Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Green-houses, Hot-houses, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left. 18th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Green-houses,
Hot-houses, and the like.
(A communication from JOSEPH BEAUFILS, of Le Mans, in the Republic of France.)
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of green-houses,
hot-houses. forcing frames and similar structures, whereby, by arranging the parts
in various ways, a great many different forms of structures may be obtained, the
chief of which as well as the main arrangements are hereinafter described.
A large single span Dutch green house may be taken which may be considered
as the starting point from the parts of which other structures may be constructed
without using any additional parts. The chief modified structures are: large
green-houses of different forms and sizes, small houses also of different forms and
sizes forcing frames hot houses for grapes covers for tomatoes small frames and the
like all or some of them having glazed ends.
The parts consist chiefly of glazed metallic frames of special forms and sizes
and forming flat surfaces.
The frames of which are composed the glazed end parts are of three kinds;
first parts having the shape of rectangular triangles the longer side of the right
angle being exactly twice the length of the base; secondly parts of rectangular
shape the sides of which have the same lengths as those of the right angle of the
triangular frames. that is to say their long sides are exactly the double of the short
ones; and thirdly parts of rectangular shape length of the sides of which are exactly
double the length of the corresponding sides of the rectangular frames already
mentioned and some of which are only partially glazed as they are destined to form
entrance-doors and must therefore comprise all the closing and securing parts
and finally rectangular side parts or lights the longer sides being exactly equal
to the hypotenuse of the triangular frames.
As regards the skeleton of the green house it is constituted by stays or trusses
arranged in parallel direction at suitable distances apart to receive the top or side
frames each stay being formed of girders of suitable cross-section the length of
each girder being exactly equal to that of the hypotenuse of the triangular frames.
The girders are connected by metallic parts of suitable form and dimensions
and are capable of either separately or when joined together of giving all the
angles required for any combination of the frames so that whatever be that com-
bination (the hypotenuse of the triangular frames always forming the outline) it
is possible to arrange stays of a shape exactly corresponding to that of the ends
of the structure by selecting suitable parts and arranging them in the desired
direction

page_text: The details of the construction of the stays and of the different frames may,
however, vary without departing from the spirit of the invention; it must be
however pointed out, that the cross-section of the iron parts for the construction of
the frames as well as for other parts, and the manner of attachment of the
frames etc. must form an overlapping device or gutters in order to prevent water
from entering the interior of the structure; any system of mounting and opening
racks may be adopted; for large structures ties and cross ties in the construction
of the trusses or stays would be sufficiently strong; generally speaking it is
preferable to join the parts by means of bolts and nuts rather than by screws, in
order to facilitate fitting up and taking to pieces.
Taking as a starting point the parts put together as a Dutch green-house and
dividing it longitudinally two lean-to houses are obtained.
By reversing the position of the sides of the right angle of the triangular frames
so that the base will be vertical instead of horizontal a high Dutch green house is
obtained being of smaller width and greater height than the original one.
By dividing longitudinally this structure two lean-to houses are obtained.
By dispensing with two of the triangular frames one on either side of the centre
of the original structure and with correspondingly rectangular lower frames and
the corresponding side frames a smaller green house is obtained.
By dividing this green house longitudinally two lean-to structures are obtained.
By removing the large rectangular frames forming the door of the green house
and by replacing them by smaller rectangular frames another variety of green house
may be obtained having no doors at the ends.
By dividing this structure longitudinally two lean-to houses are obtained.
Finally by utilising all or some of the parts not used in the construction of the
secondary structures already described, by selecting parts of the original structure
it is possible by the different combinations of the parts to erect small ground frames
half frames forcing frames frames with double side lights and with glazed ends
large double frames-with glazed ends and large lean-to frames with glazed ends
and similar structures.
As has been already mentioned different devices for fitting up opening and closing
the side frames or windows may be used such as racks and binged frames and the
like.
Dated this 27th day of February 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Construction of Green-houses,
Hot-houses, and the like.
(A communication from JOSEPH BEAUFILS, of Le Mans, in the Republic of France.)
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 relates to improvements in the construction of green-houses,
hot-houses, forcing frames and similar structures whereby, by arranging the parts
in various ways, a great many different forms of structure may be obtained, the
chief of which as well as the main arrangements are hereinafter described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.

page_text: In said drawing Figure 1 shows a large single span Dutch green-house com-
prising the parts according to this invention and which may be considered as the
starting point or entire system from the parts of which other structures may be con-
structed without using any additional parts. The chief modified structures are:
large green houses of different forms and sizes, small-houses also of different forms
and sizes, forcing frames, hot-houses for grapes, covers for tomatoes etc., small
frames and the like all or some of them having glazed ends.
The parts consist chiefly of glazed metallic frames of special forms and sizes
and forming flat surfaces."
The frames of which the glazed end parts A are composed are of three kinds:
those marked B having the shape of rectangular triangles, the longer side of the
right angle being exactly twice the length of the base: secondly parts marked C
of rectangular shape the sides of which have the same lengths as those forming the
right angle of the triangular frames B, that is to say, their long sides are exactly
double the length of the short ones and thirdly parts marked D of rectangular
shape the length of the sides of which are exactly double the length of the corre-
sponding sides of the rectangular frames C and some of which may be only partially
glazed, as they are destined to form entrance-doors and must therefore contain
all the closing and securing parts, and finally, rectangular side or front parts or
lights E, the longer sides being exactly equal to the hypotenuse of the triangular
frames B.
As regards the skeleton of the green-house, it is constituted by stays or trusses F
arranged in parallel direction at suitable distances apart, to receive the top, or
side frames E, each stay being formed of girders or supports G of suitable cross-
section, the length of each girder G being exactly equal to that of the hypotenuse
of the triangular frames B.
The girders G are connected by metallic parts of suitable form and dimensions
and are capable either separately or when joined together of giving all the angles
required for any combination of the frames B, C, D), so that whatever be the com-
bination (the hypotenuses of the triangular frames B always forming the outline),
it is possible to arrange stays of a shape exactly corresponding to that of the ends A
of the structure by selecting suitable parts and arranging them in the desired
manner.
The details of the construction of the stays and of the different frames may,
however, vary without departing from the spirit of the invention; it must be
however pointed out, that the cross-section of the iron parts for the construction of
the frames as well as for other parts, and the manner of attachment of the
frames etc. must form an overlapping device or gutters in order to prevent water
from entering the interior of the structure; any system of mountings and opening
racks may be adopted; for large structures ties and cross ties in the construction
of the trusses or stays would be sufficiently strong; generally speaking it is
preferable to join the parts by means of bolts and nuts rather than by screws, in
order to facilitate fitting up and taking to pieces.
In the accompanying drawing are illustrated by way of example eighteen different
kinds of structures which give more than 30 combinations.
Taking as a starting point the parts put together as a Dutch green-house Fig. 1
and dividing it longitudinally, two lean-to houses shown in Fig. 2 are obtained.
By reversing the position of the sides of the right angle of the triangular
trames B so that the base will be vertical instead of horizontal, shown in Figs. 1
and 2, a Dutch green-house is obtained, shown in Fig. 3 being of smaller width
and greater height than the one shown in Fig. 1.
By dividing this structure longitudinally two lean-to houses represented in Fig. 4
are obtained.
By dispensing with two of the triangular frames B one on either side of the
centre of the original structure and with corresponding rectangular lower frames C
and the corresponding side lights E Fig. 4, a smaller green-house is obtained as
represented in Fig. 5.

page_text: By dividing this green-house longitudinally, Fig. 5 two lean-to structures shown
in Fig. 6 are obtained.
By removing the large rectangular frames D forming the door of the structure
shown in Fig. 5 and by replacing them by smaller rectangular frames C, another
variety of green-house may be obtained represented in Fig. 7 having no doors
at the ends.
By dividing this structure longitudinally, Fig. 7 two lean-to houses as shown
in Fig. 8 are obtained.
Finally by utilising all or some of the parts not used in the construction of
the secondary structures already described in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 or by selecting
parts of the original structure it is possible by different represented combinations
of parts to erect small ground frames, shown in Figs. 9 and 11, half-frames in
Figs. 10 and 12 obtained by dividing the frames shown in Figs. 9 and 11, forcing-
frames Figs. 13 and 14, frames with double side lights and with glazed ends shown
in Fig. 15, frames with single side-lights and with glazed ends Fig. 16, obtained
by dividing those shown in Fig. 15 and large double frame with glazed ends Fig. 17
and large lean-to frames with glazed ends Fig. 18, produced by dividing the
structure shown in Fig. 17.
As has been already mentioned various devices for fitting up, opening and
closing the side frames or windows E combined with girders or supports G, may be
used such as racks and hinged frames as represented by way of example in Fig. 19
on a larger scale.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1. A system of transformable green-houses or like erections with glazed ends
characterized by their constructions from a number of definite parts combined accord-
ing to the type of structure to be erected or to the transformation to be effected,
and comprising for the construction of the glazed ends, frames B having the shape
of a rectangular triangle in which one side of the right angle is twice as long as the
other, rectangular frames C the sides of which have the same length as the corre-
sponding sides of the right angle of the triangles B that is to say one side being
twice as long as the other, rectangular frames D, the dimensions of which are
twice as large as those of the frames C, some of which being destined to form
entrance-doors, are only partially glazed and comprise the required parts for con-
necting and closing them, and for the construction of the sides or front frames E
of rectangular form, the longer sides of which are equal to the hypotenuse of the
triangular frames B, the whole combined with struts or supports G also of the
length equal to that of the hypotenuse of the triangular frames B substantially
as described.
Lated this 18th day of November 18907
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.