Small but great invention
——The invention of the zipper in 1931. Imagine that without a zipper, an adult dress or a long-distance travel bag would have to be equipped with at least a dozen buttons. It takes a while to put it on and untie it. It has only been a few decades since the zipper came out, but it has already conquered the world. Now, who can say that they have never used a zipper? No matter how big or small an invention is, as long as it can provide convenience to people, it will have eternal vitality. The invention of the zipper is an excellent example of this.
Around 1893, American engineer Whitcomb Judson used the principle of concave and convex teeth to design a closing and opening system that could slide quickly and applied for a patent. This is the earliest zipper. The zipper connection method is different from the traditional connection method. For many years, people have been accustomed to using buttons to tie clothes and straps to tie shoes. These connection methods are not completely closed, which is time-consuming and unstable. The zipper is undoubtedly a major breakthrough in the history of invention.
The quality of the zippers initially produced was poor. They either exploded easily or could not be pulled open. In 1905, zipper-making machines began to operate, but the products were still crude. In 1912, the Swede Sundback modified Judson's invention and designed a set of primary and secondary teeth on the back of the zipper teeth, which made the zipper buckle strong, reliable, and much more delicate and beautiful. Sundback initially put zippers on women's clothing, but they were afraid that if the zipper broke on its own, they would be embarrassed in public, so they were unable to promote it. At this time, a pilot was flying a plane to perform a flight show, and a button rolled into the machine, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone. Sundback seized this opportunity and immediately contacted the military department and suggested sewing new military uniforms equipped with zippers. The trial proved that this kind of military uniform was very popular. Since then, more and more people know about zippers.
After 1931, zippers began to be widely used around the world. People sewed it on wallets, handbags, backpacks, and later on clothing. People find that zippers are indeed a convenient and easy-to-use thing. Since then, zippers have emerged in endless varieties. In addition to metal, plastic materials have also been used, and their uses have become more and more extensive. In addition to being used on clothes, zippers are also used in many other industries. Now, the length of zippers manufactured every year in the world exceeds 400,000 kilometers and can circle the earth 10 times.
The advent of the zipper was just a small invention, but since then the whole world has been inseparable from it. Like buttons, bras, ballpoint pens and other small inventions, it has greatly improved people's quality of life.