The next time you take the air into a Staples , give thanks to Friedrich Soennecken . During the late 1800s , the German inventor patent inventions for botha ringing binderand the two - hole biff , thus paving the way for modern - day school and office supplies . Today ’s Google Doodlecelebratesthe 131st day of remembrance of Soennecken ’s kettle of fish puncher — so in lieu of a shower of loose - foliage confetti , lease ’s look back at his legacy , and the industrial machine that remains a pillar in supply rooms to this sidereal day .
If Soennecken ’s name sound familiar , that ’s because in 1875he foundedthe international German role production manufacturer of the same name . ( Itwent bankruptin 1973 , and was acquired by BRANION EG , which still secrete ware under the original Soennecken label . ) Not only was Soennecken an entrepreneur , he was also a chirography fancier whopioneeredthe widely used “ round writing ” style of script . But he ’s perhaps best recollect as an inventor , thanks to his now - ubiquitous office staff equipment .
AsThe Independentreports , Soennecken likely was n’t the first to stargaze up a theme hole - plug gadget . In fact , the first known letters patent for such an inventionbelongs toan American man name Benjamin Smith . In 1885 , Smithcreateda holepuncher , dub the “ conductor ’s poke , ” that contained a spring - loaded receptacle to collect newspaper remnants . Later on an inventor named Charles Brooks improved on Smith ’s twist by finessing the receptacle , and he call it a “ ticket biff . ”
For unclear reasons , Soennecken was the one who terminate up being remembered for the gadget : On November 14 , 1886,he filedhis patent for aPapierlocher pelt Sammelmappen(paper hole maker for binding ) , and the sleep was history .
“ Today we celebrate 131 years of the hole puncher , an downplay — but essential — artefact of German engineering , ” Googlesaidin its description of the Doodle . “ As mod work trek further into the digital frontier , this century - old tool persist mostly , wonderfully , the same . ”
