AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR METAL ROOFS FOR HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BOTFIELD, of Hopton Court, in the County of Salop, send greeting.
WHEREAS. His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the forty-ninth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Botfield, his especial licence that I, the said Thomas Botfield, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Botfield, my executors, administrators, 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
for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF IRON OR METAL ROOFS FOR HOUSES AND OTHER
BUILDINGS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said Thomas Botfield, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is. to be performed, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters. Patent,
as in and by the same; reference being thereunto had, will more fully and.
at large appear...

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Botfield, do hereby declare that the principle and nature of my said
Invention, and the manner and way in which the same is performed, is described
in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In point of principle, I cause houses or other buildings to be covered with
sheets or plates of iron, or any other metal; and I make such roofs or covering
by reviting, screwing, or fastening the plates together in any convenient way;
and I make the roofs arched, covered, or in any other form required that will
bear their weight, and I thereby dispense with the use of timber or other bearers
(above the wall plates) for their support; and if the walls be made level they
may do without wall plates, as the roof may be supported by and attached to
the outer or partition walls of the building by cramps, or any other means;
and that it is performed with sheets or plates made of iron or any other
metal, and of such form or forms, size or thickness, as I may find con-
venient, according to the size, shape, and strength of the building, which
plates or sheets I fasten together with iron, copper, or any other rivets, screws,
or pins (see the red marks, Drawing No. 1 and No. 2), and they may be
rivetted flat, as in Drawing No. 1, thus ✓ or may be turned up at the edges,
as at A, in Drawing No. 2, or down, as at B, Drawing No. 2, to give it strength.
The roof is to be attached to the wall plates or wall in any convenient way, and
cramp or cramps, as C and D, Drawing No. 3, are to be used where necessary
to prevent the roof spreading or extending itself. In large roofs it is intended
where necessary to use brackets, as E and F, Drawing No. 4, which are to be
fastened or attached to the roof with rivets, screws, or in any other convenient
way. The cramps and brackets may be made of iron, or any other metal or
substance found sufficiently strong; or the roof may be strengthened by inserting
a piece of iron or other metal in bar or any other form between, under, or
above the plates, and fastened or attached to them in any way that may be
thought best; or, by way of precaution, where large roofs are required, a piece
of timber, generally called a first pole (as at G, Drawing No. 5,) may be put
under the top or apex of the roof for it to rest upon in case any great
weight or pressure should come upon it and catise it to give way; but it is not
not necessary (though it may be so done) to attach the roof to the first pole, it
being only intended as security in case it should give way. The first pole may
be carried by the walls, or by timber or other bearers framed or formed for the
purpose. And I do hereby declare that I cause the plates or sheets to be cast,
forged, rolled, or shaped into any form or forms, size or thickness, that may
be found best suitable for the purpose, and that I make the roofs in one or
more spans, and vary the form and shape of them, or of the sheets or plates; as

page_text: circumstances may require, and that these roofs may be made of wrought,
maleable, or cast iron, sheet or other copper, or any other metal or metals, or
composition of metals, or of any sort of coated or plated metal or metals.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Botfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and nine.