Improvements in Securing or Fastening Materials together by Means of Locking or Interlocking Parts.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Aug., 1888
Improvements in Securing or Fastening Materials together by Means
of Locking or Interlocking Parts.
I LAWRENCE WILSON of 249 York Street, Cheethain, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Timber Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to and consists in a mode or method of securing, locking,
connecting or fastening pieces of wood, metal, ivory, bone or other analogous materials
or pieces, blocks or slabs of stone, slate, marble, brick, cement, concrete, earthenware,
glass, vitreous materials or other suitable materials or any combination or composition
of such materials and in appliances or apparatus therefor.
For convenience I shall hereinafter refer to the pieces of wood, metal, ivory, bono
or other analogous materials or pieces, blocks, or slabs of stone, slate, marble, bricks,
cement, concrete, earthenware, glass, vitreous materials or other suitable materials or
any combination or composition of such materials as pieces of material.
In carrying my invention into effect I form in, through or partly through the pieces
of material to be secured, locked, connected, joined or fastened together notches,
grooves or recesses and secure, lock, connect, fasten or join the said pieces together
by means of a key or keys formed of wood, metal or other suitable material or materials
which key or keys is or are inserted or forced into the notches, grooves or recesses in
the pieces of material to be secured locked fastened or connected together.
The key or keys above mentioned and the notch, groove or recess or notches,
grooves or recesses I make in any convenient manner and of such form that when the
key or keys is or are inserted or forced into the notches, grooves or recesses in the
pieces of material above mentioned the pieces of material and the key or keys shall be
locked, secured, fastened or connected together.
The length of the key or keys above mentioned may equal the thickness of the pieces
of material to be locked, secured, fastened or connected together or such key or keys
may be of a length greater or less than the thickness of the pieces of material to be
locked, secured, fastened, or connected together and the said key or keys may be
employed to secure the pieces of material above mentioned when locked, secured,
fastened or connected together to any other material or support.

page_text: By my invention I am enabled for some purposes to use or employ pieces of material
which would otherwise be of comparatively little use. I am also in some cases enabled
to employ pieces of material so that the end of the "grain" may form a durable or
ornamental or ornamental and durable surface.
In those cases in which the pieces of material employed are thin I may secure them
not by simply keying them together as aforesaid but by keying them and at the same
time securing them in any suitable manner to a backing" of canvas, thin wood or
other suitable material.
"
In some cases in which the key or keys employed is or are visible the said key or
keys may along with the varied combination of the pieces secured together bo
employed to produce an ornamental pattern or design.
In some cases I may employ glue, cement pitch, tar, resin, metal, sulphur, dowels
or other ordinary means in conjunction with the key or keys above mentioned to
assist in securing or fastening the pieces of material together and in some cases I may
insert or place in or adjacent to the notch, groove or recess or notches, grooves or
recesses into which the key or keys to be employed is or are to be inserted or
forced a bush, lining or facing or bushes linings or facings of metal or any other
suitable material.
By my invention I am enabled to join pieces of material of the same kind or different
kinds of material or materials together from which pieces of material when so joined
together thin sheets or veneers may be cut sheets or veneers so cut from materials
thus joined together may be secured to a "backing" of any suitable material.
Some of the keys above mentioned may after being inserted into the notches,
grooves or recesses formed to receive them he expanded.
In some cases when motal keys are employed they may be further secured in position
by rivetting and in some cases the key is formed with a head or flange or heads or
flanges.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of August 1887.
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Carlton Chambers,
18, St. Ann's Street, Manchester,
Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: of Locking or Inter-locking Parts.
I, LAWRENCE WILSON of 249 York Street Cheetham Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Timber Merchant, 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 and consists in a method of locking and similarly connect-
ing together pieces or articles of wood metal ivory stones artificial wood and stones
porcelain and other similar and suitable materials; it further relates to appliances and
devices to be used in combination with the means employed to effect the interlocking
of the articles.
According to this Invention the articles or pieces of material or materials are locked
or secured together in a chequered mosaic curvilineal tesselated or similar arrange-
ment by means of keys or similar locking devices passing into or through grooves
cavities or recesses formed or produced in the contiguous sides of the articles or pieces
to be joined.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I have appended
hereto a sheet of drawings, the various Figures upon which are intended only to
represent typical examples of the manner in which this Invention may be carried into
effect.
By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the cavity or recess into which
the key or locking device is inserted has such a shape or form that it will practically
operate as a dovetail without necessarily having the form of a dovetail, and that the
key or locking device in its fitting part has in effect a similar and corresponding shape
in cross section. The length or thickness of the key or locking device may be equal
to the thickness of the articles to be connected or it may be greater or less than that
thickness, and it may be additionally employed to secure the articles to any other
material or support.
In Fig. 1 is represented two articles such as pieces or tiles having cavities or
recesses A A into both of which fits the key B thus firmly connecting the articles
together. A triple locking device or key is shown in Fig. 2, connecting three articles
together by passing through two corresponding keyways A A respectively formed in
the corners of two of the articles and the keyway A' formed in the side of the third
article. Four articles may be connected together as represented in Fig. 3, in which
case the keyways or recesses are respectively formed in the contiguous corners of the
articles and the interlocking is effected by means of a quadruple key B having a cross
section corresponding to the united sections of the four keyways. In any of the
arrangements the keyways or recesses may have a plain or an ornamental outline but
in all cases the outline of the key or locking device will in effect correspond in cross
section in its fitting part with the outline of the recess or recesses into which it is
destined to be fitted. The keyways or recesses into which the keys fit need not in

page_text: some cases be formed through the whole thickness of the articles to be joined, but
may when the conditions permit, be formed through part of the thickness only, as
shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 where A A are the articles to be connected and B B are
the recesses into which the key is to be fitted. In cases such for instance as in Fig. 4
the keys and recesses will not be visible on the top surface.
The keys may be additionally employed to secure the article connected thereby to
any other material or support as represented in Fig. 7 in which A A are the articles
connected by the key B. In Fig. 7 a screw, nail or spike is inserted into the batten
or support C, and in Fig. 10 the undercut in the lower part of the key is embedded in
plaster or the like. Spiked keys or the like, can be conveniently employed as desired,
to also secure the article to existing stairs, floors, &c. As illustrated in the Figure 7,
the key or the screw which passes through the key is represented as having an
overlapping head; this is not necessary in all cases but may frequently be employed
as a means of greater security. The head of the key screw, nail or spike may also be
ornamented or have an ornament applied thereto.
In some cases but especially when weak or brittle materials have to be connected,
the recess or keyway may be lined or bushed with a stronger material such as metal in
such a manner that the strain may be taken up by the liner, which may be constructed
to entirely or in part surround the sides of the key, or which may be in the form of a
washer through which a perforation or opening is made corresponding to the shape of
the keyways in the articles to be connected as illustrated in Fig. 8. Such a washer as
that represented in Fig. 8 may be employed as the locking device as shown in Fig. 9
which is a modified section of Fig. 8. In this case a groove for the washer is formed
partly in each of the articles to be connected and the washer is fitted into the groove.
In some cases comparatively long pieces of wood or other suitable material or
materials may be connected as required by suitable keys fitting into corresponding
keyways or recesses formed in the sides of the pieces, the connections also being
further secured when desired, by means of glue or cement. The thick compound
blocks so produced may then be cut transversely into slices or veneers which may be
connected together to form larger surfaces and which may be used independently or
upon a suitable backing or support.
In forming such compound blocks of wood or other suitable material or materials
small or curly pieces or scantlings may frequently be utilised which would be useless for
any other constructive purpose. The slices or veneers cut therefrom may be generally
used for surfacing purposes, or they may be glued or cemented to wood, canvas, india-
rubber, metal, or other suitable backing or support for covering floors, stairs and like
or other suitable surfaces. A portion of such a mounted slice or veneer is shown in
perspective in Fig. 6 and another portion is shown in section in Fig. 5.
The slices or veneers transversely cut from the compound blocks will generally in
the best work represent a complete pattern or a definite portion of a pattern such
sectional parts can be locked or connected together to form a larger surface. To
enable this to be accomplished keyways or recesses are best formed in the sides of the
compound block before it is sliced or the keyways or recesses may be formed in the
slices after they are cut; the several slices are then locked together or connected as
desired.
In constructing the compound blocks for slicing, in addition to, locking the pieces
together by means of keys fitting into suitable keyways, they may be further secured
together by means of spikes or equivalent devices. The spikes may conveniently be
pointed at each end (and when partings are required, flanged near each end); one end
of the spike is driven or forced into the side of the piece of wood and the other or
contiguous piece of wood is then forced upon the projecting point of the spike. As
many spikes or their equivalents as may be required are used to connect each of the
contiguous pieces constituting the compound block, but since, or when the block has
to be cut into transverse slices, it is necessary to arrange the spikes at such distances
apart and in such positions that they will be between the surfaces of the sections or
slices to be cut from the block and that each of the contiguous sides of the elements of
the slice can be connected by at least one spike or its equivalent.

page_text: When the articles to be connected are formed of wood, I prefer to connect them in
such a manner that when finished, the end of the grain is exposed to view, especially
when the articles are intended for stair or floor coverings or for like or other suitable
purposes, in which case great durability is secured.
In some cases when metal keys are employed, (for instance such as in joining metal
plates,) they may, if suitably constructed and if desired, be further secured in position
by rivetting or flanging, by nuts, cotters, screws and similar devices, as shown in
Fig. 12.
The keys and keyways or recesses into which the keys or locking devices are inserted
for connecting the articles together may be made in any convenient manner and may
in many cases be bevilled or undercut to secure the key or locking device in position
by cement or like material, in the same or a similar manner to that employed with a
Lewis bolt.
It will often be found desirable or advantageous to employ a strip of packing or
filling material between the articles to be connected, as for example when greater
durability or a colour relief is required or when an elastic connection is desired."
This packing or filling material is in many cases of great advantage as promoting
the durability of the surface and increasing its pleasing effect. It may also be
homogenous with the keys or locking devices and thus tend to add to their strength
and efficiency. In Fig. 11, A A are the articles connected, B B are the keys and D D
are the packings or fillings. A convenient method of arranging and securing the
locking device in combination with the packings or fillings is to place the articles to
be connected in the relative positions to be occupied by them, they having first had
suitable keyways grooves or recesses formed in their contiguous sides. The spaces
between the articles and also the keyways are then filled with molten lead or alloy
having a safe melting point, or with molten sulphur, Portland cement, asphalte, or
other Huid or plastic material which will thereafter become hard and possess sufficient
strength. It is not necessary by this arrangement that the recesses or keyways in two
contiguous sides of the articles joined should be opposite to each other, and they may
be placed or formed in different relative positions as at B' Fig. 11. When lead or
similar fillings and keys are used as shown in Fig. 11, and hereinbefore described, in
some cases the surfaces of the keys and fillings may be stamped, chased, embossed or
otherwise ornamented.
In setting out articles such as the slices from the compound blocks to be connected
by the homogeneous keys and fillings, into the positions to be occupied by them as
shown in Fig. 11, distance studs, strips or pieces of fusible metal, or any suitable
similar material may be employed, in which case the distance pieces can be left in the
spaces and become part of the filling. The surfaces of the contiguous sides of the
articles to be joined with such a filling may be perforated, grooved, roughened or
undercut, when additional security may in suitable cases be secured for the joint
thereby. In this arrangement the keyways grooves or recesses may be constructed
vertical to the surfaces of the articles to be connected, or they may be formed
horizonially or at an angle. In some cases it will be preferred to so construct thom,
as tending to prevent independent vertical separation of the articles.
By these Improvements articles of different materials may be securely locked or
connected together, such as wood and metal, metal and tiles, glass and wood, tiles and
wood and the like. The keys or locking devices may in some cases be further secured
by expanding wedges, by glue, cement or by other similar and suitable means.
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 method of connecting pieces or articles of wood metal, ivory, stone,
artificial wood and stone, porcelain and other suitable and similar materials by means
of keys or locking devices fitting into keyways grooves or recesses in the articles to be
connected substantially as described.
(2) Compound blocks constructed of comparatively long pieces of suitable material
or materials locked connected or secured together and thereafter transversely cut into

page_text: slices or veneers; substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
(3) In combination with keys or similar locking devices for connecting suitable
articles together; filling pieces occupying spaces between the articles connected, the
said filling pieces being formed or produced in the same material and at the same time
as the keys or similar locking devices and being homogeneous therewith; substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(4) In combination with keys or locking devices for connecting articles or pieces of
suitable material; bushes facings or linings of stronger material, fixed adjacent to or
inserted in the keyways or recesses of the articles to be joined; substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described.
4 13 1000
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.