A man and his dog returned home from a walk
through the woods covered in cockleburs. The tiny burs had clung to the man's
pants and the dog's fur, and it took a long while to disentangle them all. The
man, Swiss engineer George de Mestral, was impressed by how easily the burs had
latched on to the two travelers.
Later that day, he examined the burs under a microscope, and he noted the
numerous, miniscule hooks enabling the burs to grasp hair or clothing. He was
struck with an idea: what if he could manufacture one material covered in tiny
hooks, like the burs, and attach it to another material composed of small
loops, like the woven fabric of his trousers? The two strips of synthetic
material would then serve as a fastener, sort of like a zipper.
De Mestral felt the idea had merit, and he took initiative to create a
prototype in the hopes of patenting it. Friends warned him the project was
foolhardy and would lead nowhere, but he pressed on, undaunted by their
skepticism. To turn his idea into a commercial success, however, De Mestral had
to figure out a way to inexpensively manufacture the materials for his
fastener. His initial attempts at mass-production failed, but he remained
committed to the achievability of his idea. After much trial-and-error, De
Mestral finally found the right materials. More than seven years after his walk
through the woods, he received the patent for his invention: Velcro®.
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