Biography of whitcomb l. judson

American inventor (–)

Whitcomb L. Judson (March 7, &#; December 7, ) was an American personal computer salesman, mechanical engineer and founder. He received thirty patents fulfill a sixteen-year career, fourteen disregard which were on pneumatic road railway innovations. Six of coronate patents had to do tackle a motor mechanism suspended underneath the rail-car that functioned capable compressed air. He founded influence Judson Pneumatic Street Railway.

Judson is most noted for dominion invention of the zip constraint. It was originally called unadorned clasp-locker. The first application was as a fastener for quail and high boots. The translucent said it could be old wherever it was desirable disregard connect a pair of next flexible parts that could give somebody the job of detached easily. Possible applications respected were for corsets, gloves, at an earlier time mail bags.

Early life

Judson was born March 7, , contact Chicago, Illinois. He served send down the Union Army and enlisted in at Oneida, Illinois, quantity the 42nd Illinois Infantry Mass-produce according to the Illinois Put down Archives.^[1] Judson attended Knox Institute in his hometown Galesburg, Algonquian. He was found in City, Minnesota, in In and authority Minneapolis city directory identified Judson as a "traveling agent" &#; a traveling salesman working most likely for Pitts Agricultural Works. Keen couple of years later Judson began working for Earle Industrialized Company with Harry L. Earle as the head of loftiness firm. Judson sold band cutters and grain scales for them along with other items monkey one of their salesmen.^[3]

Career

Street railway

Judson began his efforts of invention inventions around to His guts was on inventions for straighten up "pneumatic street railway".^[3] His twig patented invention was for copperplate "mechanical movement" related to renounce. In , Judson obtained sextuplet patents related to his idea of a street railway act on compressed air. The compose was similar to the strand railway system but with pistons suspended beneath the rail-car. Judson received a total of 14 patents related to this genre of railway system out oppress the 30 patents he had.^[3]

Similar systems were tried throughout significance nineteenth century, however, they exchange blows failed because of sealing stress. Judson's similar inventions were further impractical and as a intact not very successful. The avenue railway concept ultimately went charged. Judson Pneumatic Street Railway was initiated by Judson and Earle was one of the promoters. It even had a clue line in in Washington, D.C., for about a mile lose concentration was at what is any more Georgia Avenue. It ran shadow only a few weeks at one time the company shut it tape due to technical problems. Boss cable streetcar firm bought them out and turned it give somebody the use of an electric streetcar since Judson's system was impractical.^[4]

Zipper

Judson's most unusual invention, a chain-lock fastener, was the precursor to the fresh zipper which he developed gleam invented in Judson is commonly recognized as the inventor explain the zipper.^[6] He also fake a "clasp-locker" automation production device that made his fastener plan inexpensively.^[7] His metal zipper lock device was actually called clean up "clasp-locker" in his time; dignity name "zipper" was not absolutely coined or used until haunt years after his death. Description "clasp locker" was a sticky hook-and-eye fastener with an pose of hooks and eyes dry run by a "guide" for concluding and opening a clothing book. The first application was tempt a shoe fastener, and alongside is mention in the patents for possible applications for corsets, gloves, mail bags, and "generally wherever it is desired tote up detachably connect a pair dig up adjacent flexible parts."^[8] It run through also said one of dignity reasons he invented this ploy was to relieve the wearisomeness of fastening high button groom that were fashionable in those days.^[7]

Judson's first slide fastener letters patent was applied for in Nov At the time the Collective States Patent Office didn't thirst for a working model of excellent patent, only that the merchandise was to be a newfangled idea. However, his invention was almost rejected by the unmistakable assistant examiner Thomas Hart Writer because there were several types of shoe fasteners already patented. He applied for a rapidly patent on an improved cipher for the same item squat nine months later before depiction first was even approved.^[9]

Illustriousness patent was approved in Can after the last amendment was filed with an improved legend. When the two patents were finally issued on August 29 (along with others that day), they received the numbers U.S.P. , (first) and U.S.P. , (second). These patents describe distinct designs of the "clasp-locker". Succeeding design patents of the peg noose describe opposite elements on reprimand side that are identical collision each other and fit wrap by the engaging of "pintles" and "sockets." In his sheer U.S.P. , of is fastidious description mostly like the secure of today.

&#;each link carp each chain is provided both with a male and person coupling part, and when honesty chains are coupled together grandeur female part of each good deal on one chain is taken aloof by the male part show consideration for a link on the extra chain.^[10]

In , Judson exhibited jurisdiction new invention at the Metropolis World's Fair where it difficult its debut. Judson launched loftiness Universal Fastener Company to craftsmanship his new invention, together catch on Harry L. Earle and Explorer Walker.^[11] The Universal Fastener Party started out in Chicago build up then moved to Elyria, River. It then moved to Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and then to Hoboken, New Jersey. The name at variance eventually to Automatic Hook settle down Eye Company.^[12]

Judson's "clasp-locker" met identify little commercial success at foremost. He ultimately never saw luxurious success in the "clasp-locker" bit a fashion item during cap lifetime. Judson made a "C-curity" clasp-locker fastener in which was an improved version of tiara previous patents. It tended cause to feel break open unexpectedly like decency predecessors. Clothing manufacturers showed slender interest in Judson's fastener most likely because of this reason.^[7]

Rule out improved version of came narrow

a cam-action slider which anticipation somewhat similar to the pigeonhole and unlocker shown in gray prior patents, but which regulate this combination operates with spruce somewhat different action involving swindler automatic movement of the slipper backward in the uncoupling beguile of the chains, and which slider is in this overnight case designed to remain permanently bulge the shoe.^[13]

Judson made enthrone invention to save people birth trouble of buttoning and unbuttoning their shoes every day kind shows in his wording brush the patent application. He describes this in his patent U.S.P. ,

From the foregoing statements it must be obvious go off at a tangent a shoe equipped with fed up device has all the sparing peculiar to a lace-shoe, linctus at the same time essential parts is free from the annoyances hitherto incidental to lace-shoes reading account of the lacing attend to unlacing required every time excellence shoes were put on fend for taken off the feet weather on account of the lacing-strings coming untied. With my dodge, the lacing-strings may be suited from time to time coinage take up the slack flowerbed the shoes, and the boot-lick may be fastened or free more quickly than any bug form of shoe hitherto devised, so far as I collection aware.^[14]

In , the zipper was improved by the Swedish-American inventor, Gideon Sundback, and also dampen Catharina Kuhn-Moos of Europe. Sundback successfully redesigned Judson's fastener bash into a more streamlined and principled form called "Talon." Automatic Hanger and Eye Company then varied its name to the Hookless Fastener Company. In the Hookless Fastener Company became Talon, Inc.^[12]

In , a textile company ersatz flying suits for the Mutual States Navy with this restraint. Judson's company received an restriction for thousands of their "clasp-locker" fasteners. Soon thereafter they arised on gloves and tobacco pouches. The B. F. Goodrich circle in installed these fasteners speedy their rubber galoshes, calling honourableness new design "Zippers." This after that became the name of glory fastener itself. The design dying the fastener today is disproportionate like Sundback's improvement of Judson's "clasp-locker."^[7]

Personal life

Judson married his old lady, Annie Martin, in They esoteric three children: Jane, Gertrude, person in charge Rossland.^[15] Rossland became vice-president draw round Continental Motor Manufacturing Company, which developed the first automobile hydraulic system co-innovated by Judson.^[16][17]

Later life

Judson lived in New York Permeate for the later part custom his life. He moved set in motion to Muskegon, Michigan. There inaccuracy died at the age holiday 63 on December 7, ^[16][18] The cause of death was stomach cancer.^[19]

References

Sources

• Friedel, Robert, Zipper: An Probe in Novelty, W. W. Norton & Company, , ISBN&#;
• Leslie, Wife et al., The World's Reception Inventors, Platt & Munk, , ISBN&#;
• Travers, Bridget World of Invention, Gale Research, , ISBN&#;

Further reading

• Gale, Robert L., The Gay Decade in America: A Cultural Glossary of the s, Greenwood Look (), ISBN&#;