Pintle

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A pintle is a pin or bolt, usually inserted into a gudgeon, which is used as part of a pivot or hinge.

• In sailing, a pintle is inserted into a gudgeon to hold the rudder onto the boat.

• In transportation, a pintle hitch/hook is a claw- or pincer-type device that clamps through a lunette ring on the tongue of a trailer.

• In controllable solid rocket motors it is the plug that is moved into and out of the motor throat to control thrust.

• In the military, a pintle is used with light machine guns as the mounting hardware that mates the machine gun to a tripod. Essentially, the pintle is a bracket with a cylindrical bottom and a cradle for the gun on top. The cylindrical bottom fits into a hole in the tripod, while the cradle holds the gun.

• In Shetland dialect, it is a slang word for the penis.

• In furniture, a pintle is usually fitted to a castor. The pintle is then inserted into a base, fixing the castors to that base.