Yet to make this dynamic duo work requires as many as 30 raw materials and a bit of complex chemistry. A great potential market beckoned for a sticky tape that peeled off easily. Instead of seizing the opportunity to sell the disgruntled workers sandpaper to remove paint, Drew had a completely unrelated revelation: what if he could design a superior, less aggressive tape a tape that didnt ruin paint jobs? The . While there is some uncertainty about why the line of tape was dubbed Scotch, company legend says that the name came about during the tape's testing phase. But it was Drew's second Scotch Brand innovation still known as "the famous one" that would really set the world abuzz. It's said that while using this insufficiently sticky tape, a frustrated auto painter said: "Why so Scotch with the adhesive?" In the 1920s, two-tone cars were trendy. So prevalent and iconic did the Scotch Tape brand become, that virtually all transparent tape sold in the US today is commonly referred to as "Scotch Tape," regardless of the actual brand or manufacturer. The name stuck. (May 2018) In 1930, Richard Drew, a 3M engineer, developed the first transparent sticky tape in St. Paul, Minnesota with material known as cellophane. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. He once asked rhetorically. Yet driven by what was to become a corporate credo"Thou shalt not kill a new product idea"Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) engineers persisted and ultimately triumphed, creating what was to become one of the most ubiquitous and successful products ever developed. They allegedly told Drew to take his Scotch tape back to the drawing board, using the term to mean cheap, a derogatory dig at stereotypical Scottish thriftiness. Learn about financial support for future and current high school chemistry teachers. An engineering-school dropout who supported himself by playing the banjo for Twin Cities dance bands, Drews first job at 3M was delivering sandpaper samples to auto shops. Drew continued experimenting, and in 1930 his waterproof transparent cellulose tape arrived, called Scotch Brand Cellulose Tape. The 22-year-old was hired, and thrown into the lower dregs of 3M: for two years, he was tasked with testing out various grains of sandpaper. Unfortunately, the machinery that 3M used in order to apply the adhesive to the cellophane backing tore the material, and the glue that worked for the masking tape appeared amber on the clear cellophane. Cookie Settings, Eventually, in 1925, he found a winning formula: crepe paper backed with cabinetmakers glue mixed with glycerin. Later to be renamed Cellophane Tape, it is an attractive, moisture-proof way for grocers and bakers to seal packages. Gradually, Drew's team overcame these difficulties. The tape helps people make do during the Great Depressionthey made simple repairs to household items. Scotch Tape or cellophane tape was invented in 1930 by banjo playing 3M engineer Richard Drew. The material was fickle, recalls a 3M historian: The cellophane curled near heat and split as it was being coated by machine. A List of Important Inventions and Innovations - ThoughtCo How the Invention of Scotch Tape Led to a Revolution in How Companies Scotch tape was invented in 1930 by banjo playing 3M engineer Richard Drew. There are flakes of graphite that come off on your tape. The adhesive was amber-colored, which ruined the cellophanes transparency. Goodyear used the tape to cover the inner ribs and beams of its dirigibles, creating an anti-corrosive shield. Learn more about managing your cookies at Your Privacy Rights Today, Scotch Transparent Tape remains a mainstay of 3M's highly diversified, multibillion dollar global enterprise. The Mythical Creature Known as the Chupacabra Walked Out of a Movie. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on June 22, 1899, Drew spent his youth playing banjo in dance halls, eventually earning enough money to attend the University of Minnesota. WTF Fun Fact - Why "Scotch" Tape? Table of Contents: A History of the World, A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators, Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive, Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles, Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. I'll be honest with you: when a friend of mine asked me the other day why the 'Scotch tape' was named that why i quickly answered that it's because it comes from Scotland pretending to be sure about it. It reads, in part: Introduced during the Great Depression, Scotch Transparent Tape quickly filled the need of Americans to prolong the life of items they could not afford to replace.. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. He eventually found an adhesive that sealed tightly while releasing cleanly. [1] View our Privacy Policy. Even though Depression-era Americans had less disposable income than usual, Scotch Tape became a necessity for the times. History Timeline FAQs Importance Celebrate Related Scotch Tape Day is celebrated each year on January 31. Office: NO.33 Pingan Road, Xinnan Pinghu Press Down Longgang District, Shenzhen, China Please let us know in the comments section below this article. He was granted patent #1,760,820 on May 27, 1930 for Adhesive Tape. He made a vow to the auto workers that hed soon return with a solution, and darted out of the shop. That same year, Drew came out with his waterproof transparent tape after months of work. In 1925 this became the Scotch brand masking tape. The success of masking tape earned Drew a promotion: by the late 1920s, he was heading 3Ms fabrication laboratory a position that allowed him great flexibility in innovating new products. Transparent tape was not Drews first ingenious invention. Cellophane curled, split and tore when machines applied the adhesive. It is, he said, "the gift of finding something valuable in something not even sought out." We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary. Nothing, it seemed, was sufficiently watertight. By the early 1940s, Scotch tape was being cited in the pages of The New York Times as a method for splinting pigeon wings, preparing windows for air raids, resealing envelopes opened by government censors, cropping photo negatives, applying Thanksgiving decorations, getting criminal fingerprints, repairing checks that had been torn up in a rage, affixing lucky pennies to fighter planes and wrapping Christmas gifts. In 2007, he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. When Was Tape Invented and Why? Sellotape (/ s l t e p /) is a British brand of transparent, polypropylene-based, pressure-sensitive tape, and is the leading brand in the United Kingdom.Sellotape is generally used for joining, sealing, attaching and mending. Still, Drew hardly seemed like an innovator. History Short: The First International Space Mission! Scotch Tape could repair items almost invisibly, giving household goods longer lives at a time when replacing them was out of the question. The problem facing Richard (Dick) G. Drew, a 23-year-old 3M research assistant, was a big one. "Scotch Tape." If you liked this article, you might also enjoy: Sarah Stone writes for the mildly popular interesting fact website TodayIFoundOut.com. Goetz, Kathryn. According to 3M, the tape virtually sold itself: Almost daily, new ideas sprang up for using the tape to make old things do. The famous snail style cellophane tape dispenser is released. Adapted for the internet from Scotch Transparent Tape, produced by the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program of the American Chemical Society in 2007. The problem was nobody knew how to do this well. The American Chemical Society designated Scotch Transparent Tape as a National Historic Chemical Landmark in a ceremony on September 19, 2007, at the 3M Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. He figured that 3M could produce the tape cheaply, especially if they only applied the glue to the edges of the paper stripno need to waste glue. After touring with local dance bands for a number of years, he scraped together enough money to pay for a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Minnesota. Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul As Mark Miodownik, a materials scientist and author of Stuff Matters, says: As soon as you have a clear film thats flexible and transparent, all kinds of things become possible., A version of this article appears in print on, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/magazine/who-made-that-scotch-tape.html. History Short: Americas First Space Station Disintegrates! We exist to help people discover the magic of being hands on. Manufacturers employ various glues, but most of these fall into the acrylic family of polymers. The amber glue that looked fine on crepe-backed masking tape was hideous on transparent cellophane. Secretaries found it perfect for patching broken fingernails. But Drews legacy extends deeper than the manifestation of a physical product, says old co-worker Paul E. Hansen. 1925 - Masking Tape Invented While testing abrasive samples at a body shop, Richard Drew, a 3M lab assistant, noted that painters were having trouble masking car parts. 2013: Scotch Brand designers also reimagined the iconic snail dispenser for the first time in 60 years. Five years later Drew invented Scotch Transparent Tape, the first waterproof, clear adhesive tape. Uncover the Chemistry in Everyday Life. One side of the film is treated with a release coating, which makes the tape easy to unwind. On September 8, 1930, 3M, the better known name of what was the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, began selling their Scotch brand of household and office pressure sensitive tape, the transparent stuff no self-respecting school kid, office worker, or housewife would do without! That ingenuity hasnt flagged for a moment since, and it seems the possible uses for Scotch Brand Tapes are virtually endless. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. In much the same way that Scotch Tape came to be used in Canada and the United States when referring to any brand of clear adhesive tape, Sellotape has . Introduced during the Great Depression, Scotch Transparent Tape quickly filled the need of Americans to prolong the life of items they could not afford to replace. Richard Drew also invented the first masking tape in 1925, a two-inch-wide tan paper tape with a pressure sensitive adhesive backing. By the early 1920s, two-toned cars were the rage, and that created a major headache for the automotive industry. [1] Using this talent, he earned enough to pay for engineering classes at the University of Minnesota. But his first version of masking tape only had adhesive on the edges. In 1980, at age 81, Richard Drew passed away. Since cellophane was transparent, these sellers sought an attractive way to seal the wrapping. It didn't. How sticky tape trick led to Nobel Prize - BBC News Its made from cast iron and weighs almost 7 pounds. In 1961, 3M released Scotch-brand Magic Tape. When he erred on the not-too-sticky side, one of the car-painters asked, Why so Scotch with the adhesive? and a brand name was born. Though it can be found in nearly 90% of American households and is used for everything from wrapping gifts to repairing ripped dollar bills, well forgive you for never being curious about its origins. Drew, now technical director of 3M's Product Fabrication Laboratory, plunged in. If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons! Tests showed cellophane would work as a backing for pressure-sensitive tape. In early versions of the tape, some say, Drew applied only minimal adhesive to avoid over sticking. Drew managed to coat one side of a paper strip with the material, and he was satisfied to see that by applying a little pressure, he could make the paper adhere to a surface; with equal ease, he could remove it. He created a greenhouse environment, a skunkworks, where we could do anything, try anything. Richard Gurley Drew (June 22, 1899 - December 14, 1980) was an American inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented masking tape and cellophane tape. Invented by engineer Richard Drew, the transparent cellophane tape product followed the invention of masking tape by the same man. This post was written byZachary Crockett. Back to National Historic Chemical Landmarks Main Page. Thats the principle that has guided our long history of invention and that spurs us on to future innovations. Finally, the surface of the film is treated to give it a matte finish. Drews resulting product Scotch Brand Masking Tape was an instant success, and immediately changed the way paint jobs of all sorts were completed. Drew also held no stock in an applicants educational background. 2 (Winter 1982): 811. Advertising Notice They designed machinery that prevented splits and breaks. American Association of Chemistry Teachers, Reactions: Chemistry Science Videos & Infographics, Richard Drew Solves the Painters Problem with the Invention of Masking Tape. In Drews early days at the company he would deliver sandpaper samples to auto manufacturers, who used it for the painting process. The Man Who Invented Scotch Tape - Priceonomics Scotch Tape in its original packaging (c.1930s). "Bright Ideas." 1961: Scotch Magic Tape is launched. Soon the sandpaper company invented a line of products that changed household life around the world. The car painters thought the newfangled tape was a great ideathat is, until they started to use it. In September 1930, the product, Scotch Brand Cellulose Tape (later renamed Scotch Transparent Tape) was released and its initial users championed its usefulness. At the time, in the 1920s, two-tone paint jobs on cars were all the rage. Producing the first roll of Scotch Tape wasn't just a challenge, it was something of a marvel considering that it was the brainchild of a banjo-playing, engineering school dropout who had a limited background in chemistry and who had no idea what he was getting into when he told a client he could solve his problem. In the 1920s, a two-tone paint job was popular for cars and a headache for automotive painters. Drews original patent illustration for adhesive tape, His boss, William McKnight, the same man whod initially ordered Drew to cease his inventing efforts, still didnt see the potential in this new tape, and refused to purchase a machine that would allow for its mass production. Today: Scotch Brand Expressions Tape comes in more than 100 colors and patterns. This helped create a sharp demarcation between the two colors, but the adhesives stuck so firmly that trying to remove them often ruined the paint job. It took them almost a year to produce a marketable product, including what some would recall as "the longest and most discouraging months in 3M's history." The planes owner taped the remaining fabric over the hole-ridden section and flew away. Tolerate their initiative and trust them.. About Scotch Brand So who did? This was a world first, according to 3M, which. How Did Scotch Tape Appear and What Is the Story Behind Its Name? The first adhesive tape was made from linen thread and shellac. 3M develops and manufactures more that 100 different types of tape to help solve war production problems such as sealing, identifying parts, holding materials, protecting and insulating. Rubber shortages during the war prompted 3M to switch to synthetic acrylate adhesives. More Adhesive! The Invention of Scotch Tape You see, DuPont had introduced into the market a cellophane that could be sealed with heat. American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks. http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/about/. The Scots did not invent Scotch tape. Find a chemistry community of interest and connect on a local and global level. 1941 - 1945: During World War II, almost all tape production is diverted to the war effort. Hes since been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame an elite group of innovators who made products that shape our world today. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. She is the author of Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity. What Can Sunset and Sunrise Tell Us About the Weather? Every year its manufacturer, 3M, sells enough of it to circle Earth 165 times. Learn the history behind agriculture innovations, tractors, cotton gins, reapers, plows, plant patents and more. The finished film is wound up in large rolls, ready to be coated with adhesive. With no formal education, Buchholtz was hired by Drew and would later go on to invent Scotchs now-immensely profitable mounting tape. The innovative matte-finish tape is virtually invisible on light-colored paper and envelopes. "Probably not.". DuPont had developed a heat-sealing process for cellophane, greatly reducing the demand for tape as a commercial package sealer. People discovered that the tape could mend items and make them last longer. This early form of tape was sold under the brand name "Stickum.". 3M Historical Corporate Records, 18922006 Farmers discovered they could use it to seal cracked eggs. The History of Tape | Nelco Products Minneapolis: 3M Chemical, Film & Allied Products Group, 1991. 1925: Drew invents Scotch Masking Tape, the predecessor to transparent tape. http://www.mnopedia.org/thing/scotch-tape (accessed July 17, 2023). Secretaries found it perfect for patching broken fingernails. The Invention of Scotch Tape - Today I Found Out His idea led to the invention of the Scotch brand tape product. The twenty-three year old then lab assistant got the idea to create a new tape that would create a seal so that the paint wouldn't get through and yet also come off clean without leaving any sticky residue that ruined the paint finish. Richard Gurley Drew - Wikipedia Drew had no clue how to make tape. Give people the room they need., The 15 percent rule has deeply influenced Silicon Valley cultureGoogle and Hewlett Packard are among the companies that give their employees free time to experiment. So prevalent and iconic did the Scotch Tape brand become, that virtually all transparent tape sold in the US today is commonly referred to as Scotch Tape, regardless of the actual brand or manufacturer. When was the Scotch tape invented? - TimesMojo Through Drew, McKnight came to understand that letting researchers experiment freely could lead to innovation. Scotch tape is also honored by a leading consumer magazine as one of the "50 small wonders and big deals that revolutionized the lives of consumers.". The car painters took to calling the improved product Scotch tape, and 3M was stuck with the name. The invention of cello tape - HT School A plasticizer is added to the cellulose acetate, which is then formed into sheets of film. The Invention of Scotch Tape (and Why It's Called That) This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Farmers discovered they could use it to seal cracked eggs. The dark amber adhesive spoiled the look of the colorless, transparent cellophane.. Without corundum, 3M turned to importing a different mineral, garnet, from Spain. It was there, in 1929, that he had idea of using Duponts newly invented cellophane as backing for a transparent tape. - WTF Fun Facts Source: How Did Scotch Tape Appear and What Is the Story Behind Its Name? When Drews boss later found out what Drew hed been up to, he rewarded him for his tenacity by establishing a new managerial mandate at 3M: If you have the right person on the right project, and they are absolutely dedicated to finding a solution leave them alone. The Sticky Story: Who Invented Adhesive Tape? - MagnifyMinds The product he created; Scotch Brand Masking Tape adhered strongly yet stripped off easily without mucking up paint. Richard Drew embodied the essential spirit of the inventor, a person of vision and unrelenting persistence who refused to give in to adversity, said 3M executive Larry Wendling at Drews induction. Resourcefulness is about adapting, making do and doing more with what youve got. History Short: What Happened to the Big Top Circus? September 24, 2021 "Scotch" used to be a synonym for "thrifty" or "frugal." When cellophane tape was first invented, it was marketed during the Great Depression as "scotch tape" since it could extend the life of objects and save you money. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. Hed say, Hey, your ideas as good as anybody elses. When people can be themselves, they use their gifts and talents to the fullest.. A specific type of gummed tape is called reinforced gummed tape (RGT). Resourcefulness is a core value at Scotch Brand. ), Stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation, Stories of LGBTQ Communities in Minnesota, Teaching Native American History and Culture, Minnesota Center for Social Studies Education (CSSE), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported, http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/faqs/, http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/about/, http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00281.xml, http://invent.org/inductee-detail/?IID=329, 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company). Borden's dispenser became a key element in the growing market for cellophane tape. When American consumers were polled in 1985, they voted Scotch Tape the most indispensable household product. Despite the name, Scotch tape wasn't invented by the Scottish. When youre an oddball in a permissive environment, things often turn out well., Paul Hanson, ex-technical director at 3M, on Scotch tape inventor, Richard Drew. While other companies folded and laid off hundreds of employees in the 1930s, 3M grew its team and continued to innovate. But Drew, who died in 1980 at age 81, never gave up trying to find something better. ACS Board Chair Judith L. Benham and 3M Executive Vice President of R&D and Chief Technology Officer Fred J. Palensky. Based on the feedback, Drew applied more adhesive to the tape and ultimately branded the tape with the pejorative "stingy" name of "Scotch.". At the time, two-tone paint jobs were very popular. In fact, like most well-known product names, the tape got its name quite by accident. Dick encouraged people to be themselves. He took a correspondence course in machine design, and was soon hired as a lab tech by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, which was then in the business of manufacturing sandpaper. Although not as strong, acrylate adhesives retained their clarity and actually aged better than rubber-based adhesives, which turned yellow and brittle over time. You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube. These cellulose fibers are broken down by chemical and physical means to their basic fiber structure. This ended up producing a series of very profitable breakthroughs: Scotchlite reflective sheeting, Micropore surgical tape, foam tape, decorative ribbon, face masks, and respirators among them. The Scotch tape story is now a classic business school lesson, a parable of the value of instinct and serendipity, which Drew once called, "the gift of finding something valuable in something not even sought out.". Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul 1921: Sandpaper manufacturer 3M hires Richard Drew as lab assistant. The famous plaid design is introduced to Scotch tape packages. Growing up in St. Paul, Minn., Drew spent much of his time playing banjo in local dance bands. 1945: After World War II, 3M resumes shipments of tapes for civilian use. Scotch Transparent Tape. https://www.youtube.com/user/TodayIFoundOut?sub_confirmation=1How "Dick" came to be short for 'Richard': https://youtu.. Unlike glossy tapes, it can be written on with pen, pencil or marker. Thank you! 1985-86: In a national Roper opinion poll, Scotch tape is voted the most indispensable product in the home. Scotch Tape and Inventor Richard Drew - ThoughtCo In 1930, Drew developed a transparent cellophane-based tape, dubbed Scotch Tape. He would also become known as a great mentor, someone who helped young engineers hone their instincts and develop their ideas. Let ACS help you navigate your career journey with tools, personal coaching and networking. 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA |service@acs.org|1-800-333-9511 (US and Canada) | 614-447-3776 (outside North America), Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society. To subscribe to Today I Found Out's "Daily Knowledge" newsletter, click here or like them on Facebook here. Contrary to popular belief, the Scots did not invent Scotch tape. Invariably, the loose end would curl back into place on the roll, become virtually invisible, and hard to locate. It was extremely well-built, but it had large factory windows, recalls one ex-employee: We were right next to a railroad switching yard with a steam locomotive that spouted cinders. Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan). Without it, it's unlikely that Scotch tape would have become truly indispensable in factories, homes, and offices around the world. 3M's Scotch-brand masking tape and cellophane tape were small inventions that started a consumer revolution. Elated, Drew conducted more experiments, convinced he had found the solution to Flaxlinum's dilemma. https://hamdey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/The-History-of-Scotch-Tape.jpg, https://hamdey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/logo.png, Copyright 2016 HAMDEY | All Rights Reserved | Powered by. Scotchbrand. Description: Collection of product advertising and production materials, including Scotch Tape. Over the decades, Drew and other 3M inventors developed a wide range of other tapes. He got the job and was set on the path to make history. 1930: Richard Drew, a young 3M engineer, invents Scotch Cellulose Tape. In 1923, tape pioneer Richard Gurley Drew at 3M invented masking tape, a paper-based tape with a mildly sticky adhesive intended to be temporarily used and removed rather than left in place permanently.
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