IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS OR GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Joseph Paxton, Knight, M.P., of Rock Hill,
Sydenham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS OR GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 17th September 1858, and dated the 23rd June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Joseph Paxton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
June 1858.
I, Sir JOSEPH PAXTON, Knight, M.P., of Rock Hill, Sydenham, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS OR GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of horti-
cultural buildings or glazed structures for horticultural and other purposes.
For these purposes rectangular glazed frames are used, such frames being
by preference longer than they are wide. These frames are combined in pairs
at their upper ends by hinges or axes, in such manner that their lower ends
may be set apart at different times to a greater or less distance, according to
the horticultural purpose to which the buildings or structures are for the
time applied, and the joints at their upper edges are to be so arranged as to
form good ridges where two of the frames go together. Each pair of such
frames is combined with the next or neighbouring pair of frames by distance
pieces of a few inches in length, which are made to lock or hold the neigh-
bouring pairs of frames correctly together, leaving an open space between, and
it is by means of these openings that ventilation is obtained to the interior of
the buildings or structures; and these openings are arranged to be covered, or
for a time partly covered, by doors or flaps hinged or hung to the sides of the

page_text: frames, such doors or flaps being by preference made to open or close in parts,
to facilitate the adjustment of the quantity of ventilation from time to time.
The lower parts of the frames when of wood are coated or shod with zinc or
other suitable metal. In some cases frames and apparatus such as are above
described, are placed one above another, the upper ones forming a roof, and
the lower ones forming inclined sides, sustained by uprights. The ends of such
buildings may be made up of angular glazed frames suitably formed to be
arranged to form different angular ends, or the ends may be made of wood or
of mats, or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Sir Joseph Paxton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Sir JOSEPII
PAXTON, Knight, M.P., of Rock Hill, Sydenham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Paxton, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Paxton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Paxton, 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 lawfully 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS OR GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL AND
OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Paxton, 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 Joseph Paxton, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
horticultural buildings or glazed structures for horticultural and other pur-
poses. For these purposes rectangular glazed frames are used, such frames
being by preference longer than they are wide. These frames are combined
in pairs at their upper ends by hinges or axes, in such manner that their lower
ends may be set apart at different times to a greater or less distance, according
to the horticultural purpose to which the buildings or structures are for the
time applied, and the joints at their upper edges are to be so arranged as to
form good ridges, where two of the frames go together. Each pair of such
frames is combined with the next or neighbouring pair of frames by distance
pieces of a few inches in length, which are made to lock or hold the neigh-
bouring pairs of frames correctly together, leaving an open space between, and
it is by means of these openings that ventilation is obtained to the interior of
the buildings or structures; and these openings are arranged to be covered, or
for a time partly covered, by doors or flaps hinged or hung to the sides of the
frames, such doors or flaps being by preference made to open or close in parts;
to facilitate the adjustment of the quantity of ventilation from time to time:
The lower parts of the frames when of wood are coated or shod with zinc or
other suitable metal. In some cases frames and apparatus such as are above
described, are placed one above another, the upper ones forming a roof, and
the lower ones forming inclined sides, sustained by uprights. The ends of
such buildings may be made up of angular glazed frames suitably formed to
be arranged to form different angular ends, or the ends may be made of wood,
or of mats, or otherwise.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is part of a side elevation of a horticultural building or glazed
structure for horticultural or other purpose, constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 is an end view, partly in section, of the same structure.
a, a, are the side frames, which are hinged together at their upper ends, and
are in this structure inclined at an angle of 30° to the ground line; b, b, are
triangular glazed frames, forming the ends of, the structure; they are hinged
to the side frames at 6, 6. Figure 3 is part of a side elevation of another
similar structure, which may be constructed with the same frames a and b.
T
and minu mantle in coation. and Frieures à is not of a louci

page_text: t
an angle of 60° to the ground line, and the end frames b, to adapt them to the
change of inclination in the side frames, are turned one quarter round.
Figure 6 is an end view of one of the joints employed to combine together in
pairs the side frames a, a, and in this Figure the joint is in the position which
it assumes in the Figures 1 and 2. Figure 7 is a similar view of the joint in
the position it assumes in the Figures 3, 4, and 5. Figure 8 is a section taken
at the lines A, A, Figures 6 and 7. It will be seen that the frames have each
a metal eye fixed to them, and a thumbscrew passes through the eyes of the
two frames, and screws into a nut beyond. Each frame has also a wooden
block, with a curved upper surface fixed to its upper edge, and a curved ridge
piece is employed, which, resting on the curved blocks of the two frames of
each pair, makes a tight joint at whatever inclination the frames may be
set. The ridge piece is held in position by pins at intervals. Figure 9 is a
longitudinal section taken at the junction of two side frames a, a, and showing
clearly the method of constructing and applying the distance pieces c, which
are also seen at Figures 3 and 5. d, d, are the doors or flaps employed for
closing the spaces left between the side frames, and which can be opened to
ventilate the building when desirable. Figure 10 shows a part of the lower
portion of one of the frames a, and explains the method in which I prefer to
cover the lower parts of these frames with zinc. Figure 11 is an end view,
partly in section, of a structure formed from the same frames a and b, and in
which frames a, a, are placed one above another, the upper ones forming the
roof, and the lower ones the inclined sides. In this structure a fixed frame-
work A, A, is employed, and the roof is fixed to this framework by screws or
other fastenings capable of being readily removed, and the side frames may be
hinged to the upper part of the fixed framework A all round, in a similar
manner to that in which the frames a were before hinged together in pairs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Paxton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,:
24, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
JOSEPH PAXTON. (L.s.)