Winton Eliott
The zipper is one of those ubiquitous objects that we often take for granted. It’s hard to imagine a world without zippers, but they are actually a relatively recent invention.
Inventors have been trying to create the workable zipper since the early 1800s, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that the modern zipper we know and love was finally invented.
What was before zippers?
Before the zipper was invented, people had to use other methods to close their clothing. Buttons were the most common closure, but they could be difficult to fasten and often came undone. Other closures included laces, hooks, and eyes.
Buttons and laces have been around for centuries, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the workable zipper was invented.
The first known patent for a “clasp locker” was filed in 1851 by Elias Howe, best known as the inventor of the sewing machine. Howe’s design, however, was not particularly effective, and it wasn’t until 1893 that an improved version was patented by Whitcomb Judson.
Judson’s invention, called the “clasp locker”, featured interlocking teeth that could be drawn together or pulled apart with a simple sliding motion.
While Judson’s design was an improvement on Howe’s, it still wasn’t perfect. The teeth tended to come apart easily, and the device was difficult to use.
In 1913, Gideon Sundback, a Swedish engineer working for Judson’s company, devised a way to sew the teeth onto a strip of fabric.
So how did the zipper come about?
The first known reference to a zipper-like device was in a patent filed in 1851 by Elias Howe, best known as the inventor of the sewing machine.
Howe’s device, however, wasn’t particularly effective, and it wasn’t until 1893 that an improved version was patented by Whitcomb Judson. Judson’s invention, called the “clasp locker”, featured interlocking teeth that could be drawn together or pulled apart with a simple sliding motion.
While Judson’s design was an improvement on Howe’s, it still wasn’t perfect. The teeth tended to come apart easily, and the device was difficult to use.
In 1913, Gideon Sundback, a Swedish engineer working for Judson’s company, devised a way to sew the teeth onto a strip of fabric.
This design proved to be much more successful, and zippers soon became widely used in a variety of applications, including clothing, purses, and tents.
How does a zipper work?
The modern zipper is composed of two rows of teeth on a strip of fabric or metal. One row of teeth is called the “female” and the other is called the “male.” The male teeth are slightly bigger than the female teeth and fit into the spaces between them.
To open a zipper, you simply pull the two sides of the fabric apart, which separates the two rows of teeth. To close a zipper, you line up the teeth and then push them together until they snap into place.
- Read also: The Invention Of Scissors – A Brief History Of Daily Cutting Tools
- Read also: The History of Bra – How Bra Invented And Evoluted
Timeline of the invention of the zipper:
- 1851: Elias Howe, best known for inventing the sewing machine, patents an “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.”
- 1891: Whitcomb L. Judson invents the “clasp locker,” or what we now know as the zipper.
- 1913: Gideon Sundback patents the modern zipper. His design is more reliable and easier to use than previous versions.
- 1917: The U.S. Army begins using zippers to close the fly on soldiers’ uniforms. Zippers become known as “fly front fasteners.”
- 1923: B.F. Goodrich introduces zippers to the masses by using them on its new line of rubber galoshes, which they market under the name “Zipper Boots.”
- 1930s: Zippers become popular in men’s trousers.
- 1940s: Zippers are used in a variety of garments, including children’s clothes, women’s skirts, and men’s shirts.
- Today: Zippers can be found in everything from purses and luggage to jackets and jeans. They are an essential part of our lives!
Conclusion
Zippers are an essential part of our lives, but most people don’t know how they came to be. The zipper is a simple yet ingenious invention that has been used in many different applications for more than 100 years.
It’s an essential part of our lives and we can’t live without it! Thanks to Elias Howe, Gideon Sundback (the man who invented zippers), as well all those other brilliant minds out there whose work made this possible – you’re truly restful people!
