Hitch Pin - for hitches and other stuff

A hitch pin is a useful fastener when you need to be able to remove and reinstall something on a regular basis. It's similar to a cotter pin in terms of function, but designed to be installed and uninstalled on a frequency that might match how often you would hitch or unhitch an implement associated with a garden tractor.

Design of the pin is such that it's intended to be inserted through a hole in a rod, with half of the pin in the hole, and the other half of the pin gripping the outside of the rod.

The pin is a length of wire with a large closed loop on one end. This allows you to push and pull on it with comfort. The other end of the pin is made up of the two ends of the wire. One piece is straight, and the other piece has a "wave" in it with two troughs and one and a half peaks.

The half peak is at the end of two wires. It allows the straight piece to be inserted in the hole. Once it's inserted, the half peak provides a ramp that allows the trough to ride up over the shaft until it snaps down on the other side of the shaft. This nestles the shaft between the first and second troughs, with the shaft held snug by the full peak.

The second trough resists sufficiently to keep the pin from being inadvertently pushed too far onto the shaft which would capture the shaft within the large closed loop (which is designed as a pull loop for your finger).

You'll find a hitch pin in just about every length and thickness to accommodate various size holes and various size rods.

Done with Hitch Pin, back to Do It Yourself