Clothespin

A clothespin is a household article that serves as a tool for hanging laundry.

A clothes pin consists of two parts, which are connected to a prestressed spring. By squeezing on the rear side both parts together, the mouth of the clothes peg opens. Thus a garment can be hung on a clothes line. A clothespin can be made of wood or plastic. David M. Smith (1809-1881) from Vermont was in 1853 the inventor of this system.
In this magnification (3x) you see the spring between the legs.