IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH BARS OR ASTRAGALS FOR ROOF LIGHTS AND WINDOW SASHES
Year: 1884

page_text: 'I, JOSEPH DUKE-MACKENZIE, of 24 Finsbury Circus, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SASH BARS OR ASTRAGALS FOR ROOF LIGHTS AND WINDOW SASHES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention is a development of that described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to the present applicant and dated July 27th 1880, N° 3091.
The sash bars therein described consist of rolled iron or steel bars or cores of
L-section, inverted T-section, or other similar forms, which are covered with thin.
sheet lead or ductile sheet metal enveloping the flanges or wings, and passing up
each side of the central web or feather of the bar in such wise that by folding
over the upper edge of the sheet metal covering, the folded strips form a suitable
glazing in lieu of putty to secure the sheets of glass, whose edges rest on the
covered wings or flanges of the bar.
In roofs and window sashes glazed in the manner described I find in practice
that water or moisture finds its way in between the sheet lead covering and the
iron or steel core of the sash bar, and is apt to fall through in drops at any joints
in the bar or in the lead covering, and the core becomes in time corroded and
weakened. The object of the present Invention is to obviate these disadvantages,
and this I do by rolling or otherwise fitting over the central web or feather of the
iron or steel core and along the groove on each side at the junction of the central
web and side flanges, a protective covering of thin sheet lead or copper, or other
ductile metal, which is not subject to corrosion, before applying the covering of.
ductile sheet metal which serves for glazing or securing the glass. Or instead of
covering the central web entirely, I apply a cap or covering of sheet metal such as
lead, or of more rigid material such as sheet zinc, over the upper part of the central
web of the bar after the glass has been secured by turning the upper edges of the
usual leaden covering, and I form such cap or covering with lateral wings or
flanges which lie over the glazing strips of sheet lead. In this case I secure the
sheet metal cap by a screw or stud, which may be fitted in a dovetailed notch in
the web of the core, passed through the cap and secured by a nut or by rivetting.
The cap or covering then serves not only to protect the core and prevent the
admission of water or moisture, but also retains the glass in its place when it
D....nli

page_text: would otherwise be liable to shake and loosen the glazing strips in stormy weather.
As the cap or covering thus serves to secure the glass, the sheet metal covering,
enveloping the dateral wings and lower part of the core, may be carried up the
sides of the central web without being turned over to form the usual glazing
strips.
In some cases I make the aforesaid cap of sheet iron, steel or other suitable
metal instead of zinc or lead, or it may be made of vulcanite, wood, papier maché,
asbestos millboard or other suitable non-metallic material.
I JOSEPH DUKE MACKENZIE of 24, Finsbury Circus in the County of Middlesex
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH-BARS,
OR ÅSTRAGALS FOR ROOF-LIGHTS AND, WINDOW-SASHES" and in what manner the.
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My present Invention is designed to obviate some of the disadvantages
heretofore experienced in the glazing of roofs and other structures, such as those
referred to in the Specification, of Letters Patent granted to me and dated
July 27th 1880, No 3091.
The sash-bars used for connecting and holding in their places the sheets of glass,
as therein described consist of rolled iron or steel, bars or cores, which are covered
with thin sheet lead or other ductile sheet metal enveloping the flanges or wings
and passing up each side of the central web or feather of the bar, in such wise.
that, by folding over the upper edge of the sheet metal covering, the folded strips
form a suitable glazing in lieu of putty to secure the sheets of glass whose edges.
rest on the covered wings or flanges, of the bar. But notwithstanding the
advantages possessed by roofs and other structures glazed in the manner described
in the said Specification, I find in practice that, in some instances, water or
moisture finds its way in between the sheet lead covering and the iron or steel
core of the sash-bar, and falls through in drops, at any joints in the bar or in the
lead covering. Moreover, the core is subject to oxidation or corrosion, by
atmospheric influences, whereby its strength is, greatly impaired..
By my present Invention, I obviate these, disadvantages, in a very simple and
effectual manner as will appear by the following description, that is to say:
- According to the first part of my improvements, I construct the astragal (which
is another term for the sash-bar as constructed by me and is, used to indicate part
of the frame-work used for holding sheets of glass) with a protective sheath or
covering of thin sheet lead, copper, or other ductile metal not subject to corrosion,
and apply over this protective covering, the aforesaid. sheet-metal or other glazing
material. This non-corrosive covering is applied, by rolling or otherwise, to the
central web or feather of the iron or steel core of the sash-bar and to the groove.
or channel on each side of the said central web..

page_text: According to the second part of my Invention, instead of covering the central
web which forms part of my improved sash-bar, entirely with this metal covering
or packing, I apply to the same, as hereinafter specified, a cap which may be
formed of sheet lead, zinc or other metal, or of vulcanite, wood, papier-maché or
the like, but which I prefer to form either entirely or partially of asbestos. In
some cases, instead of forming the cap of asbestos, I line it or pack the flanges
thereof with asbestos, as I have found this material especially advantageous for the
purposes of my Invention, as it enables me to use my improved sash-bar in such a
manner as to ensure permanently tight joints between the frame-work and the
sheets of glass used in glazed roofs or other structures. In some instances I extend
the asbestos or other non-metallic packing from the lower surface of the said cap
to the parts of the frame below the glass, instead of employing the ductile metal
packing. The cap of the sash-bar is designed to be placed over the upper part of
the central web, after the glass has been placed on the upper edges of the flanges
of the said bar, and I form such cap or covering with lateral wings or flanges to
extend over the edge or portion of the glass lying on the bar. In this case I
secure the cap by a screw or stud, which may be fitted in a dovetailed notch in the
web of the core, the said screw being passed through the cap and secured by a nut
or by riveting. In some cases I secure the cap of the sash-bár by pins or
projections as hereinafter described. The cap or. covering then serves, not only to
protect the core and prevent the access of water or moisture thereto, but also to
retain the glass in its place when it would otherwise be liable, in stormy weather,
to vibrate and loosen the asbestos or other glazing strips employed. As the cap or
covering thus serves to secure the glass, it is obvious that when I use, in
combination therewith, the sheet metal covering for the lateral wings and lower
part of the core, this covering may be carried up the sides of the central web
without being turned over upon the edges of the glass sheets, the whole forming a
modification of my improved sash-bar which I have found very efficient.
The manner of carrying my Invention into practice is illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing which shews in transverse section parts of a roof
constructed according to my improvements.
.
A is the core of the sash-bar or astragal, the form of which is similar to those
described in the Specification of the aforesaid Patent N° 3091. The aforesaid
non-corrosive and protective sheath or covering B and the lead or other ductile
glazing material B¹, forming the subject of the first part of my Invention, are
applied to the said sash-bar as shewn in Figure 1.;
The cap C, which is used as above described according to the second part of my
Invention, as shewn in Figure 2, is secured at intervals by screws or other suitable
means to the core A.
This cap, as above stated, may be formed of zinc, lead, iron or other metal, or
partly of metal and partly of other material, or entirely of non-metallic material
such as asbestos, vulcanite, papier-maché or the like.
When I employ asbestos, vulcanite, or like material in combination with metal,
such material, in some instances, forms a structural portion of the cap, and in
other instances is placed between the cap or the bar and the glass D, in such a
manner as to effect the purpose above stated, viz. the making of a secure and
tight joint between the glass and the frame. In cases where a non-metallic
packing, such as asbestos or vulcanite, is used above and below, or above or below,
the glass in conjuction with the cap CI can entirely dispense with the soft ductile
sheet metal covering B¹.
In Figure 2 I have shewn the cap constructed of metal and faced or packed
with asbestos, vulcanite or the like, on the surfaces c where the joints have to be
made tight.
The cap shewn in Figure 3 is preferably formed of sheet zinc, iron or steel
or similar flexible material, and has its lower edge turned inward; this lower or
inner edge.bears against a pin or projection at E, which prevents the rising or
displacement of the cap. This cap, instead of being constructed of metal, may be

page_text: formed of, or partially of, asbestos, vulcanite, or the like, or used with the asbestos
or similar packing as described with reference to Figure 2, and with, or without,
the protective non-corrosive covering shewn in Figure 1.
It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the use of the particular
sectional form of the astragals or sash-bars shewn in the Drawing, but may make
the same of any suitable or convenient form in transverse section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. My improved astragal or sash-bar provided with a protective sheath or
covering of ductile metal, or other material which will prevent corrosion.and with
the glazing or packing material applied over the said protective sheath or covering,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1, and for the purpose specified.
Second. The modification of my improved astragal or sash-bar consisting of a
solid core of any section and a protective cap or covering enveloping the web or
ridge of the bar and formed of, or partially of, or combined with, vulcanite or
asbestos or other suitable packing material, substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 and used for the purposes set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.