Thread: half round rod for split pins

hi greg i thought cotter pins were round bar with a small flange at one end and a hole drilled thru at the other.

That's likely the correct use of the term, but in North America everyone (probably incorrectly) uses cotter for split pin. You know how an error gets into common useage and over time develops a life of its own, displacing the correct version.

Greg

On edit, I don't recall seeing split pins used other than for securing a castelated nut (loaded in shear only) or to hold the wheels on a kiddie car. For serious location duties I have always used hitch pins, the bigger the better.

I also thought they were round bar with a tapered flat face on one side and threaded on one end for holding the cranks arms onto the crank on older pushbikes. Maybe they were called something else?


Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

I also thought they were round bar with a tapered flat face on one side and threaded on one end for holding the cranks arms onto the crank on older pushbikes. Maybe they were called something else?


Stuart

Yep.... that's a cotter pin, same in my neck of the woods when I was a kid, usually found peened over on both sides with a carpenters claw hammer... (Not that I would ever be guilty of that of course... )

Regards
Ray

Is it peened , or peined? can never remember...

yes, in my childhood, cotter pins were what held pedals on my bike and split pins secured castellated nuts. In case of my tractor, big beefy split pins secure key elements of front end loader and backhoe. They snuggle into special recesses so that loading and digging does not bash them or dislodge them.

Cotters on old engines (steam) can be flat with a taper much like what you use to get the drill chuck off

Phil