Ermal Cleon "Ernie" Fraze[1] (September 16, 1913 – October 26, 1989) was an American engineer who invented the pull-tab opener used in beverage cans.
[1] Fraze was born on a farm near Muncie, Indiana, but later moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he assembled novelties for Cracker Jack boxes.
The company produced tools such as improved gun barrels for war planes, including the NASA, General Electric, and Ford.
His first design included a lever that pierced a hole in the top of the can, but this caused a safety hazard as it produced sharp edges that could cut the user's finger.
Later that year, he established a mechanism known as the "pull-tab" can, with its users simply being required to pull a removable tab to open the drink.