IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING FOR FIXING AND IN FIXING PLATES OR SHEETS OF METAL SUCH AS ARE USED FOR ROOFING AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Dibley, of the Firm of Frederick Braby
and Co., of Fitzroy Works, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING FOR FIXING AND IN
FIXING PLATES OR SHEETS OF METAL SUCH AS ARE USED FOR ROOFING AND
OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th July 1865, and dated the 26th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Dibley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1865.
I, GEORGE DIBLEY, of the Firm of Frederick Braby and Co., of Fitzroy
Works, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING FOR FIXING
AND IN FIXING PLATES OR SHEETS OF METAL SUCH AS ARE USED FOR ROOFING AND
OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Thin metal plates, such as sheets of zinc or iron, either corrugated or not,
when employed for roofing and other similar purposes, have heretofore been
fixed to the purlins, boarding "rolls," or other materials upon which they are
laid, by simply having a circular or slotted hole punched or formed in them
through which a screw or nail is inserted into the material below, and although
a metal washer is generally inserted between the head of the nail or screw, and
the metal surrounding the hole, the closing of such hole in a perfectly water-
tight manner is a difficult thing to accomplish.

page_text: Now my Invention has for its object to form such holes in such a manner
that they may be closed in a more or less perfectly water-tight manner with-
out a washer being requisite for that purpose, and consists in raising the metal
surrounding the hole in the plate in such a manner that the edge of the hole
projects up from the face of the plate or sheet, whereby the nail or screw on
being driven down through the hole is made to fit with the under side of its
head firmly against the projecting edge of the hole, so as to form a more or less
perfectly water-tight joint, and this joint will be all the more perfect the firmer
the nail or screw is forced down upon the edge, in addition to which the extent
to which the edge of the hole is raised above the surface of the plate or sheet
will alone be sufficient in most cases to prevent the water from passing into the
hole. By this arrangement the employment of washers may be entirely dis-
pensed with, these being only requisite where the boles require to be slotted
to a greater extent than would be covered by the head of the nail or screw.
The head of the screw may in some cases be made cupped or with a rim on its
under surface, so as to form a drip for the rain or water that falls upon the head,
and thus to prevent it from running along the under surface of the head to the
edge of the hole; or where no play in the hole is required to allow for ex-
pansion and contraction of the plate, the under side of the head of the screw
or nail may be so recessed as to nip against the projecting side instead of the
edge of the hole. The forming of the hole in the plate and the making the
edge to project may be performed at one operation, by means of a punch
having a shoulder, but if the hole requires to be cut with a smooth edge, as
would be the case with a hard metal, then each operation should be performed
separately.
This Invention is particularly applicable to zinc roofing, whether corrugated
or plain, but may also be applied with advantage to sheets or plates of other
metals, such as malleable iron, either galvanized or not, lead, copper, or yellow
metal, and whether applied for roofing or for any other purpose requiring a
similar mode of fixing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Dibley, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DIBLEY, of the Firm of Frederick Braby and Co., of Fitzroy Works, Euston
Road, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Dibley, Her special licence that I, the said
George Dibley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Dibley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING FOR FIXING AND IN FIXING PLATES
OR SHEETS OF METAL SUCH AS ARE USED FOR ROOFING AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Dibley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Dibley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Thin metal plates such as sheets of zinc or iron, either corrugated or not,"
when employed for roofing and other similar purposes, have heretofore been
fixed to the purlins, boarding rolls, or other materials upon which they are laid
by simply having a circular or slotted hole punched or formed in them through
which a nail or screw is inserted into the material below, and although a metal
washer is generally inserted between the head of the nail or screw and the
metal surrounding the hole, the closing of such hole in a perfectly water-tight
manner is a difficult thing to accomplish.
Now my Invention has for its object to form such holes in such a manner
that they may be closed in a more or less perfectly water-tight manner with-
out a washer being requisite for that purpose, and consists in raising the metal
surrounding the hole in the plate in such a manner that the edge of the hole
projects up from the face of the plate or sheet, whereby the nail or screw on
being driven down through the hole is made to fit with the unler side of its

page_text: head firmly against the projecting edge of the hole, so as to form a more or less
perfectly water-tight joint, and this joint will be all the more perfect the firmer
the nail or screw is forced down upon the edge, in addition to which the extent
to which the edge of the hole is raised above the surface of the plate or sheet
will alone be sufficient in most cases to prevent the water from passing into
the hole. By this arrangement the employment of washers may be entirely
dispensed with, these being only requisite where the holes require to be slotted
to a greater extent than would be covored by the head of the nail or screw.
The head of the screw may in some cases be made cupped or with a rim on its
under surface, so as to form a.drip for the rain or water that falls upon the
head, and thus to prevent it from running along the under surface of the head
to the edge of the hole; or where no play in the hole is required to allow for ex-
pansion and contraction of the plate, the under side of the head of the screw
or nail may be so recessed as to nip against the projecting side instead of the
edge of the hole. The forming of the hole in the plate, and the making the
edge to project, may be performed at one operation by means of a punch having
a shoulder, but if the hole requires to be cut with a smooth edge, as would
be the case with a hard metal, then each operation should be performed
separately.
This Invention is particularly applicable to zinc roofing, whether corrugated
or plain, but may also be applied with advantage to sheets or plates of other
metals, such as malleable iron, either galvanized or not, lead, copper, or yellow
metal, and whether applied for roofing or for any other purpose requiring a
similar mode of fixing.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Drawing shew my Invention as
applied to corrugated metal roofing. The metal surrounding the holes in the
Sheet A is raised so as to form the conical projections a, upon the ends of
which the heads of the screws B are made to press in such a manner as to
form a more or less perfectly water-tight joint. The holes in the Sheet C are
formed slotted so as to allow for expansion and contraction, and when it is also
required that the holes in the Sheet A should be slotted for the same purpose
to a greater extent than can be covered by the head of the screw as shewn
at a, Figure 3, a washer D of a size sufficient to cover the slot is employed as
shown.
At Figure 4 the under side of the head of the screw B is recessed so as to
fit over and press against the sides of the projection a on the plate, and thus
form a water-tight joint, which arrangement may be employed where it is not
required to allow for expansion and contraction. At Figure 5 the head of the
screw or nail B is provided with a rim which serves as a drip for preventing

page_text: the water that falls on it from running along the under surface to the edge of
the hole a, or if a washer is employed this may be formed dished on its under
side so as to form the required drip.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim under
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, ―
First, the manufacture and employment of sheet metal for roofing and other
similar purposes, in which the metal surrounding the holes for fixing the same is
raised in such a manner that the under surfaces of the heads of the nails or
screws, or of the washers employed in combination therewith, are caused to press
against the projecting edges or rims of the holes, so as to form more or less
perfectly water-tight joints.
Second, fixing sheet metal having embossed holes, as above described, by
means of nails or screws, the under surfaces of the heads of which are recessed
so as when forced down to press against the side surfaces of the embossed metal
surrounding the holes, substantially as herein-before described with reference
to Figure 4 on the accompanying Drawing.
Third, fixing sheet metal, having embossed holes as above described, by
means of nails or screws, the heads of which are formed with a rim, or the
washers to which are formed dished so as to act as a drip, substantially as
herein-before described with reference to Figure 5 on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Dibley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEO. DIDLET. (L.S.)