Have you looked at a paperclip lately. Who came up with that crazy design? Well since I asked I found out it was patented by Johan Vaaler in 1899 and then again in 1901. The guy was from Norway, so I guess it's now like a national symbol!
What I thought was really interesting is he patented it twice! I can see it now, I mean if they had TV commercials back then, "Coming soon to a store near you! Spring 1899! It's the paper clip! What does it do you ask! Well, it clips papers together! That's it! No more worrying about what are you going to do with all these loose papers, clip them!" I'm sure the first models only came in one color, steel gray.
Then in 1901 it came out, "You like the paper clip so much, Johan Vaaler has come out with new and improved model! No more clips with just two bends, it now has three! Triple the holding capacity! Take them everywhere, they're fantastic!"
Paper clips are probably very under appreciated. There's no special holiday to celebrate their arrival, at least in the United States (possibly in Norway). But paper clips are seen everywhere! On top of office desks across the nation, crammed in drawers, kicked under tables, buried deep in the Ugly Chair, and yes, believe it or not, they can be seen holding millions of papers world wide!
But the business and home scene are not the only places where the crazy littl
e piece of metal with three curves appears! If you can remember, the paper clip has made it's way to the Big Screen and broadcast to families globally! Where does this happen, I will give you a couple examples. One of the most recognizable scenes for a paper clip was in 1990 with Gremlins Two! That's right, for those that remember Gizmo takes the paper clip and becomes Rambo!
And how can one ever forget, the ever so talented MacGyver! Man the paper clip became a big hero with reoccuring roles! The paper clip has saved many lives. Now one would say MacGyver was the true hero, but come on, sometimes a hero is only as good as his tools, and espically only if he knows how to use them. The paper clip is so flexable, it will pretty much do anything!
So as you go throughout your day, accomplishing the many dutiful tasks you are asked to do, no matter if it's your boss asking you, your spouse or loved one, or even if you are stuck on the roof of a 13 story building and all you have to get down is some dental floss and a paper clip. Remember, that little three bent metal is there for you! It's there to hold that report together so your boss and tell you how many spelling and grammar errors there are! It's there to help scrape the gum off the kitchen floor because your children got into your purse and pulled out your gum and chewed it for a mere three minutes and now is stuck with food particles to the linoleum. And yes, the paper clip is there so you can strap it over the dental floss and slid your way to safety.
So let's hear it for the paper clip! It's crazy what that thing can do!
Legal notice: Paper clip is a brand name for Paper Clip Co. In no way should the paper clip be used for anything other than to clip papers. Using the paper clip beyond it's indented use could result in, but not limited to: tooth ache, tummy ache, angry spouses, broken bones, lacerations, and even possible loss of life. Paper Clip Co. does not take responsibility for any act beyond it's intended use.
2 comments:
:) Very interesting. To my understanding patens expire, so you have to renew them every so often, so I wonder (if that's true) who has patened it most recent? Did someone buy him out? Is there two different patens, one for the all metal clips and one for the plastic covered clips? Don't forget that people try and use paperclips to pick locks. Was the saftypin a knock off of the paperclip or the other way around?
I have used the paper clip to hold back my hair at work. It didn't work too well, but the binder clip, now that works wonders.
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