Improvements in Spar Ceiling Cleats for Ships.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spar Ceiling Cleats for Ships.
I, WILLIAM MULLAN, Lindisfarne, Marlborough Park, Belfast, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object an improved form of cleat for fixing wooden
sparring commonly known as spar ceiling to the frames of ships and other like
structures. Hitherto it has been the practice to secure such cleats with rivets.
Now my invention is designed to avoid the use of rivets, which are expensive to
put in. In carrying out my invention, I form the cleat preferably of malleable
cast iron or cast steel, with two flanges approximately at right angles to each
other. One of said flanges, generally the shorter one of the two, has a shoulder
or collar at the end, from which projects a tang, circular in section for a part
of its length, and having a slot or recess formed on each side, the said flanges,
collar and tang being cast, forged, or otherwise formed in one piece. To fix
the cleat in place, I use a washer or plate preferably made of the same material
as the cleat, and having an oblong hole wider at one end than the other; the
tang of the cleat is passed through a hole in the ship's frame or bar to which the
cleat is to be secured. The before-described washer is slipped over the end of
the tang; the wider end of the hole in the said washer being just large enough
to admit the tang. The washer is then moved or driven along laterally until the
sides of the narrower parts of the hole in the washer engage with and enter the
slots or recesses in the tang of the cleat, thus securing it in place.
The tang
of the cleat is cast with a feather, which enters the recess cut in the side of
the hole in the ship's frame or bar, which prevents the cleat turning round,
but in some cases I make the washer wide enough on one side to extend to and
bear against the opposite flange of the ship's frame to which the cleat is secured,
and as the tang cannot turn in the washer, the before-described feather may be
dispensed with. Instead of the washer and slot in the tang of the cleat, I some-
times make the tang with a screw thread and nut for securing the cleat in place.
It is obvious that the cleat and washer may be made of wrought iron or steel
stamped or forged into shape, or may be of other metal than cast steel or cast
malleable iron. The flanges of the cleat are usually of rectangular or convex
section, but they may be corrugated or formed with ribs, to give additional
strength and reduce the weight.
.
TELL
han 1900

page_text: Improvements in Spar Ceiling Cleats'for Ships.
I, WILLIAM MULLAN, of Lindisfarne, Marlborough Park, Belfast, Ireland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to cleats or brackets for fixing wooden sparring or
battens commonly known as spar ceiling to the frames of ships and other like
structures.
Hitherto it has generally been the practice to secure such cleats with rivets.
Now my invention is designed to avoid the use of rivets, which are expensive
to put in. It will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the bracket or cleat applied to a ship's
frame;
Figure 2 a plan ;
Figure 3. a sectional back elevation;
Figure 4 a cross section through the tang;
Figure 5 the invention applied to a ship's frame of bulb section;
Figure 6 a sectional plan thereof.
In these A is the cleat of malleable cast iron or cast steel with two flanges a a¹
approximately at right angles to each other. One of said flanges, the shorter
one of the two, has a shoulder or collar B at the end from which projects a
tang C circular in section through part of its length which is passed through a
hole in the ship's framing F. This tang has a slot or groove D formed at each
side, said flanges a a, collar B and tang C constituting the cleat being cast
forged or otherwise formed in one piece.
To fix the cleat in place, I use a taper washer or plate F preferably made of
the same material as the cleat A and having an oblong hole G wider at the
ond 9 than at the other so as to allow the tang C to pass through at that end only.
The tang of the cleat is passed through a hole in the ship's frame or bar E
to which the cleat is secured. The washer F is slipped over the end of the
tang C, the wider end g on the slotted hole in the washer being just large
enough to allow the tang C to pass through. The washer F is then driven
lengthways until the narrower part of the slotted hole engages with slots or
grooves D in the tang of the cleat between the end of the tang and the frame E,
thus locking the cleat in place, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the grooves con-
stituting a shoulder or neck for the washer or plate to engage with, but it is
obvious that this shoulder or neck may be otherwise formed without departing
from the invention by providing, for example, the end of the tang with a head
against which the plate at the narrower portion of the slotted hole will engage.
The tang of the cleat is cast with a feather H which enters a corresponding
recess I cut in the side of the hole in the ship's frame or bar F, which prevents
the cleat A turning round, but in some cases I may make the washer F wide
enough at each side to extend to and bear against the opposite flange of the
ship's frame E, to which the cleat is secured, as shown at J by dotted lines, and
as the tang cannot turn in the washer, the before-mentioned feather H can in
such case be dispensed with.
It is obvious the cleat and washer may be made of wrought iron or steel,
stamped or forged into shape or may be of other metal than cast steel or cast
malleable iron. The flanges in the cleat are usually of rectangular or convex

page_text: section, but they may be corrugated or formed with ribs to give additional
strength and reduce the weight.
Figures 5 and 6 show the invention applied to a ship's frame or bar of bulb
section. The arrangement in such case is the same with this exception that
the oleat is provided with the flange B¹ and the tang C projects laterally from the
said flange.
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. A bracket or cleat provided with a projecting tang for insertion through a
hole in the frame, bar or other support, said tang having a shoulder or neck near
the end formed by a head, or a pair of grooves one on each side, or otherwise,
in combination with a washer or plate having a slotted hole wider at one end
than at the other, and so arranged that if the wider end of the hole be slipped
on to the tang and the washer driven lengthways, the narrower part will engage
the shoulder or neck and lock the cleat in position, substantially as described.
2. For holding wooden sparring or battens, a bracket or cleat provided with
a projecting tang for insertion through a hole in the frame, bar or other sup-
port, said tang being formed with a feather adapted to enter a corresponding
recess cut in the side of the hole in the frame or other support, whereby the
cleat when fixed is prevented from turning round, substantially as described.
3. In a bracket or cleat that is secured in a frame, bar or other support by
means of a washer or plate engaging the end of a projecting tang, forming the
said washer with an extension or projection at the side adapted to bear against
the flange of the ship's frame to which the cleat is secured, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Dated is 12th uay or August 1.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.