Improvements in and relating to Sheet Metal Astragals and Sash-bars.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Sheet Metal Astragals and
Sash-bars.
I. WILLIAM HENRI LUTHER, of Petershill Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention, has reference to improved constructions of composite sheet-metal
astragals or sash-bars or frames and their fittings for supporting the glass of roofs,
green-houses, windows and other structures, and for securing or glazing the glass
plates theroto without putty; which improvements give many advantages in strength,
with lightness and cheapness of cost in production when compared with and over
other self glazing astragals and sash-bars heretofore in use.
The nature and novelty of my invention consist as follows,-First, in rolling,
compressing or drawing the body part of the astragals out of sheet metal of an
improved section, suitable either for double or for single side astragals, which carry
the glass on one side or on both sides respectively; by dispensing with the duplicate
or opposite side and making the single section as strong as the double. The main
feature of the improvement consists in forming deep central longitudinal feathers
composed of three bends of the sheet, the central bend between the other two bends
being at the bottom, and the other two bends reaching up to the same level on each
side, and with shallow corrugated wings on each sido about half the height of the
feathers as hereinafter described. For the single arrangement, these feathers would
be at the one side of the astragal with the corrugated wing on the one side only for the
glass resting on. In either case a double strip of lead about twice the depth of the
central feathors would be inserted between them down into the centre corrugation,
with a long longitudinal wire or transverse rivets the lower bend, and over this the
two side bends and double thickness of sheet would be compressed to grip the double
thickness of lead between them, and the outer thickness of these sheets forming the
double feather would be doubled up and corrugated on opposite sides with two or
more grooves and one central ridge between them to give strength to support the
glass. This lateral web which supports the glass on each side would preferably be
rolled out of strips of sheet iron, steel or other metal of the proper width for the
size of astragal, and would have the lower part of the vertical web bent up to form a
groove close to it, and then carried up to form a ridge on which the glass would rest,
and bent down and up again to form a shallow groove at the outer lateral edge.
Thus in this section as described, looking from below, there would be two ridged
corrugations and a central groove, but looking from above there would he a central
ridge on which the glass would rest, and a groove on either side, the one between
this ridge and the vertical feather web, would receive any rain or water which got
past the jointing material and over the edge of the glass and would convey it safely
down to the eave gutters outside, while the shallow groove at the outer edge of this
horizontal web would catch the condensed water on the under side of the glass that
ran to the edges, and carry it down outside also.
When these double or central astragals are to be used with the glass on both sides
of it, the doubled up strips of lead or other soft metal well secured between the two
central feathers would have the two edges of sufficient width above the top of the
vertical feathers as to be folded and well rubbed down, the one to one side over the
edges of the glass laid on its corrugated webs below it, and the other edge of the lead
folded over the glass laid below it on the other side, so as to glaze and secure the glass
ou both sides of the astragal.
When this improved rolled corrugated section of sheet metal bar is to be used for
ingle side astragals. it would be one orrangement be formed without the lateral

page_text: corrugated wing for the glass on the one side of the double feathers and have only a
single strip of lead or other ductile sheet metal folded over on the other side above
the glass laid on the lateral corrugated web on that side; in which case the other
thickness of lead might be dispensed with, or it might be folded over the ridge of
the vertical feather to protect it when that was preferred.
When these corrugated sectional bars were inade of thick sheet metal for heavy
glass roofing they would be rolled, but when made of zinc or other thin sheet metal
for light glass work, as for green houses, they might be folded or stamped by matrices
or drawn through suitable dies. When the lower ridges were made level, these
astragal bars might be made to rest on the purlins or cross bars (either with a plate
below them or not as found convenient) and bo secured thereto by single or double
hook plates laid below them and catching over the edges of the outer corrugations
with screws or nails through the outer end snugs, or these securing look plates
might be rivetted to an under plate which could be screwed to the purlin, and have
projecting up end flanges to support the weight of the glass with parts punched or
cut out of their contre to allow the water to run out of the corrugations. Or other-
wise small purlin rests of this construction could be cast in malleable cast iron to suit
the corrugations and slipped on to the under side of the corrugated bars from the
end to each purlin where they were to be secured. This construction of double
sectional corrugated bar astragal could also be compressed together without the double
sheet lead between them, and instead have a hollow curved zinc plate cover secured
by T-headed screw bolts or other equivalent over the central joint of the vertical
central webs, the two edges of the zinc plate pressed down over the edges of the
glass plates on opposite sides to secure them and form the joint to resist the weather.
Dated the 12th November 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Sheet Metal Astragals and
Sash-bars.
I, WILLIAM HENRI LUTHER, of Petershill Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Mauu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My invention has reference to improved constructions of composite sheet-metal
astragals or sash-bars or frames and their fittings for supporting the glass of roofs,
greenhouses, windows and other structures, and for securing or glazing the glass
plates thereto without putty; which improvements give many advantages in strength,
with lightness and cheapness of cost in production, when compared with and over other
self glazing astragals and sash-bars heretofore in use.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a perspective
view showing three of my improved astragals A, B, C, as set in position for a glass
roof, with four plates of glass G as fitted thereon and secured with the lead glazing.
Figure 2 shows a side view of part of one of the astragals, with the lower end support
as fitted on it. And Figure 3 is a transverse section of the astragal A, B, C, corre-
sponding to Figure 2. Figure 4 shows a corresponding section of the astragal to
Figure 3 with the plates of glass G as fitted thereon, and the securing sheet lead
glazing folded down on the edges of the glass. Figure 5 shows an end or side view
and transverse section of the lower securing rest piece D, D', D3, for the astragal A, B, C.
Figure 6 shows a view of the plate D as punched out ready for being folded or
creased up as dotted in at d¹ into the rest securing piece D, D¹, D³, shown in Figure 5.

page_text: Figure 7 shows an end or side elevation and transverse section respectively of one of
the upper securing bed plates or pieces E E'. And Figure 8 shows the plate E as
punched ready for being folded or creased up as dotted in at e¹ into the said securing
bed plate E E Figure 7.
In
Referring to these drawings:-The improvements of my invention consist us
follows; First, in stamping, compressing, drawing or rolling the body part of the
astragals A, B, C, out of a long broad strip of thin sheet iron or steel or other metal
of an improved section, suitable either for double side astragals, as shown in
Figures 2 to 4, or for single side astragals, which carry the glass on both sides or on
one side respectively, the latter by dispensing with the duplicate or opposite side and
yet making the single section as strong as the double, as shown in Figure 3A. The
main feature of the improvement consists in forming deep central longitudinal
feathers A, A, A, composed of three bends of the sheet, the central bend between the
other two bends being at the bottom, and the other two bends reaching up to the
same level on each side, and with shallow corrugated wings B, B, on each side about
half the height of the feathers A as hereinafter described. For the single astragal
arrangement Figure 3A, these feathers A, A, are at the outside of the astragal with
the corrugated wing B on the insile only for the edge of the glass G to rost on.
either case a double strip of lead C, preferably about twice the depth of the central
feathers A is inserted down into the centre corrugation or groove between them with
a long longitudinal wire c (or it might be with transverse rivets through the lower
bend) and over the wire c the two side thicknesses of the bends A, A, would he
compressed to grip the double thickness of lead between them, and the outer thick-
ness of these sheets forming the double feather A, A, is doubled up and corrugated
on opposite sides with two or more grooves and one central ridge B between
them to give strength to support the glass G on these ridges B, B, as seen particularly
in Figure 4. The lower outer part of the vertical webs is bent up to form a deep
groove b, b, close to the deep feathers A, A, and then carried up to form the ridge B
on which the glass G rests. and bent down and up again to form a shallow groove b¹
at the outer lateral edge. Thus in this section as described and shown in Figures B
and 4. looking from above there would be a central ridge B on which the glass G
would rest on each side of the strong centre ribs A, A, and a groove b, b', on either
side, the one 6 between this ridge B and the vertical feather web A, A, would
receive any rain or water which got past the lead jointing material C, C, and over
the edge of the glass G, and would convey it safely down to the lower or eave
gutters outside through the lower supports D at d in Figure 1; while the shallow
groove at the outer edge of this horizontal web B would catch the condensed
water on the under side of the glass G that ran to the edges, and carry it down
outside also.
When these double or central astragals A, B, C, are to be used with the glass G
on both sides of it, as shown in Figure 4, the doubled up strips of lead C, C, or
other soft metal well secured between the two central feathers A, A', would have the
two edges of sufficient width above the top of the vertical feathers A, A, as to be
folded and well rubbed down, as indicated at in Figure 4, the one to one side
over the edges of the glass G laid on its corrugated webs B B below it, and the
other edge of the lead folded over the glass G laid below it on the other side, so as
to glaze and secure the glass on both sides of the astragal, without requiring putty or
other cement.
When this improved section of corrugated sheet metal bar A, B, C, is to be used
for single sido astragals, it would by one arrangement be formed without the lateral
corrugated wing B 6 for the glass G on the one side of the double feathers A, A,
and have only a single strip of lead or other ductile sheet metal folded over on the
other side above the glass laid on the lateral corrugated web on that side, as shown
in Figure 3A; in which case the other thickness of lead might be dispensed with, or
it might be folded over the ridge A, A, of the vertical feather to protect it when
that was preferred.
When these corrugated sectional bars A, B, C, were male of thick sheet metal

page_text: for heavy glass roofing they might be partially formed by rolling, but when made
of zinc or other thin sheet metal for light glass work, as for greenhouses, they
would be folded or stamped by matrices, or drawn through suitable dios. When the
lower ridges of the grooves b, b, were made level, these astragal bars A, B, C, would
preferably be made to rest on securing plates D, E, as shown in Figure 1 and
detached in Figures 5 and 7, and be secured to the purlins F by single or double
hooked ends D, E, catching over the edges of the outer corrugations b¹, b¹, with
And for the lower securing
screws or nails through the outer end snugs at D¹¹, E".
plates D, they would have projecting up end flanges D to support the weight of
the glass parts, at their lower ends, with a hole or recess punched or cut out of their
centre at d to allow the water to run out of the corrugations b, b, at the eaves. Or
otherwise small purlin rests of this construction instead of being embossed up out of
sheet metal as shown and described, could be cast in malleable cast iron to suit the
corrugations, and slipped on to the under side of the corrugated bars from the end
to each purlin F where they were to be secured. This construction of double sectional
corrugated bar astragal could also be compressed together without the double sheet
lead C, C, between them, and instead have a hollow curved zinc plate cover H secured
by T-headed screw bolts and nuts or other equivalent over the central joint of the
vertical central webs A, A, as indicated in transverse section in Figure 3B, the two
edges of the zine plate being curved down over the edges of the glass plates G on
opposite sides to secure them and form the joint to resist the weather.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction and use of sheet metal single or double astragals and sash
bars formed with doubled deep central longitudinal feathers and glazing lead or other
sheet metal between, and with shallow corrugated glass carrying wings on either or
both sides, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The construction and use of sheet metal astragals and sash bars formed
in section with doubled deep contral longitudinal feathers, and with shallow corru-
gated wings on one or both sides, and having a double strip of glazing lead, zinc, or
other sheet metal in the centre corrugation secured by a central wire or equivalent,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Third. The construction and use of bed-plates for securing sheet metal astragals to
their purlins by doubled up hooked ends and screw or other nails, substantially as
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the detached
detailed Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.
A
1900