With over 1,000 patents and utility models, Artur Fischer was one of the world’s most prolific inventors. His best-known invention is probably the wall plug, which the tinkerer from Tumlingen in Baden-Württemberg launched on the market in 1958, revolutionizing the construction and DIY industry. The little helper made it possible to fasten screws in materials that could not normally support heavy loads. Today, the wall plug – “Fischer-Dübel” in German, named after its inventor – is one of the most widely used construction elements in the world: about 14 million wall plugs and bolts are produced every day, according to the European Patent Office.
Revolutionizing the DIY sector: the wall plug
The principle is well known: the wall plug is inserted into drilled holes or pressed into surfaces, mostly to place screws in walls or ceilings. When a screw is turned into the wall plug, the latter’s expandable wings become wedged in the drilled hole and the screw is fixed in place.
Alongside these and other ideas for the construction industry, Artur Fischer came up with all kinds of handy everyday solutions – from cup holders and CD boxes to storage compartments, outlet nozzles, and children’s toys. In 1948, Artur Fischer set up Fischerwerke GmbH, which became today’s Fischer Group. The family business has several subsidiaries around the world, but more than half of its products are still manufactured in Germany. The European Patent Office paid tribute to Fischer and his life’s work in 2014, two years before his death.
(Image: maho – AdobeStock)
