An Improved Method of Securing Cleats, especially applicable for Use in Ships.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 17th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIF
An Improved Method of Securing Cleats, especially applicable for
Use in Ships.
I, JAMES DICKIE, of 18 Brinkburn Terrace, South Shields in the county of Durham,
Dock Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of securing cleats to plates frames or the like.
and is especially applicable for use in ships in connection with spar ceiling, battening
down hatch covers, and so forth, though it may be generally employed in other cases
wherever suitable.
Hitherto it has been the practice to secure the cleat rigidly to its plate or other
support by riveting thus rendering it impossible to remove the cleat temporarily
when not required for use and in consequence serious disadvantages have followed
such for example amongst others as loss of cargo space in ships' holds inability to
thoroughly clean the plating and liability in the case of hatch cleats to get damaged
when loading and unloading the cargo.
According to my invention I insert or screw in the plate or frame or whatever it
may be to which the cleat is to be secured a bolt and fasten same by a nut or nuts or
in some cases the bolt may be formed on the support itself or may be formed on or in
connection with a subsidiary plate or piece which in turn is suitably connected to the
support or plate.
This bolt has by preference a projecting square shoulder or neck or part to prevent
the cleat turning when fitted thereon as hereinafter mentioned and a cup or other
conveniently shaped head. The cleat has formed in its flange or equivalent portion
a slot or groove intended to fit somewhat accurately the bolt neck while in
communication with such slot is an opening or orifice adapted to pass over the bolt
head.
To fit the cleat it is passed by reason of the hole therein over the bolt head and
the slotted part allowed to fit over the neck or shoulder and be supported thereon
when the cleat is securely fixed and ready for use and should it be desirable to have
same removed for any purpose it may be readily done by the reverse operation.
Further should it be necessary at any time to have the cleat in an inclined position
this may be easily accomplished by slacking the nut and turning the bolt and with it
the cleat to the required angle when it will be held there on the nut being tightened
up again.
Thus it will be observed that by my mode of fastening the cleat may be attached
and detached at will to and from its support or it may be adjusted as to its normal
position whereby the before mentioned disadvantages are entirely abolished.
Dated this 31st day of Angust 1896.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3 St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Securing Cleats, especially applicable for
Use in Ships.
I, JAMES DICKIE, of 18 Brinkburn Terrace, South Shields in the county of Durham,
Dock Manager, 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 a method of securing cleats to plates, frames, or the like
and is especially applicable for use in ships in connection with spar ceiling,
battening-down hatch and skylight covers; also for cattle steamer fittings and
temporary erections, such as stands, barriers and so forth where it may be desirable
to have portable and detachable cleats.
Hitherto it has been the practice to secure the cleat rigidly to its support by
riveting, thus rendering it impossible to remove the cleat temporarily when not
required for use and in consequence sundry disadvantages have followed, such, for
example, as loss of cargo space in ships' holds, inability to thoroughly clean the
plating which is very essential, and liability, in the case of hatch cleats; to get
damaged when loading and unloading the cargo.
According to my invention, I provide a removable bolt or permanent projection
from the cleat support, having a square neck, and a cup or other shaped head and for
use in conjunction therewith I form in the cleat flange a slot and opening
communicating with each other, the slot being adapted to fit the bolt neck and the
hole to pass over the bolt head.
In full explanation of my invention, I will refer to the accompanying drawings,
which show in Figure 1 a central vertical section and in Figure 2 a front elevation of
a cleat in position on the reverse frame of a ship, and secured in accordance with my
improved method.
A is the cleat, B the batten or spar carried by it and C the plate, frame or other
foundation to which the cleat has to be attached. D is the securing bolt inserted
through a hole in the support C and fastened by a nut d; d is its neck or projecting
part of rectangular cross section and d2 is the head of a cup or other convenient
form. A¹ is the square topped slot cut in the flange a of the cleat A and a² is the
hole connecting with it, both of such size as to pass over the neck d¹ and head d
respectively.
To fit the cleat, the hole a2 therein is passed over the head d² of the bolt D and
then dropped and forced down until the upper side of the slot a¹ bears on the neck d³,
when the cleat is securely fixed, the flat formation of the neck d¹ preventing any
motion.
When detachment is required, it may be readily effected by the reverse opèration
after removing the batten.
Further, should it be necessary at any time to have the cleat A in an inclined
position, this may be easily performed by slacking the nut d and turning the bolt D,
and with it the cleat A, to the required angle whereat it will be held on the nut d 4
being tightened up again.
I have described the bolt D as fixed to the support C by a nut, but such may
obviously be accomplished in many ways as circumstances demand; for instance, the
bolt D may be a projection in one with the support or frame C or it may be formed on
or connected to a subsidiary plate or piece suitably secured to the support C, this 4
atter arrangement being very useful for letting into wood fittings.

page_text: By my herein described method of fastening, the cleat may be attached and
detached at will to and from its support or may be adjusted to any position, whereby
the aforementioned disadvantages are entirely obviated while cheapness in fitting
and reduction in weight result.
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 :-
The improved method of securing cleats to their supports consisting in the provision
of a square shanked bolt or projection from the support for use in conjunction with
a combined slot and hole in the cleat flange substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated in the drawings.