VelcroIn 1978, Velcro, the hook-and-loop fastener patent expired, releasing the design to manufacture of imitations. It was developed by Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral, who noticed how thistle burrs clung to his clothing during a hike in the mountains. Using a microscope, he discovered their natural hook-like shape. From 1948, he worked with a local weaver from a textile plant to design a “locking tape.” The important discovery was accidental - that nylon, when sewn under ultraviolet light, formed industructable hooks. Velcro uses two tapes, one with stiff “hooks” like the burrs which clings to the second tape with soft “loops” like the fabric of his pants. The trademarked name Velcro comes from “vel” or velvet and “cro” from the French word crochet which means hook.« |
