Why are All Screws Tightened Clockwise?

 

Whether it is brass pipe fittings or copper compression fittings, we can find the familiar thread, which is almost a symbol of screws. The word "screw" has changed a lot in the last few hundred years. At least in 1725, it means "mating". Except for the knowledge in the name, it took thousands of years for the small screw to be tightened clockwise and loosened counterclockwise from being invented. Why does the screw have to be tightened clockwise?

 

 

Who Invented the Screw?

There are six simplest mechanical tools: screws, inclined surfaces, levers, pulleys, wedges, wheels, and axles. Today, screws have developed a standard size. The typical method of using a screw is to tighten it by turning it clockwise. In contrast, we use a counterclockwise rotation to loosen it.

 

The screw is not a long-established invention. Such a tool that we are accustomed to took a full 2000 years to invent, which is a powerful example of what is called a very high standard and low actual workability.

 

It is believed that Plato's friend, Archytas of Tarentum, invented the screw in 400 BC. Archimedes first realized that screws could be used to connect things, and they could also be used to lift water. The Romans used bronze and silver as materials and cut screws by hand. In the early days, people used various screws to squeeze olive oil, irrigate canals, and drain bilge water.

 

In addition to using screws to connect, we have also developed some new accessories to better deal with different situations, such as push and pull hydraulic quick release couplings and flat face hydraulic quick release couplings.

 

 

Who Mainly Decides to Tighten Clockwise?

Since the screws at the beginning of the invention were all made manually, the degree of fineness of the screws is not consistent and is often determined by the personal preferences of the craftsman.

 

By the middle of the 16th century, French court engineer Joseph Besson invented a lathe that could be cut into screws, and it took 100 years for this technology to be popularized. The British Henry Maudsley invented the modern lathe in 1797. With it, the fineness of the thread was significantly improved. Nevertheless, there is still no uniform standard for the size and fineness of screws.

 

This situation was changed in 1841. Maudsley’s apprentice Joseph Whitworth submitted an article to the Institution of Municipal Engineers calling for the integration of screw models. He made two suggestions. First, the inclination angle of the screw thread should be 55° as the standard. Second, regardless of the diameter of the screw, a certain standard should be adopted for the number of wires per foot.

 

It seems an unwritten rule that the screw should be tightened clockwise, because right-handed people use their right hand to turn the screw clockwise with greater force, and most people are right-handed (about 70%-90%).

 

But we believe that whether you are left-handed or right-handed, you can use our DIN2353 Compression Tube Fitting and Single Ferrule Tube Fitting well.