IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF COVERINGS FOR BUILDINGS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Tupper, of the firm of Messrs. Tupper
and Carr, of 3, Mansion House Place, in the City of London, Gal-
vanized Iron Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF COVERINGS FOR BUILDINGS:"
Sealed the 24th July 1855, and dated the 24th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Tupper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th January 1855.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM TUPPER, of the firm of Messrs. Tupper & Carr; of 3;
Mansion House Place, in the City of London; Galvanized Iron Manufacturer,:
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF COVERINGS FOR BUILDINGS" to be as:
follows:
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of tiles
for covering the roofs and sides of buildings, and consists in constructing the
tilės of galvanized iron, or any other suitable material; each tile being turned
up. longitudinally at its two opposite sides to form a species of tubular beading
of any suitable section, the beading on one side being of rather. larger diameter,

page_text: than the beading on the opposite side, so as to allow of the beading of two or
more similarly formed tiles to be slid into or over each other, forming thereby
a species of terescopic joint. The tiles are thus joined together both laterally
and endwise, and are secured to the laths or battens of the roof or sides of the
buildings by one or more pins or nails. By the peculiar form of the bend or
beading, herein-before described, a perfectly water-tight joint will be obtained,
while the surface thus covered will present little or no obstruction to wind, and
will not, therefore, be liable to be stripped in a strong gale. When applied to
roofs of buildings, a suitable metal ridge piece is employed to form the junction
between the two sides of the roof near one end, and on the under side of each
tile may be fitted two or more lugs or pins, which would fit on to the edge of
the previously laid tile, and the upper and lower. edges may be bent, or
bevilled slightly, to afford space for the heads of the holding nails or pins.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Tupper in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, CHARLES
WILLIAM TUPPER, of the firm of Messrs. Tupper & Carr, of 3, Mansion
House Place, in the City of London, Galvanised Iron Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight. hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles William Tupper, Her special license that I, the said Charles
William Tupper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles William Tupper, my executors, 'administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time.
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION. AND ARRANGEMENT OF COVERINGS FOR
BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
William Tupper, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should;
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same was, to be performed, and cause the same 'to. be filed..
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said Charles William Tupper, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to:
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
:
My said Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement. of
tiles and ridge pieces for covering the roofs and sides of buildings, and consists.
in constructing.the tiles of galvanized iron, or any other suitable material, each
tile being turned up longitudinally at its two, opposite sides, so as to form a...
species of tubular beading of any suitable section, the beading on one side.
being of rather larger diameter than the beading on the opposite edge of each:
tile, so as to allow of the beadings of two or more similarly formed tiles to be.
slid into or over each other, forming thereby a species of telescopic joint. The:
tiles are thus secured both laterally and endwise, and are secured to the laths.
or battens of the roof or other portion of the building by one or more pins or
nails. By the peculiar form of beading on the tiles a perfectly water-tight.
joint will be obtained, whilst the surface thus covered will present little or no.
obstruction to wind, and will not, therefore, be liable to be stripped in a
strong gale.
:
When applied to the roofs of buildings, a suitable metal ridge piece is:
employed to form the junction between the two sides of the roof. Near to one
end and on the under side of each tile may be fitted two or more lugs or pins,.
which would fit on to the edge of the previously laid tile, and the upper and
lower edges of the tiles may be bevilled, or bent slightly, to afford space for,
the heads of the holding nails or pins, and to prevent the water from: finding
its way underneath the tiles by capilliary attraction.
.And. in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood,. I;
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding. parts throughout all the Figures on the Sheet..
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a perspective view of the; mode of
joining: the tiles laterally; Figure 2 is a smaller sized transverse section of a.
single tile, shewing, the form of beading on, each side.; Figure 3 is a corre-r
sponding elevation of the back of the tile, shewing the holding lugs or catches.
which are rivetted thereon; and Figure 4 is a corresponding section of the

page_text: same, shewing the slight bevil or bending at the upper and lower edge of the
tile for preventing the capillary attraction. Figure 5 is a longitudinal section
of a portion of a roof covered with my improved tiles; Figure. 6 is a corre-
sponding elevation of the same; and Figure 7 is a corresponding transverse
section of a portion of the roof. Figure 8 is a side elevation of my improved
ridge piece, for uniting or forming a junction for the beadings of the tiles on
the two sloping sides of the roof; Figure 9 is a corresponding elevation. at
right angles to Figure 8; and Figure, 10 is a plan of the same, corresponding
to Figure 9. The tiles A are constructed of sheets or plates of galvanized
iron, or any other suitable material, and aro turned up. longitudinally at their
edges or opposite sides, so as to form a species of tubular or hollow beading
B, C, of any suitable. or convenient section, but a circular one, as shewn in.
my Drawings, will perhaps be found most convenient in practise.. The
beading. 13 on one side of the tile is of a different curve, and is made rather
larger than the beading C on the opposite side, in order to admit of the
beading, of two or more tiles being slid into and over each other, as is clearly
shewn in the perspective view, Figure 1, and longitudinal section, Figure 5.
The tiles are still further secured to the laths or battens D. of the roof or
other portion of the building by one or more pins or nails at E, Figures 4
and 7, and their edges are slightly turned over at E to leave space for the
heads of the holding nails and prevent capilliary attraction. Near to onė.
end, and on the under side of each tile, are rivetted or otherwise secured
two or more lugs or pins E, F, which lugs or pins fit on to the edge of the
previously laid tile, as shewn at. Figure 4, thus effectually locking, the tiles.
together endwise..
The ridge picce G, represented in Figures 8, 9, and 10, may be made of
cast iron, or other suitable material, and its under sile or scating is made to:
correspond to the slope or angularity of the two sides of the roof. It is:
secured in its place by screws or pins H, H, which pass through the angular
plate I, laid along the ridge, and enter the wood-work of the roof. The
hollow or curved part J is made to: correspond to the beadings on the tiles;:
which are fitted into it on each side, as is clearly shewn in the Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said.
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what

page_text: I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of coverings for buildings,
as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of uniting or joining the tiles together by
means of suitably shaped beadings of any convenient section slid into or over
each other, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of the lugs or pins F, F, for holding the tiles
endwise, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of tiles with slightly bent or curved over-
lapping edges, for the purpose of preventing capillary attraction, as herein-
before described.
Fifth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of ridge pieces for roofs,
as herein-before described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Tupper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.