www.mentalfloss.com: If you’ve ever undertaken any sort of home repair project, it’s all but assured you have either used or heard the following phrase: “Hand me the Phillips head screwdriver.” This distinction is key, as one cannot rotate a flat-head screw with a cross-patterned Phillips head tool nor use a flat-head driver with a Phillips screw.
8 comments:
I find neat, little history fun facts very interesting, so I was intrigued by the title of this piece. However, after reading this article I was left a little sad. The fact that the idea for a “Phillips head” was thought up and designed originally by John Frearson and John Thompson. Phillips had modified the ideas and designs of the previously mentioned, and had built an entire empire and legacy on it. While he obviously was completely right in doing this, since Thompson had sold the patent, but it still makes me feel kind of sad. The fact that an inventor or designer can create something and then sell it only for someone else to keep the title and legacy. Additionally, I was surprised by the fact that a Phillips head screw wasn’t invented that long ago. The article cites Phillips as getting the rights in 1933, which means that it wouldn’t have even been around in WWI, which obviously had a crazy amount of machinery– land, sea, and air– designed and assembled. This just reminded me that our world of art and design is changing every day and that nothing is ever certain.
If I'm being completely honest I don't think I've ever thought about the origin of the name of the Phillips head screwdriver. I just assumed that there was an engineering related purpose/reason it had the name. Really more concerned in picking the right kind and size out of the tool box when my dad sent me to get it. One thing I find interesting about the history of the phillips screw(driver) is that it was first picked up by the automotive industry in the 30s rather than construction or something similar. I would have thought a company like general motors would have seen the positives of using such hardware and adapted it to be used on vehicles. I'm curious how a change in hardware like this altered the manufacturing of vehicles, how quickly new machinery needed/could be made, if it slowed down the process at all, and if it had any effect on profit. As the patent has expired and there are many variations on the design I wonder if we will ever see another improved upon design that will be used as widely as the original. Or if there will be a whole new design created as technology and power tools will also keep evolving.
Who knew the Phillips head had such an involved history! This article intrigued me because of how much we don’t think about a screw being a Phillips head or not. It is also interesting to know that there is a physical advantage to Phillips screwdrivers over Flatheads, and it makes sense: using a screwdriver is easier if it is not sliding around while you are using it. It made me think about how often I have used a flathead screwdriver for actually driving in a screw, and I can’t remember very many times that I have. I have used flatheads for opening paint cans or to pry things apart, but very rarely for driving screws. Finally, I find it cool that most subsequent screw designs (star bit, hexagonal, etc.) also have an element that keeps the screwdriver from sliding. It stands to reason why, and it is cool how it stuck.
I have a Phillips head screwdriver bit in my Leatherman Wave +, and I really enjoy it. Not to pick favorites, but personally I like Phillips head screwdrivers more than I like flat head screwdrivers. I prefer their shape and the practicality of them. It’s crazy to think that one small invention is so important and used worldwide in many, many regards. The Phillips head screw also centers itself automatically which is very practical, helpful, and convenient. Carmakers such as General Motors started using the Phillips head screwdriver and Phillips head screw on their own products. Even knowing the fact that the Phillips head screwdriver and Phillips head screw has single handedly enhanced completing home projects, in a more timely manner and less damaging way. No hate to the flathead screwdriver or flathead screw, but the alternative Phillips head screw and screwdriver has ‘driven’ a compelling and strong point, literally and figuratively.
I think we should go back to calling the Phillips head a “cruciform recess” because it would simply be awesome. I’m not surprised the name had something to do with who invented it. I honestly probably would've guessed that but I didn’t know that it had been invented/patented multiple times in its history. I like the Scrulox–or Robertson–head because I find it resists stripping while also enabling you to center the screw. I think it’s funny that flat head screws are named after the shape whereas the Phillips head is named after its inventor. I’ve heard people call it a “star” bit on crew multiple times when they don’t know the real name which is confusing because there is such a thing as star bits which are not Phillips heads. I liked how the article talked about the Phillips head ability to change machine production speeds seeing that the cruciform recess could enable machines to also center screws faster and more accurately.
This article bewildered me. I seriously don’t know what to say besides it feels like the person who wrote this has never used a Phillips head fastener before. They go on and on about how secure a Phillips fastener is compared to others, but haven’t we all had Phillips screws cam out on us? I’m inclined to say that, in terms of a good, secure connection between a driver and fastener, Phillips is one of the worst drivers. I certainly recognize that they are widespread for a reason, and they’re good for certain applications, but compare it to a Torx (star drive), or a Robertson, or even an internal hex. Maybe I’ve just been incredibly unlucky, but in my experience Phillips fasteners will just cam out and strip when you need a remotely tight connection. It’s so much quicker and easier to use a different driver. Flathead/slotted isn’t perfect either, but at least a flathead screwdriver will double as a chisel and prybar. I guess you could probably use a Phillips screwdriver as a centerpunch, though.
The design with the self-centering makes sense, especially for power tools. I have had my fair share of times blindly reaching behind for my screwdriver to catch the screw head. However, I feel like Phillips head screws are much more prone to stripping. I feel like there’s other ways to have it be a self centering screw without the small edges that are easily worn down. There's also tons of other types of screw heads out there. How come those aren’t as universally used? Are they just newer?
This was an interesting article because my whole life I have never stopped to ask this question. The Phillips head screw was a big improvement when compared to the flat head "standard" screw. As they explain in the article, flat head screws can be annoying to use because you need to stay exactly in the center when you're applying force to turn it in. If not you'll end up slipping out and possibly damaging the head of the screw. This is why Phillips screws were better, because having 4 points allowed for a stronger connection when applying torque. This was also the thought process behind the Torx head screw, that having more points of contact kept a better hold between the tool and screw head and it was easier to apply torque with more points wider from the center.
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