Who is responsible for the invention of the zipper?

Answer by  oldmom (716)

Elias Howe, who invented the sewing machine, received a patent in 1851 for a zipperlike closure, but Whitcomb Judson gets the prize for being the first to market one.

Answer by  wantabemedic (345)

Elias Howe patented the idea but did not market it. Whitcomb Judson, marketed a similar product but received little response. Gideon Sundback, was responsible for the appearance of the zipper we have today. The name, zipper, came much later, by the B. F. Goodwrench company used the product in their boots.

Answer by  Teacherspet (111)

The original idea was patented by Elias Howe, improved upon and marketed by Whitcomb Judson, and put into its current, useful form by Gideon Sundback.

Answer by  Euripides (174)

Elias Howe, the guy who invented the sewing machine, actually patented a zipper-like device in 1851, but never brought it to market. Whitcomb Judson, a Chicago inventor, filed a modified patent in 1893 and started selling them, but they weren't a success. A man named Gideon Sundback was responsible for the modern version, patented in 1917.