Canning and Bottling: Canning and Bottling Revolutions

Canning technology took a major leap forward with the invention of the “sanitary can” in the early twentieth century. It built on previous inventions, such as the double-seamed cans first manufactured in 1859, and was used in Europe for canning food shortly thereafter. A thick rubber gasket similar to those used on mason jars was placed between the end and body, and the end was crimped to the body by rollers. This method was demonstrated at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago. But the rubber ring was cumbersome and costly. Charles M. Ams lined the edge of the can end with rubber cement, greatly reducing the amount of rubber used and simplifying the sealing process. It was dubbed the “sanitary can.” Ams continued to improve the process and by 1903 had developed a line of commercial machines that revolutionized the canning industry.