Velcro!
By Karley Mishler
Brief History
Invented in 1948 by a Swiss electrical engineer named George de Mestral. Velcro was patented in 1955 and although the patent expired in 1978 but the name is still registered by most countries. The actual name came from the two French words velours and crochet meaning velvet and hook. It was first made of cotton but was soon replaced by nylon and polyester. Today, Velcro is made of teflon loops, polyester hooks, and glass backing.
Used For Today - Flexibility in Use
NASA greatly uses Velcro for several different items in the space shuttles, space stations, and in their training center. In one of their shuttles, NASA uses over ten thousand inches to help hold things down in space. The U.S. Army uses a special kind of silent Velcro on soldiers' uniforms. However, the silent Velcro is a military secret. Other uses are for fastening childrens' shoes, adaptive clothing for people with physical disabilities, human heart surgery, nuclear power plants, army tanks, disposable diapers, the tag rugby game, surfboard leashes, and orthopaedic braces.
Velcro Shoots:
Velcro Hooks
The hooks catch on the loops and make the ripping sound when pulled apart.
Velcro Hooks
Close up shoot of what the hooks really look like.
Velcro Loops
The fuzzy side of Velcro.
www.velcro.com www.en.vikipedia.org/wiki/Velcro
The Ups and Downs of Velcro
- The Good: easy to use, safe, and maintenance free
- The Bad: tends to accumulate hair and dust in the hooks