This article was originally published with the title “ Slide-Fastener Reliability, Miniature Rectifier, and more ” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 175 No. 6 (December 1946), p. 254 doi:10 ...

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The slide fastener made its British debut in 1919 when it was introduced as the “ready fastener” but as in the US it took time to catch on. The zipper’s big break here came at the British ...