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Description:
Just as the title
suggests, these are thumb style screws used for mounting
rack equipment. They function in much the same way
as any rack mount screw with one significant difference: These screws can be installed and removed completely by
hand allowing you to install and remove rack gear
without the need for any tools (see photos right).
For those who prefer to use a standard blade screw
driver I have added a slot in
the head so a
blade screw driver can be used to tighten these further
if necessary.
"How
do they work? "
1) Place your gear in the rack.
2) Align the
equipment holes with the rack rail holes.
3) Install the
thumb screw. It's that easy.
"What
racks will these work with?"
Virtually all
racks including threaded rail racks and racks that have
round or square hole racks that use clip or cage style
retainer nuts (e.g. SKB, Gator, and others). Note:
Clip / cage nuts needed when
using punched hole (unthreaded) racks are not included in this auction.
"What
rack equipment will these work with?"
Again, virtually
all rack mount equipment can be mounted with these
screws. This includes music, video, broadcast,
telecom, DJ, data (server, router, switch, hub.
etc). Specifications?
Unlike standard rack screws
which are formed in one operation these screws are precision
machined from single piece
carbon steel. Five operations are needed to make
each screw and for reference purposes each screw weighs
4 times what a standard phillips truss head rack screw weighs. Indeed, these are very "beefy"
screws and are far more expensive to manufacturer than a
standard rack screw.
Who
make these?
These screws are designed and manufactured by us,
Rack Release Systems.
About
our products: Rack
Release rack mount equipment screws and quick release fasteners have
been used by such companies as Microsoft,
Intel, Apple Computer, Cisco, 3com, Nortel Networks,
The FBI, Northrop Grumman, Sun Microsystems, VeriSign,
Quantum, The National Institute of Health and many more.
Over 1 million Rack Release quick release
fasteners have been sold since I introduced them in 1991.
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"We
use these screws in my research lab here
at Stanford University. Our research field
involves manipulating single atoms and
molecules. But the connection with your
rack mount thumb screws is that we use
racks full of commercial and custom built
electronics for our control systems, and
we are constantly reconfiguring equipment
to adapt to new experiments and to test
new strategies. These screws have been
fantastic in keeping things running
smoothly in the lab on a day-to-day basis,
and also quite helpful when we have to
install and move around heavier pieces of
rack-mount equipment."
Professor
Hari Manoharan
Stanford University, Department of Physics
Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials
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Installing
By Hand |
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What
thread size is right for you? The following are the
most common and we offer them all:
10-32 An
American screw size. Commonly used in all rack
mount applications including music, video, broadcast, data and more. 90%
of the screws and fasteners we sell are 10-32. The "10" refers
to the drill size for a tapped (threaded) hole. This thread has 32 threads per inch.
12-24 An American screw size still common for rack
mounting equipment particularly in the US telecommunications industry.
It has 24 threads per inch. Again, the first number
refers to the drill size required for a tapped (threaded) hole.
It is larger in diameter than a 10-32 screw and smaller than an M6 screw.
8% of the screws we sell here in the US are 12-24.
M6 Metric thread size of 6 millimeters. Typical thread
size for European rack applications. Also used in
Compaq racks and Euro racks sold here in the US. Larger than both 10-32
and 12-24.
If you are unsure of your thread size take one of your rack screws to the local
hardware store. They will be able tell you the exact screw size you have.
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Advantages
over standard rack screws:
- No tools required. Can be
installed and removed
completely by hand.
- Screw head is slotted allowing additional tightening
with a blade screw driver or coin. Hex Head
is 9mm
hex and can be more securely fastened with any
adjustable wrench, 9mm wrench or 9mm socket.
- Works with virtually all
racks and all rack mount
equipment. |
Features:
- Slotted head for use with bladed screw driver.
- Can be installed and removed by hand. Not
tools required.
- Long 3/4" thread length works with all racks and
rack equipment.
- Head diameter: Approx. 1/2"
- Available in 10-32, 12-24 and M6 (6mm) thread sizes.
sizes are also available.
- Heat treated and black oxide coated.
- Black nylon washers are included
for each screw.
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