Whats the proper name for an Allen Key screw

Socket Cap Head Screw

Torx Cap Head Screw

The 'Cap' is the screw head form, you can also get Button Head for example, that would be a Socket Button Head Screw.

That's what we use when ordering from our local people. (The Hex form of the socket is implied)

Allen Keys gave their name to the screws for many years, it was probably a proprietary manufacturer at the time.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

In message , Cheshire Steve writes

I think the generic name would be "socket head screw"..

Whether or not it is a cap screw depends upon the type of screw - its head shape - does it have a cap head or is it a grub screw.. Or is it a button head... Or a countersunk head...

Further complications arise if you look at the other end - is it a dog point or a cup point? Or any other point?

The term Allen screw is also in general use but Allen is a trade name - I suspect that most of the socket head screws in use are not genuine Allen screws. Most suppliers would understand the term though.

My understanding is that industry uses the "trade" name of Torx screws. My car handbook refers to them by this name. I suppose the same applies to specifying the head or point type as applies to Allen (sorry - socket head) screws...

Regards,

In article , Cheshire Steve writes

Socket head cap screws, or SHCS for short. That's the ones with the cylindrical head.

No idea.

David

The generic term is Socket Screw and the head type can then be further specified.

Torx Screw.

whats all trhis screwing around ...screw this screw that . the things a bolt not a screw .screws are for wood .

so i would say ...Allen headed bolt

all the best.mark

Isn't it only a bolt if it has an unthreaded section of shank? If it's threaded all the way up, it's a machine screw.

Chris

Set screw if all threaded, bolt if not IIRC.

Add the type of head reqd: Coach/Hex/Cap etc.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

Or a set screw, or a set pin. There are a lot of different names for the same thing. But yes, it's only a bolt if it has an unthreaded section of shank.

Best wishes,

Chris

Some could be described as bolts but others are really set screws - it is all just quibbling really but that is the way we are.

Thanks Guys,

So its generically called a Socket Screw, or Socket Head Screw (swap screw for bolt if it has a shank).

And according to the type of head this can be modified, so you get

Socket Cap Head Screw or maybe Socket Head Cap Screw Socket Head Grub Screw Socket Head Countersunk Screw or maybe Socket Countersunk Head Screw or even Countersunk Socket Head Screw

Well at least search engines don't mind the order of the words, and this seems to be getting me a lot more hits that Allen screws (except for eBay, where it looks like Allen screws is used for auctions, and socket head screws by the eBay shops).

It may be a wet Sunday afternoon, but at least I learned something... Thanks Steve

You could also try

(screws,bolts) (allen,socket)

as an eBay search term. The google equivalent is

(screws OR bolts) (Allen OR socket)

which will find listings with screws-and-Allen, screws-and-socket, bolts-and-Allen, and bolts-and-socket in them. If that's clear - English does not do that well.

Talking of screws and bolts, I was taught that it's a bolt if it's used with a nut, and a screw otherwise. So the same item could be either.

ymmv

In the local bolt shop, they & I refer to them as 'socket caps'. No more is needed in that context.

Tim

On or around Sun, 13 May 2007 15:11:05 +0100, Peter A Forbes enlightened us thusly:

There was a thing I found on the web that said all machine-threaded things are bolts. The thing about "set screws" (which I too use) is not official. allegedly.

Thanks Peter,

This is going to sound really dumb, but I didn't know you could use the Google search like that. I had accidentally typed in an eBay search format once many moons ago and found it didn't work, then I just assumed it didn't offer that facility.

So thats two things I have learned.

The problem with the bolt definition you have is that the same item changes name according to how you use it. When the man sells it to me over the counter he doesn't know whether I will use it with a nut, so he doesn't know what to call it. I suspect its for that reason that the shank definition has come in, if it does not have a shank then its pretty unusual that you would be using it with a nut (bodgers not included). I suspect you are right with the original definition, but lets face it cylinder head bolts have been called bolts for donkeys years - no nut there.

Steve

On or around 13 May 2007 08:13:11 -0700, Cheshire Steve enlightened us thusly:

to be technical about it, it's a "hexgaon socket head screw", to distinguish it from the other kinds. But as has been said, most people assume undeclared sockets to be hex.

There are any number of things now - square ones, 3-legged slots, offset-4 crosses, torx, 12-point, and then there are a whole other set with a pin in.