The Zipper's History And Timeline

The unique history and time line of the zipper spans over twenty years It may be said the was invented by more then one person for there are more than one patent and more than one person involved in to get the zipper to it's final place in the modern world.

The Zipper's Time Line

1851: The 1^st patent was issued on November 25^th to Elias Howe for the “Automatic Continues Clothing Closure” the patent # 8,540.Elias Howe also invented the sewing machine ,it maybe because of the success of the sewing machine that the zipper he never perused the his patent on the zipper.

1851: Mr. Whitcomb Judson marketed a “Clasp Locker” this was similar to Elias Howe’s patent Whitcomb is credited for being the inventor of the zipper even though his 1893 patent did not use the word zipper.

1893: The “Shoe Fastener Hook Eye” patent was issued to whitcomb on August 25^th

1894: The “Universal Fastener Company” was founded.

1904: The “ Automatic Hook and Eye Company”

1905: The “C-urity, Judson Whit comb

1913: The “Hookless Fastener” Otto Fredrick

1917: Talon Inc. “Separable Fastener” Gideon Sunback’s patent # 1,219,881 (U.S.) on March 20^th 1917.

1927: B.F. Goodrich Company was the company that named the zipper this was a registered trademark for overshoes with fasteners.

1928:” Hookless Fastener Company” renamed “Talon Inc.”

1934: YKK group zipper manufacturing the following clothing apparel zipper fastening device.

1946: YKK is a registered trademark

Judson Whitcomb invented his first “Clasp Locker” due to a friend that had trouble doing up his shoes so Judson came up with a slide clasp fastener that opened and closed with one hand.

Judson’s first partner was Harry Earle of Minneapolis in 1888-1889 he is described as a traveling agent for “The Harry Earle Company“. Earle raised capital to the fasteners into production having just enough success to set up small shops but not enough to make it big. Earle would keep finding investors to invest the first of them being in
Pennsylvania then Ohio finally Hoboken New Jersey. About the turn of the century Harry Earle moved operations to New Jersey. After finding a new source of capital. He also recruited the Manville Brothers. Judson’s last contributions to the zipper was in 1904. He simplified the design of the fastener. He made a series of hooks and eyes and claimed the opposing rows of hooks and eyes to the edge of cloth tape. The tape could then be fastened into the shoe by sewing. The tape characterizes the modern zipper. The new design made the zipper able to keep fabrication machinery going to make the first commercial introduction of the fastener.

The "Clasp Locker " was made it's first public debut at the 1839 Chicago World's Fair with very little commercial success .

In 1893 Col. Walker was a major participant in “ The Universal Fastener Company” in 1984 he showed off a pair of shoes with the latest design of he fastener almost every where he went. Col. Walker also put money into the company.

The patent was described as not very good and with a usefulness for only shoes in 1896.

In 1905“ The C-cuntry Fastener was brought to market by the “Automatic Hook and Eye Company”. Their marketing target was for women for the use in their dresses and skirts. At this time Harry Earle had given up on the company, assuming the leadership position was Col. Walker and it soon began to reflect Col. Walkers style. The company was failing and the blame was placed on the technical deficiency.Peter Aaronson was hired as machinist along with Gideon Sundback . Gideon married Peter's daughter Elvira 1909.Elvira died in 1911 after her death Gideon devoted himself to his work by 1913 he had designed the modern zipper.

Gideon Sundback introduced a new model called the “Plato Fastener” shortly after joining the company. The Plato was sold in some quantity but still was unreliable. With the modified design of the hook and eye matching each side to making it more secure enough were sold to sustain the business between 1906-1913. Gideon also help to keep the company afloat by doing odd jobs for other inventors and repairing machines for other companies

In 1912 the new design “Hookless # 1 “ actually reassembled the zipper of today but with the wear on the cloth tape was so severe it failed.

The “Hookless # 2” ( hooklees hooker ) fastener elements changed it no longer looked like hooks and eyes. Instead it had interlocking scoops that joined together , fight tightly, slide easily, released one another when separated and didn’t fasten themselves. These were Patented on 4/13/1913.

Gideon Sundbock also created the manufacturing machine for the new zipper called the “S -L “ or the scrape less machine within the first year of operation the S-L machine was producing a few hundred feet of fasteners a day.

The next accomplishment in the history of the zipper is that it could open from both ends.

A similar device had been patented in Switzerland by Catharina-Khun-Moss in 1912 they were similar but with but with such differences that it would make it unlikely it could have been successfully manufactured.

The success of the of “Hookless # 2 was used by the army these fasteners were put on soldiers clothing and gear during WW1.

The Navy used side fasteners on their windproof flying suits in1917

    The zipper campaign hit department stores in 1933-1934 called “Bye-Bye-Buttons. This campaign convinced parents they were holding their children back if they didn’t provide them with zippered clothing. A cotton with buttons costs 69 cents with a zipper the same dress cost $1.39 Child psychologists were brought in to suggest that the reasonable parent didn’t really have a choice. The campaign however was short lived for the children wanted to dress like mom and dad.

   There for the adult campaign was once again back on success was slow to come but in the summer of 1937 it exploded at least in men’s clothing. The Duke of Windsor was trend setting with a choice of a “zip” in his trousers.

   Advertised in magazines like The New Yorker and Esquire agreement with clothiers like Kuppenheimer along with technical refinement such as the automatic locking zipper.

The zipper was showing up everywhere in men’s clothing from hunting clothes to overshoes. It was now reliable and inconspicuous.

1936: 6% -of summer had zippers in them

1936:- 20% and climbing

1937: Zippers would now be in women’s fashions. When the Pairs fashion show became obsessed with trim sleek lines the campaign was promising women that zippers would end the horror of ’Gaposis “ forever that’s what sealed the deal.

1940 A survey o Princeton students and alumni was taken about the zipper and it was a success all but the most stubborn conservatives wore zippers.

  By this time there were many zipper manufactures. In 1939 three hundred million zippers had been sold that was twice as many as the year before.

  During WW 11 The consumer was cheated because the zipper was made with copper. After the war sale caught up by 1950 the annual zipper sale exceed one billion.

    A BF Good Rich executive is believed to have said “Zip er up” while sliding the fastener up and down on the boot echoing the zip sounding that the boot made. This is how the zipper got it’s name.

   In 1875 zip was first recorded as a noun and as a adverb in 1852.BF God Rich sued to protect it’s trademark name as it was being used to describe a sound made by a moving object. It was also used in articles as the fastener that “zipped”. The only propriety rights retained were over zipper boots. Zipper it’s self is now a common noun.