Now, a word from the King of Suction Cups!"
Because I'm the King, lots of kids call and write to me with questions about suction cups. I told my Duke in Charge of Stuff Nobody Else Knows to put on his
thinking cap and he worked around the clock for days. Here are the answers you were looking for." Q. What were the first suction cups used for?
 A.
As long ago as the fourth century B.C., suction cups made out of mpkin shell cut in half to make a bowl) were used to "suck" the bad stuff out of sick people. The procedure, which was probably invented by Hippocrates, the first medical doctor, was called "cupping",
and was used to cure a wide range of illnesses. The idea was that the suction cups would draw the bad blood away from the diseased organ to the surface of the body. In medieval times, cupping was
performed at barbershops and in steam rooms (back then they were called public baths�see the drawing!), using glass cups which were heated and placed on the body.
Q. Were there any other uses for suction cups besides curing sick people?
A scientist named Evangelista Torrocelli�the father of vacuum science (no, he didn't come up with the vacuum cleaner but it works the
same way by sucking things up through a long tube), invented the barometer in which water rises in a tube due to pressure. From this idea came the toilet bowl plunger and the modern dart game gun.
Q. When were suction cups like we see today invented?
The modern suction cup was patented in 1882 in Brooklyn, NY, by Clare L. Middleton and Walter H. Jones. It consisted of a concave rubber
cup and featured a clip to hold up letters, cards or photographs or a rod on which light items could be hung in a store window or display case.
 Q. oman,Times,Times NewRoman"> Were stores the first business where suction cups were used?
No. The first commercial use of suction cups was a photographer's developing stick with a suction cup at the end of it, patented in 1866 by Thomas Roche of Williamsburg, NY, which was used to lift photographic
plates out of the photographic bath in the darkroom.
Q. What are some things suction cups are used for?
Suction cups are everywhere! When you see Garfield hanging on to a car window for dear life, suction cups are keeping him from falling down.
And does your Dad have a notepad stuck inside the car windshield to remind him of where to pick you up? You guessed it! It's stuck there with
a suction cup. What about the sunshield that protects your baby brother when he's riding in the car? I bet I don't even have to tell you. Suction
cups have lots of other uses most people see every day and don't even notice. For example, next time you're in the supermarket with your Mom,
take a look at the signs in the store window. That's right! Suction cups are holding them up�without leaving messy marks like tape would. And I bet
the reversible OPEN and CLOSED sign on the store door is held up by suction cups, too! Here's a list of other cool stuff you can do with suction cups:
1. Stick up a rack with your soap, shampoo and washcloth to the tile wall of your bathtub. 2. Attach a birdfeeder to your window so you can watch the birds come and eat.
3. Hang a suncatcher from your window. 4. Put a hook up inside your locker to keep your house keys, scrunchies, baseball cap or other important things handy.
5. Stick a thermometer on the outside of your window so you'll know how cold or hot it is outside. Hey! I bet you can think of some great new ways to use suction
cups. E-mail your ideas to me here at info@suctioncupsinc.com.
P.S. If you have those rubber darts that stick to the dartboard when you throw them instead of pointy ones that stick into the dartboard (or make
holes in the wall when you miss!), guess what? Take a look�the end of the dart is a suction cup!
Q. How do you attach a suction cup?
A. Press the suction cup firmly down onto the surface you'd like to
attach it to until the entire inside of the cup is flat up against the surface. Here's a hint: apply a little moisture to the inner surface of the cup before you press it down.
Q. How do suction cups work?
A. Imagine that everything and everybody on earth is completely
surrounded by an ocean of air, which puts pressure on both the inside and outside of everything. When you push a suction cup up against a wall or
window, you push out the air inside it, eliminating the pressure inside the suction cup and creating a vacuum which seals the cup tightly to the surface you want it to stick to.
Q. What makes a suction cup come off?
A suction cup will come off when the air pressure on the outside becomes lower than the pressure inside of the suction cup. You'll hear a
"pop" sound when you pull a suction cup off the wall�that's the air rushing in to fill the vacuum.
Q.
How long will suction cups stay up?
When suction cups are applied properly to a clean, dry, non-porous surface that stays pretty much the same temperature, they should stay up
indefinitely. But if you use suction cups in your bathroom or on an outside window, you should check periodically to make sure the seal is still O.K.
Q. How can I tell if the seal is still good�and how can I fix it if it's not?
.
If the center of the suction cup is starting to lift up towards the edges, you need to "burp" the suction cup to recreate a perfect seal. Simply press
the center of the cup down until you hear a burp sound. (If you like, add a little moisture inside before pressing the suction cup down.)
Q. Will suction cups stick to anything?
.
Suction cups are flexible and will conform to the shape of the surface they're stuck to. They are designed to adhere to surfaces that are smooth
and non-porous, such as metal or glass. They may not stick too well to your refrigerator because some appliance finishes are porous�.but if you'd like to use my Suction Cup Kids or Sports Suction on your
refrigerator I can send you a magic little disk to put inside and help it stick better.
Q. Do suction cups have to be cleaned?
No. If they're in a place, like the bathtub, where moisture and mildew can build up underneath them and they become detached, simply put them in hot water for a few minutes to allow the cup to get back its original
shape. Flat cups don't adhere properly.
Q. What are suction cups made out of?
Ancient suction cups were made out of gourds or glass. The first pliable suction cups were made out of natural rubber. In the mid-1900's,
synthetic (manmade) rubbers such as polyvinylchloride (PVC plastic) and neoprene were formulated and are now used in the manufacture of suction
cups. Today, the synthetic materials, prized for their flexibility and elasticity, are preferred to natural rubber because they are stronger and more resistant to sunlight, abrasion and temperature extremes.
Q. What's the most unusual use of suction cups you have heard of?
Extreme athlete Dan Goodwin wins hands down for the wildest use of suction cups. Using heavy duty, highly sophisticated suction cups powered
by air pumps, Goodwin did the unthinkable: he scaled the outside walls of some of the world's tallest buildings, including the World Trade Center in
New York City and the Sears Tower in Chicago. But remember, Spiderman Dan's a super-strong stuntman with special professional equipment and NOBODY ELSE should ever try to do what he did! Take
a look at the picture of Dan on one of his highest climbs and you'll agree that he's doing something really dangerous�. not to mention totally NUTS!
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