Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Laths for use in the Formation of Ceilings, Roofs, Partitions, and other such purposes
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Laths for use in
the Formation of Ceilings, Roofs, Partitions, and other such
purposes.
I, ARTHUR OCTAVIUS WRIGHT, of 39 St. John's Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of metal laths
for use in the formation of fire resisting ceilings, roofs, and partitions of dwellings.
by which I manufacture such laths of great strength rigidity and grooved so as to
readily receive and retain the plastic materials and which I effect in an exceeding,
cheap, and easy manner with but very little hand labor or supervision. I may also
curve my laths at the same operation into segments of any required radius.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and in what manner the
same is to be performed I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of
drawings upon which I have fully illustrated the nature of my said improvements.
Figure 1. is an elevation showing a portion of the metal lath as cut ready for
being grooved by the machine.
Figure 2. is an elevation of a similar piece of lath after being grooved.
Figure 3. is a plan of the machine.
Figure 4. is a side elevation of the machine.
Figure 5. is an enlarged vertical sectional clevation, of the first process of the
machine.
Figure 6. is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the second process of the
machine.
Figure 7. shows an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the third process.
Figure 8. is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the means for drawing
the lath through the machine.
Figure 9. is a view of a portion of a plaster partition the plaster being broken.
away to show one of the various uses to which the three laths may be put.
For the double purpose of retaining the plaster from falling from the laths and
for strengthening the lath a dovetail groove is formed, in carrying which into effect.
1 take the lath of metal A prepared with the toothed edges a¹ and a² as shown at
Figure 1 which is then inserted between the pair of rolls B and B' Figures 3.
and 5 and operated upon so as to form the groove E a certain depth after which it.
passes through the second pair of rolls F and F¹ Figures 3 and 7 which increases.
the depth of the groove E to the required extent. The lath then passes through
guides and ¹ and between the vertical rollers K and K which are shaped with
the projecting edges so as to act upon the neck of the groove and thus convert.
the groove into that of a dovetail shape which is particularly so shaped to retain the
plastic material which enters the neck e¹ of the groove E and fills the groove..
The lath is kept from rising at this point by the roller O which is fixed above it
but which for convenience is not shown in Figure 3. The rolls M and M' are
provided for drawing the lath through being specially shaped so that they do not
interfere with the shape of the groove but simply draw out the lath. In case of
straight laths a guide D is provided at the exit through which the laths pass but
in cases where I require my laths to be curved I fix a guide N at the exit of the
last rolls which guide is curved in shape to the extent required thus causing the .
laths to curl up as they leave the rolls. Of course I may vary the shape of my
groove, by altering the shape of my rolls as I may alter the number of rolls and
their position without departing from the nature of my said invention.

page_text: 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 :-
1st. The improvements in the manufacture of metal laths for use in the formation
of ceilings, roofs, partitions, and other such purposes, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth and shown upon the accompanying sheet of drawings.
2nd. In the improvements in the manufacture of metal laths the vertical
rollers K and K¹ in combination with the other rolls substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth and shown.
Dated this 11th day of Tenue 1902
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent.