Who Invented Aluminum Foil

Growing up in the '40s -- PF Flyers, pea-shooters, hand soccer: Cleveland ...

In 2008 while visiting Cleveland, I saw a childhood friend, Michael Cavanaugh, whom I had not seen seen since I moved from 124th & Locke Ave. to Cleveland Heights in 1952.

When I returned home, I wrote him this letter.

Dear Mike,

They say everyone who sees a movie, sees a different one. Maybe that is how childhoods are also seen. All I know is that until we moved from Locke Ave. in 1952 the only two meaningful names of my boyhood were Mikey Cavanaugh and Gusty Asussinus.

Yes, I can remember your mother & father. Your mother always seemed to be glad when all the kids were over to your house. We didn't seem to be in the way or under her feet as at other homes.

There is a vague memory of Punch & Judy shows in your backyard that maybe Janie put on.

Most clearly, I can see that period of time after your father parked an old black sedan in your garage. It was like a 1936 model and I don't believe it ran. We discovered it was perfect for playing tag. Gusty was a great one for making up rules and I think these were his. You could only tag from behind; you could not reach up over the car and tag. One guy started running. He hit the right bumper with his right leg, leapt onto the hood, dove across the roof of the car and slid down the back window and trunk landing on the bumper with his black and white P.F. Flyers , and at full speed continued the circuit all over. Meanwhile, someone was in pursuit and a third guy was also involved in the chase. I don't remember how long that lasted but it was a great deal of fun.

Everything in those days seemed to have its own time. Suddenly, on a certain day of the year, it was pea-shooter season. Everyone in the neighborhood was firing great northern beans at one another through brightly colored plastic tubes. Or, on another day, we found ourselves in water pistol season. Gusty would bring out the jackknives and we would be playing mumblety-pegs for a period of time. Did you ever melt lead in Gus's basement, pour it into a mold and make little silvery tanks? I know I did.

Of course sports were always the main attraction but that was also departmentalized by seasons.

I like to think I can remember when the white-colored, night football was invented and it permitted us to play street football after dark. We also alternated the game with PeeWee footballs that somehow were more comfortable in our hands. On fall Saturdays we would play "two below" while listening to a neighbor's radio of a Notre Dame game during the Johnny Lujack years. We were already part of Notre Dame's "subway" alumni by the time we were 8. The older kids were always the quarterbacks and before every play they would diagram all the moves in the dirt. We huddled and gazed down at the moving index finger diagramming every move for the next play. "You're here, you go out there, cut right, button hook and I'll let you have it!" "You two block!

Who Invented Aluminum Foil? | Who Invented It

A study of the history of aluminum foil indicates that on April 2, 1889, Charles Martin Hall got a patent for producing the metal. The first rolling plant came out in 1910, called Dr. Lauber, Neher, Cie and Emmishofen. This was in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.

Early History and Origin

Before aluminum foil came out, tin foil was used for packing foods and other products. The metal was stiff and could leave an adverse effect on the food. It was in 1825 that aluminum was discovered, courtesy of Hans Christian Oersted. The Danish chemist was the first to show actual samples of the foil.

In 1845, the German scientist Friedrich Wohler was able to produce bigger samples. Through his work the basic characteristics of the metal could be discerned. This was a crucial point in the history of aluminum foil.

It was in 1854 that the French chemist Henry Deville developed the means for mass producing it. Despite his efforts, foil was still too expensive to be of any practical use. It was not until Hall’s invention that the material became affordable. The patent number of the US inventor was #400,666.

In 1888, Hall set up the Pittsburgh Reduction Company. It would become known as the Aluminum Company of America. From $1,200 a kilo in 1852, the cost of aluminum foil had gone down to 18 cents per pound in 1914.

Another important inventor was Karl Joseph Bayer. In 1888, the Austrian chemist invented a process so aluminum oxide could be extracted from bauxite. This was another vital chapter in the history of aluminum foil. Today his methodology is still being used.

The Lauber Aluminum Rolling Plant

The Lauber plant in Switzerland was maintained by J.G. Neher and his sons. Their plant was located at the base of the Rhine Falls. They were able to exploit the falls’ energy to process the metal.

It was here that Lauber learned the protective use of the metal. From that point on, the metal started being used for packaging food. Today it is also being used for lacquer and embossing.

Uses

Today the metal has become an indispensable part in many industries. The most common utilization is packaging. Without aluminum, the fats will oxidize. Throughout the history of aluminum foil, its use in preserving food remains its most well known application.

It is also used when storing pharmaceutical products and milk. It is also employed in pouches, tubes and cigarettes. It is also used to preserve leftover food.

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