Cylindrical piece of hardware, similar to a
bolt, but without
threads. Has a
head on one end and the other end has a small hole drilled
perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. The hole end is usually
chamfered to allow the pin to be inserted into a hole more easily.
The primary use of a clevis pin is for linking parts together in a secure but non-binding way. The pin is inserted through holes in the parts and a
cotter pin,
safety ring, or light gauge
wire is inserted through the hole in the pin to keep the pin from falling out. Commonly used in mechanical
linkages, such as
throttles,
tillers, etc.
Clevis pins can bear and transmit heavy loads while still allowing flexibility when the parts they link are properly designed to keep the pin shaft in
shear, instead of allowing the pin to cock to an angle and bear load via the securing cotter pin or wire.
Clevis pins are also very good for attaching parts together which only need to be occasionally disconnected but benefit from not requiring tools to disconnect and reconnect.