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Elastic was patented in 1820 by Thomas Hancock. He made this stuff using a device he liked to call the "masticator," which turns scrap rubber into a very useful pulp; useful because it makes my favorite elastic! The scraps need to be made into a pulp so their fresh edges will stick together. Whatever that means. A masticator looks like this:
Well, ok, so the very first mastricator was made mostly of wood, but this one's made of metal, and is a beastly industrial machine. This looks like a small one; a decent sized mastricator would probably occupy a large airplane hanger I imagine...
Anywayz, Hancock didn't actually patent the mastricator until 1837, after he helped a guy named Charles Macintosh make macintosh waterproof coats. Personally, I would have patented this great invention immediately.
Other uses of elastic besides macintosh waterproof coats -
There are many other uses of elastic besides just macintosh coats. A great innovation point in history was a time long past when elastic "sweatpants" and "sweatshirts" helped replace the corset and redefine the meaning of the phrase, "looking good."
Another innovation made possible because of elastic is bungee jumping.
I can't think of anything else, but I do know elastic isn't useful for things like hanging outlaws where the stretch really doesn't help you get that neck breaking snap.
Use these to find out more about amazing elastic. Use these as departure points for further research on elastic. Well, thats it for me, Drabbie Flowerz! I've taught you enough for today!