Origin and parts of zipper

March 03, 2018 BY TRIMS CO.,LIMITED Zippers Knowledge

Zippers are connected pieces that rely on consecutively arranged elements to merge or separate items. The separating zippers, invisible zippers, polyester zippers, nylon zippers,metal zippers are now widely used in clothing, bags, tents and other items. The heavy duty zipper looks like a small fastener, but in fact he is a very important accessory in the sewing industry.

In 1893 (one said in 1883), an American engineer (Kuwait) named Judson developed a "sliding device" and obtained a patent. This was the original prototype of a zipper. However, this invention did not quickly catch on, mainly because the quality of this early locking device was not sufficient, and it was easy to loosen at inappropriate times and places, which made people embarrassed.

In 1912, the employee of the Judson company Sundback improved this "automatic button" and changed each tooth on the chain into a convex and concave shape, so that the teeth can completely correspond to the bite. It's not easy to get stuck, it's not easy to break apart, and it has a new name-zipper. And now in the modern era, both zippers and buttons stand side by side as the most commonly used fastening material.

A standard zipper will consist of five basic parts: the top stop, slider, elements/teeth, tape and bottom stop. Other parts can be found, depending on the style and special design of the zippers. These parts include inset pins, box pins and retaining box. Below we will further discuss the three zipper parts of slider, element and tape.

Zipper Sliders

The slider is the part you slide across the elements to open or close the zipper, hence the name. The elements will be separated or joined depending on the position of the slider.A zipper slider has two parts, the slider itself and the pull tab. Zippers commonly have one slider, but sometimes a double slider can be found, depending on the purpose and design.

Zipper Tapes

The tape is the part that attaches the zipper together, both to the elements/teeth and to the garment, bag or any item that the zipper is attached to.Zipper tapes are distinguished by the material of which it was made. The most common material used is polyester. Others are synthetic fiber, vinyl, and cotton.

Zipper Elements

Elements, also known as teeth, are the teeth-looking shaped parts attached to the tape of the zipper. The teeth will be separated or joined when passed through the slider as desired. Teeth can be made of metal or plastics.