Phillips Screwdriver

Phillips Screwdriver

One can find screwdrivers recorded in history as far as the Middle Ages. Called the turnscrew back then, it probably was around even before its first recordings. Today There re quite a few variations of screwdrivers and one of the most common iterations is the Phillips screwdriver. Invented by John P. Thompson, but popularised by Henry Frank Phillips after he bought the patent from Thompson.

A Phillips screwdriver is used to tighten screws that have a cruciform insert. The major advantage of the Phillips screwdriver was its ability to self-centre, saving time while inserting it into a screw. Something that worked better in factories where powered screwdrivers were used. This and the fact that a regular flat screwdriver can be used for such a screw as well.

One can find a Phillips screwdriver in many sizes, starting at the tiny jeweller's tools that are also known as precision screwdrivers all the way to larger ones that fit in cars and other machinery.

Sizes

Phillips screwdrivers are available in various sizes and one would need the correct size for the relevant screw. If it is small it will not grip it well enough and if it is larger than it needs to be it will not fit. There is minimal compatibility between sizes, so something a size up or down may work, but can damage the screw insert as well.

To make it easier at times one can buy a pack that contains a few different sizes, or the screwdriver that has interchangeable bits and has a range of bits along with it.

Criticism

Phillips screws and the screwdriver are criticised for the possibility of a 'cam out'. This means that beyond a certain amount of torque application the driver tip slips out of the screw head. There is a belief that this may have been by design to help with aluminium and such metals from getting over tightened, but there is no concrete proof of such in the original patent.

The revised patent from 1949 does state this feature.

Comments

Screwdrivers have handles that are designed to improve grip and also stop them from rolling off when placed on a flat surface. This is why the handle is often hexagonal.

The price of a Phillips screwdriver varies depending on the brand that produced it and what material has been used. One could find cheaper ones and very costly ones as well, allowing for one to purchase based on their budget.