Have you seen my Cotter Pins? (I am looking for a sterling silver cotter pin for my wife; let me know where to get one.) Have you ever taken the time to realize the significance cotter pins have in your life?
Think about it. What are they? What do they do?
Here I am watching “How’s It Made” on the Discovery Channel the other night, and BAM; there they were.
The episode on that night showed how scissor lifts are made. Every cross bar holding the scissors of the scissor lift had a hole that a bolt was placed through and then a cotter pin was inserted to hold the bolt in its position and then one end of the cotter pin was curled back with pliers to hold it in place.
Fantastic: a little item such as this with a very significant job. Now I am thinking, WOW, when I was young I would find cotter pins all over the place, mostly pieces, not the whole item. Now here they are on TV, an essential item on a scissor lift that takes you straight up into the air, defies gravity, and basically holds your life in its little body while you paint, repair, or apply something at a height.
In The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language a cotter pin is defined as a split cotter inserted through holes in two or more pieces and bent at the ends to fasten the pieces together. Okay, now I look up cotter. It says a cotter is a bolt, wedge, key, or pin inserted through a slot in order to hold parts together. (Sounds like something every marriage needs)
Now I am intrigued! I ask around at work.
Where have you seen cotter pins being used? Tractor axle, American flyer wagon wheels, axle nuts on ATV’s, forklift attachments, cap nuts, crown nuts on axles, heavy equipment rotating pins, flywheels, aviation parts, even Gothic jewelry.
So what kind of metal are they made of that they can be trusted to ensure my safety? How come we can use cotter pins to secure bolts, screws, nuts, and pins? Some cotter pins are made of low-carbon steel, while others are of stainless steel, and thus are more resistant to corrosion. Use stainless steel cotter pins in locations where nonmagnetic material is required.
Regardless of shape or material, most everyone use cotter pins for the same general purpose; safety. How long is the warranty on that little thing? So I go deeper: In what way are they used where your life is in danger?
Steering Box: Check that the steering box is securely mounted and not leaking. Look for any missing nuts, bolts, and cotter keys.
What? Remove the cotter pin and pull the locking pin out of the reel hole to let the reel rotate freely. Always replace the cotter pin after removing.
Hoisting: A clevis-type shackle, with locking device or through bolt with jam nut, or nut with cotter pin, shall be used to hoist rails, brackets, etc.
What? Check that the latch is secured and locked in place and that the cotter pin is not missing. If equipped, look for loose or missing pins in place.
Suspended scaffolding for window cleaners: The pins on sectional outrigger beams must be properly installed and secured. Wiring the pin in position or securing the nut on the pin with a cotter pin is also important. If the pin is not secured, vibration can easily dislodge it and allow the beam to come apart. This is especially important where manual climbers are used because the uneven jacking action of the climbers can apply intermittent loads to the beam and easily shake out a loose pin. This requirement also applies to shackle pins and eyebolts used on outrigger beam systems.
Now they have gotten my attention!
What? To prevent piston rod lock nuts from coming loose and allowing the rod to drop when supporting a load, lock nut shall be secured to the piston rod by a castellated nut and cotter pin. Adjust rear deflector to the desired height and install cotter pins on one of the top six holes on the spring rods above the cushion springs.
Where else have you seen cotter pins? Let me know!
