Once upon a time in the far away land of Switzerland and an inventor, George de Mestral, decided that it was a good time to take his dog out for a nice stroll though the hills. During the walk the dog came in contact with a few bushes and ended up coming home with a few new friends
Noticing this the inventor decided to take the dog, still covered, to his in home lab where he examined the situation. Using his microscope he removed a burr and closely examined it. Burrs are seed carriers, this is why they have developed these hook like structures that attach easily to fabric as well to fur.
Mestral said thinking, "I will design a unique, two-sided fastener, one side with stiff hooks like the burrs and the other side with soft loops like the fabric of my pants. I will call my invention 'Velcro' a combination of the word velor and crochet. It will rival the zipper in its ability to fasten." After many tests, and trials there was finally an answer. When Nylon is used, Hooks can be created to mimic the structure of those on the burrs.
There were many issues when getting started. No one wanted to take on the project and make it happen. The design was finally completed in 1955, Mestral created Velcro Industries. Today it is a multi-million dollar industry, as well as a household name.
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Once upon a time in the far away land of Switzerland and an inventor, George de Mestral, decided that it was a good time to take his dog out for a nice stroll though the hills. During the walk the dog came in contact with a few bushes and ended up coming home with a few new friends
Noticing this the inventor decided to take the dog, still covered, to his in home lab where he examined the situation. Using his microscope he removed a burr and closely examined it. Burrs are seed carriers, this is why they have developed these hook like structures that attach easily to fabric as well to fur.
Mestral said thinking, "I will design a unique, two-sided fastener, one side with stiff hooks like the burrs and the other side with soft loops like the fabric of my pants. I will call my invention 'Velcro' a combination of the word velor and crochet. It will rival the zipper in its ability to fasten." After many tests, and trials there was finally an answer. When Nylon is used, Hooks can be created to mimic the structure of those on the burrs.
There were many issues when getting started. No one wanted to take on the project and make it happen. The design was finally completed in 1955, Mestral created Velcro Industries. Today it is a multi-million dollar industry, as well as a household name.
Idea Finder
Inventors. About.
