A collection of push­pins in a corkboard

A bobby pin

PinFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together.Pins often have two components: a long body and sharp tip madeof steel, or occasionally copper or brass, and a larger head oftenmade of plastic. The sharpened body penetrates the material,while the larger head provides a driving surface. It is formed bydrawing out a thin wire, sharpening the tip, and adding a head.Nails are related, but are typically larger. In machines andengineering, pins are commonly used as pivots, hinges, shafts,jigs, and fixtures to locate or hold parts.

Contents

1 Sewing and fashion pins

2 General purpose pins

3 Steel pins without heads

4 Mechanical fasteners

5 Notes

6 References

Sewing and fashion pins

Curved sewing pins have been used for over four thousand years. Originally, they were fashioned out ofiron and bone by the Sumerians and were used to hold clothes together. Later, these pins were also usedto hold pages together by threading the needle through their top corner.[1]

Many late pins were made of brass, a hard metal. Steel was used later, as it was much stronger, but therewas no easy process to keep steel from rusting, so higher quality pins were plated with nickel, but themetal would start to break down and flake off in high humidity, allowing rust to form. Steel pins werenot that inconvenient for homemaking uses as they were usually only used temporarily while sewinggarments.[2]

The term "pin money" dates to the 17th century; according to Oxford University Press, it refers to anallowance for decorative clasps that were worn in hair or on clothing.[3] It was subsequently applied tomoney to buy clothing generally, and later to money for any minor personal expenditure.[4]

Walter Hunt invented the safety pin by forming an eight­inch brass pin into a bent pin with a spring andguard. He sold the rights to his invention to pay a debt to a friend,[5] not knowing that he could havemade millions of dollars.

Bobby pins and other types of hairpins are used for restraining the hair. Collar pins are used to hold thecollar of a dress shirt in men's fashion. Lapel pins are decorative jewelry attached to the clothing.

General purpose pins

The push pin was invented in 1900 by Edwin Moore and quickly became a success. These pins are alsocalled "thumbtacks". There is also a new push pin called a "paper cricket".

Steel pins without heads

Thin, hardened pins can be driven into wood with a hammer with the goal of not being seen.

A different style pin, somewhat thicker (1.5–2 mm diameter), 2 cm short and with rounded tip (known asa stylus) is used with gramophones. The vibration of the stylus transforms the physical waves of thegroove in a record to the movement of a membrane. In this way the sound recorded can be heard.

Mechanical fasteners

In engineering and machine design, a pin is a machine element that secures the position of two or moreparts of a machine relative to each other. A large variety of types has been known for a long time; themost commonly used are solid cylindrical pins, solid tapered pins, groove pins, slotted spring pins andspirally coiled spring pins.

Clevis pinCotter pinSpring pinSplit pin

Notes1. Petroski, Henry, "From Pins to Paper Clips", The Evolution of Useful Things, Knopf, New York, 1993, p. 532. Bridgman, Roger. 1000 Inventions & Discoveries. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing [1]

(http://www.put­a­pin.pt.vu), 2002, p.1263. "Pin Money". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford UP. Retrieved 26 November 2013.4. The Phrase Finder : Pin Money (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pin­money.html). Retrieved 2012­09­

22.5. Alfred, R (2008­10­04). "April 10, 1849: Safety Tech Gets to the Point, Baby". Wired. Retrieved

2008­10­23.

References

Henry Petroski, The Evolution of Useful Things, Chapter 4. ISBN 0­679­74039­2.Robert Parmley, Standard handbook of fastening and joining. 1st edition. Chapter 2. McGraw­Hill(New York). 1977. ISBN 0­07­048511­9http://www.mcmaster.com/#pins/

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Categories: Fasteners Textile closures Sewing equipment

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