What’s a pin coupler?

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The term “pin coupler” refers to various coupling devices in different industries, such as audio-visual systems, construction, and vintage railway systems. Examples include expandable pin couplers for scaffolding, F-pin couplers for coaxial cables, and tie-and-pin joints for railroad cars.

Pin coupler is a term used to describe several very different coupling devices ranging from couplings designed for high-fidelity audio-visual signals to vintage railroad truck couplers. In the case of audio systems, a pin coupler generally refers to a single or multiple pin joint for audio visual systems consisting of male and female threaded sections. In the construction industry, an expandable pin coupler is a device used to make end-to-end joints in scaffolding pipe assemblies. A pin link and coupler was a device used to couple railway rolling stock during the late 1800s which consisted of an oval steel ring, which was locked into place behind a slotted shield on both cars with heavy pins.

The term “pin coupler” has several uses across a range of industries. These range from construction to audio visual systems and period railway systems. In the construction industry, for example, an expandable pin joint is a device used to join scaffolding pipes together. These joints consist of two lengths of semi-circular cross-sectioned plate joined in the middle by a nut and bolt. The open sides of the coupler are slipped over the ends of two pieces of scaffold pipe and tightened in place by tensioning the bolt.

In audio-visual systems, the F-pin coupler is a device used to join coaxial cables together. It consists of a back-to-back female fitting threaded along its outer surface. Male fittings are screwed onto the female fitting at the ends of two coaxial cables fitted with male plugs and internal thread. As they progress along the length of the female fitting, their respective pins are firmly inserted into the female socket, ensuring a good splice without interference between cables.

Other types of electronic and audio-visual couplers feature multiple male and female pins and can also screw or simply push into each other. At the other end of the scale, a tie-and-pin joint was a heavy-duty joint used to join railroad cars during the late 1800s. Each car had a concave plate fitted to its ends into which a narrow oval slot was cut. To join the cars, a large strong ring of hardened steel was pushed through the slots on the shield of both cars. A pin was then dropped through the ring section behind the respective shields and locked in place with a crossbar.




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