A wingnut, wing nut or butterfly nut is a type of nut with two large metal "wings", one on each side, so it can be easily tightened and loosened by hand without tools. A similar fastener with a male thread is known as a wing screw or a wing bolt.

Types

ASME B18.6.9 classifies wing nuts first by manufacturing method and then by style. * Type A are cold forged or cold formed produced in regular, light and heavy dimensional series. * Type B are hot forged solid nuts available in three different wing styles. * Type C are die cast nuts available in three wing styles with variances between regular and heavy dimensional series * Type D are stamped sheet metal nuts available in three wing styles.

Usage

Bicycles

Before the development of

quick release skewer A quick release skewer is a mechanism for attaching a wheel to a bicycle. It consists of a rod threaded on one end and with a lever operated cam assembly on the other. The rod is inserted into the hollow axle of the wheel, a special nut is th ...

s, bicycle wheels were held in place with wingnuts.

Drum hardware

In a

drum kit A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

wingnuts and wingbolts are used extensively. * For securing a

suspended cymbal Classical suspended cymbal A suspended cymbal is any single cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal. Common abbreviations used are "sus. cym.," or "sus. cymb." (with or without the period). Most drum ki ...

on the mounting bolt of a

cymbal stand A cymbal stand is a stand designed primarily to support a suspended cymbal in a drum kit or percussion section. There are many forms, including: * Straight stands. * Simple boom stands. * Counterweighted boom stands. * Zero-offset boom stands. * ...

. * For securing an adjustment on a stand. * In connection with

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered ...

. In

drum hardware Drum hardware refers to the parts of a drum or drum kit that are used to tension, position, and otherwise support the instruments themselves. Occasionally, the hardware is used percussively as well, the most common example being a rim shot. John ...

, ''memory'' refers to any system that preserves the adjustment of a stand, boom or bracket when the kit is disassembled. Most commonly this takes the form of a collar on a tube, fixed in place by a screw operated by a drum key. This collar mates with a fitting that receives the tube and secures it by means of a wingnut or wingbolt. When the stand is disassembled, only the wingnut or wingbolt needs to be loosened, and the collar remains in place, allowing the stand to be reassembled in exactly the same adjustment. When the stand needs to be adjusted, the collar is first loosened by means of a drum key.

Seltzer bottle

The device that surrounds a CO₂ cartridge in a seltzer bottle is also a wingnut. Twisting the wingnut completes a seal around the cartridge neck; twisting a bit more causes a pin to pierce the cartridge and let the gas into the bottle.

References

External links

* {{Nuts (hardware) Nuts (hardware)