Drivskiva

Drivskiva is a Swedish term that translates roughly as drive disc or drive plate. It is used in two distinct, largely separate contexts: historical road-traffic terminology and mechanical engineering.

In the context of traffic history, drivskiva has been used to refer to a circular display mounted on a vehicle to indicate licensing or regulatory status. Such a disc was typically placed on the dashboard or windshield and issued by a traffic authority for a defined period, serving as a visual proof that the operator had the necessary authorization to drive. The practice varied by country and era and was phased out as modern licensing systems and documentation replaced these physical discs.

In mechanical engineering, drivskiva denotes a drive disc, a circular component that transmits motion or torque within drive systems. In friction-drive arrangements, the drive disc engages with a mating surface such as another wheel or a clutch plate to transfer rotation. Drive discs are used in a range of machines and can be made from metal or composite materials, with dimensions tailored to the specific application.

Etymology and usage: The word combines driv- from drive and skiva, disc. In contemporary Swedish, the term is relatively specialized and appears mainly in historical descriptions of traffic regulation or in technical discussions of power transmission and machine design, rather than in everyday language.