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VelcroPerhaps the world’s most ingenious and versatile fastening method is the hook and loop fastener known by the trade name Velcro®. The idea for the unique fastener came from an accidental observation. In the early 1950s George deMestral went for a walk in the countryside of Switzerland. Returning home, he noticed that his jacket was covered with cockleburs. As he began picking them off, he wondered what made them stick so tenaciously. Curiosity led him to use a microscope to investigate more carefully. He discovered that cockleburs are covered with hooks, and the hooks had become embedded in the loops of the fabric of his cloth jacket. DeMestral wondered whether a system patterned after the cocklebur could be designed that would be useful rather than a nuisance…and the rest is fastener history. Today cocklebur-type hooks and woven loops secure everything from children’s shoes to microphones in space shuttles. The name "Velcro" is derived appropriately from velvet and crochet.
Last Updated: 02/16/03 |
