tin can

…of this idea is the tin can. Unlike steel, tin is not affected by the acids in food, so that a layer of tin placed on steel sheet protects the steel in the can from corrosion.

…only a thin coating of tin) are removed by an electromagnetic separator, and the remaining material passes over a vibrating screen in order to remove broken glass. Next, the conveyor passes through an air classifier, which separates aluminum and plastic containers from heavier glass containers. Glass is manually sorted by…

…England patented the use of tin-coated iron cans instead of bottles, and by 1820 he was supplying canned food to the Royal Navy in large quantities. European canning methods reached the United States soon thereafter, and that country eventually became the world leader in both automated canning processes and total…

Cans of tin-plated steel, both those that are permanently sealed and those with tops that can be lifted and replaced, are also used predominantly for food storage. Tin-plate containers are also used to hold paints and varnishes and tobacco, medical, and cosmetic products. While such tin plate…

…availability of preserved foods in tin cans in the United States. Tin-coated steel containers, made from 98.5 percent sheet steel with a thin coating of tin, soon became common. These cans had a double seamed top and bottom to provided an airtight seal and could be manufactured at high speeds.

Norton began manufacturing tin cans on a small scale in 1868. With his brother, he opened a number of successively larger and more diversified Norton plants. By 1890 he had perfected the first automatic can-making line. He invented the solder-trimmed cap and the machinery for making it, revolutionizing…