
>      Designation  Diameter (inches) 
>      No. 1 1 7/8 
>      No. 2 1 5/8 
>      No. 3 1 6/8 
>      No. 0 1 1/2 
>      No. 4 2 5/8
>"
>
>... more here ...
>
>http://alamo.nmsu.edu/~lockhart/AlamMilk/chap2/chap2.htm
>