A speed nut, aka sheet metal nut or Tinnerman nut, is a type of

locknut A locknut, also known as a lock nut, locking nut, self-locking nut, prevailing torque nut,. stiff nut or elastic stop nut, is a Nut (hardware), nut that resists loosening under vibrations and torque. Prevailing torque nuts have some portion of ...

with two

sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 ...

prongs that act as one thread. They are made from

spring steel Spring steel is a name given to a wide range of steels used in the manufacture of different products, including swords, saw blades, springs and many more. These steels are generally low-alloy manganese, medium-carbon steel or high-carbon stee ...

Description

The fastener serves the functions of both a

lock washer A washer is a thin plate (typically disk-shaped, but sometimes square) with a hole (typically in the middle) that is normally used to distribute the load of a threaded fastener, such as a bolt or nut. Other uses are as a spacer, spring (Bellevil ...

and a

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...

. As the fastener is tightened in the nut the prongs are drawn inward until they exert pressure on the root of the thread on the fastener. When the fastener is tightened, the base of the nut, which is arched, elastically deforms and applies a force to the fastener, which locks it from loosening under vibrations. There are many different types of speed nuts, mostly dependent on the shape of the nut, how it attaches to the workpiece, and what type of screw can be used. Most types are designed for either

machine screw A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety of materi ...

s or sheet metal screws. Some nuts do not attach to the workpiece. These are usually shaped as either a rectangle, a

flange nut A flange nut is a nut that has a wide flange at one end that acts as an integrated washer. This serves to distribute the pressure of the nut over the part being secured, reducing the chance of damage to the part and making it less likely to loose ...

, or a

hex nut A nut is a type of fastener with a screw thread, threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used in conjunction with a mating bolt (fastener), bolt to fasten multiple parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads ...

; the rectangular speed nut is also known as a flat-style speed nut. Speed nuts that attach to the workpiece usually are some form of a

J-nut A clip-on nut, also known as a sheet metal nut or a speed nut (but this is ambiguous, see speed nut), is a type of nut (hardware), nut designed to be clipped to sheet metal. It is a type of Threaded_insert#Captive_nut, captive nut commonly made as a ...

or U-nut.

History

The speed nut was invented in 1923 and patented in 1924 by Albert H. Tinnerman, son of George Tinnerman, who founded

Tinnerman Steel Range Company Scouting in Ohio has a long history, from the 1908 to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Early history (1910–1950) Recent history (1950–1990) In 1952 and again in 1975 t ...

. The company, established in 1870, originally manufactured sheet metal kitchen ranges. However, after Tinnerman invented the nut to resolve issues with stove shipping, the invention became so successful it led the company away from building stoves to building fasteners. Tinnerman Products was formed in 1939, and evolved from the Speed Nut development with manufacturing plants in Cleveland, Ohio. A manufacturing plant was constructed on Brookpark Road in the early 1950s. Tinnerman Products later merged with Eaton Yale & Towne in 1969. In 1999, Eaton sold Tinnerman to TransTechnology for $173 million. In 2009, ARaymond purchased Tinnerman for an undisclosed sum.

References

Notes

Bibliography

*. *. * *Plain Dealer Publishing Co, (1906), Progressive Men of Northern Ohio https://books.google.com/books?id=9NYyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA26 *R. Coates, William, (1924), A History of Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland *Survey of Buying Power (1951) - Volume 67 - Page 146 *https://www.riversidecemeterycleveland.org/rs_hs_g.htm#tinnerman *

{{Nuts (hardware) Nuts (hardware)

Description

History

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References

Notes

Bibliography