New or Improved Appliances for Use in the Laying of Planks or Boarding upon Ships' Decks or Sides.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
New or Improved Appliances for Use in the Laying of Planks or
Boarding upon Ships' Decks or Sides.
I, THOMAS WALLACE, of 39, Carlisle Street, Barrow-in-Furness, in the County
of Lancaster, Iron Driller, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:
-
In the laying of wooden decks upon iron ships it is customary to tighten up
the layers of wood, as the work progresses, by means of wooden wedges, and a
loose bolt, between which latter and the planks the wedges are placed and driven,
and which when the planks have been sufficiently tightened up are so tightly
fixed, that they require considerable force from a hammer to drive them out, and
as consequence the wedges are so much damaged in removing them as to be
seldom fit for use a second time, and large quantities are thus habitually wasted.
The object of my invention is to enable the wedges to be used over and over
again until fully worn away, or in other words to provide means whereby the
wedges may be removed without in any way damaging them, and to that end my
invention consists of a, by preference, metal block or boss adapted to loosely fit
the bolt aforesaid (or its equivalent), and of a form which presents a cam-like
nose or rounded edge on one side and a web, flange, or wing on the other side.
Through such block I fit the bolt, which in turn fits the usual opening in the deck
plate, and the wedges are then placed and driven between it and the planks, with
the cam-like nose at right angles to the wedges, in the ordinary manner.
When requiring to remove the wedges a blow of the hammer upon the flange
or web instantly rotates the block, and thereby increasing the distances between
the block and the planks, releases the wedges.
The opening in the block is, by preference, diagonal to the plane of the deck
plate, to allow for the proper rotation of the block on the bolt.
My invention is also applicable in the sheathing of ships sides, and enables the
sheathing to be effected without requiring a boy to go inside the ship to pass the
bolts through. The bolts are made of a partly flattened section and with a
hook-like extremity, and loose nut, and when in the hole the full width of the
bolt is made up by a wedge or tapered filling strip driven in from the outside.
The aforesaid block is placed upon the said bolt and the lateral tightening of the
sheathing is effected in precisely the same way as the deck boarding.
Dated this 8th day of December 1898.

page_text: New or Improved Appliances for Use in the Laying of Planks or
Boarding upon Ships' Decks and Sides.
I, THOMAS WALLACE, of 39, Carlisle Street, Barrow-in-Furniss, in the County
of Lancaster, Iron Driller, 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 by the following statement;
―
In the laying of wooden decks upon iron ships it is customary to tighten up
each plank or layer of wood as the work progresses by means of wooden wedges
tightly driven between the plank and a series of loose bolts let into holes in the
deck plate, and when the plank is fully tightened it is then secured to the deck
plate by another set of bolts. When the wedges require to be removed to make
way for the next plank, they are so tightly fixed that they require considerable
force from a hammer to drive them out and in so removing them they are often
so much damaged as to be seldom fit for use a second time, and large quantities
are thus habitually wasted.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the wedges may be
removed without damaging them and so permit of their being used over and over
again. To this end my invention consists of a, by preference, metal block or boss
(or set) adapted to loosely fit onto the loose bolts aforesaid (or their equivalent)
and of a form which presents a cam-like nose or rounded edge on one side and a
web, flange or wing on the other side. Through such block (or set)
fit one
of the bolts which in turn fits one of the usual holes in the deck plate, and
between the cain-like nose of the block and the plank to be tightened up then
introduce the wedge, or wedges, the block being held steady by the foot whilst
driving up. For securing the full length of the plank a bolt and block is arranged
at short distances apart.
Upon requiring to remove the wedge, or wedges a blow of the hammer upon
the Hange or web of each block will cause the block to rotate upon and around
the bolt, and thereby take up a position parallel with the plank, and thereby
instantly release the wedge, or wedges.
The opening in the block is, by preference, diagonal to the plane of the deck
plate to allow for the proper rotation of the block on the bolt.
My invention is also applicable in the sheathing of ships' sides.
To permit of my invention being more readily understood and carried into
practical effect I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings and will now
proceed to describe the same with the aid of the various figures and letters of
reference marked thereon.
On Sheet One, which refers more particularly to deck laying, Figs. 1 and 2
illustrate side and front (or end) elevations respectively, and Fig. 3 a plan of
my invention, Fig. 1 also shewing, by dotted lines, the relative position of the
block or set to the deck plate.
Fig. 4 illustrates a broken perspective view of a ship's deck and shews the
application and position of one of the sets when a wedge is being driven between
it and a plank and the application and position of another
"
set after being
rotated upon its bolt to release the wedge.
"
Fig. 5 illustrates an inverted plan of a modified form of set.
On Sheet Two, which refers more particularly to the sheathing of a ship's
sides. Fig. 6 illustrates a vertical section and slightly perspective view of the
shell or side of a ship, and shews the application and position of the set
in relation to the sheathing and wedges, and its relation also to means for holding
the planks laterally, whilst being tightened up by the wedges.

page_text: Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the form of set or block
ing purposes.
prefer to employ for sheath-
Fig. 9 shews a modified form of bolt which I may use in sheathing.
Referring to Sheet One, (A) are the planks and (B) the iron plate or deck to
which the planks are secured.
According to custom the plate (B) is formed with a number of holes (C) through
which bolts are passed for securing the planks when brought into position. This
bringing of each of the planks into position is at present effected by loose bolts
and wedges, a bolt (D) being put through one of the holes (C), and a wedge (E)
driven tightly between the bolt and the plank to be secured, the thrust being
taken up by the bolt which binds on the side of the holes (C).
This is done at short intervals in the length of the plank until the whole length
of the plank is firmly tightened up when it is then fastened down to the plate (B)
by another set of bolts. When the plank is fully secured the wedges all along its
length are then knocked from between the bolts and plank, an operation which
in many cases results in the complete destruction of the wedges and takes up a
lot of time.
"
According to my invention, I employ a block or boss such as is shewn in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and which I call a tightening set." This set is made in malle-
able iron or steel with one side or part (F) slightly rounded or cam-like, and, by
preference, with a slight forward slope and with the other side or part formed
as a flange or web (G). In such set is a hole (H) through which the bolt (D)
may pass.
With the plank to be tightened up laid upon the plate (B) a bolt (D) is passed
through the hole (H) in the set and the hole (C) in the plate (B). The set is
then caused to lie in the position shewn at (c) in Fig. 4. The wedge (E) is then
inserted between part (F) of the set and the plank (A), whilst the workman holds
the set steady with his foot he then drives in the wedge, the lateral pressure being
resisted by the bolt (D) binding in the hole (C). Due to a slight "Hat" upon the
end (F) the set tends to lock at right angles with the wedge after the first blow
or 80.
To increase this locking action I may form the set with a sharp corner, or
angle (J), as shewn in Fig. 5.
With the operation repeated by the aid of further sets, bolts and holes at suit-
able distances apart, the plank is securely tightened up along its entire length,
after which it is fixed to the deck in the ordinary way.
When so fixed, and it is required to remove the wedges to make way for the
next plank, the workman gives the flange (G) of each set one or two blows in the
direction of the arrow (y) shewn in Fig. 4, thereby causing each set to rotate on
its bolt (1)), to assume the position shewn at (2) in Fig. 4, and thus instantly
release the wedge without damaging the same.
Referring to Sheet Two of the drawings, (K) is the shell or side of the ship
to which the planks or sheathing (L) is applied. (N) is the set, mounted upon
bolt (0), which is passed through a hole in the plate (K) from the inside of the
ship. (M) is the wedge for tightening the planks. To keep the set on its
bolt (0) and to hold the planks against the side of the ship whilst being tightened
up I provide a collar or washer (P), a length of angle-iron (Q), a nut (Q) and
wedges or packing strips (R) and (S). Before fixing wedge (M), the angle iron is
firmly secured on the bolt, the packing strip (S) is placed under one end of the
iron, and the packing strip (K) is driven between the face of the iron and the
plank to be secured.
When all the parts are so adjusted, the wedge (M) is driven in between the
set and plank in exactly the same manner as the wedges for the deck planks, the
clamping of the angle iron and collar serving to hold the set steady in starting
the wedge. Although preferring to use the aforesaid devices for holding the set
to its work I may dispense with the angle iron and packing strips and use a
nut only.

page_text: The form of set I prefer to use for the sheathing purposes is shewn in Figs. 7
and 8, which has a pronounced binding effect upon the wedge by reason of the
corner (U) and the greater inclination of the part (F).
In each application or construction of the sets the hole (H) is adapted to lie
parallel to the bolt when in position and thus allow the set to rotate when struck
by the hammer.
To avoid the need of placing the bolt through the plate (K) from the interior
of the ship I may employ the form of bolt (0) shewn in Fig. 9, which is adapted
to pass through the plate from the outside, and by reason of the flattened part and
a wedge or filling strip (V) caused to bind in the plate and so remain in position
for receiving the set. In practice, however, I prefer the ordinary bolt. Or, I
cast or form the set solid with the bolt or with a stud projecting from its under
face and adapted to enter the holes (C). but I prefer the loose bolts.
I may also
dispense with the web or flange (G) and release the set by striking the forward
part.
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: For tightening up deck planks or tightening up the sheathing of a ship's
sides, a block, boss or set adapted to rotate upon, or around, a bolt or the like,
and when in one position form an abutment for a wedge, or wedges, driven in
between it and a plank, or sheathing, and by its movement into another position
release the wedge, substantially as herein set forth and illustrated on the accom-
panying drawings.
D
1
1000
THOMAS WALLACE.
By John G. Wilson & Co., Fels. Inst.P.A.,
. Agents for the Applicant, 55, Market Street, Manchester.