![L-Kloben](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/L-Kloben.png)
A pintle is a pin or bolt, usually inserted into a
gudgeon
A gudgeon is a socket-like, cylindrical (i.e., ''female'') fitting attached to one component to enable a pivoting or hinging connection to a second component. The second component carries a pintle fitting, the male counterpart to the gudgeon, ...
, which is used as part of a pivot or hinge. Other applications include pintle and lunette ring for towing, and pintle pins securing casters in furniture.
Use
Pintle/gudgeon sets have many applications, for example: in
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
to hold the
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
onto the
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
; in transportation a pincer-type device clamps through a
lunette ring
A tow hitch (or tow bar or trailer hitch in North America) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing, or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear. It can take the form of a tow ball to allow swiveling and articulation of a trailer, ...
on the tongue of a trailer; in controllable solid rocket motors a plug moves into and out of the motor throat to control thrust.
In electrical cubicle manufacture, a pintle hinge is a hinge with fixed and moving parts. The hinge has a pin "pintle" and can be both external and internal. The most common type consists of three parts. One part on the body of the cubicle, one part on the door and the third part is the pintle.
In
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
, a ''pintle hitch'' is a type of
tow hitch
A tow hitch (or tow bar or trailer hitch in North America) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing, or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear. It can take the form of a tow ball to allow swiveling and articulation of a trailer, ...
that uses a tow ring configuration to secure to a hook or a ball combination for the purpose of towing an
unpowered vehicle.
As a
weapon mount
A weapon mount is an assembly or mechanism used to hold a weapon (typically a gun) onto a platform in order for it to function at maximum capacity. Weapon mounts can be broken down into two categories: static mounts and non-static mounts.
Static ...
, a pintle mount is used with
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s as the mounting hardware that mates the machine gun to a vehicle or tripod. Essentially, the pintle is a bracket with a cylindrical bottom and a cradle for the gun on top; the cylindrical bottom fits into a hole in the tripod while the cradle holds the gun.
In
furniture
Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...
, a pintle is usually fitted to a
caster
A caster (or castor) is an undriven wheel that is designed to be attached to the bottom of a larger object (the "vehicle") to enable that object to be moved.
Casters are used in numerous applications, including shopping carts, office chairs, t ...
; the pintle is then inserted into a base, fixing the
caster
A caster (or castor) is an undriven wheel that is designed to be attached to the bottom of a larger object (the "vehicle") to enable that object to be moved.
Casters are used in numerous applications, including shopping carts, office chairs, t ...
to that base.
In
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
ry, a
pintle injector
The pintle injector is a type of propellant injector for a bipropellant rocket engine. Like any other injector, its purpose is to ensure appropriate flow rate and intermixing of the propellants as they are forcibly injected under high pressure into ...
uses a single-feed fuel injector rather than the hundreds of smaller holes used in a typical rocket engine. This simplifies the engine, reducing cost and improving reliability, while surrendering some performance.
TRW Notable modern uses are
![Republic P-47D-30-RE side view 061020-F-1234P-021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Republic_P-47D-30-RE_side_view_061020-F-1234P-021.jpg)
Pintle is also a common term used in the design of aircraft landing gears. It describes the attachment point between the landing gear structure and the aircraft structure. The pintle is the bolt around which the landing gear rotates when it is extended/retracted into/out of the aircraft. The pintle is a highly stressed component during landing manoeuvres and is often made from exotic metal alloys. For World War II aircraft with
sideways-retracting main gear units, carefully set-up "pintle angles" for such axes of rotation during retraction and extension allowed the maingear struts to be raked forward while fully extended for touchdown and better ground handling, while permitting retraction into rearwards-angled landing gear wells in their wings to usually clear the forward
wing spar
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles (or thereabouts depending on wing sweep) to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings while on t ...
for stowing while in flight.
[Snyder, Chuck (August 2012)]
"How to Install Retractable Landing Gear"
''Model Aviation
''Model Aviation'' is the monthly full-color publication written, prepared and distributed by the Academy of Model Aeronautics beginning in 1936 and established as an independent publication in July 1975. The magazine is based in Muncie, Indiana.
...
'', p. 37.
Gallery
File:Stone door.jpg, Massive pintles on a stone door; early doors often pivoted on pintles
File:Pintle and gudgeon.png, Image depicting a gudgeon with a pintle
File:Pintle Hinge 2.jpg, Pintle hinge parts
File:Pintle Hinge 1.jpg, Pintle Hinge installed on a switchboard
File:Swivel caster.jpg, Swivel caster
A swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun, chair, swivel caster, or an anchor rode to rotate horizontally or vertically.
Swivel designs
A common design for a swivel is a cylindrical rod that can turn freely wi ...
with pintle
File:NATO hitch.JPG, Pintle hook
File:NATO tow bar rotated 180 degrees.jpg, Lunette ring
A tow hitch (or tow bar or trailer hitch in North America) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing, or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear. It can take the form of a tow ball to allow swiveling and articulation of a trailer, ...
, used with a pintle in heavy towing applications
See also
*
Hinge
A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation: all other ...
*
Pintle and gudgeon
A gudgeon is a socket-like, cylindrical (i.e., ''female'') fitting attached to one component to enable a pivoting or hinging connection to a second component. The second component carries a pintle fitting, the male counterpart to the gudgeon, ...
*
Pintle hook and lunette ring
*
Spindle (automobile)
In an automobile, the wheel spindle, sometimes simply called the spindle, is a part of the suspension system that carries the hub for the wheel and attaches to the upper and lower control arms.
Spindles are carried by steering knuckles or "upr ...
References
{{Reflist
Bearings (mechanical)
Fasteners
Hardware (mechanical)