Sheet metal attachment system and method for installation of mine brattices

Claim 1

In the installation of a mine brattice having a gas impervious barrier of malleable sheet metal adapted to be deformed into sealing contact about the peripheral inner surfaces of a mine tunnel, and means to support said barrier including a peripheral framework of slotted beams, a method of securing said sheet metal barrier to said framework of slotted beams comprising the steps of: premounting a plurality of threaded bolts to said slotted beams by drawing bolt mounting nuts along the length of the bolts and against said slotted beams so that the threaded shanks of the bolts project from one side of the framework; placing the sheet metal adjacent the side of the framework of slotted beams from which the threaded shanks of the bolts project; forcing the sheet metal over the projecting bolt shanks causing the sheet metal to be pierced by each bolt shank; placing an apertured washer plate over the bolt shanks projecting through the pierced sheet; and, threading a barrier retaining nut on each of the bolt shanks projecting through said washer plates thereby drawing said washer plate against the sheet and the slotted beams forcing the sheet against the bolt mounting nuts causing the sheet to be deformed by the bolt mounting nuts into the washer plate apertures and seized between said bolt mounting nuts and the periphery of the washer plate apertures.