Name This Tool: The Mystery Bolt
By Sean O'Hara
It’s time for another edition of Name This Tool here on Toolmonger. Photo pool member sheepslinky ran across this odd bolt, and he doesn’t know exactly what he’s got here. People have suggested it could be some sort of valve bolt or pin lock bolt, but it’s just guessing at this point — nothing definitive yet. We have to admit: we aren’t sure either.
So which one of you Toolmongers can school us in funky bolt identification? We’re looking for the name of the fastener and what it’s used for.
Any ideas?
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
March 5th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Something scaffholding-related? Like a Kee Clamp, for holding tubing (with some missing bracketry). Just guessing.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Is is the radial-bore support for the cleaning mechanism of a rusty-trumpet?
March 5th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
This looks like an internal 90 degree joiner bolt for railings or catwalks. It fits in a sleeve that has matching hole patterns and is locked down by the top nut/bolt. Just a guess.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
It’s the gozinta bolt for a harmonic fractilator. Typically the full-capacity fractilator.
March 5th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Toolaremia Says: “It’s the gozinta bolt for a harmonic fractilator. Typically the full-capacity fractilator.”
PUH-LEEZ! Look at the canting on the shroud manifold. Clearly that for a 3/4 capacity fractilator.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Maybe a steam valve for a double-acting steam engine? As it rotates, it directs steam in one side while venting the exhaust out the other. Rotate the valve 90 degrees and it repeats on the other side of the cylinder.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:14 am
its some type of counter screw to stick in a drain basket, to help you unscrew the lock nut on the other side of a kitchen sink?
March 6th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Its for some sort of scaffolding. The fat part goes into the top of the tube and the skinny part goes into the bottom of the next vertical tube. The nut is for leveling adjustment/locking. The cupped parts are at 90 degrees and thats where the horizontal poles are attached.
Just my guess. I have no idea of it name.
March 9th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Oh this one is so simple. It’s a bolt!
March 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
It’s called a Flexture. It can handle loaded axially by can be bent a small amount to take into account small angular misalignments. I have seen them used in vibration and shock environmental test. A large test object is brought in and “isolated” on either large springs or airbags. At some point it is attached to a vibration exciter (shaker table or some other device) using the flexture. The flexture lets the unit under test bounces around a bit without putting large moments on the fragile vibration armature. Generally there are not huge loads going through the flexture but they usually attach at a load path which may have large bolt holes. The shakers generally have a standard bolt pattern (5/16 i think or maybe 1/2″) So the small side probably screwed into the shaker head with a lock nut to tighten it. The other side would do the same into whatever it was that needed testing. The rust also indicates that it was an environmental test. As they vibrate a test object they will also raise and lower the temperature and humidity. Flextures are normally made out of some springy steal that isn’t very good at corrosion.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:08 am
I agree with Ryan. Although i don’t know what he’s speaking of…Hooah!
May 1st, 2008 at 11:27 am
Connectors are often used to connect a cable held on a vehicle such as a truck, to circuitry that does not move with the truck, such as a circuit on a stationary facility. Occasionally, the vehicle is accidently driven away while the connectors are fully mated, resulting in breakage at some weakest location and possible damage due to overstress at other locations. The parts that are broken apart or damaged may be located where there is large cost and delay in repair. A break-away apparatus that resulted in a break at a location that could be repaired at minimal cost and with little downtime for the equipment, would be of value.
SU