Batten

Batten has multiple meanings in construction and shipbuilding but is generally a strip of solid material, historically made from wood but can also be made from plastic, metal, or fiberglass. In a sense used in flooring a batten may be relatively large, up to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick by 7 inches (18 cm) wide and more than 6 feet (1.8 m) long.

In the steel industry, battens used as furring may also be referred to as "top hats", in reference to the profile of the metal.

Roofing battens

Roofing battens or battening, also called roofing lath, are used to provide the fixing point for roofing materials such as shingles or tiles. The spacing of the battens on the trusses or rafters depend on the type of roofing material and are applied horizontally like purlins.

Battens are also used in metal roofing to secure the sheets called a batten-seam roof and are covered with a batten roll joint.

Some roofs may use a grid of battens in both directions, known as a counter-batten system, which improves ventilation.

Batten (car)

The Batten was a British car made in Beckenham, Kent between 1935 and 1938 based on the 1932 Ford Model 18 V-8. The cars were successfully campaigned in trials and racing events.

Of the several Anglo-American hybrid cars produced in the late 1930s the Batten probably had the highest performance. The car used a Ford chassis shortened by 16 inches (400 mm) and narrowed at the rear with the transverse spring suspension retained on most cars but reset. The 3622 cc V-8 engine was tuned and with the car weighing only 2180 pounds (940 kg) in its most basic form, a top speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h) was easily obtained.

Early cars had very basic racing bodies but retained several Ford panels including the radiator grille. Later cars got progressively more civilised and stylish.

About ten cars were made in total.

See also

References

Batten (theater)

In theater, a batten (also known as a bar or pipe) is a long metal pipe suspended above the stage or audience from which lighting fixtures, theatrical scenery, and theater drapes and stage curtains may be hung. Battens that are located above a stage can usually be lowered to the stage (flown in) or raised into a fly tower above the stage (flown out) by a counterweighted fly system or automated, motor-driven lift.

Types

Electric

An electric is a batten that incorporates electrical cables above the pipe, often enclosed in a raceway. It typically has power cables for lights and DMX512 data cable for lighting control, and may also have audio cables for microphones. The cables emerge from one end of the batten and continue through a snake to dimmers, control boards, or patchbays. All cable plugs have identifying numbers printed on them so that they can be easily referenced by the lighting control system. Loaded electrics are among the heaviest types of battens, often weighing more than a thousand pounds. Consequently, electrics must be properly balanced to avoid catastrophic runaways.