It is used to allow a screw or bolt to be inserted into it. Sit just above the surface for a low-profile finish and hold tighter than flat head screws. Flat screw heads sit completely flush with a surface, leaving no head exposed. The 1700’s boasts a few possibilities for an origin. #11. despite their varied sizes, you can often use a smaller size with a larger screw. Flathead drivers were invented as a handy general purpose scraping/prying tool that can also be used to fasten Philips head screws if you can't find the correct driver. You may be surprised to find out that screws have been around for quite a long time — since about 400 BC when Archytas of Tarentum invented them. Robertson developed the socket head screw which revolutionized an industry. It is budget-friendly while giving you strength and endurance. After that, things took off…after a fashion. At the time of this advertisement, the fittings were of the flat-top type, but Zerk fittings would soon appear. It has a tip measuring 2. "Flathead, North American Indian tribe of what is now western Montana, U. This was improved upon until the process for the cold rolling thread that was until the engineering, materials, and machines of the industrial revolution were made screws useful in building projects. Flathead screws are still used in many applications, as they are one of the most reliable screws available and are very easy to use. One such patent of 1902-03 was the Giles jar and cap. A spring (made by winding a wire around a cylinder) is of two types: Tension or extension springs are designed to become longer under load. A great. Choose from our selection of standard flat head screws, including Phillips flat head screws, hex drive flat head screws, and more. Wire-clamped jars such as Lightning and Atlas jars were in use from the late 19th century until 1964, and still, turn up in yard sales and thrift shops. The earliest known reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect Vitruvius, who reported that Archimedes (c. Devices functionally equivalent to dice, in the form of flat two-sided throwsticks, are seen in the Egyptian game of. Rybczynski found mention of the slotted screw in a technological treatise from 1588, in a book on metallurgy from 1556, and depicted on a pair of manacles in an illustration from the late 1400s. for pricing and availability. They were. The screw was also apparently. Basic Types/Designs BindingCane bolt - Also called a drop rod, a cane bolt is not a threaded fastener. Handheld screwdrivers first appeared after 1800. By mid-1904, the. This screw is commonly used for woodwork and decorative accessories. A flathead, once over bent or worn out can be returned to a blacksmith and remade without buying a new tool. such as flat, spherical, spline, disk, blade, point,. BROWSE CATALOG. The flange distributes pressure over the surface, eliminating the need for a washer. Invented at the same time as the crown cork, it is the original bottle opener. Patent No. L. The driver will cam out before that happens. Flat-head screwdriver, a screwdriver designed to turn slotted screws; Flat-head screw, a screw with a flat top, designed to be installed in a countersunk hole; Flathead engine, a valve configuration; Places. By 1940, 85% of the screw manufacturing companies had secured a license from Phillips to produce his design. Steel Thread-Cutting Small-Head Screwsfor Softwood and Plastic-Wood Composites. Shop Now. Flathead screws are meant to be countersunk flush or below the wood surface. When was the flat-head screwdriver invented? In 1744, the first screwdriver was invented. Handheld screwdrivers first appeared after 1800. [1] There are many methods of generating threads, including subtractive methods (many kinds of thread cutting and grinding, as detailed below); deformative or transformative. Although the actual inventor of scissors is hard to identify, Robert Hinchliffe, of Sheffield, England, should be rightfully acknowledged as the father of modern scissors. It’s also believed a flat-bladed tool in 1744 for carpenters is where the origin of the screwdriver lies. Flat Head Screws. John Landis Mason actually revolutionized food preservation technology with his eponymous and now hipster-beloved jar, patented in 1858; the threaded screw-top made a much safer bacterial barrier. , a screw with. A nut is a type of fastener with a threaded hole. You can expect a thrilling experience with any slots game online, with a range of top 3 reel and 5 reel titles. Different types of screw heads soon came out in the late 1900s. Up until that time, almost all screws were “straight drive” or “slot head” screws. A Round Screw Head has a rounded or domed head. The big innovation came, however, in 1770 when Jesse Ramsden invented the screw cutting lathe which allowed mass production of screws with precise sizes. ONLY 11. L. If the nails look square and uneven, the chair probably dates before the 1800s. They have a broad screw head and come in sizes from 1/4 to 14x1. E. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Use for basic wood construction. Inventor Peter Lymburner Robertson came up with the idea in 1908 after cutting his hand with a slotted screwdriver. 31 mm. See, Henry Ford wanted inventor P. Early 19th century - Until about 1846, screws were made. There are also certain specialized drill bits that can create holes with a non-circular cross-section. 13. This screwdriver may be marked as a “mini” Phillips head driver. Screws: A screw is a metal fastener with a helical thread that winds around the screw. e. Washer head self-drilling screws are popular for their efficiency and ease of use. It’s a head shape having nothing to do with the tool uesd to drive the screw. Demonstration inclined plane used in education, Museo Galileo, Florence. 1-1/2 in. The head is not quite round and the hand cut slot is off center—all signs of hand work. His early pumps were used primarily for land drainage, and many can still be seen today in pump house. Torx drive is a trademark commonly referred to as star drive or, simply, a six-lobe. In 1867, he received U. , the odd numbers being rarely used, except in equipment made prior to the 1970s for telephone exchanges in the UK. The gel increases the friction between the drill bit and the screw head by as much as 400 percent and pretty much eliminates stripped heads. They were invented to cope with higher torsion. When did flat head screws come out? In 1744, the flat-bladed bit for the carpenter’s brace was invented, the precursor to the first simple screwdriver. Torx screwdrivers were developed by the company Camcar Textron, which was founded in the 1940s. Several early American electrical plug and socket arrangements were invented by Harvey Hubbell. Screws may be mildly magnetic. C-clamp. Canadian P. 6,913 products. As for the modern-day fasteners, they were only invented in the 18th century, with mass production starting in 1760. S. Flat Head Screw Assortments. As screws have changed throughout the decades, they can be used to help age an object. If you’ve ever wondered where the Phillips drive gets its name, now you know. Thompson, who wasn’t able to muster up any commercial interest for his screwhead. In Germany, around 1440, the goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable-type printing press, which started the Printing Revolution. What is a flat head screwdriver? A “slotted flat blade screwdriver” is a long standard. Their successors were able to achieve success by producing upwards of 16,000 screws a day using a team of only 30 people. The Electric Iron. These screws are a progression: First we had the flathead slotted screw, where it’s easy for the flathead screwdriver to slip out. The driver used for this type of screw was an automatic screwdriver and was favored over slotted screwdrivers as the slotted driver would often slip and be generally hard to line up and use. P. On 26 February 1903 he filed two patent applications featuring 2-pin plugs and adaptors for using his plugs with existing designs of lamp sockets and wall receptacles. Secondly, it's often used in low tech maintenance applications, because anyone has a flat screwdriver somewhere, or can make one himself. When did the flat head screw come out? The screwdriver is a tool that has been around for centuries, with the first historical mention dating back to the 1500s. Zinc-plated steel screw nails resist rust. One advantage is if the item will set hard use, and the head of the screw damaged, a flathead screw can be recut in place if it needs to be removed. 8,898 products. 4 / 11. Choose from our selection of self-tapping screws, including steel hex head drilling screws, steel flat head drilling screws, and more. Torx (pronounced / tɔːrks /) is a trademark for a type of screw drive characterized by a 6-point star-shaped pattern, developed in 1967 [1] by Camcar Textron. Flathead screws are also commonly used for securing hinges, mounting plates, and other hardware. The general principle of the screw was applied early on, in cities like Pompeii. View More Details. From the. This 17 piece kit includes 9 Flatheads/slotted screwdrivers and 7 Phillips screwdrivers plus a 4 in 1 pocket. Alloy Steel Thread-Locking Socket Head Screws. , invented a screw that would take more torque than the usual screw with its single slot, on which the screwdriver would be easily centered and would be less likely. Left to right: First form "1880 Wire Terminal Base" socket and bulb as used on the S. Most television sets sold in the 2000s were flat-panel, mainly LEDs. They are at least 25% stronger than medium-strength steel screws. Screw caps' use as an alternative to cork for sealing wine bottles is gaining increasing support. The system was patented in 1971. The first patent for a worm-drive hose clamp was granted to Swedish inventor Knut Edwin Bergström [ se] in 1896 [1] Bergström founded “Allmänna Brandredskapsaffären E. Sub-masters were created from the gold master, and the cylinders were made from these molds. Metal screws and nuts seem to have been used as fasteners in the fifteenth century, although the heads of these screws were turned with a wrench and not a screwdriver — the screw heads were either square or hexagonal. The simple screwdriver was preceded by a flat-bladed bit for the carpenter’s brace (1744). Early 19th century - Until about 1846, screws were made. These scooter-boxes were seen as far back as the late 1800s, but it wasn’t until the 1950s when wooden pallets with clay wheels were popularized on the downhill slopes of Southern California. These were made of wood with a flat rather than a pointed end, and a container to hold the material being pressed. They have a unique cross-like shape that helps to reduce cam-out, which is when the screwdriver slips out of the screw head during installation. #4) Torx. Screws with. S. By 1611 the idea had caught on in England well enough for it to be mentioned in a book, the significant point being that the companion piece to any screw—the nut—was mentioned as well. Choose from our selection of flush head screws, including hex drive flat head screws, Phillips flat head screws, and more. You also don’t see the screw head when using a screw cover. Square head screws were the industry standard before hex bolts gained importance. The external threads on the screw can either mate with an internally threaded nut or hole, or cut its way into a soft material. Similar to wood screws. 688 BC) is made with stone arches and lined with waterproof concrete. Sources from later periods mention elevators as cabs on a hemp rope, powered by. The “History of the Nut and Bolt Industry in America” by W. What A Top Slots Casino Offers You. S. Who invented the fastener? The screw thread is believed to have been invented around 400 BCE, by Archytas of Tarentum, a Greek philosopher sometimes called “the father of mechanics. Illustration from the 1909 Canadian patent for the Robertson screw. One Ada Harris was. John P. When modeling a flat-head (non-countersunk) screw, the geometry of the head (height, dia, angle) automatically determine the 'body' of the screw. Metric Phillips Thread-Locking Flat Head Screws. Metal screws and bolts first appeared in Europe in the 1400s but did not become common fasteners until the 18th century, when machine tools were developed to make them. These screws are commonly made out of stainless steel or zinc coating. While his boats were mechanically successful, Fitch failed to pay sufficient attention to construction and operating costs and was unable to justify the economic benefits of steam navigation. It was invented in Europe and has been around for more than 500 years. Roundhead. Phillips, the managing director of the Oregon Copper Company, a mining outfit in. Pozidriv Screwdriver. When the joinery. They explain that since nails in antique furniture often fall out, the piece may have empty nail holes left in it. They typically have spiral threads that grip the side of the hole. It was invented in the 15th century in Europe and one of the most common types of screwdrivers. 18-8 stainless steel screws have good chemical resistance and are a good choice for ACQ-treated (arsenic-free) lumber. The first pair of jeans were created by Levi’s partner Jacob Davis in 1873. The angle of the hole is important because it determines how deep the screw or bolt will be sunk into the material. “Cheese head” screws are defined by their head type. In 1935 Phillips filed a patent application that modified the Thompson design slightly and tailored it for production lines, in which screw guns were becoming commonplace. They are called “countersunk screws” because they “sink”. Also known as pin-in-hex, install and remove these screws with a tamper-resistant hex driver. In 1770, English instrument maker, Jesse Ramsden (1735-1800) invented the first. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small metal frame, one with a left-hand thread and the other with a. 1800 B. patent 56,587 for a small, bendable brass paper fastener that was a precursor to the modern staple. The Model T car. A self-tapping screw is a screw that can tap its own hole as it is driven into the material. A wall plug (UK English), also known as an anchor (US) or "Rawlplug" (UK), is a fibre or plastic (originally wood) insert used to enable the attachment of a screw in material that is porous or brittle or that would otherwise not support the weight of the object attached with the screw. In the 1800s, screw manufacturing began in England during the Industrial Revolution. But the story of Torx screws isn’t all sunshine and repair daisies. Flat head screws are cheap and a pain in the ass. Allows for slightly longer thread grip. Earthenware and terracotta were also used, from the Middle East to France and the Netherlands. Between 1770 and 1798, Jesse Ramsden, an English musical instrument maker, Henry Maudslay, an English engineer, and David Wilkins, an. Since the lead screws allowed for exact alignment, uniformly sized gears could be manufactured with the invention of this industrial-scale gear-cutting machine in the 19th century. Fred Taylor on 28th Mar. Bergström & Co. By the 1830s, many designs with a central screw and. A similar fastener with a male thread is known as a wing screw [1] [2] or a wing bolt. Purchase 1-1/4-in. Screwdrivers and wrenches. No other screw type has that ability. One died a month before the permit was filed, and one was born the month after that. We had chosen to keep all head dimensions accurate (angle, max. Alloy Steel Thread-Locking Socket Head Screws. Wilbur in 1905 acknowledges that the first machine for making bolts and screws was made by Besson in France in 1568, who later introduced a screw-cutting gauge or plate to be used on lathes. According to census data, there were only five Ada Harrises living in Indianapolis in 1890. #6) Robertson. The challenge of maintaining slot alignment during that torque is pretty much a deal breaker for me. The auto industry ate this up making them dominant in the early 1900s. It is a type of gate latch that consists of a long metal rod with a curved handle and attaches to a gate by one or more fasteners. Different types of screw heads include Slotted, Square or Robertson, Trox or Star, etc. The screws were seen by repair experts,. Gypsum Corp. To counteract these disadvantages, J. Lg. So old is this tool that the first historical mention dates back to the 1500s. Pozi Head Screws. As the name suggest it has a flat shape shaft tip with a single slot which engages with the slotted screw head only. Metric Phillips Thread-Locking Flat Head Screws. Using a pilot hole slightly smaller than the wood screw diameter is suggested to prevent splitting. In 1933 he also patent-protected a matching screwdriver. Introduced as an improvement on the widely-used flat head drive, the Phillips drive was actually invented by Portland mechanic John Thompson but named after its legal patent owner, Mr Phillips. These machines were able to replicate accurate sizes and the threading necessary to make the screws functional on a large scale. Where Flathead screws will be used to fix bookcases and cabinets etc, Roundheads may be used on. The screws tend to be lightweight and relatively small. Insert the screwdriver into the head of the screw. Yellow drivers (#0) work with screw types 3 and 4 and feature a recess size range of 2. They needed screws that could take greater torque and could provide tighter fastenings. Their pan-shaped head sits nearly flat on the fastened surface, so there’s no need to countersink a hole. In its modern form, the flat-head screwdriver was probably invented in about 1744 in England, where it was known as a "turn. Fisher, a car body maker for Ford Motor, was one of Robertson. A Torx screw is a type of screw characterized by a six-lobed, star-patterned screw drive. Phillips in the 1930s. Improved manufacturing methods allowed the manufacture of better padlocks that put an end to the Smokehouse around 1910. In their. They are stronger than Grade 8 steel screws and are nearly two and a half times stronger than stainless steel thread-locking screws. Although a square-socket drive had been. With a tensile strength of 170, 000 psi, these alloy steel screws are among the strongest we carry. Flat-head screw, a screw with a flat top, designed to be installed in a countersunk hole; Flathead engine, a valve configuration; Places. A C-clamp or G-clamp or G-cramp is a type of clamp device typically used to hold a wood or metal workpiece, and often used in, but are not limited to, carpentry and welding. These square-drive screws have a drill point that powers through drywall and into metal studs up to 0. Let us begin with the screw, a fastener that keeps the roof over our heads and the floor under our feet. Phillips, who developed and patented his Phillips-head screwdriver in 1933. Flat 100 Undercut Head - Used instead of flat 100 for some short screws. A prisoner would place his thumbs between the two flat metal pieces, connected by one or more screws and slowly crushed as the torturer turned the handle on top, pressing the thumbs against the bottom. The screws on the right in the image are round head slot-drive screws. Self-Aligning Center-LocatingPunches for Threaded Holes. SLOT MART · #14 · Jul 23, 2022. By 1915, Fisher Body was building Ford Model T bodies in Canada with Robertson screws —for $2. " The design. Yes, in some parts of the world, people don't have phillips or. Metric High-Strength A286 StainlessSteel Button Head Torx Screws. Wood screws strengthen a joint with great clamping force. patent titled “Inside-Wall Covering” on May 23, 1890. In 1892, hand irons using electrical resistance. In 1905 one of his sons, Frank Curtis Jr. The Robertson screw, which features a square head, was invented in 1908 and was favored for its non-slip qualities during installation. Made from A286 stainless steel, these metric screws provide the strength of alloy steel and the corrosion and chemical resistance of 18-8 stainless steel. The reason the phillips screw was invented was to allow the screwdriver to "torque-out" of the screw rather than break the screw head off if you over-tighten it. ”The general principle of the. Metal handles had to be gripped in a pad or thick rag. In 1744, the flat-bladed bit for the carpenter's brace was invented, the precursor to the first simple screwdriver. Henry Frank Phillips (June 4, 1889 – April 13, 1958) was an American businessman from Portland, Oregon. The Phillips screw and driver were invented by John P Thompson from Portland. Power Pro. Steamboats sometimes use the prefix designation SS, S. The modern screwdriver, as we now know it, was invented by Industrialist Henry F. The Robertson screw is considered the "first recess-drive type fastener practical for production usage. What are some little known facts about screws? Little known facts about Screws: Many of the carpenter tools today were invented before or during the Roman Age. market. Threading (manufacturing) In manufacturing, threading is the process of creating a screw thread. It is considered by some that the screw thread was invented in about 400BC by Archytas of Tarentum (428 BC - 350 BC). These anchors are also known as drive rivets. S. Small (80 mm (3 + 5 ⁄ 32 in)) turnbuckle Turnbuckle diagramA turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. While not as popular as they once were, they can still be seen gracing homes and. Choose from a range of period authentic finishes to match your hardware, new or old. C. Phillips. They were invented by Canadian traveling salesman Peter Robertson around 1906. Thompson abandoned the venture and sold the patent to Henry Phillips, who formed the Phillips Screw Company and went about manufacturing and selling the hardware. . Ceramic boat models have been found at numerous Ubaid sites, including Ubaid, Eridu, Oueili, Uruk, Uqair, and Mashnaqa, as well as at the Arabian Neolithic sites of H3 located on the northern coast of Kuwait and Dalma in. To counteract these disadvantages, J. Considering the invention likely predates the book by at least a few years, the mid to late 15th century is about as exact a birthday as it gets. Flat head screws are angled under the head to fit flush within countersunk holes. [1] [2] A set screw is normally used without a nut (which distinguishes it from a bolt. Written by Jody Muelaner. Spanner Screw Heads. Study now. You must countersink the hole before driving the screws (Illus. Thompson who, in 1932, patented (#1,908,080) a recessed cruciform screw and in 1933, a screwdriver for it. Round nail holes point to more recently built furniture. A set of lug nuts is typically used to secure a wheel to threaded wheel studs and thereby to a vehicle's axles . There's a good video on YouTube that goes over the history of the Phillips and robertson screws. 10-6 and 10-7). Heads are one-third smaller than those of other drywall screws. The flanks of the Phillips cross-head screws taper off towards the tip. In 1908, square-drive screws were invented by Canadian P. The finished plaster was anywhere from 5/8 to 3/4 inches thick. Find My Store. The Robertson. More corrosion resistant than 18-8 stainless steel screws, these screws have excellent resistance to chemicals and salt water. A potentiometer knob with a set screw for locking it in place. Also known as a slot drive, a flat-head screw lives up to its namesake by supporting the use of a flat-head screwdriver. Used with nuts to create a stronger joint than flat and rounded screws. "ABR-1" style Tune-o-matic bridge with thumbwheel adjustment and a stopbar "Nashville" style Tune-o-matic with "strings through the body" construction (without a stopbar) and screw slots facing away from the neck. They. The name cheese. BINDER / BINDING UNDERCUT BUGLE BUTTON FILLISTER FLAT 100 FLAT 100. A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that. 97 /box. A good rule of thumb is that most screws have pointy ends, while most bolts have flat ends, although that's not a hard and fast rule since bolts can also have pointy ends and screws can have flat ends. Without removing the screwdriver, press down and slowly unscrew the screw. A wingnut, wing nut or butterfly nut is a type of nut with two large metal "wings", one on each side, so it can be easily tightened and loosened by hand without tools. Phillips screw heads allow a tighter fit than a flat head screw, which is why most factories and handymen use them. The screwdriver has come a long way since then, and is now an essential tool for many different trades and professions. These were made of wood with a flat rather than a pointed end, and a container to hold the material being pressed. that could continually produce five screws at a time. Unthread the screw to remove. In handmade screws, you will notice variation in size and shape of screws used in a piece of furniture. Torx. In fact, one of its initial selling points was that it was a patented, proprietary, security screw. A comprehensive drill bit and tap size chart lists metric and imperial sized drills alongside the required screw tap sizes. Finally, one or two finish coats of plaster were spread over top to smooth out any imperfections. You can get round head or pan head or bugle head with either drive as well. A version of this. Use the formula below to estimate the screw head and gauge. Robertson's came along when labor costs were increasing and when the length of time a product was on the line was a big cost factor. Early screws were made from wood and were used in wine presses, olive oil presses, and for pressing clothes. It was the world's first national screw thread standard, and is the basis for many other standards, such as BSF, BSP, BSCon, and BSCopper. When the patents were granted in 1933, the rights. 6,913 products. Tamper-Resistant Hex Drive Flat Head Screws for Sheet Metal. that require a flat head. This should be enough to either break through the paint, or put a dent into the screw head. S. 5 mm. Twenty-eight years before Henry Phillips patented his Phillips head screws. Apr 20, 2003 32,237 53 91. They were invented by Canadian traveling salesman Peter Robertson around 1906. One of the first applications of the screw principle was in presses for the extraction. In the 1st century ad , wooden screws were used in wine and olive-oil presses, and cutters (taps) for cutting internal threads were in use. More narrowly, self-tapping is used only to describe a specific type of thread-cutting screw intended to produce a thread in relatively soft material or sheet. When. When was the Phillips head screw invented? In contrast to the Robertson screw, the Phillips screw is by far the more popular of the two. These metric 316 stainless steel screws resist corrosion from chemicals and salt water better than 18-8 stainless steel screws. By 1940, most American automakers used Phillips screws. 4 wood screws, including over 70 products in a wide range of styles and sizes. Heads are one-third smaller than those of other drywall screws. Specifically designed for woodworking applications. This type of bolt was named after the shape of a cane, similar to the shape of a candy cane or walking cane. Choose from our selection of Phillips thread-forming screws in a wide range of styles and sizes. Coil spring Also known as a helical spring. He was the first to use steel to. Also known as flathead screws as the one slot is used by a flat screwdriver instead of a Philips screwdriver. From that time to the beginning of the 19th century, ca. A Robertson screw, also known as a square screw [1] or Scrulox, [2] is a type of screw with a square -shaped socket in the screw head and a corresponding square protrusion on the tool. 11,345 products. screws when attaching standard 5/8-inch-thick drywall to ceilings studs. A: Phillips head screws were invented in the early 1930s by Henry F. The first and biggest game changer was the square-drive screw invented by P. In 1798, American David Wilkinson also invented machinery for the mass production of threaded metal screws. S. In the 1500s, screws appeared in German watches, and were used to fasten suits of armor. Also, the single shear configuration can also lead to bending loads on the fastener and loosening of the connection (see #1). Torx screws were invented in 1967, by Camcar Textron, as an improvement on contemporary drive types. Green Robertson screwdriver (#1) operates with screw types 5, 6, and 7, with a recess size range of 2. Phillips Small-Head Drilling Screwsfor Joining Drywall to Metal Framing. His design featured a cross-shaped recess that was shallower and wider than other screw types, which allowed for greater engagement. History Pre-industrial era Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405). Flat head refers to the screw head profile, not the type of slot. A McGill stapler. Flatheads were useful when tools were expensive relative to the cost of labor. Thompson. British Association (BA) screw threads, named after the British Association for Advancement of Science, were devised in 1884 and standardised in 1903. Peter Lymburner Robertson (December 10, 1879 – September 28, 1951) was a Canadian inventor, industrialist, salesman, and philanthropist who popularized the square-socket drive for screws, often called the Robertson drive. It is one of the oldest types of screwdriver. 16. Invented by fellow Canadian Peter L. Because the rounded upper nail shank looks regular I suspect this is one of the later members of "Early Machine Headed Cut Nails" nails, 1830 - 1850 described by your namesake. It is not known if he made the sale or not, but the incident did drive Robertson to invent a better screw driver. Wooden Screws Around the first century, screw shaped tools became common, however, historians do not know who invented the first. Around 4000 BC, Egyptians assembled a simple rigging system and suspended a piece of cloth in the air to pull basic log boats along rivers. In the U. When was the slot screw invented? The first documentation of the tool is in the medieval Housebook of Wolfegg Castle, a manuscript written sometime between 1475 and 1490. The threads of some screws tapered across the length of the shank, producing a screw with poor holding strength. Phillips, who developed and patented his Phillips-head screwdriver in 1933.