Pin

A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pins often have two components: a long body and sharp tip made of steel, or occasionally copper or brass, and a larger head often made of plastic. The sharpened body penetrates the material, while the larger head provides a driving surface. It is formed by drawing out a thin wire, sharpening the tip, and adding a head. Nails are related, but are typically larger. In machines and engineering, pins are commonly used as pivots, hinges, shafts, jigs, and fixtures to locate or hold parts.

Sewing and fashion pins

Curved sewing pins have been used for over four thousand years. Originally, they were fashioned out of iron and bone by the Sumerians and were used to hold clothes together. Later, these pins were also used to hold pages together by threading the needle through their top corner.

Many late pins were made of brass, a hard metal. Steel was used later, as it was much stronger, but there was no easy process to keep steel from rusting, so higher quality pins were plated with nickel, but the metal would start to break down and flake off in high humidity, allowing rust to form. Steel pins were not that inconvenient for homemaking uses as they were usually only used temporarily while sewing garments.

Bowling

Bowling refers to a series of sports or leisure activities in which a player rolls or throws a bowling ball towards a target. It is one of the major forms of throwing sports. In pin bowling variations, the target is usually to knock over pins at the end of a lane. When all the pins are knocked down on the first roll, this is a strike. In target variations, the aim is usually to get the ball as close to a mark as possible. The pin version of bowling is often played on a flat wooden or other synthetic surface (which can be oiled in different patterns for different techniques), while in target bowling, the surface may be grass, gravel or a synthetic surface. The most common types of pin bowling include ten-pin, nine-pin, candlepin, duckpin and five-pin bowling, while in target bowling, bowls, skittles, kegel, bocce, carpet bowls, pétanque, and boules, both indoor and outdoor varieties are popular. Today the sport of bowling is enjoyed by 100 million people in more than 90 countries worldwide (including 70 million in the U.S.), and continues to grow through entertainment media such as video games for home consoles and handheld devices.

Five-pin billiards

Five-pin billiards or simply five-pins or 5-pins (Italian: [biliardo del] cinque birilli;Spanish: [billar de] cinco quillas), is today usually a carom, but sometimes still a pocket, form of cue sport, popular especially in Italy and Argentina but also in some other parts of Latin America and Europe, with international, televised professional tournaments. The game is sometimes referred to as Italian five-pins or Italian billiards (Italian: biliardo all'italiana), or as italiana (in Italian and Spanish).

History

Until the late 1980s, the game (with some rules differences) was a form of pocket billiards, known in English as Italian skittle pool, and was principally played in pubs, with an object ball that was smaller than the two cue balls. Professional and regulated amateur play today exclusively uses pocketless tables and equal-sized balls. Professional competition began in 1965, and play is centered in billiard parlors, with players competing in provincial, regional and national federations. The pocket version is still favored by some in amateur play.

Needle

A needle is generally a thin, cylindrical object, often with a sharp point on the end.

Needle may refer to:

Crafting

Botany

Places

Needles (Black Hills)

The Needles of the Black Hills of South Dakota are a region of eroded granite pillars, towers, and spires within Custer State Park. Popular with rock climbers and tourists alike, the Needles are accessed from the Needles Highway, which is a part of Sylvan Lake Road (SD 87/89). The Cathedral Spires and Limber Pine Natural Area, a 637-acre portion of the Needles containing six ridges of pillars as well as a disjunct stand of limber pine, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976.

The Needles were the original site proposed for the Mount Rushmore carvings. The location was rejected by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum owing to the poor quality of the granite and the fact that they were too thin to support the sculptures. The Needles attract approximately 300,000 people annually.

Climbing

The area has a rich history of bold climbing by greatest climbers of their era, and has long been known for its purist ethics. In 1936 Fritz Wiessner climbed the Totem Pole and in 1937 Khayyam Spire with Bill House and Lawrence Coveney. In 1947 Jan and Herb Conn moved to the area and in next couple decades put up over 220 first ascents. In 1952 Fred Beckey and John Dudra climbed Rubaiyat Spire and Khayyam Spire. In the 1960s climbers such as Royal Robbins, and Henry Barber put up many bold routes. In 1961 John Gill made free solo ascent of class 5.12a route on The Thimble which is considered one of the first climbs at that grade and still is a formidable challenge. In 1970's and 1980's many climbs were added by local climbers, such as Paul Muehl, John Page, Bob Archbold and Pete Delonney. In 1991 John Sherman also made a free solo ascent of Gill's Route.

Needles station

Needles is an Amtrak train station in Needles, California, United States. The station consists of a platform adjacent to a small waiting area located at a BNSF Railway yard.

El Garces Hotel

The Needles station is near the historic El Garces Hotel, built by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1908 for the Fred Harvey Company. It is located near the original station, which closed in 1958 and underwent extensive restoration. The name El Garces was chosen to honor Father Francisco Garces, a missionary who arrived in the area in 1776.

El Garces reopened in 2014 as an intermodal transportation facility, but without the proposed on-site Needles Chamber of Commerce office, and without the original hotel and restaurant.

Platforms and tracks

References

External links