Before the zipper, getting dressed was slow work. Boots had rows of buttons. Jackets used hooks and eyes. Each fastening took time, especially for children and workers who needed to dress quickly. Several inventors tried to create something better. In 1851, Elias Howe patented an "automatic clasping device," but it never caught on. Whitcomb Judson created a "clasp locker" in 1893, but it jammed constantly. Then Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American engineer, redesigned the entire concept. On April 29, 1913, Sundback received a patent for his "Hookless Fastener." His design used two rows of tiny interlocking teeth connected by a sliding piece. When you pulled the slider up, the teeth locked together. The design was reliable and could be opened and closed thousands of times. The military was the first major customer. During World War I, the U.S. Navy ordered zippers for flying suits. Soldiers needed to dress quickly, and zippers were much faster than buttons. After the war, the B.F. Goodrich company used the word "zipper" for its rubber boots. The catchy name stuck, and soon everyone called the invention a zipper.