But a better solution was on its way. In 1899, an inventor in the pin-making capital of Waterbury, Connecticut, patented a "machine for making paper clips." William Middlebrook's patent ...

The Niagara clip—looking charmingly like two clips holding hands—patented ... and unlikely to tear the paper it secured. Once the paper clip was in, the straight pin was out, abandoned to ...

On his desk, he placed two jars. One was filled with 120 paper clips. The other was empty. This is when the habit started. “Every morning I would start with 120 paper clips in one jar and I ...