Gummed Paper
Many inventions grow out of simple needs for convenience in day-to-day life. Gummed paper, which later made the use of stamps and envelopes so easy, came out of such a necessity. It was invented by Thomas Alva Edison, even though he didn't have to work hard on it.
In his work, Edison often had to glue papers together (often for making working models). Sticking papers together always made the fingers sticky, which had to be washed and dried before resuming work. To avoid this, Edison asked his assistant to spread glue on some papers, so that he could use them later only by wetting them slightly.
He found that the idea worked, saved time and made the work easier. Sensing a larger uses of the gummed paper, Edison got it patented.
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