Anthony Dominic Bajada (September 22, 1902 – July 20, 2000) was a British–American

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

known for creating and

patenting A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

the stay-tab press-to-open lid mechanism for drink cans.

Early life and career

Anthony Bajada was born on September 22, 1902, in

Hamrun Hamrun (; ) is a town in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014. The people The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who carry a knife') or as '' ...

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, a

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of the

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to Sevario and Carmela Bajada. After serving in the

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, at 17 years old he moved to the United States, traveling aboard the

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's RMS Olympic on the

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route by way of

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, France. He arrived in New York City exactly one week before his 18th birthday in 1920, where he boarded the

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bound for

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. He married Elizabeth Waldvogal (b. 1905, d. 2001) in 1925 in San Francisco and had two children, Evelyn (b. 1928, d. 2010) and George (b. 1935). He moved to Palo Alto in 1961 and to Menlo Park in 1968. Early in his career he worked as a machinist, making tools and dies until he later became a property investor in 1948.

Invention of the opening mechanism on drink cans

Patent Drawings for US2842295 - Lid closure for can containers

In 1956, Anthony filed for a patent titled "Lid closure for can containers," which described a mechanism for opening canned containers with a "press-it" type closure that pushed inwardly into the can to permit the contents to be poured. The patent was granted in 1958. Prior to Bajada’s invention, it was necessary to either use a separate opening device such as a can opener or to use a pull tab mechanism. The use of a detached can-opener proved cumbersome, as without the tool the can could not be opened and the pull tab design was dangerous as the detached tab could be ingested and was not easy to see in an

x-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

. One of the novel aspects of Bajada's design is that the can's opening mechanism is self-contained on the can's lid, eliminating the need to use any additional devices to open the can. At the time, Bajada marveled that "the advantages of his invention would become apparent" upon seeing the design; a statement that proved true. Within two months of Bajada's patent expiry, inventor Ermal C. Fraze and the

Reynolds Metals Company Reynolds Group Holdings is a New Zealand based packaging company with roots in the former Reynolds Metals Company, which was the second-largest aluminum company in the United States, and the third-largest in the world. Reynolds Metals was acquire ...

filed patents on designs for a “ pull tab" mechanism for soda cans. Subsequently, during volume manufacturing, companies such as

Crown Cork & Seal Company Crown Holdings, Inc., formerly Crown Cork & Seal Company, is an American company that makes metal beverage and food cans, metal aerosol containers, metal closures and specialty packing. Founded in 1892, it is headquartered in Yardley, Pennsylvan ...

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and

United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

began making lid mechanisms based on Bajada’s design.

Later years and death

Anthony Bajada remained a resident of Menlo Park until his death on July 20, 2000. He was survived by his wife, his two children, his 6 grandchildren, and his 15 great-grandchildren (including Jake Chasan). Cynthia Chasan, granddaughter of Anthony Bajada, is married to Jeffery Chasan, parents of Jake Chasan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bajada, Anthony British inventors 20th-century American inventors 20th-century British inventors People from Menlo Park, California

Early life and career

Invention of the opening mechanism on drink cans

Later years and death

See also

References