Oh Zipper, We Love You; National Zipper Day April 29

Where would we be without the zipper? The thing that closes most of your pants, coats, purses and book bags? The invention you probably have not spent much time thinking about?

According to Thomasnet.com what we now know as the zipper first made an appearance in 1853 described as the following "An Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure."

In 1891 Whitcomb Judson, filed a patent for an item called, "Clasp Locker or Unlocker for Shoes." The above versions where subsequently tweaked by other inventors and engineers, all looking to make a product that was not only usable, but also one that allowed the closure to be flexible without the two halves separating.

Gideon Sundbock, started making adjustments to his designs for the zipper in 1913 with a more flexible interlocking design (a design which does look more like a zipper you would be familiar with).

According to multiple sources, Sundbocks design was one that is considered to be successful, but people either didn't trust it to work or just didn't want to change from what had been working for them with other available closures of the time. It was the start of World War I that brought the zipper to the forefront to be used in boots, flight suits and eventually ruck sacks.

So for National Zipper Day, April 29, 2019 remember to make sure that your zipper is secured, where ever it is.

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