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Crowbar

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A crowbar is a very useful hand tool. It is a type of lever. A lever is a tool that helps you lift heavy things. It can also force two objects apart. This tool gives you a mechanical advantage. That means it makes a hard job much easier.

Standard Crowbar Black
Standard Crowbar Black

Crowbars are important for many kinds of work. They help people build things or take things apart.

This tool works in a few different ways. A crowbar can act as any of the three lever classes. The curved end often works as a first-class lever. The flat end can work as a second-class lever. Many designs have a curved end with a notch. You can use this notch to remove nails. Some tools even have a gooseneck shape to pull nails.

Standard Crowbar Black
Standard Crowbar Black

This shape helps you get more strength from your movements.

People have used these tools for a very long time. The name might come from the bird called a crow. This is because the tool looks like a crow's beak or feet. In old books, people called them iron crows. William Shakespeare used this name in his play Romeo and Juliet.

Standard Crowbar Black
Standard Crowbar Black

In the book Robinson Crusoe from 1719, the hero uses iron crows. He used them because he did not have a pickaxe.

Most crowbars are made of medium-carbon steel. This is a strong metal. Sometimes the ends are hardened to make them even tougher. They are often forged from long pieces of steel stock. These pieces can be hexagonal or cylindrical shapes. Some bars have an I-shaped shaft.

Standard Crowbar Black
Standard Crowbar Black

If the bar is made of thick flat steel, it is called a utility bar. These are also known as flat bars.

There are many different types of crowbars for different jobs. An alignment pry bar is also called a sleeve bar. There is a cat's claw pry bar, often called a cat's paw. You can find digging pry bars and flat pry bars too. Other types include molding pry bars and rolling head pry bars.

Standard Crowbar Black
Standard Crowbar Black

There are even heavy-duty pry bars. Each shape helps a worker do a specific task with ease.

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File:Standard Crowbar Black.jpg
Standard Crowbar Black.jpg
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