| Who invented the zipper? |
EasyNews, UseNet made Ea .. |
| ::darkshadows:: (blood@thirsty.net) |
2008/06/12 15:24 |
Who invented the zipper?
Why do most Zippers have the letters YKK on them?
Whitcomb L. Judson invented the zipper and YKK is the Japanese company
that makes them.
Whitcomb L. Judson was a lover of gadgets and machines and the idea
for his "clasp locker" came from when a friend had a stiff back from
trying to fasten his shoes. Judson's clasp locker was used mostly on
mailbags, tobacco pouches and shoes. However, his design, like most
first inventions needed to be fine-tuned.
A more practical version came on the scene in 1913 when a Swedish-born
engineer, Gideon Sundback revised Judson's idea and made his with
metal teeth instead of a hook and eye design. In 1917, Sundback
patented his "separable fastener."
The name changed again when the B. F. Goodrich Co. used it in rubber
boots, galoshes, and called it the "zipper" because the boots could be
fastened with one hand.
The 1940s brought about research in Europe of the coil zipper design.
The first design was of interlocking brass coils. However, since they
could be permanently bent out of shape, making the zipper stop
functioning, it was rather bad for business and wasn't too practical.
The new design was improved after the discovery of stronger, more
flexible synthetics. Coil zippers eventually hit the market in the
early 1960s.
In 1934, Yoshida Kogyo Kabushililaisha was founded. Sixty years later
they changed their name to YKK Co. The privately owned firm,
headquartered in Japan, now is made up of 80 companies at 206
facilities in 52 countries. Wow! you say? but of course, the demand
for zippers is great. YKK makes everything from the dyed fabric around
the zipper to the brass used to make the actual device.
Did you know?
In the 1930s a sales campaign ran for children's clothing that used
the new zippers. The device was praised for promoting self-reliance in
young children. "Mommy look! One zip and I'm all dressed!"
In 1937 in the Battle of the Fly it was zipper versus button. French
fashion designers went wild for the new invention for men's trousers.
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