Pullstring

Japanese spinning tops with pullstrings

A Dandy toy with a pullstring

Chainsaw starter handle attached to a pullcord

Pullcord on a transit bus

Pullchain on a train emergency brake

A pullstring (pull string, pull-string) or pullcord (pull cord, pull-cord) or pullchain (pull-chain, pull chain) is a string, cord, or chain wound on a spring-loaded spindle that engages a mechanism when it is pulled. It is most commonly used in toys and motorized equipment. More commonly, a pullstring can be any type of string, cord, rope, chain, or cable attached to an object in some way used to pull or mechanically manipulate part of it.

Types

Perhaps the simplest pullstring toy is the yo-yo. Trompos and some spinning tops use a string that is wound around the top and then pulled to make it spin. Some dolls, such as Chatty Cathy, have a pullstring built into them that activates a speaker when it is pulled, causing the doll to say a built-in phrase. Other non-doll toys like See 'n Say. The earliest patent with a pullstring included in it is an 1886 "Toy Bowling-Alley".

Many motorized lawn mowers, chainsaws, and portable generators use a pullstring as an ignition device. Some vehicles such as the early-1900s Puckridge used a pullchain to start its engine and the pre-release version of the Citroën 2CV car and DKW RT 125 motorcycle start their engines with pullcords.

Some types of window blinds and curtains use a cord pull to open, close, raise, and lower them. Attic ladders usually have a pullstring to allow the ladder to be pulled down from the ceiling. A dock plate can use a pullchain to move it. A pull switch uses a chain or string to actuate a switch, commonly used in lighting and ceiling fans. Modern flush toilets use a pullchain attached to a lever that lifts the plunger to release water into the toilet bowl. The photoplayer used pullchains to generate sound effects for silent films. Pre-1990s North American diesel locomotive train horns used a lever or pull cord to actuate an air valve. Older steam whistles were almost always actuated with a pull cord. A train's emergency brake can be a cord or chain that, when pulled, will stop the train. Older transit buses and trams/trolleys have a pull cord that a passenger can pull to signal the driver that they are requesting a stop. The Jaguar XK120 sports car's doors have no external handles so it uses an interior pullcord instead. Some grandfather clocks have a pullchain to raise the weights in order to wind the clock's gears. A lifejacket has a pullcord used to inflate it.

Some grenades like the German Models 24, 39, and 43 have pullcords. Some machine guns such as the M73 machine gun and M85 machine gun use a pullchain to charge and/or fire them.

A ripcord is a type of pullstring used to release a parachute. A drawstring is a type of pullstring used in many aspects of the fashion industry and in bags as a closing device.

Popular culture

A short-lived sketch on the late-night television talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien featured a Knight Rider pullchain. The 1994 educational video game Math Blaster Episode II: Secret of the Lost City features pullchains in one of its levels.

See also

• Drawstring
• Pull switch
• Bell pull