An Allen key, also known as a hex key or hex wrench, is a small tool used to tighten screws or bolts with hexagonal sockets. It is commonly used in small appliances, furniture, bicycles, and motorcycle engines. The tool’s unique design allows it to access fasteners that have no protruding heads and are flush with the object being assembled or repaired. It is available in various sizes and is lightweight and easy to use. The wrench is often included in furniture packaging and is disposable. The tool was developed in the early 20th century and is commonly misplaced due to its small size.
An Allen key is a small, angled tool with a hex head commonly used to fix or tighten a variety of small appliances or parts. It is also known as a hex key or hex wrench. The tool is available in various sizes designed to match different sized joints or screw fixings. This typically only works with screws or hex bolts, but these are more common than many people think. Most bicycles use this type of coupling, for example, as do many motorcycle and boat engines; they are also standard on most in-sink garbage disposals. Some DIY or home-build furniture also uses hex screws. This type of wrench is available in many home tool kits and is also readily available at hardware stores in most places. They tend to be quite small, however, and as such are often out of place; many professionals recommend keeping them tied up or stored in a closed place to avoid losing them.
Basic concept
This tool is usually defined by the hexagonal or six-sided cross section that fits into screw heads with similar six-sided sockets. The tool is unique in that it fits into a receptacle to rotate rather than around a screw or bolt like a regular wrench. This makes it the only tool that can access fasteners that have no protruding heads and are flush with the object being assembled or repaired. The surfaces of the screws and bolts are protected from damage because they are recessed. With this tool, items such as motorcycle engine covers can easily be fitted flush to the engine case without the bolt heads sticking out. Similarly, furniture joints can be screwed under the outer surface, which leads to a flat or indented surface rather than a protruding surface.
Other features that make the wrench popular are its small size and low weight. It is also somewhat unique in that it can reach very small, buried vines with ease. The ends are usually interchangeable, although the torque is limited by the length and thickness of the key.
Sizes available
Allen wrenches are typically available in both metric and fractional inch sizes, although some of these are location dependent. There are usually a number of different options depending on your project and setting. The three most popular sizes for automobile and motorcycle repair, for example, are 5/32 inch, 3/16 inch and 1/4 inch, and in metric sizes 4 mm, 5 mm and 6 mm are preferred. The international Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) also makes some additional recommendations; group “preferred” sizes include 3/32-inch, 7/6-inch, 1/8-inch, 9/64-inch and 7/32-inch.
The dimensions used to assemble the furniture vary according to the furniture and are usually made with the specific screw in mind. Allen keys for furniture assembly are usually included in the product packaging. They are so cheap to produce that inclusion doesn’t add much to the overhead of the distributor, and in most cases using six sided screw joints still saves a lot of money on the production side. Most of these types of keys are more or less disposable and are generally not made from quality materials. Anyone looking to disassemble furniture made this way and doesn’t have the necessary key can usually find a suitable one at a hardware store.
Popularity and traditional uses
The invention of this wrench is often mistakenly credited to someone named Allen. History indicates that the first such tool was developed in the early 20th century by the Standard Pressed Steel Company. The trademark for the design was acquired in 2000 by the Allen Manufacturing Company, hence the name. In the beginning, the wrench was a common tool only for those looking to fix bicycles or motorcycle engines. Today its use has become quite widespread.
Instrument storage
The most common complaint about these tools is how easily they get misplaced or lost. Because its length is less than half that of a socket wrench and its circumference is usually smaller than a standard pen or pencil, it can be inadvertently thrown away with packing materials or swept up with debris in the garage. The most popular way to keep track of different sizes of allen wrenches is to keep them separate from other tools in a special container, or to link or bind them together.
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