IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON BATTENS AND FASTENINGS FOR SECURING TARPAULINS TO SHIPS HATCHES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROCKLIFFE, of Sunderland Street, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON BATTENS AND FASTENINGS FOR SECURING TARPAULINS
TO SHIPS HATCHES" to be as follows:
This Invention has for object to secure tarpaulins to the hatches of ships and
prevent them from being washed or blown off which frequently occurs at night in
consequence of the wooden wedges working out of the open cleats and being
washed away thereby causing danger to life and property.
In carrying out my Invention holes are punched or drilled in the sides of the
hatches at suitable distances apart. In each hole I secure a stud having an
opening for receiving an iron wedge. In each batten corresponding holes are
formed to fit over the said studs on the batches.
The tarpaulins are provided with holes near the edge so that as the tarpaulin is
spread cach hole will come opposite one of the above named studs; a hole is
slipped on or over each stud; there being also holes in the battens to fit on or
over the studs as hereinbefore described. The battens being placed over the
tarpaulin the wedges are then passed through the eyes in the studs, and knocked
in thereby forcing the batten to the side of the hatch and so jamming the
tarpaulin that no water can get in.

page_text: I WILLIAM ROCKLIFFE of Sunderland Street, Sunderland in the County of
Durham Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON BATTENS AND FASTENINGS FOR SECURING TARPAULINS
TO SHIPS' HATCHES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement.
This Invention has for object to secure tarpaulins to the hatches of ships and
prevent them from being washed or blown off which frequently occurs at night in
consequence of the wooden wedges working out of the open cleats and being
washed away thereby causing danger to life and property.
In carrying out my Invention holes are punched or drilled in the sides of the
batches at suitable distanc s apart. In each hole I secure a stud having an
opening for receiving an iron wedge. In cach batten corresponding holes are
formed to fit over the said studs on the hatches. The studs may also be screw
threaded to receive a screw nut.
The tarpaulins are provided with holes near the edge and a hole is slipped on or
over each stud.
In order to enable my Invention to be fully understood I will proceed to
describe the saine by reference to the accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1, is
a transverse section and Figure 2, a sectional plan of part of a ship's hatch shewing
my improved fastenings for securing tarpaulins applied thereto; Figures 3, and 4,
are views of part of one of the battens shewing the stud holes formed in the centre
and at the side respectively. Figure 5, and 6, are similar views to Figures 1,
and 2, except that the studs are screw threaded so as to allow of screw nuts being
employed in place of wedges for securing the tarpaulin if required. Similar letters
in all the Figures represent similar parts.
I will first describe the arrangement shewn in Figures 1, to 3, a, represents one
of the batch plates or sides of the hatch having holes punched or drilled in the sides
thereof; b, b, are the studs formed with a shoulder the reduced part c, being screw
threaded so that the studs may be secured in the said holes in the hatch plate a,
by means of screw nuts d; e, are the openings or eyes, one in each stud for
receiving an iron wedge f, so that the hatches can be fastened up by means of the
said wedges; g, is one of the battens having holes h, in the centre as shewn at
Figure 3, or slots, in the edge as shewn at Figure 4, corresponding with the
holes in the hatches, the said holes or slots fitting over the studs 6, in the hatches.
The tarpaulins i, are provided with holes near the edge so that as the tarpaulin
is spread each hole therein will come opposite one of the studs b, each hole in the
tarpaulin is slipped on or over a corresponding stud; the holes h, in the batten g,
are then passed or fitted over the studs b, and the battens g, being thus placed over
the tarpaulin i, the wedges f, are passed through the eyes e, in the studs b, and are
knocked in and the battens will be forced to the sides a, of the hatch and the
tarpaulin i, will be thereby so jammed that no water can get in.
The battens are preferably attached to the hatches by a chain so that they
shall not get out of place when the hatches are unbattened and the iron wedges f,
are attached to the battens g, by chains or their equivalents to prevent them being
lost.
In order to prevent the shrinking of the tarpaulins and the holes therein
becoming thereby out of place I find it advantageous to shrink the canvas of which
the tarpaulins are to be made by soaking the canvas in water for two or three
hours and then drying it; the tarpaulin is then made and tarred.

page_text: The arrangement shewn in Figures 5 and 6, is substantially the same as that
herein before described and shewn in Figures 1, to 4, except that the studs b, in
addition to being provided with eyes e, are also screw threaded so as to allow of
the tarpaulin being fixed either by means of wedges as herein before described or
by means of screw nuts k, at option, or when screw nuts are employed the eyes e,
and wedges f, may be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) The improved iron battens and fastenings for securing tarpaulins to
ships' hatches substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying Drawing.
(2.) Forming tarpaulins for ships' hatches with holes near the edge to allow of
the same being fixed by means of battens and fastenings such as those herein
described in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent.