Improvements in the Construction of Glass Roofs and Skylights, and in Metal Bars to be used therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Glass Roofs and Skylights,
and in Metal Bars to be used therefor.
I, SAMUEL DEARDS of Harlow in the County of Essex Horticultural Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the construction of glass roofs and skylights according
to what is generally known as dry glazing and its chief object is to enable this dry
glazing to be effected without the use of purlins to which to secure the bars that
receive the edges of the sheets of glass.
upper
bar
I employ bars of approximately X form in section resembling those described in
the Specification of my former Letters Patent No. 2806 of 1882, but instead of
securing them to the purlins as therein described I secure them to the rafters and
cause them to overlap at their ends. With this object I cut away at the lower end a
portion of the under side of the upper of the two bars that are to overlap and a
portion at the upper end of the upper side of the lower of these two bars and I
slide the middle feather of the lower bar into the middle feather of the
which I slightly open out to receive it. The two bars thus fit the one in the other the
upper part of the lower end of the upper bar overlapping the lower one and the lower
The ends of the
part of the upper end of the lower one passing under the upper one.
cut away parts form respectively stops for the edges of the two sheets of glass which
are inserted into the open sides of the X bars, the upper sheet overlapping the under
one. To the lower end of the lowest bar of a series, that is to say the bar that
overlaps the eaves or bottom plate I fix a stop to retain the lowest sheet of glass; this
stop is a piece of metal that closes the end of the bar and has a pin passed through it
into the space between the two lower bonds or curves of the X; the pin is then
soldered or brazed to this part of the bar the upper part of the metal piece being also
soldered or brazed to the upper part of the bar end.
The bars run along the top of the rafters and are secured thereto by screws passed
vertically through them into the rafters. Any water that may get between the edges
of the glass and the bars enters and runs down the trough-like lower part of the hars
and escapes through holes made for the purpose in the portion of the lowest bar that
overlaps the eaves or bottom plate.
Dated this 18th dox of Inne 1880
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Glass Roofs and Skylights,
and in Metal Bars to be used therefor.
I, SAMUEL DEARDS of Harlow in the County of Essex, Horticultural Builder and
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention has reference to the construction of glass roofs and skylights according
to what is generally known as dry glazing, and its chief object is to enable this dry
glazing to be effected without the use of purlins to which to secure the bars that
receive the edges of the sheets of glass.
I employ bars of approximately X-form in section resembling those described in
the Specification of my former Letters Patent No. 2806 of 1882, but instead of

page_text: securing them to the purlins as therein described I secure them to the rafters and
cause them to overlap at their ends. With this object I cut away at the lower end a
portion of the under side of the upper of the two bars that are to overlap and a portion
at the upper end of the upper side of the lower of these two bars, and I slide the
middle feather of the lower bar into the middle feather of the upper bar which I
slightly open out to receive it. The two bars thus fit the one in the other, the upper
part of the lower end of the upper bar overlapping the lower one and the lower part
of the upper end of the lower one passing under the upper one. The ends of the cut
away parts form respectively stops for the edges of the two sheets of glass which are
inserted into the open sides of the X-bars, the upper sheet overlapping the under one.
To the lower end of the lowest bar of a series that is to say the bar that overlaps the
eaves or bottom plate I fix a stop to retain the lowest sheet of glass; this stop is a
piece of metal that doses the end of the bar and has a pin passed through it into the
space between the two lower bends or curves of the ✗; the pin is then soldered or
brazed to this part of the bar, the upper part of the metal piece being also soldered or
brazed to the upper part of the bar end.
The bars run along the top of the rafters and are secured thereto by screws passed
vertically through them into the rafters. Any water that may get between the edges
of the glass and the bars enters and runs down the trough-like lower part of the bars
and escapes through holes made for the purpose in the portion of the lowest bar that
overlaps the eaves or bottom plate.
9
The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a
view of a portion of a glass roof constructed in accordance therewith. Figure 2 is a
fragmentary view on a larger scale. Figure 3 is a side view of one of the X-like
bars, being that which is employed at the lowest part of the roof and overlaps the
bottom plate or eaves. Figure 4 is a section of this bar on the line 1-1 looking in
the direction of the arrow. Figure 5 is a side view of one of the other X-like bars.
Figure 6 is a section of the same on the line 2-2 looking in the direction of the
arrow. Figure 7 represents the two bars shown in Figures 3 and 5 fitted together
end to end and with the sheets of glass inserted into their open sides. a is the top
plate or wooden ridge of the roof, b the bottom plate of same, c, c the rafters and d a
gutter secured to the bottom plate b. The metal bars that hold the edges of the glass
sheets are secured to the rafters c, c by screws e, e. f is the lowest metal bar secured
to each rafter and g the upper metal bar; the number of the bars
upper
upon the height of the roof that is to say the distance between the plates a and b.
will depend
The sectional form of the bars ƒ and g is approximately that shown in the end
view of the bar f seen in Figure 2. They are preferably made of zinc or copper
metal so that their open edges expand to allow the glass sheets to be inserted and
then continually grip it without the aid of screws or bolts and nuts. h, h are the
glass sheets. Each of the bars g overlaps the bar (f) next below it, the two bars
fitting the one into the other and with this object I cut away a portion of the under-
side of the lower end of the upper bar as seen at i, Figure 5, and a portion of the
upper side of the upper end of the lower bar as seen at j, Figure 3. The centre web
of the lower bar is compressed as seen at k, Figure 4, so as to enter between the
parts 1, 1, (Figure 6) that constitute the centre web of the upper bar. The edges of
the glass sheets h, h are inserted into the open sides of the bars f, g as clearly seen in
Figure 2 and also in Figure 7. It will he seen that the part m (Figure 3) of the
lower bar forms a stop to the bottom edge of the upper sheet of glass and that the
part n (Figure 5) of the upper bar forms a stop to the top edge of the lower sheet of
glass. To the lower end of the lowest bar fl fix a stop p, Figures 3 and 7, to retain
the lowest sheet of glass; this stop is a piece of metal that closes the end of the bar f
and has a ping passed through it into the space between the two lower curves or
bends of the bar; this pin is then soldered or brazed to this part of the bar, the metal
piece p being also soldered or brazed to the bar end.
Any water that may get between the edges of the glass h and the bars f, g enters
and runs down the gutter-like lower part of the bars and escapes through holes
made for the purpose at s and falls into the gutter d,

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 :-
1. The construction of glass roofs and skylights, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The particular construction of the metal bars fand g whereby they fit one within
another end to end, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The stops m and n on the metal bars for the bottom and top edges respectively
of the overlapping glass sheets which are inserted into the open sides of the said
metal bars, substantially as set forth.
4. The stop piece p at the bottom end of the lowest metal bar, the said stop piece
being secured by a pin q and by soldering or brazing as described.
Dated this 11th day of March 1800
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.