Ermal C. Fraze

Ermal Cleon "Ernie" Fraze[1][2] (September 16, 1913 – October 26, 1989) was an 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.[3] He started his career in Ohio as a machine tool operator in the 1940s. Using a loan from his wife, Martha, he established the Dayton Reliable Tool & Manufacturing Company, his own machine tool business in 1949. The company produced tools such as improved gun barrels for war planes, usually for the industries, e.g.: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, General Electric and Ford.[4] Fraze patented many of his innovations and would go on to obtain a degree at Kettering University.[4]

In 1959, while at a picnic with friends and family, Fraze had left his "church key" can opener at home and had to use a car bumper to open the drinks. The old way of opening a can required a separate opener. Fraze decided to create an improved beverage opening method that would eliminate the need for a separate device. This led to his creation of the pull-tab opener. His first design is not the in modern usage. Dangerous for the user and often causing injury, it included a lever that pierced a hole in the top of the can, which produced sharp edges. Later that year, he established a mechanism known as the "pull-tab" can. Its users are simply required to pull a removable tab to open the drink. He received U.S. patent No. 3,349,949 for the invention in 1963, and subsequently sold it to Alcoa. By 1965, around 75% of U.S. breweries were using them. However, in the mid-1970s, pressure from environmentalists led to the development of the non-removable tabs used today. By 1980, his company was supplying can-end machinery worldwide making over $500 million in annual revenue.[2][4][5][6]

Ermal Fraze died in 1989, in Kettering, Ohio[2] from a brain tumor.[1] Soon after his death, the family sold the Dayton Reliable Tool Company to business managers, but it remained in Dayton.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Narvaez, Alfonso A. (October 28, 1989). "E. C. Fraze, 76 - Devised Pull Tab". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ermal C. "Ernie" Fraze (1913–1989) – Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ermal Cleon Fraze; Invented Pull-Tab Opener for Cans". Los Angeles Times. October 31, 1989. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ermal Fraze | Lemelson-MIT Program". lemelson.mit.edu. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ermal Fraze". Ohio History Central. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Dayton Walk of Fame: Ermal C. Fraze". Dayton Daily News. December 29, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
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