Improvements in Roof Construction.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1896
Improvements in Roof Construction.
I, FREDERICK LEE COOK of Ashtabula, County of Ashtabula and State of Ohio,
U.S.A., Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be us
follows:-
This invention has chiefly for object to provide improved means for trussing
a roof against side thrust and so as to avoid obstructing the space between the
two sides thereof.
A ridge beam is arranged parallel with, and contiguous to, the ridge piece and
extending therefrom to the side plates or beams upon which the lower ends of
the rafters are notched, are struts which are provided with truss braces the
tension rod of which may be adjusted by screw couplings or the like. The struts
are connected transversely at points about midway between the side plates and
the ridge beam by cross braces over which the rafters are notched, and auxiliary
inclined braces are secured to the rafters contiguous to the side plates and are
stepped at their lower ends against the lower extremities of the struts. Tension
braces are disposed diagonally between the side plates and the ridge beam. The
end plates or beams are braced against inside pressure by a strut brace having
a crown piece and inclined strut pieces which at one end are in contact with the
extremity of the crown piece and at the other end are seated against the end
plate, their thrust being adjustable by means of tension bolts, and the intermediate
portion of the brace being supported by inclined hangers. In connection with
this strut brace is a horizontal brace for resisting outside or wind pressure.
Dated this 4th day of November 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
I, FREDERICK LEE COOK of Ashtabula, County of Ashtabula and State of Ohio,
U.S.A., Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
This invention has chiefly for object to provide improved means for trussing
roofs in the plane of the same against side thrust and wind pressure and so as
to avoid obstructing the space between the planes of the sides of the structure..
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page_text: In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a
gable roof constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 a transverse
section of the same. Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the end of the gable to
shew the means for supporting the bracing devices for the end plate. Fig. 4 a
plan view, partly in section, of the end plate and bracing devices. Fig. 5a
perspective view of a portion of a gambrel roof constructed in accordance with
the invention, and Fig. 6 a transverse section of the same.
1 are side plates, 2 the connecting end plate, and 3 the rafters notched at their
lower ends upon the side plates and terminating at their upper ends in contact
with the ridge piece 4.
A ridge beam 5 is arranged parallel with and contiguous to the ridge piece
and extending therefrom to the side plates are struts 6 which are provided with
truss braces consisting of.a tension rod or cable 7 and a bridge block 8 arranged
at the centre of the strut. Said tension rod or cable is provided with suitable
means for adjustment, such as screw couplings 9. The struts are connected trans-
versely at points approximately midway between the side plates and the ridge
beam 5 by cross braces 10 over which the rafters 3 are notched, and auxiliary
inclined braces 11 are secured to the rafters contiguous to the plates and are
stepped at their outer ends against the feet or lower extremities of the struts 6.
These auxiliary inclined braces convert downward thrust of the rafters into
longitudinal thrust parallel with the side plates.
In order to overcome side thrust of the roof and brace the same longitudinally
in the plane of the roof, tensile braces 12 are disposed diagonally between the
side plates and the ridge beam and approximately in the plane of the struts.
The lower end of each tensile brace is secured to a side plate preferably adjacent
to the foot or lower end of a strut, and said brace extends thence in a diagonal
direction to the ridge beam which it engages at the upper extremity of another
strut, and said braces are preferably disposed in opposite or intersecting positions
in order to prevent vibration of the roof structure in either direction.
The tensile braces are preferably provided with adjusting devices such as screw
couplings or nuta 13, and the upper ends of the braces engage shoes 14 which
are let into the ridge beam. In the construction shewn the braces are formed in
pairs, of a continuous rod or cable, which is secured at one end to a side plate
at the foot of one of the struts, thence extends upwardly to, and traverses the
ridge beam contiguous to the upper extremity of the next strut, and then passes
to the other side of the plate at the foot of the strut opposite to the first named
strut. Thus the complete tensile brace forms a loop, and therefore permanent
attachment to the ridge beam is unnecessary. To prevent slipping of the rod or
cable through the shoe, caps 14" bolted, as at 14 to the shoe and spanning the
rod or cable may be.employed.
In connection to the above described construction are means for bracing the
end plate against inside pressure, as by the contents of the roof, including
brace having a crown piece 15 and inclined or strut pieces 16 which are arranged
at one end in contact with the extremities of the crown piece and at the other
end are seated against the end plate, tension bolts 17 being employed at the
connected extremities of the crown and strut pieces to cause lateral thrust to
the strut pieces, or thrust toward the side plates. The nuts with which said bolts
are provided are seated upon wear plates 18. In connection with this strut brace
is a truss brace also arrangea in a horizontal position to resist outside or wind
pressure and consisting of a tensile rod or cable 19 secured at its extremities
to the end plate near its terminals and traversing bridging blocks 20 árranged
near the centre of the end plate. Said tensile rod or cable is provided with
adjusting devices 21.
The strut brace is supported from the struts 6 by means of downwardly and
inwardly inclined hangers 22, and radiating bruces 23 are arranged above the
end plate with their lower ends contiguous to the centre thereof and their upper ends
in contact with the centres of the struts 6 which are in the plane of said end

page_text: plate. An auxiliary support 24 may also, as shewn in the drawing be arranged
in a vertical position between the centre of the end plate and the extremity of
the ridge beam.
In Figs. 5 and 6 is shewn a slightly modified form of the invention as applied
to a gambrel roof, and in this connection are employed string pieces 25 similar
to the struts 6 used in connection with the gable roof, and strut braces 26, which
are seated at their remote ends upon the extremities of said string piece contiguous,
respectively, to the ridge beam 27 and the side plate 1, and are arranged in contact
at their contiguous ends and a tension bolt 28 for producing the desired thrust
in opposite directions of the struts 26. Holding pieces 29 will also be employed
to hold said struts in the desired position after the tension bolt has been
tightened. The centres of the hips formed by the struts 26 are connected by
transverse braces 30 which form side ridges upon which to frame the rafters 31.
The diagonally disposed tensile braces used for strengthening the roof longitu-
dinally, as described in connection with the gable roof shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
are employed in connection with the gambrel roof, and the end plate is also adapted
to be braced in the manner hereinbefore described.
From the above description it will be seen that in addition to bracing all parts
of the roof against wind pressure applied to either the side or the end of the
structure the space within the roof is left free of obstruction, whereby thay
carriers and similar devices may be arranged to operate without interference.
Various means have been devised heretofore for bracing a roof against wind
pressure; but it is desirable also to arrange the bracing devices in such a way
as to allow a hay or straw carrier to operate freely and thus increase the capacity
of the building.
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:-
1. In a roof, the combination with side plates and a ridge beam, of continuous
or looped tension braces connected at their extremities to the side plates and
extending over the ridge beam, the side portions of said braces being diagonally
disposed, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a roof, the combination with side plates and a ridge beam, of diagonally
disposed tension braces connecting the side plates with the ridge beam and dis-
posed in opposite or intersecting planes to brace the structure longitudinally in
opposite directions, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a roof, the combination with a plate of a horizontally disposed strut brace
having struts stepped at their remote ends upon the plate, and tension bolts for
adjusting the thrust of said struts, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a roof, the combination with a plate, of a horizontally disposed strut
brace having a crown piece, struts arranged at their contiguous ends in contact
with the extremities of the crown piece and stepped at their remote ends upon
the plate, tension bolts for adjusting the thrust of the struts, and hangers for
supporting the intermediate portion of the brace, substantially as described and
shewn.
5. In a roof, the combination with a plate, of a truss brace arranged in a
horizontal position, and having a tensile rod or cable attached at its extremities
to the plate and traversing a bridging block, substantially as described and shewn.
6. In a roof, the combination of side plates, a ridge beam, inclined struts con-
necting said plates with the ridge beam, diagonally disposed tensile braces in the
plane of the struts, and cross braces connecting the struts, the roof rafters being
adapted to be notched over said cross pieces, substantially as described and shewn.
7. In a roof, the combination of side plates, a ridge beam, inclined struts con-
necting said parts and provided with truss braces, cross braces connecting the
struts, rafters seated upon the side plates and notched over the cross braces, and

page_text: auxiliary inclined braces extending from intermediate points of the rafters to
the lower extremities of the struts, substantially as described and shewn
Dated this 4th day of August 1897.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.