Zipper

A fastening device whose interlocking teeth open and close as a slider moves along them. It joins two flexible edges and can be reopened without damage.

Zipper slider: The moving part of a zipper that guides opposing rows of teeth together or apart. Its shaped channel forces the teeth into engagement or separation as it travels.
Elias Howe: An American inventor best known for developing the practical sewing machine. His 1851 patent described an early automatic garment fastener, decades before practical zippers.
Metal zipper: A zipper with individual metal elements attached along its tapes. Metal teeth are used where a sturdy, visible closure is desired, including jeans.
Button: A small fastening object passed through a slit or loop to hold material together. Buttons fasten at separate points rather than joining edges continuously.
Zipper teeth: The repeated elements along zipper tapes that interlock when pressed together. Their alternating shapes create the continuous closure the slider controls.
Whitcomb L. Judson: An American inventor who patented a clasp locker for shoes in 1893. His device was an influential predecessor, though it did not work like a modern zipper.
Molded-tooth zipper: A zipper with separate plastic teeth molded directly onto its tape. Its corrosion-resistant teeth suit outdoor gear and other demanding uses.
Hook-and-loop fastener: A closure made from two surfaces that grip through interlocking hooks and loops. It opens by pulling surfaces apart rather than moving a slider along teeth.
Zipper tape: The fabric strip carrying a zipper’s teeth or coils along its edge. It anchors each row of teeth to the material being fastened.
Gideon Sundback: A Swedish-American electrical engineer who developed a practical interlocking fastener in the early twentieth century. His improved design established the closely spaced teeth and slider arrangement used by modern zippers.

Linked from 8 pages