Cans

Peter Durand made an impact with his 1810 patenting of the tin can.

British merchant Peter Durand made an impact on food preservation with his 1810 patenting of the tin can. In 1813, John Hall and Bryan Dorkin opened the first commercial canning factory in England. In 1846, Henry Evans invents a machine that can manufacture tin cans at a rate of sixty per hour. An significant increase over the previous rate of only six per hour.

First Patented Can Opener

The first tin can were so thick they had to be hammered open. As cans became thinner, it became possible to invent simpler can openers. In 1858, Ezra Warner of Waterbury, Connecticut patented the first can opener.

The U.S. military used it during the Civil War. In 1866, J. Osterhoudt patented the tin can with a key opener that you see with sardine cans.

Beer in a Can

On January 24, 1935, the first canned beer, "Krueger Cream Ale," was sold by the Kruger Brewing Company of Richmond, VA.

Pop-Top Can

In 1959, Ermal Fraze invented the pop-top can (or easy-open can) in Kettering, Ohio.

Aerosol Spray Cans

The concept of an aerosol originated as early as 1790, when self-pressurized carbonated beverages were introduced in France

Introduction of shaped cans.

Introduction of Large Opening End into UK beer market. The aperture on these cans is 45% bigger than on a standard can.

1998 Introduction of Large Opening End into the UK beer market. The aperture of these cans is 45% bigger than on a standard can. Introduction of embossed cans for take home beer.

The close co-operation of the raw material suppliers with the can manufacturers has been fundamental in all these developments.

They have invested millions of pounds in research, development and new plants to cope with the requirements of can manufacturers, fillers and retailers.

These developments have resulted in consumer satisfaction with, and loyalty to, drinks cans

History of the can

The development of the can was initially for packaging food. Today the two piece beverage can is a highly efficient, technically advanced, lightweight container for carbonated soft drinks and beer.

1795 Napoleon offers a 12,000 franc prize for a method of preserving food for his armies which had such long, vulnerable supply lines that hunger began to tax their fighting strength.

1810 Nicolas Apart, a French confectioner, wins the prize. He experimented in preserving food by sterilization.

1810 An Englishman, Peter Durand, received a patent from King George III for a tin-plated iron can as a food container. At that time, cans were made of iron and coated with a thin layer of tin. But even the best craftsmen could only produce up to 60 cans a day, whereas today's modern beverage can making lines are producing over one million cans a day.

1846 Henry Evans invents a die device for making a can in a single operation. His invention enables the production of cans to be increased from 6 to 60 per hour.

1847 An American, Allen Taylor, patents a machine-stamped tin can.

1850-70 Techniques are perfected for sealing tin cans with various types of soldering processes.

1877 Simplified "side seamier" for cans is introduced.

1880-90 sees the first automatic can-making machinery introduced in Britain. Its development made cans a serious contender for preserving foods and liquids.

1885 "Condensed" milk is first canned in the United States.

1900 The "sanitary" open-top can is developed in Europe for food. The process greatly increases manufacturing speeds. Can lids, however, are still soldered by hand after the food has been put into the can.

1914 Continuous ovens for drying print on tinplate cans are introduced.

1920's Developments in the improvement of the can linings are introduced to lengthen the life of the contents, using zinc compounds.

1922 American invention for "crimping" lids onto cans is introduced in Europe. This results in faster can manufacturing speeds.

By the 1930s the technology had advanced to a stage when drinks could be packaged in cans. Continental European producers introduced beverage cans shaped like bottles. These cans are constructed from three pieces of metal and have a cone-shaped top closed by a "crown" cork.

1935 The first flat-top can of beer appeared for sale in Richmond, Virginia. Canned beer is introduced to the UK by Feline foal Brewery in Wales, using steel cans with cone-shaped tops.