Wing nuts are hand-tightened fasteners used with screws for mechanical connections, providing ease of use and a decorative finish. They come in various styles, sizes, and materials for different applications, including aerospace, electronics, and plumbing.
A wing nut is a type of fastener used to make mechanical connections between mating objects to ensure they are held together securely. They are thumb and finger tight and require no tools, improving ease and reducing installation time. Hand nuts are an option when using a tool is not possible due to space constraints or other reasons. They also provide a decorative, finished look in applications where the fasteners are external and can be seen.
These fasteners are usually used in conjunction with a screw. The screw, or externally threaded portion, consists of a cylindrical shaft with helical grooves that allow the wing nut to travel along the shaft as it is rotated. A wing nut typically has a cylindrical shape and a central hole, with the same internal thread as the screw, and a rough outer gripping surface for tightening.
Hand nuts come in a variety of styles and come in both metric and standard sizes. The type and size selected for a specific application depend on several factors. These can include the environment, external appearance, available space, electrical properties and more. Because wing nuts are hand-tightened, they are generally smaller in size and are not used for large-scale or heavy-duty mechanical fastening applications.
A common type of wing nut has a larger diameter portion with a knurled or ribbed area to provide a gripping surface. Some are winged, with two or more flat sections extending perpendicular to the cylindrical portion, to provide greater clamping surfaces. Flat sections are usually roughened with a knurling or other rough texture for better finger grip.
Wing nuts come in a variety of materials including steel, stainless steel, or brass for corrosion resistance; metal alloys for high strength applications; and plastic. Factors to consider in selecting the right wing nut material are weight, corrosion resistance, exposure to vibration, and the ability to resist solvents such as petroleum oils and greases. Plastic wing nuts are usually used in electrical applications due to their electrical resistance properties.
Fasteners are commonly used in aerospace, computer, consumer electronics, and telecommunications equipment applications. Wing nuts are often used to secure panels, components or sub-assemblies that need to be easily removed. They are also used in many electrical and electronic applications, such as lighting and mounting electrical hardware inside electrical panels. Other examples include plumbing and automotive applications, where a wrench or other tool cannot be used due to space constraints.
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