The word "spanner" refers to a tool used to loosen or tighten bolts or nuts. It usually has a handle and a metal piece with a series of small notches or jaws for gripping the fasteners. Full definition
And then some companies stepped in and started throwing spanners in the works, offering handsets that had good design and delivered a decent user experience. (techpp.com)
I'm sure Arsene Wenger deliberately throws spanners in the works so he can avoid spending the money but is seen to be trying. (justarsenal.com)
And even if it did, increasing neurotransmitter activity is no guarantee of increased mental performance; rather, it, can be positively deleterious to throw chemical spanners into the exquisitely balanced biochemical system that is the human brain. (newscientist.com)