The Zipper

1
The Zipper

• By Ryan Fallon

2
Menu Slide

• The Inventor(s)
• Early Prototypes
• How has the zipper changed our lives?
• Interesting info.
• Bibliography

3
The Inventor(s)

• There are three main inventors that can be
  credited with inventing the zipper. The first to
  come up with an idea was Elias Howe. Howe did not
  want to pursue his idea so he cannot be credited
  with the invention. We will give him some credit
  though. Next was Whitcomb Judson. Whitcomb did
  pursue his idea. He even opened a company with
  Colonel Lewis Walker. They called this the
  Universal Fastener Company. They later hired
  Gideon Sundback. Gideon Sundback later became
  head designer. He was hired so that he could
  improve Judsons early work.

4
Early Prototypes

• Every inventor that I just mentioned had his own
  prototype. All they did was improve the others
  ideas. Elias Howe called his prototype the
  automatic continuous clothing closure. Judson
  called his the clasp locker. Lastly, Sundback
  called his the separable fastener.

5
How has the zipper changed our lives?

• Without the zipper our pants would be falling
  down. We would be using buttons to hold up our
  pants. Zippers are more stylish than buttons. The
  zipper is mostly used on jeans and jackets. I
  think that jeans might not have succeeded as well
  as they did if zippers were not invented. Zippers
  are more sturdy rather than buttons.

6
Interesting Information

• Zippers are the most commonly used things that
  keep pants together. The zipper has ten to eleven
  fastening elements per inch. The name zipper came
  from the B.F. Goodrich company. Lastly, zippers
  became popular in the 1930s when a sales
  campaign for childrens clothing featured the
  zipper.

7
Bibliography

• Web Sites
• http//inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa082497
  .htm February 18, 2005
• Images
• Picture of zipper www.visi.com/dheaton/
  bride/lament.html February 16, 2005
• Picture of zipper www.bedtime.com/
  html/y_s___z_s.html February 18, 2005
• Pictures of Judson, Sundback, clasp locker, and
  zipper http//inventors.about.com/library/weekly/a
  a082497.htm February 18, 2005