The square nut is a durable and easy-to-use steel fastener that can be used for various applications. Its square design allows for easy removal and installation, and it was originally made from wood before being adapted for use on steel bolts. Large flat steel washers are often used to protect components from damage caused by the sharp edges of the nuts, and the nuts themselves were often forged with one flat side and one convex side. Modern construction continues to use square nuts in furniture and railroad track construction.
A square nut is a four-sided steel fastener that screws onto a steel bolt. Made before the hex nut, the square nut uses a specially constructed wrench to tighten and loosen it from its bolt. The square nut can be used from small to very large fastening applications, as the success of the design has proven itself worthy of a myriad of uses. One of the reasons the square nut is so successful is the ease of removal and installation as the square design has proven to be durable and virtually immune to rounding off with a wrench.
One of the first fasteners, the square nut has been recognized by many as an easy-to-use fastener that can secure even the most difficult components. Early versions of the square nut were carved out of wood and used on threaded wooden pegs. The square design made it easy to fashion a properly sized wrench or tool to tighten the nut in place. As technology began to replace wooden fasteners with stronger, more durable steel versions, the square nut was soon forged from steel bar and adapted for use on steel bolts and fasteners.
The sharp edges of the nuts were often destructive to the wood or metal surrounding the fastener. Large flat steel washers were soon used behind each nut to provide some protective material around the corners. The washers have been shown not only to protect components from damage caused by nut corners, but have also been able to distribute the load of the forces pressing against the nuts over a larger area, giving the fastener greater strength. The nuts themselves were often forged with one flat side and one convex side. The flat side was created to allow the nuts to fit a flat washer, while the convex side served to provide some relief when the nut was used under a hubcap or lid.
Modern construction continues to use square die in the manufacture of much furniture. Often used as cap nuts, square nuts are often placed inside the metal channel to keep them from turning when the bolt side of the fastener is tightened into place. The square nuts can be slid into place within the channel and form a perfect foundation for a concealed fixing. Nuts are also used in modern railroad track construction. The square nut is placed inside the channel of the rail, where it contacts the top and bottom of the rail, preventing it from rotating when pressure is applied.
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