HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A wrench or spanner is a
tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates b ...
used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying
torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning. In the UK,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
''spanner'' is the standard term. The most common shapes are called ''open-ended spanner'' and ''ring spanner''. The term ''wrench'' is generally used for tools that turn non-fastening devices (e.g. tap wrench and pipe wrench), or may be used for a monkey wrench—an adjustable pipe wrench. In
North American English North American English (NAmE, NAE) is the most generalized variety of the English language as spoken in the United States and Canada. Because of their related histories and cultures, plus the similarities between the pronunciations (accents), ...
, ''wrench'' is the standard term. The most common shapes are called ''open-end wrench'' and ''box-end wrench''. In
American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...
, ''spanner'' refers to a specialized wrench with a series of pins or tabs around the circumference. (These pins or tabs fit into the holes or notches cut into the object to be turned.) In American commerce, such a wrench may be called a ''spanner wrench'' to distinguish it from the British sense of ''spanner''. Higher quality wrenches are typically made from chromium- vanadium alloy tool steels and are often drop-forged. They are frequently chrome-plated to resist
corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engi ...
and for ease of cleaning. Hinged tools, such as pliers or tongs, are not generally considered wrenches in English, but exceptions are the plumber wrench (pipe wrench in
British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Oxford Dictionaries, "English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadl ...
) and Mole wrench (sometimes Mole grips in British English). The word can also be used in slang to describe an unexpected obstacle, for example, "He threw a spanner in the works" (in U.S. English, "monkey wrench").


Etymology

Wheel-lock_gun_of_Sigismund_III_Vasa:_The_original_spanner_had_a_square_hole_for_turning_the_shaft_(r.)_of_the_wheel,_which_tensioned_the_mainspring._''See_also_#External_links.html" ;"title="Sigismund_III_Vasa.html" ;"title="Wheel-lock gun of Sigismund III Vasa">Wheel-lock gun of Sigismund III Vasa: The original spanner had a square hole for turning the shaft (r.) of the wheel, which tensioned the mainspring. ''See also #External links">§ External links'' 'Wrench' is derived from Middle English ''wrench'', from Old English ''wrenċ'', from
Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic br ...
''*wrankiz'' ("a turning, twisting"). First used in 1790."wrench"
. ''Online Etymology Dictionary.''
'Spanner' came into use in the 1630s, referring to the tool for winding the spring of a wheel-lock firearm. From
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
''Spanner'' (n.), from ''spannen'' (v.) ("to join, fasten, extend, connect"), from
Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic br ...
''*spannan'', from
PIE A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts (pecan pie), brown sugar ( sugar pie), sweete ...
root ''*(s)pen-'' ("to draw, stretch, spin"). Nuremberg hunting wheel-lock pistol with matching powder flask and built-in key / spanner
(half-way down page) -->


History

Wrenches and applications using wrenches or devices that needed wrenches, such as pipe clamps and suits of armor, have been noted by historians as far back as the 15th century. Adjustable coach wrenches for the odd-sized nuts of wagon wheels were manufactured in England and exported to North America in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The mid 19th century began to see patented wrenches that used a screw for narrowing and widening the jaws, including patented monkey wrenches. Most box end wrenches are sold as 12-point because 12-point wrenches fit over both 12-point and 6-point bolts. 12-point wrenches also offer a higher number of engagement points over 6-point. However, 12-point wrenches have been known to round off 6-point bolts as they provide less contact space.


Types


Other types of keys

These types of keys are not emically classified as wrenches by English speakers, but they are etically similar in function to wrenches.


Size designations

Size is usually designated by dimensions such as across-flats distance (inscribed-hexagon size). In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it had been common to define the nominal size of the wrench according to the nominal size of the ''screw thread'' that it was meant to be used with. Modern practice uses a size designation based on across-flats distance, whether measured in metric or in inch units.


See also

*
List of screw drives At a minimum, a screw drive is a set of shaped cavities and protrusions on the screw head that allows torque to be applied to it. Usually, it also involves a mating tool, such as a screwdriver, that is used to turn it. The following heads are ca ...


References


External links

* *
Spanner for Nuremberg hunting wheel-lock pistol c1610 with matching powder flask and built-in key
(half-way down page)

Additional background information and spanner jaw size table.

* ttps://toolsmach.com/en/content/41-er-type-hook-wrenches ER Type Hook Wrenches {{Authority control Metalworking hand tools Woodworking hand tools Metallic objects