What could be simpler than a zipper on clothes. It entered our lives relatively recently, but is firmly entrenched. It is used for clothing, car covers, shoes, bags, etc.
But it took the inventors of this simple device more than 20 years to perfect it and present it to consumers, and another 10 years to win the trust of customers and introduce it to the masses.
As a result of the improvement, more than one people saw type of lightning. They are all similar in operating principle, but slightly different in structure and purpose.
What is lightning and its types
A zipper or zipper is 2 strips of fabric; a spiral or teeth are attached to them in a checkerboard pattern. The design has a lock or slider. The lock tapers downward and connects the teeth together as it moves.
When moving back, the teeth pass through the narrow part of the lock and are separated in its wide part. This occurs due to the staggered arrangement of the teeth; when closed, 1 link is fixed by 2 teeth located opposite.
The design also has upper and lower limiters that prevent the slider from jumping out and involuntary separation of parts.
The prototype of the modern zipper was patented in 1891. In 1913, the world saw an improved version of the fastener, but it reached the general public only in 1923.
Fasteners are divided into types, depending on the material and structure:
- tractor;
- spiral;
- metal;
- secret;
- detachable and non-detachable.
Tractor
This species received its name because of its external similarity to tractor tracks. Plastic teeth are attached to the textile tape; they are shaped like mushrooms. The part that is attached to the fabric is wide and square, and the protruding element looks like a mushroom cap. Otherwise, the design is no different - there is a slider, limiters and a tongue or puller.
Puller – suspension of a zipper runner or slider. A person grabs it when he needs to fasten the zipper.
Tractor zippers come in different sizes, but due to their lower strength, they are used mainly for outerwear.
Spiral
A spiral or twisted fastener is different from a metal and tractor fastener. Instead of teeth, a spiral of synthetic fiber is sewn to the textile strip. Sometimes the spiral is not sewn to the fabric, but wound around it.
Area of application: outerwear, sweaters, bags and wallets, dresses. There are other uses for spiral fasteners, but these are the most common.
The first zipper was invented by Elijah Howe back in the mid-19th century. But the inventor was ahead of his time and simply did not find its use. Therefore, the idea was forgotten.
Metal
The design is similar to a tractor, but the teeth are made of metal - brass or nickel.The shape of the teeth is also different - instead of a mushroom, the connecting part has a protrusion on one side and a recess on the other.
The clasp is the strongest among all, but sometimes malfunctions occur - in simple words, it jams.
The prototype of the modern fastener used small hooks instead of the current teeth. Therefore, production required a lot of effort; it was inconvenient and fragile to use.
Used for outerwear, often leather jackets, wallets and trousers. It is this fastener that is most often sewn into jeans.
Secret
The teeth of the hidden zipper are covered with fabric, so they are almost invisible. By sewing it into clothes, when connecting the parts, only a small strip and puller remain visible.
It is made from a spiral fastener, only the slider is not as flat as in open zippers.
Suitable for dresses, side-fastening trousers, diving suits or dance wear, including sportswear.
Detachable and one-piece structures
At first glance it sounds complicated, but in fact the detachable one is used for fastening jackets, and the non-detachable one for trousers.
The one-piece design has limiters at the upper and lower ends. Only the lower stops are connected to each other so that the connected parts of the clothing do not separate completely - zippers on pants, covers or bags.
The design of a one-piece zipper is more complicated. Limiters are attached to the upper part on both sides. But downstairs everything is different. Instead of a limiter, a pin is attached to one side, which freely passes through the slider hole. On the opposite side, the stopper is widened and has a hole for a pin.
To close the zipper, the pin must be inserted into the slider and the hole on the opposite stopper.There is more load on this structure, so manufacturers make it stronger. The connected parts of clothing are completely separated from each other - a zipper on a jacket or sweater.
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