Screwed Up!

By Author: Emerald Wulff
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

"Screw you!" Have you heard this words? Or did you use this words to cursed a person? Ever wonder what are screws for? Or maybe you're not wondering at all because you even don't know what a screw is. Most people give less importance to small things not knowing that these things are useful and helpful to the society. Yes! It is a thing, a very useful thing. It 's not just a word you used to utter but it plays a very important role in the society.

So, let us begin with "what is a screw?" A screw is one of the most commonly used mechanical device in the world. It has an appearance of a thin metal stick with a turning head on top and grooves along its length. It was developed by Archimedes and was used to draw water from water bodies. Innovation of the modern screw, used primarily as a fastener, is associated with development of the lathe machine. In the period before modern screws were mass produced, cotter pins and pin bolts were widely used as fasteners. Actual development of the modern screw began after Jesse Ramsden, a British instrument manufacturer, perfected a device called 'screw-cutting lathe' in the 1700s. The ...
... 'screw-cutting lathe' was further improvised and patented in 1798 by David Wilkinson. In following decades, importance of threaded fasteners and screws greatly increased in mechanics, which led to 'standardization of thread forms'. The process of standardization is a still an ongoing process and has also led to development of ISO metric screw threads and the Unified Thread Standard. The 'turret lathe' and 'screw machine' which were developed in 1840s and 1870s respectively boosted mass production of screws.

Screws may make up a small part of your toolbox but they are one of the tools that you use most often. Although we do not pay that much attention to these little objects, there are still plenty of things we need to know in order to go about using them properly. Screws come in a variety of sizes that will fit whatever you may need them for. Whether you are doing wood projects, machine installation or just simple home projects, it is important for you to use the correct ones to ensure the safety and success of your work. Screws come in different shapes and sizes. They can come in 5/8 socket button head cap screws or ¾ flat-head screws. They can have counter sunk or roundhead tops. They are also available in flat head or oval-head. Depending on what you will be using them for, screws greatly vary from one another.

Some important types of screws that were developed in the course of evolution of the modern screw were the Robertson Screw (developed by P. L. Robertson in 1980), Hex Socket and Phillips-head Screw (developed by Henry L. Phillips.) An example of a commonly used screw is the socket button head cap screw. It is a type of cap screw with a round head and a hexagonal indentation for tightening purposes. Used on machine parts and is typically made from high strength steel (grade 12.9 in metric). The socket button head cap screw requires assembly with a hex key or a hex bit driven by an impact tool.

As a normal citizen, we are not aware of how important a screw is. Can you imagine without a screw? I guess not. As what I've mention earlier screws play a vital role in the society and it has its own purpose.