Who invented the Phillips head screw?
Mar 20, 2020 · Philips head screws were introduced in the late 1930's. Any furniture that has a Philips head screw will indicate either the piece was made after the late 1930's, or it is not the original screw. Look at rust from oxidation. Considering this, when did they start using Phillips head screws? 1930s When were flat head screws first used?
What can screws tell about the history of antique furniture?
Mar 28, 2011 · By 1848, the modern design of the gimlet screw appears. It is tapered and pointed so a pilot hole was no longer required. The threads are sharp and consistent and the head is round. This is still the most common type screw but now comes with a variety of different types of heads, including Phillips, square recess, clutch and Torx.
When did General Motors start using Phillips screws?
May 26, 2020 · In the early 1930s, the Phillips head screw was invented by Henry Phillips. Automobile manufacturers now used car assembly lines. They needed screws that could take greater torque and could provide tighter fastenings. The Phillips head screw was compatible with the automated screwdrivers used in assembly line. Click to see full answer.
What is a Robertson Phillips screw?
Philips head screws were introduced in the late 1930’s. Any furniture that has a Philips head screw will indicate either the piece was made after the late 1930’s, or it is not the original screw. Look at rust from oxidation. It should be reddish in color like you would expect to see on steel.
How can you tell the age of furniture with screws?
Take note of the shape of the screws used to hold the furniture together. Are they tapered and pointed with smooth grooves, or are the ends cut and the slots offset? Any combination of these features can help place the age of the furniture.Jan 5, 2016
Why do we still use slotted screws?
Because they don't strip nearly as easily as Philips-heads do, particularly if the p-h is on decorative brass hardware. That point made by the X in a p-h is very fragile and easy to destroy unless the screw is hardened steel.May 11, 2015
What year did furniture makers start using screws?
Metal wood screws — for fastening into wood — appear to have originated in the 15th century. Screws are relative newcomers to the production of furniture and did not become a common woodworking fastener until more efficient tools were developed around the end of the 18th century.Aug 23, 2017
How were screws made in the 18th century?
In the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, screws were produced one at a time, often by the same mechanic who made nails – the blacksmith or the “nailer.” The screwmaker started with the same square iron stock from which nails were forged, but this time the stock was heated and then pounded into a more or less ...Aug 5, 2015
Why do Phillips screws still exist?
Flat head screws are good for wood as they prevent overtightening and thus help prevent stripping.Feb 6, 2005
Why are there both Phillips and flat head screws?
The reason for the different styles is cost and torque. Phillips screws are self-centering, making powered screwdrivers possible. They're somewhat more expensive to produce than slotted-head. They tend to 'cam-out' easily under torque, making it hard to apply much torque.Nov 9, 2010
Did they have screws in the 1700s?
The Origins of Screws They were still rare at the time, but they did help affix two objects together. It wasn't until the late-1700s that mass production of screws was made possible.Oct 3, 2016
How can you tell how old furniture is?
How to Determine the Age of Antique FurnitureLook Past the Style of a Piece.Examine Bottoms, Insides, and Backs.Check for Perfectly Matching Elements.Try to Figure Out What Tools Were Used.Look at the Wood and Upholstery Fabric.Investigate the Screws and Other Hardware.Nov 28, 2019
How were screws made in the 1700s?
These screws were created by first hammering out a head and shank and then cutting the thread using a die called a screw plate. 5) Screws were originally used as fasteners for fixing two relatively thin pieces of material together. Nails are more effective when they are longer.
When was the first screw invented?
In the 1st century ad, wooden screws were used in wine and olive-oil presses, and cutters (taps) for cutting internal threads were in use. Although Archimedes is credited with inventing the screw in the 3rd century bce,...
When was the first wood screw invented?
Eventually, lathes were used to manufacture wood screws, with the earliest patent being recorded in 1760 in England. During the 1850s, swaging tools were developed to provide a more uniform and consistent thread. Screws made with these tools have rounded valleys with sharp and rough threads.
How long have screws been around?
Historical Background on Screw Threads. It is considered by some that the screw thread was invented in about 400BC by Archytas of Tarentum (428 BC - 350 BC). Archytas is sometimes called the founder of mechanics and was a contemporary of Plato.
When were Philips head screws introduced?
Philips head screws were introduced in the late 1930’s. Any furniture that has a Philips head screw will indicate either the piece was made after the late 1930’s, or it is not the original screw. Look at rust from oxidation. It should be reddish in color like you would expect to see on steel.
When were screws made?
Screws were all handmade and hand cut. Screws began to be machine made on about the 1830’s. Originally screws were flat bottomed until it was realized that a pointed screw was better, just like our modern screws. After about 1850, all screws have been basically ...
What is a screw?
Updated October 04, 2019. A screw is any shaft with a corkscrew-shaped groove formed on its surface. Screws are used to fasten two objects together. A screwdriver is a tool for driving (turning) screws; screwdrivers have a tip that fits into the head of a screw.
What is a Robertson drive head screw?
Robertson drive head screws have a square hole and are driven by a special power-tool bit or screwdriver (this is a low-cost version of the hex head for domestic use). Torx head screws have a splined socket and receive a driver with a splined shaft.
What is a screw in science?
A screw is any shaft with a corkscrew-shaped groove formed on its surface. Screws are used to fasten two objects together.
What is a tamper proof Torx?
Tamper-proof Torx's drive sockets have a projection to prevent a standard Torx driver being inserted. Tri-Wing screws were used by Nintendo on its Gameboys, and don't have a driver associated with them, which has discouraged even minor home repairs to the units.
What is a Pozidriv screw?
The Pozidriv is an improved Phillips head screw, and it has its own screwdriver, similar to cross-head but with better resistance to slipping, or cam-out. Hexagonal or hex screw heads have a hexagonal hole and are driven by a hexagonal wrench, sometimes called an Allen key or a power tool with a hexagonal bit.
What is square head screw?
A square-drive head on a screw is an improvement over the slot head because the screwdriver will not slip out of the screw's head during installation. The early 20th century Model T car made by the Ford Motor Company (one of Robertson's first customers) used over seven hundred Robertson screws.
What is the tool used to drive screw into the material to be fixed?
A variety of tools exists to drive screws into the material to be fixed. The hand tools used to drive slot-headed and cross-headed screws are called screwdrivers. A power tool that does the same job is a power screwdriver. The hand-tool for driving cap screws and other types is called a spanner (U.K. usage) or wrench (U.S. usage).
What is a tournevis gun?
Around then, gunsmiths developed purpose-built tournevis (French for “screwdriver”) for use in the intricate workings of early firearms. A century later, when screws could be mass-produced, factories cranked out accompanying screwdrivers. One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw. Scribner amazon.com.
When did screwdrivers become common?
In One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw, Witold Rybczynski, professor of urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania, traces the metal fasteners to the 15th century, though it wasn’t until the early 18th century that the screw became common.
Is cam out good for autos?
However, cam-out was good for automakers increasingly relying on automation, as it meant screws wouldn’t be overtightened. Today the Phillips is the standard, except in Canada, where the Robertson remains popular, and in Japan, which has its own cruciform screw, the Japanese Industrial Standard.
Is a Phillips screw better than a Robertson?
A Phillips is, arguably, not a better screw than a Robertson. Consumer Reports once wrote that “compared with slotted and Phillips-head screwdrivers, the Robertson worked faster, with less cam-out.”. However, cam-out was good for automakers increasingly relying on automation, as it meant screws wouldn’t be overtightened.
Who invented the Robertson screwdriver?
The Robertson screwdriver. GREGORY REID. According to Rybczynski, the one that stuck came from inventor John P. Thompson and businessman Henry F. Phillips. A Phillips screw offers many of the benefits of a Robertson and can be driven by a traditional slotted screwdriver in a pinch.
Who invented the square socket?
Robertson designed a fastener that featured a square socket tapering towards a truncated pyramidal bottom, winning a Canadian patent for his work in 1907. It’s a brilliant design—Robertson screws won’t easily cam out, and the socket shape helps center the screwdriver, making one-handed operation easy.
What were metal screws used for?
They were mainly used to assist in the production of olive oil and wine. Although they weren’t like the modern micro fasteners that are so often used today, metal screws were used as fasteners by at least the 15th century in Europe. They were still rare at the time, but they did help affix two objects together.
What temperature do screws need to be tempered?
Some screws are even made with alloy metals, which use oil quenching to heat treat above the transformation temperature and are then tempered at temperatures of 650°F or higher . And in the age of smart manufacturing, new types of screws are able to be created all the time to meet the need for custom screws and fasteners.
How many Phillips screws did the Model T use?
The Model T car used over 700 Robinson screws! In 1930, the Phillips head screw was invented, which was ideal for the now-popular car assembly line. It was more durable and provided a tighter fastening than the Robertson screw.
When was the screw made?
It wasn’t until the late-1700s that mass production of screws was made possible. Instrument maker Jesse Ramsden invented the first screw-cutting lathe in 1770, which inspired subsequent inventors to create machinery for mass production of the screw.
How to tell if a piece of furniture is machine cut?
Take a look at the joinery (the spots in furniture where the pieces come together). Look at the bottom or back of a piece or inside its doors and drawers. This can provide important clues about whether a piece of old furniture was machine cut or crafted by hand.
What type of wood was used in furniture in the 1800s?
For example, oak was primarily used in furniture made prior to 1700. After 1700, mahogany and walnut were very popular. Moving into the 1800s, maple and cherry showed up in fine furniture manufacture quite often.
What was the hardware made of?
Early 18th-century hardware was cast from molten brass using molds made of sand. This hardware often has inclusions or marks left behind by grains of sand or odd colors from impurities. The backs of the hardware were often left with these pockmarks, while the outward-facing surfaces were polished.
When were screws invented?
Screws were not made completely by machine until 1848. So if you find a furniture item using screws that have completely rounded shafts, pointed ends, and perfectly finished heads with matching cuts (much like a screw you would purchase today), the piece likely dates to the mid-19th century or later.
When was brass used in furniture?
Early 19th-century brass also has a rough texture, finish, and threading. From the 1830s up until the Eastlake period during the 1880s, brass hardware fell out of favor in furniture manufacture and was sparsely used. If you have a piece with brass, it's most likely pre-1830s or a revival piece from the late 1800s on.
Is handcrafted furniture considered antique?
A handcrafted furniture piece does not set it in time as an antique. Furniture is still being crafted by hand today. However, machine-made evidence does give you a better picture of when the piece of furniture could not be from.
When were hand planes used?
This is especially evident on the back or underside of pieces made prior to the mid-1800s. Hand chisels and wood-shaping tools operated with elbow grease left cuts and nicks in the wood.
Early Screws
Robertson Screw
- In 1908, square-drive screws were invented by Canadian P. L. Robertson (1879–1951), 28 years before Henry Phillips patented his Phillips head screws, which are also square-drive screws. The Robertson screw is considered the "first recess-drive type fastener practical for production usage." The design became a North American standard, as published in the "Industrial Fasteners Institut…
Phillips Head Screw and Other Improvements
- In the early 1930s, the Phillips head screw was invented by Oregon businessman Henry Phillips (1889–1958). Automobile manufacturers now used car assembly lines. They needed screws that could take greater torque and could provide tighter fastenings. The Phillips head screw was compatible with the automated screwdrivers used in an assembly line. A he...
Types of Screws
- Myriad types of screws have been invented to perform specific tasks. 1. A cap screwhas a convex head, usually hexagonal, designed to be driven by a spanner or wrench. 2. The wood screwhas a tapered shaft allowing it to penetrate the undrilled wood. 3. The machine screwhas a cylindrical shaft and fits into a nut or a tapped hole, a small bolt. 4. The self-tapping screwhas a cylindrical …
Shapes of Screw Head
- Pan head: disc with a chamfered outer edge
- Cheesehead: disc with a cylindrical outer edge
- Countersunk: conical, with flat outer face and tapering inner face allowing it to sink into the material, very common for wood screws
- Button or dome head screw: flat inner face and hemispherical outer face
Types of Screw Drive
- A variety of tools exists to drive screws into the material to be fixed. The hand tools used to drive slot-headed and cross-headed screws are called screwdrivers. A power tool that does the same job is a power screwdriver. The hand-tool for driving cap screws and other types is called a spanner (U.K. usage) or wrench (U.S. usage). 1. Slot head screws are driven by a flat-bladed sc…
Nuts
- Nuts are square, round, or hexagonal metal blocks with a screw thread on the inside. Nuts help fasten objects together and are used with screws or bolts.
Sources and Further Information
- Industrial Fasteners Institute. "IFI Book of Fastener Standards." 10th ed. Independence OH: Industrial Fasteners Institute, 2018.
- Rybczynski, Witold. "One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw." New York: Scribner, 2000.