<p><em>by Fenella Saunders</em></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><p>The can opener did not come along until many years after the invention of the can. Around 1810 Peter Durand, a British merchant, invented sealed, thick-walled metal storage canisters that had to be busted open with a hammer and chisel or bayonet. In 1858, American inventor Ezra Warner patented an oversized ancestor of the old-fashioned tin opener. It clamped onto the side of the can with a sickle-shaped blade, providing leverage for a second, attached blade to pierce a hole in the top. A crank-operated can opener with a rotating cutting wheel appeared in 1870, invented by William Lyman of Connecticut. In 1925, the Star Can Company of San Francisco improved on Lyman's design by adding a second, serrated wheel to grab the edge of a can. Electric openers were introduced by several manufacturers in 1957. Pull-open cans, patented by Ermal Fraze of Ohio, debuted in 1966. </p>

March 2001

The March 2001 issue of Discover Magazine

Genetically Altered Corn

Explore the fascinating can opener invention history, from Peter Durand's metal canisters to electric models introduced in 1957.

Technology

They Invented it

Article

News

Science

by Fenella Saunders The can opener did not come along until many years after the invention of the can. Around 1810 Peter Durand, a British merchant, invented sealed, thick-walled metal storage canisters that had to be busted open with a hammer and chisel or bayonet. In 1858, American inventor Ezra Warner patented an oversized ancestor of the old-fashioned tin opener. It clamped onto the side of the can with a sickle-shaped blade, providing leverage for a second, attached blade to pierce a hole in the top. A crank-operated can opener with a rotating cutting wheel appeared in 1870, invented by William Lyman of Connecticut. In 1925, the Star Can Company of San Francisco improved on Lyman's design by adding a second, serrated wheel to grab the edge of a can. Electric openers were introduced by several manufacturers in 1957. Pull-open cans, patented by Ermal Fraze of Ohio, debuted in 1966.

Discover Magazine’s award-winning journalism inspires and informs, delivering thought-provoking content that sparks meaningful conversations. With a focus on groundbreaking developments in science, technology, and the world around us, Discover highlights the impact of these innovations on our daily lives.

他们发明了它

新闻简报

发表于

转基因玉米

智能手机需要变得更智能吗？

这艘电动船在水面上行驶

声纳技术如何解开水下之谜

可穿戴设备能挽救你的感情吗？

这就是为什么TikTok上的反转滤镜会让你的脸看起来很奇怪

有了5G，一切都关乎速度

变形材料可以彻底改变我们的世界

5G来了。它是什么以及如何工作？

认识Angus：自主农业革命的机器人田间助手

认识YuMi：一个旨在进行巡视的机器人护士

这款皮肤贴片可以为虚拟现实设备增加触感

这款设备通过一个浮动珠子，制作出真正的3D全息图

电量不足：手机电池如何塑造我们日常生活的节奏

这款机器人短裤让日常散步感觉像移动机场步道

这款全新的虚拟现实手套让您抓取数字物体

保持好奇

加入我们的列表

订阅杂志