ALLEN
KEYS (HEX KEYS) & TORX KEYS
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Miller’s Tooling sells many variations of the allen keys & torx keys;
Ball
end allen key sets, T Handle allen keys & torx keys, individual
allen keys & torx keys, torx sockets, in hex sockets, impact in hex
sockets, vandal proof allen keys & torx keys, fold up sets of allen
keys & torx keys, flag torx keys, torque setting handles for torx
keys & allen keys, screwdriver type allen & torx keys.
A hex key, Allen key or Allen wrench is a tool used to drive bolts and screws with hexagonal sockets in their heads, known as cap head screws.
The
“Allen” name is a registered trademark, originated by the Allen
Manufacturing Company, and currently owned by Apex Tool Group, LLC. The
standard generic name used in catalogues and published books and
journals is "hex key".
Famous brands of hex key or allen key include
Allen, Unbrako, Bondhus and Inbus key or hexagon wrench. The term
hex-head is sometimes used to refer to this type of allen key drive.
In the fastener industry, the terms socket head or hex socket head are generally used for the driven part of the hex driver.
A
security (vandal proof) version of the hex key head includes a pin in
the centre. These fasteners are said to have a "centre pin reject"
feature to prevent standard hex wrenches from working. A special vandal
proof hex driver must be used to fasten or remove these fasteners. The
TORX head's security variant also has such a pin for the same reason.
Ball
end allen keys are the most common tool of the toolmaker. Obviously
only the best allen keys are viable for a tradesman, renowned brands are
a must. So many cheap inferior copies are avail, that break &
damage components. For a few extra dollars, good quality allen keys are
worth it.
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Some hex keys have a ball on one end, which allows the tool to be
used at an angle off-axis to the screw. This type of hex key was
invented in 1964 by the Bondhus Corporation, and is now manufactured by
many other allen key manufacturing companies.
While providing access
to otherwise inaccessible fasteners, thinning of the tool shaft to
create the ball shape renders it weaker than the straight-shaft version,
limiting the torque that can be applied. The tool also makes point
contact with the fastener as opposed to the line contact seen in the
straight style tools.
TORX KEYS
A
popular generic name for the torx key drive is star, as in star
screwdriver or star bits. The official generic name, standardized by the
International Organization for Standardization as ISO 10664, is
hexalobular internal. This is sometimes abbreviated in databases and
catalogs as 6lobe (starting with numeral, 6, not a capital letter, G).
Torx Plus is an improved head profile.
Torx screws are commonly
found on automobiles, motorcycles, bicycle brake systems (disc brakes),
hard disk drives, computer systems and consumer electronics. Initially,
they were sometimes used in applications requiring tamper resistance,
since the drive systems and screwdrivers were not widely available; as
drivers became more common, tamper-resistant variants, as described
below, were developed. Torx screws are also becoming increasingly
popular in construction industries. Security Torx, Tamper-Resistant
Torx to prevent unskilled or unauthorised people getting at them.
Torx
key head sizes are described using the capital letter "T" followed by a
number ranging from T1 to T100. A smaller number corresponds to a
smaller point-to-point dimension of the screw. Common sizes of torx keys
are include T10, T15, and T25, while T5.5, T35, and T47 tend to see
specialized use. Only the proper torx driver can drive a specific head
size without risk of damaging the torx driver or screw. The same series
of Torx drivers is used to drive SAE, metric and other thread system
fasteners, reducing the number of bit sizes required.
The "external"
variants of Torx head sizes (see below) are described using the capital
letter "E" followed by a number ranging from E4 to E44. The "E" numbers
are different from the "T" numbers of the same size: for example, an E4
Torx socket fits a T20 head.
Sloky Torque Sets are also available:
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Properties of various Torx drives |
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Size |
Point-to-point distance |
Maximum torque range |
~ E Torx |
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(in) |
(mm) |
(lb·ft) |
(N·m) |
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T1 |
0.031 |
0.81 |
0.01–0.02 |
0.02–0.03 |
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T2 |
0.036 |
0.93 |
0.05–0.07 |
0.07–0.09 |
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T3 |
0.046 |
1.10 |
0.10–0.13 |
0.14–0.18 |
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T4 |
0.050 |
1.28 |
0.16–0.21 |
0.22–0.28 |
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T5 |
0.055 |
1.42 |
0.32–0.38 |
0.43–0.51 |
E2 |
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T5.5 |
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T6 |
0.066 |
1.70 |
0.55–0.66 |
0.75–0.90 |
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T7 |
0.078 |
1.99 |
1.0–1.3 |
1.4–1.7 |
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T8 |
0.090 |
2.31 |
1.6–1.9 |
2.2–2.6 |
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T9 |
0.098 |
2.50 |
2.1–2.5 |
2.8–3.4 |
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T10 |
0.107 |
2.74 |
2.7–3.3 |
3.7–4.5 |
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T15 |
0.128 |
3.27 |
4.7–5.7 |
6.4–7.7 |
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T20 |
0.151 |
3.86 |
7.74–9.37 |
10.5–12.7 |
E4 |
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T25 |
0.173 |
4.43 |
11.7–14.0 |
15.9–19 |
E5 |
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T27 |
0.195 |
4.99 |
16.6–19.8 |
22.5–26.9 |
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T30 |
0.216 |
5.52 |
22.9–27.6 |
31.1–37.4 |
E6 |
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T35 |
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T40 |
0.260 |
6.65 |
39.9–48.0 |
54.1–65.1 |
E8 |
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T45 |
0.306 |
7.82 |
63.4–76.1 |
86–103.2 |
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T47 |
GM-Style |
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T50 |
0.346 |
8.83 |
97.4–117 |
132–158 |
E10 |
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T55 |
0.440 |
11.22 |
161–189 |
218–256 |
E12 |
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T60 |
0.519 |
13.25 |
280–328 |
379–445 |
E16 |
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T70 |
0.610 |
15.51 |
465–516 |
630–700 |
E18 |
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T80 |
0.690 |
17.54 |
696–773 |
943–1048 |
E20 |
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T90 |
0.784 |
19.92 |
984–1094 |
1334–1483 |
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T100 |
0.871 |
22.13 |
1359–1511 |
1843–2048 |
E24 |
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Screw drive types |
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Slot |
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Phillips |
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Pozidriv (SupaDriv) |
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Frearson |
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Square |
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Robertson |
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Hex |
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12-point flange |
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Hex socket (Allen) |
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Security hex socket (pin-in-hex-socket) |
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Torx |
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Security Torx |
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TA |
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Tri-Wing |
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Torq-set |
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Spanner head |
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Clutch |
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One-way |
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Double-square |
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Triple-square |
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Polydrive |
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Spline drive |
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Double hex |
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Bristol |
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Pentalobe |
