-
Whitcomb L. Judson First Patent
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html On one side is the fastener is a row of hook-like clasps. The other side was a row of attachments. The slide feeds the rows together to seperate the rows, and the other fastens the rows together. -
Period: to
Timeline of the Zipper
-
Whitcomb L. Judson Second Patent
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The second patent simplifies the zipper clasps. The zipper is still being used for shoes. -
Universal Fastener Company
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Universal Fastener Company opens in Chigago. Lewis Walker and Harry Earle join Judson. -
Judson Simplifies the Zipper
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Judson uses cloth tape on the edge of the clasps and eyes. Could be put into a shoe or sewed into clothing. -
Automatic Hook and Eye Company
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Universal Fastener Company relocates to Hoboken, New Jersey and changes the name to Automatic Hook and Eye Company. They introduce the C-Curity fastener; this is aimed towards women, even though it does not become popular because of the style and size. -
Gideon Sundback
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Joins the company and introduces the Planko. This makes each side more secure, but when the zipper is bent, it is unstable. -
Sundback and the Hookless #1
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Sundback creates a new technology without eyes and clasps. He uses a new form of zipper with interlocking teeth. Still, the zipper could not be used for more than certain things. -
Sundback and the Hookless #2
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The Hookless #2 is basically the same thing as the modern zipper. This is different from all the other zippers so far because it was now fastened together tightly and now was manual for users. This put a large load on machines of this time because there was no room for a mistake between teeth. -
New Technology
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The Automatic Hook and Eye Company start selling this new product. Women still did not like this idea because they mainly just did not see the point of reconstructing the clothing. The price of this was also a problem for the company. -
Different Users
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Sailors and Soldiers started using the zipper. 24,000 money belts are sold during the months of the war. -
The Zipper
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The term zipper is created by B.F. Goodrich Company and used this to sell their new rubber shoes with the zipper on them. Rumor has it that the term zipper came from the actual sound that it made. -
Children's Clothing
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The zipper became introduced into kids clothing for easier access for the youth. This caused the zipper to be produced in other mens and womens clothing because the children were an experiment for the zipper at the time. -
Men's Clothing
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Men used the zipper in this time for tighter shoes and also for clothing such as: jackets, pants, and coats. Men liked the idea of the zipper so much, they wanted it mostly used in pants. -
Women's Clothing
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html Women continued to dislike the idea of the zipper until the 1937 because they didn't feel it was flexible at the time. By this time the zipper was more reliable in clothing and used in skirts for women. -
Zipper Becomes Famous
-
Zippers Sold
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html By this time, one billion zippers are sold annually. -
The YKK Group
http://www.umich.edu/~lsarth/RTHf08/HumTechF08IndiProjects/ALevene/index.html The YKK Group was renamed from the company for the zipper. -