Tension and Jaw

I walked through the gap where the screen door rested unlatched. Outside, the space widened without walls. On the second step lay a wooden clothespin. I crouched beside it to inspect the construction. A coiled steel wire joined two symmetrical halves of pine. Placing my thumb bone against the upper lever, I applied downward force. The coiled wire twisted under load, parting the notched front jaws by two millimeters. I removed pressure. The jaws snapped shut, returning instantly to flush alignment. The mechanical tension remains intact.