The Invention of the Zipper

Although buttons were easy to use, there were times when better ways to fasten clothing together were needed. Depending on how the buttons were arranged on one’s clothes, the simple act of sitting down could be cumbersome and could damage the upholstery on furniture. Also, buttons do not provide a very tight seal, which is important in cold climates.

In 1851, inventor Elias Howe (who also invented the sewing machine), received a patent for a device called an “Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure.” This would be the first version of what we commonly refer to as a zipper today. Although Howe invented this device, the popularity of the sewing machine occupied so much of his time and effort that he never pursued the development of a market for his invention.

Over forty years would go by with no zippers until another inventor, Whitcomb Judson, developed a similar device he called the “Clasp Locker.” Unlike Howe, Whitcomb decided to market his invention. He formed the Universal Fastener Company to manufacture clasp lockers. Unfortunately, in spite of his best efforts, his product did not capture the public’s attention and never really took off.

All was not lost, however. One of Judson’s engineers, a Swedish gentleman named Gideon Sundback, began working on different designs for the clasp locker. It was Sundback who would create what we would consider to be the first modern zipper, which Sundlack named the “Separable Fastener.” In addition to the “Separable Fastener,” he also invented a machine that could manufacture the device, making several hundred per day.

One of the first buyers for Sundback’s invention was the B.F. Goodrich Company. They wanted to use the device to act as a fastener for a new design they had for rubber boots. It was the people at Goodrich that coined the name “zipper.”

Now the heavy duty zippers are mostly use for garment and bags.

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Jessica Kung

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