Velcro was invented in the 1940's by a Swiss electrical engineer named George de Mestral who got the idea after a walk in the woods with his dog. Arriving home, he discovered hundreds of cockleburs stuck to his clothes and his dog's fur. Being an inquisitive man, he examined the burrs under a microscope and noted the stiff hooked spines, perfect for grabbing clothing, hair and fur.Cockleburs can only reproduce by being carried from one location to the next; however, their hold is so strong that they have become an invasive species around the world due to increased travel. George recognized the unique value of this natural hook and loop fastener system and set out to create a fabric fastener that would mimic it. Thus the idea for Velcro was born!
It took George eight years of trail and error to perfect his invention and in 1952 he quit his job and took out a loan to start his own company and focus exclusively on his Velcro product. In the beginning stages, the loops were too big for the hooks and vice versa. He tried nylon but couldn't cut the nylon and produce useable hooks. George eventually teamed up with a French weaver and learned to perfectly mimic nature's burr-like hooks. Together the men also created a fabric the burrs could grab onto.
Production started in the mid 1950s and while George had great plans for the millions of uses he saw for his invention, the 1960s debut was disappointing. The public disliked the cheap, clumsy appearance and considered the product impractical and too ugly to use for quality clothing. Despite these setbacks, Velcro was embraced by the aerospace industry as the perfect solution for astronauts needing to get in and out of space suits and anchor equipment to the space shuttles.
Gradually the demand and popularity of Velcro has increased and this product is now used in everything. Some examples are sports wear and equipment, children's clothing and shoes, office equipment, medical industries, aircraft, and automotive industries. While the original product is made from nylon, newer varieties made from stainless steel plastic, and silver have been developed.
Fun Facts about Velcro:
• The name comes from the two French words for velvet (velour) and hook (crochet.)
• Voted by scientists as the best invention of the century.
• Used during the 1st artificial heart surgery to hold the heart together.
• David Letterman used it to attach himself to a wall on his show.
• Stuck to the inside of space helmets so astronauts can scratch their itchy faces.
Who Invented Velcro
No comments:
Post a Comment