Tin opener inventor. ) The first electric can opener was patented in Mar 1, 2022 · 1866 – E. Discover about this essential toolOnly in the mid-19th Century was devised a specific tool to facilitate the opening the tinplate boxes: the can opener, destined to take on a surprising multiplicity of forms and sizes to this days. com Sep 13, 2025 · The tin opener might seem ordinary, but its invention changed the way we store and access food forever. See full list on thoughtco. In England Robert Yates, a cutlery and surgical instruments manufacturer from Middlesex, patented the first can opener in history on July 13 1855 (UK Patent 1. Introduction The tin opener, a seemingly mundane tool, has played a pivotal role in human history. Andrea Tanner for confirming the 1849 date of their instructions for opening tin canisters (tin cans). 577 In 1866, J. Osterhoudt patented the tin can with a key opener. Salt, smoking, and Apr 13, 2023 · Around 1870, William Lyman of Connecticut came up with the rotary can opener, which served as the basis for today’s can opener. Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at least 1772 in the Netherlands, the first can openers were not patented until 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. You’ll discover the surprising story behind the tin opener’s creation and how it evolved into the handy device you rely on today. ” A Did Robert Yates Invent the Can Opener in 1855? Many thanks to Fortnum & Mason and Dr. A Brief History of Tinned Food Before the tin opener, food preservation was a challenge. 1870 – William Lyman patents a better can opener (rotating wheel, which cuts along the top rim of the can). Osterhoudt patented the tin can with a key opener that you see with sardine cans. Its invention revolutionized food preservation and consumption, making canned goods a staple in kitchens worldwide. M. Let’s delve into the fascinating history of this unassuming device. The outlook brightened in the late 1850s, when manufacturers became able to produce thinner cans from steel. A metal guard kept the point from penetrating too far, to “perforate the tin without causing the liquid to fly out. The kind with the wheel that rolls and cuts around the rim of a can. A can opener (North American and Australian English) or tin opener (British English) is a mechanical device used to open metal tin cans. . Aug 24, 2017 · Given that the first can opener famously wasn’t invented for about fifty years after cans went into production, people must have gotten good at the method. Lang (Maine) is granted a patent for sealing tin cans by casting or dropping bar solder in measured drops on can ends. The modern can opener and its recognizable toothed-wheel crank design was invented by Charles Arthur Bunker in the 1920s. (Notably, it remains the standard design today. J. Apr 21, 2013 · The first tin opener was designed in the 1860s, but it didn't become a staple of household drawers until a second serrated wheel was added in 1925. Hinged lid tin cans are introduced. William Lyman patented a very easy to use can opener in 1870. William Lyman - Classic Can Opener The inventor of the familiar household can opener was William Lyman. This delay was primarily due to the thickness and robustness of the early tin cans. In 1858 Ezra Warner, of Waterbury, Connecticut, patented a breakthrough: an opener with a pointed blade that the user pressed, rather than stabbed, into the can. Jun 25, 2025 · The first can opener wasn’t invented until around 1858, nearly 50 years after commercially canned food became available. bvi9 odzzzoo5 m2tn eib ler xi abg2 cs gktx v3hv