Who decided that screws should be threaded to go in clockwise?

Answer 1

Right-handed people. Tyranny of the majority!

Answer 2

That was actually decided by a floorvote at the 43d International Machine Standards and Measures Board convention held in Bern, Switzerland in 1884. The vote followed three days of very contentious debate, with Germany arguing vociferously for counter-clockwise screws.

The upshot of the vote meant that Germany, the world's leading maker of production machining, had to completely retool, which severely harmed its economy. There are many who believe that the animosity created by France's strong advocacy for the clockwise threading is what actually led to WWI thirty years later, not the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

In what was to become a familiar scenario, Switzerland abstained from the final vote, claiming neutrality as the host site of the convention.

Answer 3

I believe Joseph Whitworth was the designer of the first STANDARDISED screw thread, but not all are right handed threads. The qote below is from Wikipedia on screw threads. I thought it was quite succinct. As recently asthe 1950s children were beaten for writing or eating left handed until they learned to be right handed so I assume that in the early to mid 1800s a left handed thread would have been thought to be the work of the devil!
Read the following extract:-
"Standards for machine screw threads have existed since the mid nineteenth century, to facilitate compatibility between different manufacturers and users. Many of these standards also specified corresponding bolt head and nut sizes, to facilitate compatibility between spanners and other driving tools.

Nearly all threads are oriented so a bolt or nut, seen from above, is tightened (the item turned moves away from the viewer) by turning it in a clockwise direction, and loosened (the item moves towards the viewer) by turning anticlockwise. This is known as a right-handed thread. Threads oriented in the opposite direction are known as left-handed.There are also self-tapping screw threads where no nut is required.

Left-handed threads are used:

Where the rotation of a shaft would cause a conventional right-handed nut to loosen rather than to tighten, e.g. on a left-hand bicycle pedal.
In combination with right-handed threads in turnbuckles.
In some gas supply connections to prevent dangerous misconnections.
In antenna connectors on some Wireless LAN access points, to prevent the connection of a non-FCC approved antenna.
In some instances, for example early Biro pens, to provide a "secret" method of disassembly.
Unless stated otherwise, all standards below specify right-handed threads."

Answer 4

Well if you screwed them in anti clockwise, you'd never get the buggers out. It would be another excuse for builders to charge extra for having to remove clockwise screws and make even more fundamental mistakes whilst putting up buildings and blaming someone for putting screws in the wrong way.

Answer 5

right here is how I tell everyone to alter a tyre. stable thought to do it your self ;) once you're making use of the nut wrench from the boot, i come across they're often too short to get stable leverage. A 2 foot pipe over the wrench or borrowing a respectable wrench makes it extra handy additionally make advantageous it extremely is an extremely stable comfortable in good shape on the nuts, if it slips off try yet another wrench or you danger rounding off the bolt faces till your on a hill timber under a wheel, handbrake and 1st kit will save it from shifting Jack on organisation floor not earth Take the jack and discover the right jacking element, often times it extremely is not obtrusive so take time looking the spot it extremely is designed to effectively take the burden Loosen each and all the wheel nuts in the past you start up jacking! Then carry her up + slightly extra suitable reason the recent tyre in simple terms isn't flat If it extremely is a disk brake take the possibility the learn the pads, if there is under a matchstick width they choose doing quickly in good shape new tyre and do up the bolts in random order slightly tight with the wrench, in simple terms to restoration it in place Drop the jack and do those nuts up tight (extremely oil does no injury on an extremely sticky bolt that 'snatches') How tight? With a one million foot wrench as much as you may, if i'm making use of an prolonged one then fairly damn tight yet not too tight, i bypass around some circumstances in simple terms getting them a tiny bit tighter till i'm happy and swearing playstation risk-free practices tip. one jack isn't sufficient to bypass under the vehicle stable success all would be ok!

Answer 6

There are more right-handed people in the world,so its easy to cut a thread using a die clockwise..... with the pressure needed.... good question.....had to remember back to my metalwork days...for that one....as i asked it myself

Answer 7

The same person who decided a clock should go clockwise!!!

Answer 8

I guess the correct answer is bacuse the thread is easier for a righthanded person to make.And as you are aware, there are more right handers in this world of ours.
incidentally, when you are unscrewing / screwing anticlockwise ( as in the case of some equipment ) have you noticed how difficult it is? You have to THINK before you do it......

Answer 9

If they weren't threaded clockwise then the expression:
"Righty Tighty - Lefty Loosey"
Wouldn't work.

Answer 10

The inventer