IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOFING AND SLATING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAAFFE, of Shaw Street, in the City of Dublin, Slater and Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the First day of August, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Taaffe, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said James Taaffe, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Taaffe, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOFING AND SLATING HOUSES
AND OTHER BUILDINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said James Taaffe, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto bad, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Taaffe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following Statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)-
My Invention relates to a mode of roofing and slating houses and buildings
whereby much of the overlapping of the slates will be avoided, and roofs will
be more advantageously formed and covered by a much less quantity of timber
and slate than could be accomplished when using a much larger quantity of
slate, and causing them to overlap as heretofore practised; and my Invention
consists in a mode of using slates, in combination with suitable water channels
or courses, as hereafter explained.
Figure 1 represents a section of a roof constructed and slated according to
my improvements. Figure 2 shews a plan of part of a roof, only partly
covered with slates, by which Figures, aided by the other detached Figures
of the Drawing, a workman will readily understand the mode of forming
and also of applying the various parts. Figure 3 shews the section of a
rafter, full size, having a water channel ploughed out, and lined with lead or
with zine or other material to prevent the water injuring the wood. Figure 4
and Figure 5 shew two other modes of arranging rafters, with water courses
suitable for my Invention, and I have shewn such variations in order to
state that I do not confine myself to the particular construction of rafters or
means of supporting the water courses or channels suitable for carrying out
my Invention. Figures 6 and 7 shew two plans of parts of tiles, such parts
and mode of fixing being full size. In Figure 6 the upper tiles are separate,
and in Figure 7 the upper tiles are in their places; and it will be seen that
the joints where they butt together come over the water channels or courses
carried by the roof, which renders it unnecessary to overlap the slates at
those places. Figure 8 shows what I call clamps, which combine the lower
course of slates with the upper ones. These clamps are of copper or zinc.
Their shape and mode of application is clearly shewn in the Drawing. I may
here remark that I prefer to use screws for fixing the slates to the roof,
though nails may be employed.
In the Drawing a, a, are the slates, 6 the water channels, and c the
clamps. In slating a roof properly prepared with water channels, I prefer
that the under surface near the edges which meet over the channel, I prefer
to form grooves, or as they are technically called "throats," in order
to prevent the water passing beyond the gutters or channels, as is shewn
at i, ; I commence with the lower course of slates a, a, Figure 2, and I
fasten the lower part as well as the upper part of such first course of slates,

page_text: with screws, as shewn at d, d, and e, e; but in the succeeding courses I only
require to fasten the upper parts of the slates to the roof by screws or nails
as at e, e, and the clamp c confine the overlapping parts of each two courses,
as is shewn, there being a notch f, f, formed in each of the parts of the
slates which overlap; and in the parts of the slates which are overlapped
I remove a portion of the edge of the slate, as is shewn at g, g; and having
completed a course of the slates, I introduce the stem of clamp into the
space 9, 9, between the upper ends of each two neighbouring slates, and then
I proceed with the next course of slates, sliding the notches f, f, so as to
embrace the stem of the clamp, and I then screw or nail the upper ends
of the slates to the roof, and so on till the whole surface is slated.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim is the mode of Roofing and Slating Houses and
Buildings as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taaffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thencond night hundead and fort