Improved Means for use in Detachably Fixing Together the Parts of Corrugated Sheet Metal Rick Coverings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for use in Detachably Fixing Together the Parts of
Corrugated Sheet Metal Rick Coverings.
We, DAVIES BROTHERS AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Crown Works, Wolver-
hampton in the County of Stafford, Galvanizers and Metal roof manufacturers,
and JEREMIAH CROWTHER, of the same address, Works Foreman, 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 corrugated sheet metal rick coverings, and has for its
object to facilitate the fixing together and disconnecting the parts thereof.
According to this invention, a short length of metal strip or flat bar has one
part thereof bent at right angles to the other. The one part, which we term
for convenience the horizontal portion, and which is conveniently longer than
the other part, is fixed to the lower side of a sheet by means of bolts or rivets
which are passed therethrough and through the bottoms of two or more of the
corrugations, and the other part of the strip or bar, which we term for convenience
the vertical portion (though in use it is, of course, inclined in consequence of the
slant of the covering), passes up through an opening formed therefor through the
crown of one of the corrugations of the sheet. The sheet or each sheet which
overlaps the sheet to which the bent length of strip or bar is fixed, is formed
with a hole through which the vertical portion of the bar passes, and the sheets
are securely fixed together at the joint by means of a cotter which passes for
the purpose through a hole formed in the vertical part of the bar. In order to
prevent the cotter from becoming accidentally detached from the vertical portion
of the bar, the upper edge of the cotter is formed with a shallow curved notch
which engages with the upper edge of the hole through the vertical portion of
the bar when the cotter is in place. As the cotter is driven in through the hole
in the bar it tends to spring down somewhat the corrugations of the sheets
through which the bar passes, and as the curved notch comes into position within
the hole through the bar, the re-acting spring of the corrugations raises the
cotter and brings the botom of the notch against the tap of the hole through the
bar, and the cotter is thus securely prevented from being accidentally moved out
of the bar.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we have appended
hereto a sheet of drawings illustrating, by way of example, a convenient applica-
tion of the invention.
Figure 1 is a section taken on line -x of Figure 2, and Figure 2 is a plan of
a joint between four sheets. The bent length of bar or strip A is fixed, by means
of rivets a a, to the underside of the lowest sheet B. The vertical portion A¹
of the bar passes up through the four thicknesses of sheet, as shewn, and these
thicknesses are fastened down upon one another by means of the cotter C having
the shallow curved notch b. In order that the cotter may not get mislaid, it
may be fastened by means of a chain c to a bolt d fixed to the uppermost sheet.
It is preferred that the bent length of bar shall be of a thin section of metal,
E

page_text: so that quite a narrow opening only has to be formed through the sheets, whereby
the weather is almost entirely excluded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The means, for use in detachably fixing together the parts of corrugated
sheet metal rick coverings, which comprise, a part fixed to one of the sheets,
openings through the sheets to be joined together for the passage of such part
therethrough, and a cotter which is passed through the projecting portion of
the part which passes through the sheets, substantially as described.
2. The means, for use in detachably fixing together the parts of corrugated
sheet metal rick coverings, which comprise a part fixed to one of the sheets,
openings through the sheets to be joined together for the passage of such part
therethrough, and a cotter which is passed through the projecting portion of the
part which passes through the sheets, such cotter having a notch at its upper
edge, substantially as described.
3. The means, for use in detachably fixing together the parts of corrugated
sheet metal rick coverings, which comprise a bent length of flat metal of which
one portion is fixed to the underside of a sheet by bolts or rivets which pass
through the bottoms of two or more corrugations thereof and of which the other
portion passes up through the sheets which are to be joined together, and a cotter
which is passed through the projecting portion of the part which passes through
the sheets, substantially as described.
4. The means, for use in detachably fixing together the parts of corrugated
sheet metal rick coverings, substantially as described and shewn by the drawings
.herewith.
Dated this 10th day of Anoust 1897
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.