Re: Monday Answer
Answer: Clothes Pin
Richard Penley of Penley Company shut its Maine doors in 2002, and the National Clothes Pin Company shut down in 2007. All clothes pins are now imported.
In Europe the making of clothes pins was part of the Gypsy crafts. The Gypsies weren�t really from Egypt (India, I believe) but they were different and the name stuck. They took green willow and took a separate strip and wrapped it around a stick. They then cut the willow stick to split it. The wrapping stopped the split and the pin was made.
The originals had a stick and a wood wrapping as above. Later they were made in one piece with two prongs by machine, and later still the two piece pin with a metal spring holding the wood in tension. Now most are of plastic but I seek out and look for the long wooden ones at house sales.
In the motion picture industry they are called C47s or pegs. The peg name come from the circus as do a lot of movie titles like grip, gaffer, best boy etc. The C47 designation is rumored to come from the bin they were kept in. They are also called bullets because they are worn bandoleer style by the electricians, gaffers and grips. The wood doesn�t burn when placed on hot light housings and so gobos, scrims, and color gels can be added and clamped in place without turning off the lamp or moving the light which can send Lighting Directors into apoplexy, kill time, and the temperature change from hot to cold to hot will limit the life of a very expensive lamp in the lights on the set.
C47 is a designation used on film/TV/stage accounting. The C47 designation hides the actual clothes pin name from the exorbitant fees that are charged to use them on a film. I�ve personally seen �C47�s, Lighting� charged at $10.00 each/4 per light, per day. It adds up.
According to the web, between 1852 and 1887 there were 146 patents for clothespins. You can visit the patent and trademark website to check out more info.
Clothes pins can be used to seal bags of snacks, as the trigger for children�s rubber band guns, and, more adult, breathing suppressors and skin clamps in bondage scenarios. John mentioned a medical device. I can�t find a reason why a clean clothes pin wouldn�t work as a clamp to hold something away from, or together on a body, or as a clamp applied directly to stop bleeding. I�m thinking that acupuncturists could use a clothespin too.
The clothes pin is a lever (three piece) and a wedge (one and two piece) and thus one of the six basic machines. And the others?
Screw, Inclined plane, Wheel and axle, Pulley. Have a good week.