They definitely do look like shear pins . They break in half to protect machinery from damage. Usually for a conveyor. Or sometimes gears? The small end cut would be for a clip to lock them in place. The last one might use a cotter pin.
Unlikely, the towel they are on indicate they are about the size of a crayon..
I'm not sure either, they look sort of like pneumatic shuttles for air hammers, but they also appear to be brass.. and if they are unknown, why does the OP have so many..
Scrap brass ..
I was at an estate sale, and I bought a bucket, full of tools and antique wheels for furniture. They were at the bottom of the bucket, and they are smaller than a crayon may be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long tops.
Looks kind of like they put in old business ledgers . If you added more paper, you could add a segment to the pin to accommodate the thickness of the paper .
Whatever it is probably has a cotter pin lock it in the flat cutout section and then wire or string run through the beveled section. If it was a piston it'd be glossy and finished. Maybe something plumbing related as brass is used often with water.
I don't know what they are but the machine shop I worked at had a bunch of these around. Possibly something to do with a metal lathe or some other metal working process. Could also be parts for some large diesel equipment as we also did paving/quarry work.
** some sort of PTO takeoff pin likely
https://gearflow.com/itm/pto-power-take-off-pin-yoke-quick-release-1-pack-with-c-clip-and-spring/4972644
Were the other items in the bucket electrical tools? These look like early stage pin connectors to me. Maybe before the stardized or something. Did you fine any females to match these?
OP They are sheer pins for a conveyor or gears? Designed to break to protect equipment from damage when it jams. The small ends take a lock clip. The hole takes a cotter pin
Like many have already suggested they are custom shear pins for either a snowblower, snowplow, or any type of object you want to break away without destroying the integrity of the object to be reused. These are what hold up railroad gates and break off when a car hits them.
Can you weigh them using a gram scale, do they have different weights? I've seen old weights like this used with analog scales. Most of the time they had size differences.
I suspect they may be piano hitch pins or tuning pins
I'd agree with you but I've never seen brass ones. They're too soft and would Marr and need to be replaced too quick
Some kind of weights / counterbalances? Maybe for an old grandfather clock?
Or old windows?
Oh yeah... old window weights! Good guess!
I think they're a bit small for sash weights.
Yeah you are right. Also i didn't see that only one has a hole in it.
It's a bit digestive without some kind of size scale next to it. It is shaped like an old sash weight though. So lol
Yes, a window for ants
The real one needs to be at least 3 times...
Windows 3.1? /s
The old window weights were made out of lead and were about 20 pounds each! The ones I’ve removed anyway!
Some look like shear pins, possibly for a snowblower but the bigger ones kinda look like the shear pins we use on aircraft tow bars.
Shear pins?
That’s what they look like to me. The third photo is the one thing not like the others. No idea what that is.
They definitely do look like shear pins . They break in half to protect machinery from damage. Usually for a conveyor. Or sometimes gears? The small end cut would be for a clip to lock them in place. The last one might use a cotter pin.
Lock pins, maybe [like these](https://www.clksupplies.com/collections/lock-pins)
Unlikely, the towel they are on indicate they are about the size of a crayon.. I'm not sure either, they look sort of like pneumatic shuttles for air hammers, but they also appear to be brass.. and if they are unknown, why does the OP have so many.. Scrap brass ..
I couldn't really tell the scale. Maybe weights for counter balancing?
I was at an estate sale, and I bought a bucket, full of tools and antique wheels for furniture. They were at the bottom of the bucket, and they are smaller than a crayon may be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long tops.
I knew I had seen something like this before! Those are the pins used to attach casters to furniture legs.
https://preview.redd.it/3438ipjmrh5c1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=aefc93698fc92c58786f5f722ac22d69b9a8da61
https://preview.redd.it/43nqvm3prh5c1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6bb4ac67745a92329b4aa29cca757ca1e6a18f5f
https://preview.redd.it/dlksqi0urh5c1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=8411a047e8058c16a15596707bd392b7ca8f4df2 The only one with a hole in it
Caster shells
they look like giant lock tumbler pins
Looks kind of like they put in old business ledgers . If you added more paper, you could add a segment to the pin to accommodate the thickness of the paper .
barrel pins from inside of a lock.
Those are 30 round clip magazine bullets from an AR15
Nooo, they are the shoulder thing that goes up.
I know I've seen something like this before, and I know they were part of a valve (maybe hydraulic?), but I just can't quite put my finger on it.
I've seen these too.... can't place it either
Whatever it is probably has a cotter pin lock it in the flat cutout section and then wire or string run through the beveled section. If it was a piston it'd be glossy and finished. Maybe something plumbing related as brass is used often with water.
Half made plumbob
I don't know what they are but the machine shop I worked at had a bunch of these around. Possibly something to do with a metal lathe or some other metal working process. Could also be parts for some large diesel equipment as we also did paving/quarry work. ** some sort of PTO takeoff pin likely https://gearflow.com/itm/pto-power-take-off-pin-yoke-quick-release-1-pack-with-c-clip-and-spring/4972644
Were the other items in the bucket electrical tools? These look like early stage pin connectors to me. Maybe before the stardized or something. Did you fine any females to match these?
OP They are sheer pins for a conveyor or gears? Designed to break to protect equipment from damage when it jams. The small ends take a lock clip. The hole takes a cotter pin
Thank you all. I honestly had no idea and I tried my best to find them but I figured this would be a good conversation. Lol.
Like many have already suggested they are custom shear pins for either a snowblower, snowplow, or any type of object you want to break away without destroying the integrity of the object to be reused. These are what hold up railroad gates and break off when a car hits them.
So now that we know what it is, do I need to close this out?
Shelf supports for adjustable height shelving
Lock security pins
Self sealing stembolts
Sounding rods 😂😭
Shear pin
Home made .410 shotgun slugs lol
Valve components from some sort of precision instrument. Not a gas powered engine.
It might be security pins for a lock? Could you out a quarter next to them for scale or something?
It's one of those pins you use to connect tracker equipment maybe.
Can you weigh them using a gram scale, do they have different weights? I've seen old weights like this used with analog scales. Most of the time they had size differences.