Iм- PROVEMENTS IN TEMPLATES TO BE USED IN CONSTRUCTING IRON SHIPS, BOATS, BOILERS, AND OTHER METALLIC STRUCTURES
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Fox Logan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th May
1854.
I, GEORGE FOX LOGAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Boiler Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN TEMPLATES TO BE USED IN CONSTRUCTING IRON SHIPS, BOATS, BOILERS,
AND OTHER METALLIC STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus to be employed for facilitating the
construction of iron ships, boilers, and other metallic structures, by furnishing a
ready and correct means of setting out and marking off the situations of the
rivet or bolt holes in the plates and frames, and the exact shape of the plates
used in works of this nature.
The apparatus consists of an open réctangular frame of metal or other
material, composed of bars suitably slotted longitudinally, to admit of the
necessary shifts and adjustments during use. Such an apparatus is conveniently
composed of a central longitudinal slotted bar, to the two opposite ends of
which are attached, one on each end, two transverse bars, also partially slotted.
These transverse bars are connected by set screws at their centres, and their

page_text: slotted portions afford a means of adjusting connection to them of two other
light and partially flexible bars, set parallel to and one on each side of the
main central bar; these two external bars are slotted clear through from end
to end of their length. At certain intervals along this frame there are disposed
a set or series of transverse bars, partially slotted longitudinally, like the two
end bars, these intermediate bars being also capable of attachment to the other
details of the framing by means of set screws passing through the crossing
slots. The main central bar forms the stop or fixed point of resistance for the
shift of the other pieces, and the two narrow outside bars are additionally
connected to this central bar by means of two_or_more..sets of reversed
adjusting screw spindles. In each arrangement of these screw spindles there
are two such spindles set parallel to each other, but overlapping only towards
the centre of the frame. The two outer ends of these spindles are plain, and
carry adjustable eye or socket pieces, fitting to the longitudinal slots in the two
outside bars. The other overlapping ends of the screws work into adjustable
nuts set in longitudinal slots in the central bar. In this way the screw
spindles can traverse laterally in the longitudinal direction of the frame for
setting, whilst by turning the spindles round on their own axes the two outside
bars can be set in or out by the screw action. A further connection' of the
outside bars is also afforded by a diagonal bar, partially slotted, and adjustable
at its ends in the slots of the outside bars. The slots in the outside bars serve
to carry short adjustable pieces, adjustable by set screws at any desired distance
asunder. These pieces are used double, their outer ends being drilled out for
setting off the intended rivet holes. These bored portions extend on each side
the slotted bar, and are capable of being inclined at any angle, to suit the
intended pitch of double rivetting. The outer bored ends of these pieces are
formed partially concentric with the holes, and they are otherwise so shaped
that in adjusting them the drilled heads may work conveniently clear of each
other, whilst at whatever angle the pieces may be set the workman can at
once see that his landing spaces are right. Each reverse piece of this series is
also slotted longitudinally for a short distance, for further adjustment. Similar
pieces are also attached to the slotted transverse bars of the frame, to answer
for the transverse or frame rivettings. By the adoption of adjustable flexible
external bars any required degree of curvature can be given to these bars in
the direction of the plane of the frame by setting the transverse screw spindles
accordingly. The slots throughout the frame afford a means of attaching
any necessary marking pieces. Such an apparatus is what may be termed
-"universal," since it will answer for all classes of work, and all pitches of frames

page_text: and rivets, by the mere adjustment of its details. Again, any lateral curvature
may be given to the frame by setting up the central inflexible bar upon the
framing of the structure being up, and then bending the flat transverse pieces
to the required form. This gives the workman the exact positions for his
rivet holes, either on a concave or convex surface, a point which is imprac-
ticable with the common inflexible frame.