| Pliers are hand tools, designed primarily for | | | | |
| gripping objects by using leverage. Pliers | | | | Round nose pliers |
| are designed for numerous purposes and | | | | |
| require different jaw configurations to grip, | | | | Long-nose or needle-nose pliers, which have |
| turn, pull, or crimp a variety of things. | | | | long, narrow jaws for gripping in confined |
| They are a tool common to many dexterous | | | | spaces |
| trades and occupations. Many types of pliers | | | | |
| also include jaws for cutting. | | | | Water pump or channel lock pliers - with |
| | | | adjustable jaw sizes, which are designed to |
| History | | | | grip various sizes of round, hexagon, flat or |
| | | | similarly shaped objects |
| Pliers were first invented in Europe around | | | | |
| 2000 BC to grip hot objects (principally iron | | | | Retaining ring or circlip pliers, which are |
| as it was being forged on an anvil). Among | | | | used for fixing or loosening retaining rings |
| the oldest illustrations of pliers are those | | | | |
| showing the Greek god Hephaestus in his | | | | Locking pliers |
| smithy. Today, pliers intended principally to | | | | |
| be used for safely handling hot objects are | | | | Nail pulling pliers - an adaptation of the |
| usually called tongs. The number of different | | | | end nipper used for cutting wire; the jaws |
| designs of pliers grew with the invention of | | | | may be asymmetric, allowing the nail to be |
| the different objects which they were used to | | | | pulled out with a rocking motion on the |
| handle: horse shoes, fasteners, wire, pipes, | | | | surface in which it is imbedded. |
| electrical and electronic components. | | | | |
| | | | Cutting pliers (used to sever or pinch off) |
| Design | | | | |
| | | | Combination pliers or lineman's pliers |
| The basic design of pliers has changed little | | | | |
| since their origins, with the pair of | | | | Diagonal pliers (wire cutters, side cutting |
| handles, the pivot (often formed by a rivet), | | | | pliers or side cutters) not really pliers as |
| and the head section with the gripping jaws | | | | it is only used for cutting |
| or cutting edges forming the three elements. | | | | |
| In distinction to pair of scissors or shears, | | | | Pinching pliers (end nippers) |
| the plier's jaws always meet each other at | | | | |
| one point. | | | | Wire stripping pliers - cuts and removes |
| | | | insulation on electrical wire while leaving |
| In technical terms, pliers are an instrument | | | | the wire intact |
| that convert a power grip, the curling of the | | | | |
| fingers into the palm of the hand, into a | | | | Needle-nose pliers - designed for gripping, |
| precision grip, which directs the power of | | | | but typically incorporate a cutter for |
| the hand's grip in a precise fashion on the | | | | 'one-tool' convenience. |
| object to be gripped. The handles are long | | | | |
| relative to the shorter nose of the pliers. | | | | Crimping pliers |
| Therefore, they act as levers, concentrating | | | | |
| and, in effect, amplifying the force in the | | | | For crimping electrical terminals and |
| hand's grip on a work piece. | | | | connectors (solderless connections) |
| | | | |
| Common types | | | | For crimping metal rings or tags on livestock |
| | | | |
| Lock jaw pliers, also called vise grips or | | | | For crimping metal security seals on cargo |
| "mole grips". NOTE: Vise-Grip is a trade name | | | | carriers |
| of IRWIN Industrial Tools pliers | | | | |
| | | | For crimping an impression on a document - as |
| Enlarge | | | | in a notary's seal |
| | | | |
| Lock jaw pliers, also called vise grips or | | | | For crimping laboratory vials |
| "mole grips". | | | | |
| | | | For crimping bottles with sprayer tops, such |
| NOTE: Vise-Grip is a trade name of IRWIN | | | | as perfume bottles |
| Industrial Tools pliers | | | | |
| | | | Rotational pliers |
| Gripping pliers (used to improve grip) | | | | |
| | | | developed by NASA engineers to enable an |
| Combination pliers or lineman's pliers | | | | astronaut to turn a nut in zero gravity. The |
| | | | clamping motion of the hand is converted to |
| Flat nose pliers | | | | rotational motion to drive a socket wrench |