Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Self Tapping Screws And Other Linear Actuators

By Bonnie Contreras


Self tapping screws are a type of linear actuator that can be driven straight through two or more thicknesses of metal without needing to drill holes first. It saves an incredible amount of time and is so easy. There is a YouTube video that shows a guy mounting computer screens on a metal frame and then attaching the frame to corrugated metal sheets at the rear for an attractive effect.

These are wonderful, time-saving devices. You can mount sheet metal or corrugated metal to a steel frame easily and quickly without tearing your hair out or swearing at anybody. They are also useful for mounting surveillance cameras. Other uses for a self-drilling screw include surgery and dental implants.

Like other screws, the heads of the self tapping kind are either plain or cross-headed. The cross-headed, or Phillips, variety give a little extra stability when juggling two or more layers of material. It is amazing how a trivial difference in structure can make a huge difference in function. It really is a matter of having the correct tool for the task at hand.

Most conventional screws are right-handed and need to be tightened in the clockwise direction. To loosen, turn the screwdriver counterclockwise. A convenient mneumonic is, "lefty-loosey, righty-tighty." The same principle applies to adjusting a radiator or opening or closing a jar of jam or pickles.

There are numerous other kinds of screw. There are differences in the pitch (the distance between threads), and they differ in composition (steel, zinc, copper, nickel, brass or chromium). They can have different heads, flat or round; plain or Phillips head (cross head).

The design for the Phillips head screwdriver was purchased from its inventor, John Thompson, from a man from Portland Oregon named Henry Phillips. Phillips made a few tweaks and then had the final design patented. Among its early users was the firm that manufactured the Cadillac, General Motors. Phillips eventually sold the patent to the Ford Motor Company for a grand total of $5 million, an enormous sum now and even more enormous in 1945.

Most screws are right-handed, meaning they tighten in the clockwise direction. There are times, however, when a screw is going to encounter strong counterclockwise forces, in which case a left-handed thread is preferable. Other items with helical threads that can be rightfully called a screw include propellers and the Archimedes' screw water pump.

Self tapping screws are wonderful, simple, labor-saving devices that enable the fixing of two pieces of metal together without needing to drill a pilot hole first. This means not having to fiddle around trying to line up holes afterwards, which can be a bit of a pickle to handle. Sometimes the simple inventions are the best. There are many, many varieties of screw, which vary in diameter, length, pitch and the type of head. They come in different metals, including zinc, nickel, copper, chromium and steel.




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