
Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer, was hired to work for the company in 1906. The Universal Fastener Company moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1901, reorganized as the Fastener Manufacturing and Machine Company. Judson is sometimes given credit as the inventor of the zipper, but his device was not used in clothing. Judson's "clasp locker" had its public debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and met with little commercial success. With the support of businessman Colonel Lewis Walker, Judson launched the Universal Fastener Company to manufacture the new device. The device served as a (more complicated) hook-and-eye shoe fastener. Judson, who invented a pneumatic street railway, patented a "Shoe-Fastening". Howe's device was more like an elaborate drawstring than a true slide fastener.įorty-two years later, in 1893, Whitcomb L. He did not try seriously to market it, thus missing the recognition that he might otherwise have received. In 1851, Elias Howe received a patent for an "Improvement in Fastenings for Garments". If a zipper fails, it can either jam (i.e. With separating zippers, the insertion pin may tear loose from the tape the tape may even disintegrate from use.


Problems often lie with the zipper slider when it becomes worn it does not properly align and join the alternating teeth. These variations are achieved by sewing one end of the zipper together, sewing both ends together, or allowing both ends of the zipper to fall completely apart.Ī zipper costs relatively little, but if it fails, the garment may be unusable until the zipper is repaired or replaced-which can be quite difficult and expensive. One example of this is military rucksacks, which have smaller pouches or bags attached to the sides using one or two zippers
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The galoshes could be fastened with a single zip of the hand, and soon the hookless fasteners came to be called "Zippers". The zipper gets its name from a brand of rubber boots (or galoshes) it was used on in 1923. Judson, an American inventor from Chicago, patented the original design from which the modern device evolved. tents and sleeping bags), and many other items, zippers come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors.

jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, camping gear (e.g.

Zippers with common teeth variations: metal teeth (top), coil teeth and plastic teethĪ zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of fabric or other flexible material.
