RANGE CLEAT

[piratepete007]

Doing some general reading and came across the term 'range cleat' .... "the braces of the lower yards ran from a ring bolt on the ship's side and reeved through the brace block and usually belayed to a range cleat"

 

Anybody explain that term to me ?  Maybe a pic ?

 

Pete

[popeye2sea]

A Range Cleat is a large cleat, with two arms or branches, bolted in the waist of a ship, to belay the tacks and sheets to.  Also known as a Kevel

 

Definition from Falconers Dictionary of the Marine

[piratepete007]

Thanks for that popeye2sea !

 

As I understand the terminology - and I get confused - the kevel cleat has two arms or branches that 'arc' upwards in a curve and the traditional cleat is also one with two arms but they extend outwards horizontally. This latter one apparently was called a 'staghorn' cleat albeit in a larger size. So where do we draw the distinction between 'cleats' and 'staghorn' cleats ?

 

Now, getting back to the 'range cleat', I just came across this pic showing Amati-made range cleats. So I am looking for some further help !!!

 

 

Pete

Edited February 19, 2016 by piratepete007

[popeye2sea]

Cleats come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Belaying cleats, stop cleats, comb cleats, shroud cleats, thumb cleats, range cleats, kevels, etc...

 

A staghorn cleat, a range cleat and a kevel are essentially the same thing.  I believe in this case the name derives from the shape of the horns on the cleat.

 

For instance the word kevel is from the middle english kevile, which is itself derived from old French keville, originally from the latin clavicula.  The same name for the collar bone which it resembles.

 

Figure 12 below shows a kevel or staghorn cleat

 

[piratepete007]

Finally cracked the terminology by digging deep into a book ' The Art of Rigging' by Art, George Briddlecomb, 1847 where he describes various cleats including the following text .....

 

.".. belaying pins with the usual two arms or horns and are nailed through the middle to the ship's sides, or elsewhere, to belay ropes to. Range cleats are shaped like belaying cleats, but are much larger, and bolted through their middle. .... " Typically used for belaying sheet and tack lines.

 

Not attempting to be too pedantic but came across the term 'range cleat' when doing some research on early rigging methods.

 

Pete

[rschissler]

I've done research on this as well.  I could be wrong, but I get the idea that a staghorn/kevel is the same thing and from the 16th/17th century, while the range cleat is a typical looking cleat but much larger, and from about the 18th/19th century, replacing the earlier staghorn/kevels in belaying the sheets and tacks.

Edited February 28, 2016 by rschissler

[jbshan]

This is a range cleat on Constitution.  Some were much larger.

Kevels and staghorns are similar in shape to each other, with curved top 'horns'.

 

[Mark P]

JB is right,  this is a range cleat.

 

Other versions,  also horizontal,  had a timber-head,  with a sheave just before it,  worked on each end.  These are then sometimes called kevels. 

 

The two pictures attached (excuse the poor focus, flash not allowed) are of a model of HMS Endymion,  a 44 gun ship of 1779. 

 

The almost upright one is a Kevel,  the almost horizontal one is a range cleat. 

 

Both types could have sheaves,  but I am not sure if the date for those with sheaves is any different from those without.

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

 

I have added a third picture,  from the coppered model of 'Bellona' in the NMM (one of the few models still on display)

 

This shows stagshorns and kevels.  The kevels have brass sheaves in them.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Mark P