IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS FOR SHIPS' SIDE LIGHTS, MANHOLE DOORS AND HATCH TARPAULINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FASTENING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Charles Thompson of the firm of Robert
Thompson and Sons, of Sunderland in the County of Durbam, Shipbuilders
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS FOR SHIPS' SIDE LIGHTS,
MANHOLE DOORS AND HATCH TARPAULINS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR FASTENING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Charles Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1882..
RICHARD CHARLES THOMPSON of the firm of Robert Thompson and Sons of
Sunderland in the County of Durham Shipbuilders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS
FOR SHIPS' SIDE-LIGHTS, MANHOLE DOORS AND HATCH TARPAULINS, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR FASTENING OR SECURING WINDOW SASHES AND OTHER LIKE USES
"
My Invention relates to a device for fastening or securing hatch tarpaulins,
manhole and port doors, ships' side lights, house doors and gates, window sashes and
for other uses.
The Invention consists essentially in a wedge shaped bolt or cotter which is
inserted in a corresponding cleat or staple rivetted bolted or cast on the hatch.
coamings when used for a hatch tarpaulin and, in the case of a man or hand hole
cover, rivetted or bolted near the edge of the hole preferably at each side and at the
ends for manholes, and at the ends for hand-boles.
When used for hatch tarpaulins the tarpaulin is placed between the hatch bar
and the coaming and the cotter which is forced into the cleat jams the tarpaulin
against the coaming and thus holds it tight.
The cleat may be either vertical or arranged at any suitable angle to the object,
to be secured and the cotter or bolt which may be horizontal or vertical would be;
attached thereto by a short piece of chain or provided with a lug at its small end;
to prevent it from coming out of the cleat accidentally. In the horizontal arrange-
ment the cleat and cotter may be of dovetail wedge shape so that the cotter when
once set cannot get loose from any blow from underneath, which would on the
contrary only have the effect of still further lightening the wedge or cotter in the
cleat.

page_text: In the case of side-lights the cleat is cast on the outer frame, and the inner frame
is provided with a pair of lugs which when the light is closed fit on each side of the
cleat. The wedge or cotter when inserted into the cleat bears on the lugs on the
inner frame and secures the light in position. The side light cover is secured in
the same manner.
In the case of window sash fasteners the device would be placed on the meeting
rails to which would be secured wedged shaped sockets for the reception of the
cotter which by forcing the sashes up and down would prevent them from being
opened. For door fastenings the cleat would be fixed on the door standard with
small angle plate on door to receive end of wedge, cotter or bolt thereby pressing
the door tight home.
In the case of manholes the cleats are bolted at each end and at the sides of the
hole and project slightly beyond the door or cover which is secured in place by the
cotters. The cleats are cut away to permit of the cover being inserted and
removed.
J.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Charles Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th March 1883.
•
RICHARD CHARLES THOMPSON of the firm of Robert Thompson and Sons of
Sunderland in the County of Durham Shipbuilders "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS
FOR SHIPS' SIDE LIGHTS, MANHOLE DOORS AND HATCH TARPAULINS, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR FASTENING OR SECURING WINDOW SASHES AND OTHER LIKE USES.
"
"
My Invention relates to a device for fastening or securing hatch tarpaulins,
manhole and port doors, ships' side lights, window sashes and for other uses.
The Invention consists essentially in a tapered or wedge shaped key or cotter
which is inserted in a corresponding cleat or staple the parts being constructed
arranged and applied in various ways according to the purpose they are intended
to serve,
• For securing a hatch tarpaulin the tarpaulin is nipped between the hatch bar and
the coaming by the taper cotter being forced into the cleat, the cotter being either
driven in a vertical or horizontal direction or at any suitable angle. When
horizontal the cotter is made wedge shape in the direction of its breadth as well as
in that of its length its thicker edge. being received in the cleat and acting as a
dovetail so that the cotter when once set cannot be loosened by a blow from
underneath, which would on the contrary only have the effect of still further
tightening it in the cleat.
The cotter would be attached to the cleat by a short length of chain or provided
with a lug at its small end to prevent it from coming out accidentally.
In the case of ships side-lights the cleat is cast on the outer frame, and the inner
frame is provided with a pair of lugs which when the light is closed fit on each side
of the cleat, the cotter when inserted into the cleat bearing on the said lugs and

page_text: securing the light in position. The side light cover is secured in the same
manner.
In the case of manholes, the cleats are bolted at each end and side of the door or
cover, over the edge of which they project slightly being however notched back to
permit of the cover being inserted and removed. The door is secured by the ends.
of the cotters projecting from the inner ends of the cleats.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation Figure 2 a side elevation Figure 3 a plan of the
fastening as applied for securing hatch tarpaulins, the taper key being vertical
Figure 4 is a front elevation Figure 5 a side elevation and Figure 6 a plan of the
horizontal form of the fastening applied to the same purpose. Figure 7 is a front
view of the diagonal form of the fastening applied for the same purpose.
}
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures Referring
to Figures 1. 2. 3. A is the hatch bar E the hatch coaming and D the tarpaulin
placed between the bar and the coaming. C is the wedge shaped key and B is the
cleat or staple in which is received. This cleat or staple is cast of the form
shown that is to say it has a socket 6 corresponding in dimensions and shape to
the key A. The cleat or staple has two lateral flanges or ears 6 by which it is
secured by rivets 62 to the hatch coaming. The cleat is L shaped having a
portion B which rises higher than the flanges b' so as to admit the hatch bar
between it and the coaming. The key C is made of steel and is of equal thickness
throughout, but is slightly tapered in its width so that when driven into the
correspondingly tapered socket of the cleat it will bind fast, its broader end then
bearing against the hatch bar and forcing it tightly against the tarpaulin on the
coaming as clearly shown in Figure 2. D is a chain by which the key is attached
to the cleat to prevent its loss.
In Figures 4. 5. 6 the same letters indicate the same parts but in this case the
key C passes horizontally between the part B' of the cleat and the hatch bar and
bears with its wliole length against the latter. The lower part B of the cleat is
made solid instead of being U shaped as in Figure 3 and the key besides being
tapered on its edges in the direction of its length as in the previous case is of
unequal thickness being thicker at the lower than at the upper edge so as to act
as a dovetail, the inner face of the part B' of the cleat being correspondingly
undercut to receive it. Referring to Figure 7 the key is of the same form and
acts in the same way as in Figures 1, 2, 3 and the cleat is also of the same form
except that instead of being vertical it is made of the diagonal or oblique form
shown. In this case the key has a lug c at top to enable it to be prized out of the
cleat when desired.
Figure 8 represents a manhole door of a ships' ballast tank.
The keys C and the cleats B are similar in form to those represented in Figures 1,
2, 3. one of them being shown separately in Figure 8a The cleats are fixed
around the door E as shown at such a distance therefrom as to slightly overlap its
edges whilst leaving sufficient clearance to permit of the door being easily inserted
and removed. The keys are driven in and clamp the door tightly against its seat
as shown. For smaller covers two such fastenings may be sufficient.
Figure 9 is an underside edge view, Figure 10 a face view, and Figure 11 a
side view of a side light and cover for vessels, the cover being closed. Figure 12 is
a face view of the side light, the cover being open.
.
C is the key and B the cleat for securing the side light cover. The cleat is cast
on the outer fixed frame of the side light and the cover F is provided with lugs f
which embrace the cleat between them and against which the two ends of the key
bear when it is driven in. The cover is hinged at fl as usual. C' and B' are the
key and cleat for securing the side light G the cleat being cast on the outer fixed
frame as in the other case, the inner frame of the light being provided with lugs g.
engaged by the key as in the case of the cover.

page_text: Figure 13 is a sectional elevation and Figure 14 a plan of n sash fastener for
windows. In this case the key and cleat may be made of brass. The .cleat is
made in two parts B B* which are respectively fixed upon the meeting rails H I of
the upper and lower sashes so that when the window is closed they come opposite
one another as shown and the key C when inserted fits tightly in the part B only
and tends by its wedge like action to force the sashes tight home.
+
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent 'is :-
1 The employment in combination of the taper or wedge like key or cotter and
the cleat or staple constructed arranged and applied substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shown in the drawings.
2nd The combination with the hatch bar and coaming of the wedge key, and
cleat constructed arranged and applied substantially as described and shown in
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
3rd. The combination with the hatch bar and coaming of the taper and dovetail
key and cleat constructed arranged and applied substantially as shown in Figures 4,
5 and 6.
4th. The combination with the hatch bar and coaming of the diagonal wedge key.
and cleat constructed and applied substantially as shown in Figure 7.
2.
5th. The combination with a manhole cover of the taper keys and cleats arranged
and applied substantially, as shown in Figure 8.
6th. The combination with a ship's side light and also with a side light cover of
a cleat or staple on the outer frame a taper cross key fitting therein and lugs on
the cover or inner frame embracing the cleat and taking under the ends of the key
substantially as and for the purpose shown in Figures 9, 10 and 12.
.
7th. A sash fastening consisting of a taper key and a two part cleat or staple
constructed and combined substantially as shown in Figures 13 and 14.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Charles Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twentieth day of March in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three. -