Talk:Slinky

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Fixed the plural of antenna: insects have antennae, whereas radio amateurs have antennas.--130.232.120.145 18:18, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

I recently read (I believe in a CNN story about toys, but the exact source escapes me) that in order to protect the process of making the metal spiral, no reporters or photographers have ever been allowed inside the plant which produces "slinky branded toys"  ;) Terry

"Slinkys" or "Slinkies"?? -- John Owens 22:44 Apr 23, 2003 (UTC)

I wrote "Slinkys" because the word "Slinky" is a trademark, a proper noun. I suppose if I did that, though, I should have capitalized it in every instance. I will do that now. Thanks. -- Liesel Hess 17:58 Apr 24, 2003

The official website at http://www.slinkytoys.com/ seems to just avoid using a plural by referring to "Slinky® Toys". The fan site at http://www.slinky.org/ uses both "Slinkys" and (shudder) "Slinky's" for plural. So I think "Slinkys" would be the safe bet, yes, without going to the extreme of putting an extra noun in there. -- John Owens
Actually trademarks are adjectives, not nouns, hence it is incorrect to refer to "Slinkys" (or Band-Aids, or Cadillacs or whatever. You should, technically, refer to "Slinky brand toys" (or Band-Aid brand sticking plasters, or Cadillac brand cars...) but this is of course ridiculously pedantic and nobody actually does it except trademark lawyers...
But it's correct, so I like it. I looked in some of the other articles about items with brand names, and the general trend is to follow the pattern we've been using in this one. Even still, what's popular is not always what's right. Liesel Hess 11:34 Sep 22, 2005

Does it really matter? It's a slinky, call it what you want to Ootmc 23:18, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Springs or Rings?

I have heard that the slinky came about in an automotative creative manufacturing plant, where they were making piston rings. The story I heard (and it makes sense) is that a vey precise steel tube is sliced into a spira, and then down the longitudianl axis. This results in a multitude of identical rings, open on one end, which can be fitted into the grooves on a piston.

This is entirely apocraphyl. I've never seen it confirmed anywhere, and the torsion spring story seems to prevail. However, torsion springs don't resemble slinky's nearly as much as piston rings.

3/25/05 OK, I found the source of the confusion. The fellow who "invented" the slinky was using a set of "partially formed" piston rings for a different purpose on a Navy ship. Here is a link to a site which explains the background.[1]

9/22/05 I had read that he was observing a torsion spring, and that is what I initially wrote in the article. That it has been changed to "tension spring" seems to indicate that someone hadn't heard of torsions and thought they'd make an edit. I'm going to have to change that back.

On the other hand, I heard that this toy derives from a paper tube formerly used in aircraft to deliver air within the cabin. To keep the tube round, paper was is glued to a spring about the diameter of a Slinky. (Nowadays plastic is used instead of paper.) I have seen these things, and contrary to the source listed, there wouldn't seem to be any purpose for a spring as weak as that of a Slinky in mechanical engineering. --Sobolewski 17:17, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] "Traespiral"?

Is that an English word? It's certainly not Swedish. And google only finds it in other instances of the line about slinkys, not anywhere else. The only thing that soulds anything like it would be Danish "træspiral" meaning "wooden spiral". Also "slinky" does not really mean anything in Swedish, the closest to this is the verb "slinka", which means to sneak or slip by.

"Traespiral" may not be a Swedish word, but "slinky" is very definitely an English one (appearing in print in 1918), and can trace its roots in English back to the 14th century (Old English slincan, to creep.) I took that part out, but I'd like to see it back in if it can be supported better. Dyfsunctional 20:13, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Origins

However, more time should have been spent on researching how to better a Slinky's means of travel. Research has shown that a child's excitment is quickly lost when they are not able to get their Slinky to walk down a flight of stairs as portrayed in comercials. Due to this shortcoming, studies have shown that children are more apt to stretch their Slinky out of shape thus causing the Slinky to no longer work as invented.

This sections starts out POV, then goes for a double weasel: "research has shown" and "studies have shown," with no cite whatsoever. I suspect someone just made this up, so I'm deleting it. Dyfsunctional 20:13, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Vandalism

A user named Slinky seems to have been vandalising this page recently with edits about a rapper of the same name. I reverted it and I'll keep and eye out for future mischief. Robert 20:29, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alternative Uses: Antennas.

Is it really necessary to say ". . . even used them as transmitting antennas"? All antennas are capable of being used for transmitting and receiving when used with an appropriate transceiver. In other words, the sentence implies there is something special about being a transmit antenna when in fact there is nothing inherently special about it.

Also, ". . . slinkeys were also used as mobile radio transmitters" is technically incorrect. They may have been used in conjunction with transmitters (ie as antenna for radio transmission) but they themselves are not transmitters.

Comments?

66.87.80.195 22:57, 28 June 2007 (UTC)cwoliver

[edit] As a fad?

Was there a fad around the Slinky some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s, like what happened to Rubrik's cube and happens to the yo-yo once in a while? If so, there's a "1980s fads" (1970s?) category suitable for this article.

I recently found the Slinky my dad bought – but I can't remember for sure if all other kids got one at about the same time. JöG 18:47, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] EH?!

"Richard James, a US $50,000-a-week marine engineer // With a US$500 loan, the couple ran tests"

Is this right? I find this highly odd-usual someone what makes 50,000 a week would take a loan for 1/100 of that amount. Is it either whack editing or this dude took loans out to buy penny sweeties. Either way there is a freak of nature on this page. (I am not a freak of any sort)Supersonicjim 10:09, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia: Gedig

Who is Gedig? I don't see the relevance of the story, and I doubt its veracity. Beer usually doesn't contain enough alcohol to burn.

129.13.186.1 (talk) 08:45, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Skinkies are a hazard to all people and especially children. They can fall on someone's toe and hurt them .

I say get tough. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.96.46.222 (talk) 18:50, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Slinky length?

Is there any information pertaining to the actual length of the stretched-out coil of an original Slinky? That's what I was looking for on this page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.45.123.11 (talk) 19:13, 7 February 2008 (UTC)