What is square bolt?
James Craig
Published Jan 10, 2026
Square bolts are now most commonly used for aesthetic purposes to provide a rustic look in a new structure or to match existing fasteners in an older structure. Square lag screws are also used for these purposes. Crossarm or machine bolts are commonly supplied for the utility industry and included an added cone point.
What is square head bolt?
Square Head Bolts are similar to Hex Cap screws but have a 4-sided square head instead of a 6-sided hexagonal head. ... They are commonly referred to as both bolts and screws and are designed to be driven with a wrench. Square Head Bolts are partially threaded with a shoulder beneath the head.
When were square bolts used?
Square steel nuts were common on machinery of the late 19th through mid 20th century. Today hex nuts have displaced them.
How do you use square head bolts?
Square heads are best used in tight or dark spaces where a machinist or fabricator must tighten the bolt blind. It is simple to fit a tool over the square shape even when there are no visual markers available.
What is the purpose of square nuts?
A square nut, or square head nut, is a four-sided nut that is designed for use with a square head bolt and flat washer. Square nuts offer greater surface contact with the part being fastened compared to a standard hex nut, and therefore provide greater resistance to loosening.
24 related questions foundWhat year did they stop making square nuts?
For both bolts and nuts, heat treating/hardening of the metal was the last step. By the way...that 1949 agreement to standardize nuts and bolts into ISO inch and ISO metric was probably when the square headed bolts/nuts ended production in mass...as it would have required new investments in machinery.
How do you tighten a square nut?
Square nuts can be tightened with pliers or a wrench, making them ideal for use in blind locations. Laborers can tighten and loosen a square shaped fastener without having it in sight, as long as a sturdy grip can be obtained on two opposing sides of the nut or bolt head.
What are square bolts called?
At one time, square head bolts (aka square bolts) were the industry standard before being replaced by hex head bolts. Now, they are commonly chosen for aesthetic reasons to create a rustic look in new buildings or to match existing fasteners in an old building.
How old are square head bolts?
Metal screws and bolts first appeared in Europe in the 1400s, but did not become a common fastener until the 18th century, when machine tools were developed that could manufacture them.
Do they make square sockets?
Sockets & Drivers for Square head Bolts
Try using a socket that fits the number of corners on your square head bolts. These Square Socket or 4-point sockets fit many of the common head sizes we sell. Sockets for square head bolts and Square Nuts. Bolts and screws are classified by their shank or shaft size.
How do you measure a square nut?
- Lay the nut on a flat surface so that the hole lays flush.
- Place the end of a measuring tape on one of the flat sides of the nut's outer perimeter. Stretch the tape measure across the nut's diameter to the flat-side directly across from the one your pulling from.
Who invented bolt nut?
It is considered by some that the screw thread was invented in about 400BC by Archytas of Tarentum (428 BC - 350 BC). Archytas is sometimes called the founder of mechanics and was a contemporary of Plato.
Who invented hex nuts?
Back a little further, innovator and inventor, Henry Maudslay [1771-1831] Nasmith worked in his early years for his partner after Maudslay died, as a Draughtsman, in the Illustrated Table Engine of 1807, hexagon nuts were found to be used.
What is a square neck bolt?
Square Neck Bolts are also known as square neck carriage bolts. Square neck bolts are most commonly used in wood. They generally have a square or domed top and a square base under the head. This square base pulls into the wood as the nut is tightened for a secure fit.
What is hex head bolt?
A hex-head screw has a hexagonal-shaped head thatcan be tightened with a spanner or socket. Hex-head screws are screws with a hexagonal-shaped head that can be tightened with a wrench (spanner) or socket, which engages with the external faces of the hex head.
What is machine bolt?
Definition of machine bolt
: a metal rod with a usually square or hexagonal wrench head at one end and threads at the other that is commonly available in a size range of from ¹/₄ inch to 3 inches in diameter.
What year were nuts and bolts invented?
The first nuts and bolts appeared in the middle 1400's. The bolts were just screws with straight sides and a blunt end. The nuts were hand-made, and very crude.
Why is bolt head hexagonal?
Bolts and nuts are designed with a hexagonal shape because it makes them easy to turn. With six sides, you can turn a fastener just one-sixth of the way to reach the next flat parallel. There are six flat parallels on hexagonal bolts and nuts.
How do jam nuts work?
The jam nut essentially acts as the "other object", as the two nuts are tightened against each other. They can also be used to secure an item on a fastener without applying force to that object. This is achieved by first tightening one of the nuts onto the item.
What are Allen bolts?
Definition of Allen bolt
hardware. : a bolt with a hexagonal socket in its head that is designed to be used with an Allen wrench The Allen bolt is integral to the crank and remains in it when the crank is removed from the spindle.—
What does a hex bolt look like?
Hex head screws have a hexagonal-shaped head that can be tightened with a spanner or socket. Hex head screws are screws with a hexagonal-shaped head that can be tightened with a wrench (spanner) or socket. Such tools engage with the external faces of the hex head.
Why do lineman use square nuts?
Compared to standard hex nuts, square nuts have a greater surface in contact with the part being fastened, and therefore provide greater resistance to loosening (though also greater resistance to tightening). They are also much less likely to become rounded-off after repeated loosening/tightening cycles.
Which tool is recommended for small square and hex nuts?
General use wrenches used on nuts and bolts that have flat, parallel surfaces; e.g., square or hexagonal (hex).
What is a self locking nut?
A Locknut (self-locking nut, locking nut), is a nut which resists loosening through vibration and normal use. This trait makes them essential hardware for a multitutde of applications. Unlike free spinning nuts, lock nuts make use of a deforming elastic or metal material to stay in position against torque and shock.