Who were the inventors of Americas popular Slinky toy?
Like so many other great inventions, the Slinky, a favorite of both kids and physics teachers, was just a grand accident. Richard James, a naval engineer, “discovered” this enduring toy in 1943. Working to help the war effort, James was developing an anti-vibration device for ship instruments when he knocked over some springs and was fascinated by the way the springs appeared to “walk” down the shelves. Richard remarked to his wife Betty, “I think I can make a toy out of this.” Richard then spent the next two years figuring out the best steel gauge and coil to use in making the toy and Betty James found a name for the new toy after discovering in the dictionary that the word “Slinky” is a Swedish word meaning transspiral – sleek or sinuous. The Jameses took their first batch of 400 Slinkys to Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia during the winter of 1945, right in time for Christmas shopping. They were so desperate to sell the toy, they paid a friend $1 to buy one and start the fe
