Hitchhiking plants: an inspiration for Velcro

The VELCRO® Brand and it's Invention

A Fastener Inspired by Nature

excerpt:

"In the early 1940's Swiss inventor George de Mestral was walking with his dog through woodland when he found both his trousers and dogs coat were covered in cockleburs. George de Mestral became curious about their ability to attach to both material and fur, so he took some of the burrs home to further examine them under a microscope.

It was only under a microscope that he discovered their hook-like shape, this discovery is what started his quest to produce a unique two-sided fastener; one side with stiff "hooks" that were similar to the burrs on the cocklebur, the other side with soft "loops" resembling fabric. The two sided fastener became known as VELCRO® Brand hook and loop, named after the French words "velour" and "crochet"."

 

Nature’s seed dispersal inspiration for Velcro
Laura
January 18, 2013

Nature’s seed dispersal inspiration for Velcro – Naturally North Idaho

excerpt:

"From the cuffs of coats to children’s shoes, Velcro has made our lives easier but it has existed in nature longer than we can imagine. Anyone who has encountered burs, cockleburs or nutlets (seeds from hound’s-tongue) knows how well they cling to clothing, especially wool or fleece.
Nutlets of Hound's-tongue are about 1/4" long (7mm)

Burdock burs entangled in his dog’s fur inspired Swiss engineer George de Mestral to develop Velcro, which was first called sticky sticks. The tiny hooks on the end of the burs enabled the seeds to stick to almost anything that brushed against it, including sheep’s fleece, animal fur, bird feathers and clothing. The short, barbed prickles on the nutlets of hound’s-tongue (also referred to as “stick tights”) do the same."

 

The Remarkable Cocklebur
Worldwide Hitchhiker & Nature's Velcro®

Cockleburs

excerpt:

"Mestral's idea was met with resistance and even laughter, but the inventor "stuck" by his invention and together with a weaver at a textile plant in France, Mestral perfected his "hook and loop fastener." By trial and error he realized that nylon when sewn under infrared light, formed tough hooks for the bur side of the fastener. This design was finally patented in 1955. The inventor formed Velcro Industries to manufacture his invention and soon started selling over 60 million yards of the product each year. Today Velcro Industries is a multi-million dollar company."

 

There are enough hooks in my mind already, without adding more synthetic ones.