Who invented the zipper? Why do most Zippers have the letters YKK on them?
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To impart a bit of insight into your day, consider these words of wisdom:
Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time. - Voltaire
Nothing so obstinately stands in the way of all sorts of progress as pride of opinion; while nothing is so foolish and baseless. - J. G. Holland
As a man handles his troubles during the day, he goes to bed at night a General, Captain or Private. - Ed. Howe
I bet ya' didn't know....
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) found the plot for DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE in a nightmare.
General Thomas Jefferson Chambers (1802-1865), after whom Chambers County, Texas, was named, was given 66,420 acres of land for serving as judge for the Superior Court of Texas, yet he never once convened the court. The land deeded to him included the present site of Austin.
Things
that make you go Hmmm....
Why do tourists go to the tops of tall buildings and then put money into telescopes so they can see things on the ground close-up?
The little old lady seated herself right behind the bus driver. Every ten minutes or so she'd pipe up, "Have we reached Oriskany Falls yet, sonny?"
"No, lady, not yet. I'll let you know," he replied, time after time.
The hours passed, the old woman kept asking for Oriskany Falls, and finally the little town came into view. Sighing with relief, the driver slammed on the brakes, pulled over and called out, "This is where you get out, lady."
"Is this Oriskany Falls?"
"YES!" he bellowed. "Get out!"
"Oh, I'm going all the way to Albany, sonny," she explained sweetly. "It's just that my daughter told me that when we got this far, I should take my blood pressure pill."
Ever wonder about people who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the TV remote because they refuse to walk to the TV and change the channel manually?
MAKING COFFEE Making a cup of coffee is like making love to a beautiful woman. It's got to be hot. You've got to take your time. You've got to stir . . . gently, and firmly. You've got to grind your beans until they squeak. And then you put in the milk.
LAYING A CARPET Laying a carpet is . . . very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You check the dimensions, lay her out on the floor, pin her down, nail her, then walk all over her. If you're adventurous - like me - you might like to try an underlay.
HANGING WALLPAPER Well, hanging wallpaper is also very much like making love to a beautiful woman. Clean all the relevant surfaces, spread her out on the table, cover her with paste, and stick her up. Then you clean your brush, light your pipe, stand back and admire your handiwork.
PUTTING UP A TENT Putting up a tent, is . . . very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You rent her, unzip the door, put up your pole an' . . . slip in to the old bag.
MORE ACTUAL SIGNS
On a fence, "Salesmen welcome. Dog food is expensive."
At a car dealership, "The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
Outside a muffler shop, "No appointment necessary. We'll hear you coming."
TRIVIA
ANSWER:
Whitcomb L. Judson invented the zipper and YKK is the Japanese company
that makes them.
Whitcomb L. Judson was a lover of gadgets and machines and the idea for his "clasp locker" came from when a friend had a stiff back from trying to fasten his shoes. Judson's clasp locker was used mostly on mailbags, tobacco pouches and shoes. However, his design, like most first inventions needed to be fine-tuned.
A more practical version came on the scene in 1913 when a Swedish-born engineer, Gideon Sundback revised Judson's idea and made his with metal teeth instead of a hook and eye design. In 1917, Sundback patented his "separable fastener."
The name changed again when the B. F. Goodrich Co. used it in rubber boots, galoshes, and called it the "zipper" because the boots could be fastened with one hand.
The 1940s brought about research in Europe of the coil zipper design. The first design was of interlocking brass coils. However, since they could be permanently bent out of shape, making the zipper stop functioning, it was rather bad for business and wasn't too practical. The new design was improved after the discovery of stronger, more flexible synthetics. Coil zippers eventually hit the market in the early 1960s.
In 1934, Yoshida Kogyo Kabushililaisha was founded. Sixty years later they changed their name to YKK Co. The privately owned firm, headquartered in Japan, now is made up of 80 companies at 206 facilities in 52 countries. Wow! you say? but of course, the demand for zippers is great. YKK makes everything from the dyed fabric around the zipper to the brass used to make the actual device.