Erik Rotheim

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Construction drawing for a spray can, made by Erik Rotheim, around 1926.

Erik Andreas Rotheim (born September 19, 1898 in Kristiania , † September 18, 1938 in Oslo) was a Norwegian engineer and inventor of the spray can .

The reason for this invention was Rotheim's considerations as to whether it might not be possible to make the waxing of his skis technically better. He finally invented a can that contained a lot of gas as a propellant in addition to the actual active ingredient . The overpressure in the container quickly released the application substance after opening the closure. On February 9, 1926, his invention was completed and worked perfectly. Rotheim had his idea protected by patent applications, for example in Norway on October 8, 1926 or in the USA on September 30, 1927 (US patent 1,800,156). On October 9, 1927, there was already a patent for him in Germany .

However, there was still a long way to go to get to today's spray can. Rotheim's first spray cans were felt to be unwieldy due to their heavy weight due to a thick container wall and had the disadvantage that precise dosing was not yet possible. The contents of the whole can emptied after actuating the valve . Although Rotheim commercial exploitation of the Norwegian paint factory Alf Bjercke 1928 paints were concerned, the invention was initially unsuccessful. The triumphant advance of the spray can only began after Rotheim's death. In the 1940s, after improvements to the underlying principle on the spray head by the Americans Lyle D. Goodhue, William N. Sullivan and Robert Abplanalp, it became an accepted aid to mankind, initially in insect control and later in various other applications.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.presseportal.de/pm/18997/960921/iga_industriegem_aerosole_e_v?search=rotheim  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.presseportal.de  
  2. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated August 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.oslo.diplo.de
personal data
SURNAME Rotheim, Erik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rotheim, Erik Andreas (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Norwegian engineer and inventor
DATE OF BIRTH September 19, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH Kristiania
DATE OF DEATH September 18, 1938
Place of death Oslo