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A cotter is a pin or wedge passing through a hole to fix parts tightly together. In British usage cotter pin has the same meaning,. but in the U.S. it means a
Cottered Cranks by Sheldon Brown
Bicycle parts Fasteners
A cotter is a pin or wedge passing through a hole to fix parts tightly together. In British usage cotter pin has the same meaning,. but in the U.S. it means a split pin
A split pin, also known in the United States of America as a cotter pin or cotter key, is a metal fastener with two tines that are bent during installation, similar to a staple or rivet. Typically made of thick wire with a half-circular cross s ...
.
Typical applications are in fixing a crank
Crank may refer to:
Mechanisms
* Crank (mechanism), in mechanical engineering, a bent portion of an axle or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it
* Crankset, the compone ...
to its crankshaft, as in a bicycle, and a piston rod to a crosshead
In mechanical engineering, a crosshead is a mechanical joint used as part of the slider-crank linkages of long reciprocating engines (either internal combustion or steam) and reciprocating compressors to eliminate sideways force on the piston ...
, as in a steam engine. The angle of the wedge determines the position of the parts being held; therefore, on a bicycle, the pedal arms will only be at 180 degrees to each other if the angle of the cotter pin's wedge is the same on both pins.
Popular usage
Formerly, it was common to mount bicycle cranks using a cotter, though now usually a more easily maintained arrangement is used such as a square tapered or splined interface. These cotters have a short threaded section at the narrower end of the taper, which is used to hold the cotter in place with a washer and nut. They are also used to secureceiling fans
A ceiling fan is a fan mounted on the ceiling of a room or space, usually electric power, electrically powered, that uses hub-mounted rotation, rotating blades to wikt:circulation, circulate air. They cool people effectively by increasing air ...
to prevent falling if the mounting nut loosens.
See also
* * * * *References
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Cottered Cranks by Sheldon Brown
Bicycle parts Fasteners