Cans, General

1934: Applied color label that could not wash off became commercially available (Kaplan 1982: 114).

1936: Soft drinks begin to appear in cans. Not very popular (Kaplan 1982: 114).

1940: Because tin became unavailable during World War II, the tin-free can was developed. Aluminum, tin-free steel, fiber/foil laminates were all developed during this period. A method for the very thin coating of tin was also developed. At least 9 different resins were also developed to coat steel cans (Sacharow 1978: 127).

1940 – 1945: Composite cans: foil lined paper board cans capped with metal were used for bisquits and motor oil (Sacharow 1978: 131).

1945: Aerosol sprays developed out of need for effective insecticides during jungle fighting (Sacharow 1978: 17; Kaplan 1982: 124).

1948: Resurgence in use of cans for soft drinks (Kaplan 1982: 114).

1950: Paper labels eliminated by applied color labels (Kaplan 1982: 114).

1953: Adoption of flat-top can for soft drinks (Kaplan 1982: 114).

1958: Only 17% of soft drink manufacturers using cans (Kaplan 1982: 117).

1959: Pepsi, Coca-Cola using cans (Kaplan 1982: 117).

1960: The last cone top cans were sold in the United States (BCCN 1985: 22; Sacharow 1978: 139).

1962: ALCOA introduced the pull tab opener: open ring design (Kaplan 1982: 117).

1963: Pull tab on aluminum can invented by Ermal Fraze (Petroski 1993: 199).

1963: Introduction of drawn and ironed aluminum can (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1969: 5% of cans aluminum (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1970: 90% of all soft drink cans had pull tab openers (Kaplan 1982: 117).

1971: Necked-in, soldered side seams, double decked (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1972: Two piece steel cans developed (Kaplan 1982: 124).

1974: Introduction of non-removable opener (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1974: 46% of beer cans aluminum; 20% of soft drinks are aluminum (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1978: Introduction of the "paper" can: plastic-coated, foil-lined, steel bottom, aluminum top (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1980: 66.1% of all soft drinks are sold in cans (Kaplan 1982: 120).

1980: Pull tab that does not separate from the can (Petroski 1993: 203).

1981: triple-necked cans (Kaplan 1982: 120).

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