Nail Clipper Essay, Research Paper

Description of a Standard Nail Clipper

Introduction-General Description

The standard nail clipper is a portable tool used for trimming fingernails and toenails. It can also be used for filing your nails and removing the dirt from behind your nails.

The nail clipper has two main parts that are bolted together and provide the necessary leverage to trim the nail. Attached to the base of the nail clipper is a file that is connected by a circular shaft that allows you to rotate the file 360 degrees about the shaft. A bolt to the base connects the second part that provides leverage and this rotates about the bolt to either a position that is parallel to the main part or at a point that is 43 degrees at an angle to the main part (Figure 1).

Figure 1

The nail clipper works to trim your nails when the second piece is at an angle to the main part of the clipper. When the second part is compressed with your nail underneath the sharp end of the two pieces, that portion of your nail is removed.

Three main parts make up the nail clipper: base, leverage part, and file.

Description of Parts and Their Function

Base. The base of the nail clipper is 2 and ? inches in length and weighs 9.3 grams. It has two pieces connected to each other by a bolt at an angle of 5 degrees to each other. At the ends of these two pieces is the sharp part of the nail clipper that is used to cut the nail. These ends are shaped to fit around your fingernail or toenail.

Leverage Part. The leverage part of the nail clipper is 2 inches long and weighs 3.8 grams. It is connected to the base by the same bolt that connects the two main pieces of the base. The bolt is constructed to allow the leverage part to rotate 360 degrees about the bolt. When the piece is lifted forward and in, it parallels itself to the base (Figure 2). It can also be moved to a position 43 degrees at an angle to the base which allows the piece to compress the two sharp end pieces of the base.

Figure 2

File. The file is connected to the base of the nail clipper by a circular shaft at the opposite end of the clipper. It can rotate about this shaft 360 degrees, which allows for easy access of the file. The file is 1 and ? inches in length and weighs 1.4 grams. At the end of the file there is a sharp point that is ? inches in length, which allows the user to remove dirt from behind the nails.

Conclusion and Operating Description

The three main parts of a nail clipper all work together to provide the necessary leverage to compress the sharp ends of the base.

When the leverage piece is compressed, the two parts of the base become compressed, and the angle between the two sharp ends closes to zero. This causes the ends of your nails to be removed. By following the ends of your fingernails or toenails with the sharp end of the nail clipper and compressing it each time, you are able to trim your nails to the desired length.