Whitcomb L. Judson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 7, 1843 |
| Died | December 7, 1909 (aged 66) |
| Resting place | Muskegon, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Salesman, engineer, inventor |
| Known for | Inventor of zipper |
| Spouse |
Annie Martin (m. 1874) |
| Children | 3 |
Whitcomb L. Judson (March 7, 1843 – December 7, 1909) was an American machine salesman, mechanical engineer and inventor. He received thirty patents over a sixteen-year career, fourteen of which were on pneumatic street railway innovations. Six of his patents had to do with a motor mechanism suspended beneath the rail-car that functioned with compressed air. He founded the Judson Pneumatic Street Railway.
Judson is most noted for his invention of the zip fastener. It was originally called a clasp-locker. The first application was as a fastener for shoes and high boots. The patent said it could be used wherever it was desirable to connect a pair of adjacent flexible parts that could be detached easily. Possible applications noted were for corsets, gloves, and mail bags.