Improvements in the Manufacture of Transparent Material for Roofing and other Purposes and Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 31st Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Transparent Material for Roofing
and other Purposes and Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of No. 251, High Holborn, in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer and JACOB AYTON ARCHER, of Waverley, Lordship Lane, in the county of
Surrey, Foreign Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction and employment of machinery for the
manufacture of the waterproof material for which Letters Patent were granted to
Alfred Ford and the said Jacob Ayton Archer, No. 5993, dated the 5th May 1885,
whereby the said material and similar material can be manufactured in a simple and
more expeditious manner than hitherto.
According to this invention the sheets or lengths of wire gauze to be covered or
coated are stretched between bars on a table constructed for the purpose, the said bars
carrying the wire gauze being then suspended in swinging frames to be dipped in the
receivers containing the liquid coating in the manner more particularly hereinafter
described.
The bars for holding the sheet of wire gauze while being stretched and while being
dipped are each formed with a number of taper jaws ou one edge, the widest part of
the taper being at the base of each jaw; the ends of the sheets of gauze are inserted
in the taper jaws and held by taper wedges the faces of which are corrugated so as to
adapt themselves to and more effectually hold the gauze firmly. On the edges of one
of the bars opposite to those having the taper jaws are placed two screwed studs
having loose nuts and on the corresponding edge of the other har are placed two bolts
with fixed heads. The said studs and bolts are arranged equidistant from the centre
of each bar and near the ends of the same for the purpose hereinafter described.
The table for stretching the gauze is of rectangular shape of about the size of the
sheet of iron gauze to be stretched thereon and has an upwardly projecting ledge on
the top and near one side thereof and at one end of the said table and at a suitable
distance apart are fixed projecting brackets formed with vertical jaws which are at
about the same level as the top of the said table. At the other end of the table are

page_text: brackets with similar jaws to those just described at their outer ends but arranged so
as to move backwards and forwards in suitable guides fixed to the table and at their
inner ends which project under the top of the said table they are attached to upward
extensions on each side of a counterbalanced foot lever suitably pivotted in the frame-
work of the lower part of the table and extending to that end of the table (but at the lower
part thereof) at which the movable brackets are placed. Near the outer end of the
said lever and pivotted to each side of the same are shorter counterbalanced levers
extending to about the said end of the former lever and joined by a pin so that the
foot of the operator can work them as well as the foot lever. The said short levers
are each provided with a few teeth which are normally in gear with two vertical racks
the faces of which form arcs of a circle described from the pivot of the foot lever the
said racks being fixed to the lower framework of the table and extending down one on
each side of the foot lever hereinbefore described.
By depressing the outer ends of the said short levers the teeth on the same can be
withdrawn from the vertical racks and the foot lever moved into and locked in any
position the two short levers thus serving as pawls.
The sheet of wire gauze is laid on the table so that one edge rests against the ledge
on the said table thus serving to keep the ends of the gauze parallel with the ends of
the table. The hereinbefore described bars having the taper jaws are then placed on
the brackets at each end of the table so that each end of the said gauze rests in the
said taper jaws, the studs on one and the bolts on the other of the said bars resting in
the jaws on the said brackets the loose nuts on the studs and the fixed heads on the
bolts being to the outside of the said jaws on the brackets. The taper corrugated keys
are then placed in the taper jaws of each bar so as to secure the ends of the wire
gauze which is then stretched by depressing the foot lever which will force out the
loose brackets at one end of the table the said foot lever being held in its depressed
position by means of the shorter counterbalanced levers on the same engaging with
the vertical racks as hereinbefore described. The wire gauze having been sufficiently
stretched the short levers on the foot lever are then depressed by the foot of the
operator thereby disengaging them from the vertical racks and allowing the foot lever
to move upwards.
To enable the wire gauze thus stretched to be properly dipped in the tanks or
troughs containing the oil, varnish or the like we provide a rectangular swinging
frame which is suspended above the dipping tanks or troughs of a slightly greater
length than the sheet of wire gauze to be operated upon and provided at each of its
ends with downwardly extending arms having bearings at their lower ends in each of
which is pivotted a stud or pin projecting from the centre of a bar having each of its
ends T shaped the said bars being thereby capable of turning in the said bearings.
Each of these bars is situated on the inside of the said downwardly extending arms
and their Tends are each formed with a vertical flange extending along the edges of
the same nearest the downwardly extending arms, the said flange at one or upper
end of the said bars being situated on the outside or farthest from the centre or pivot
of the same while at the other Tor lower end the flange is situated on the inside or
nearest to the centre or pivot of the same and turned inwardly over the said T end so
as to form a groove; both the said flanges in each bar are provided with a series of
notches for receiving the bars holding the stretched gauze as hereinafter described.
On each of the T ended bars and equidistant from the centre of the same are tongues
or projections each on the upper and lower parts of the said bars respectively
the said tongues of cach bar serving to engage with a moveable latch of suitable
construction on each of the downwardly extending arms hereinbefore described so
that the said bars can be turned round on their pivots so as to allow of the upper or
lower parts of the said bars being maintained in a vertical position either above or
below the said pivots as desired.
A number of sheets of wire gauze stretched in bars as described can then be placed
and dropped between the T ended bars so that the studs and bolts near each end of
the same will drop into and engage with the notches in each end respectively of the
said Tended bars which must of course be placed so that their upper
ends are above

page_text: the pivots in the downwardly extending arms hereinbefore described. The loose nuts
on the studs can now be tightened thereby drawing the heads of the bolts tightly
against the faces of the notched flanges in one of the Tended bars and thereby fixing
the wire gauze securely in both the said bars. A series of sheets of wire gauze are
then similarly arranged as just described in the rest of the notches but I find it
advantageous to place them so that the studs and loose nuts on the bars holding half
the number of the said sheets alternate with the bolts on the bars of the other half so
that they are alternately tightened up at each end as each sheet is placed between the
Tended bars. To prevent the said series of sheets of gauze from falling out of the
notches when turned or swung round by means of the Tended bars I place a suitable
key over the series of bolts and studs in the lower end of each bar and underneath
the turned-in edge of the flange of the same thereby securely holding the said studs
or bolts. The swinging frame is suspended above the dipping tanks or troughs by
means of a link fastened to the centre of the top of the said frame the said link
engaging with a hook depending from a travelling carriage of suitable construction
which runs on a rail suspended from the roof thereby allowing the said rectangular
frames together with the sheets of wire gauze to be run along the said rail and by
means of suitable turntables or switches such as are hereinafter described to any part
of the said building. To allow, of the rectangular frames being lifted off the hooks on
the carriages just described we provide a lever having a hooked end which engages
with a hole in the link on the said frame, the other end of the said bar extending
beyond one end of the said rectangular frame and provided on its inner side with a
rectangular loop through which passes a bar fixed and hung from the roof of the
building and serving as a fulcrum and support for the said end of the lever.
other end of the said lever is supported by suitable blocks and fall from a wheel
mounted on a rail suspended from the roof of the building and running in the same
direction as the rail carrying the swinging frame so that the said lever can move with
the said frame if desired the said blocks and fall serving to first lift the said lever
thereby disengaging the link on the rectangular frame from the hook herein before
described and then to lower the same together with the sheets of wire gauze into the
dipping tanks or troughs. The fall is arranged to pass round suitable pulleys on the
lever just described so as to be out of the way of the rectangular frame. Turntables
enable the carriages carrying the rectangular frames to be run along rails at right
angles or thereabouts to the rail on which the said carriages are mounted above the
dipping troughs so that by a suitable arrangement of the said 'turntables and rails, the
said carriages can be run to any part of the building where the sheets of wire gauze
(which have been dipped in the said troughs) can be dried thus dispensing with
manual labour which has hitherto been employed in carrying the said sheets of wire
gauze.
The said turntables are advantageously formed of short pieces of rail of
similar section to the rail on which the carriage is mounted and are arranged so that
when turned so as to be connected with the rail onto which it is desired to run the
said carriage they will be automatically stopped and locked in position by suitable
mechanism.
The
After the sheets have been dipped the requisite number of times the latches on the
downwardly extending arms on the swinging frame are disengaged from the Tended
arms which are then swung or turned over the latches again locking them in that
position. The sheets are then again dipped as required and are then lifted up and the
link on the rectangular frame caused to engage the hook on the travelling carriage
which is then caused to convey the said rectangular frame together with the dipped
sheets of wire gauze to the part of the building required for drying them.
Dated the dib day of June 1886
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Transparent Material for Roofing
and other Purposes and Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of No. 251, High Holborn, in the county of
Middlesex, Engineer, and JACOB AYTON ARCHER, of Waverley, Lordship Lane, in
the county of Surrey, Foreign 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 the construction and employment of machinery for the
manufacture of the waterproof material for which Letters Patent were granted to
Alfred Ford and the said Jacob Ayton Archer No. 5993, dated the 5th May 1885
whereby the said material and similar material can be manufactured in a simple and
more expeditious manner than hitherto.
According to this invention the sheets or lengths of wire gauze to be covered or
coated are stretched between bars on a table constructed for the purpose the said
bars carrying the wire gauze being then suspended in swinging frames to be dipped
in the receivers containing the liquid coating in the manner more particularly herein-
after described.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how the
same can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which figures 1 and 2 represent a side elevation and a front elevation respectively
of one of the bars which are used in pairs for holding the sheets of wire gauze
while being stretched and dipped in manufacturing transparent material for roofing
and other purposes according to our invention. Figure 3 represents a transverse
section on the line A B of figure 1 and shewing one end of the wire gauze fixed in
one of the jaws on the said bar by means of a taper and corrugated or serrated key.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of figure 8; figures 5 and 6 represent an end and edge
view respectively of the taper and corrugated or serrated wedge or key; figure 7
represents an end elevation of a table constructed according to our invention for
stretching the wire gauze; figure 8 represents a longitudinal section taken on the
line of figure 7; figures 9 and 10 represent a front and end elevation
respectively of a swinging frame (carrying T ended bars) and its supporting
carriage or trolly for allowing the sheets of wire gauze (after having been streiched)
to be dipped figure 11 represents a section taken on the line EF of figure 9
shewing one of two moveable latches for locking the Tended bars when dipping
the sheets of gauze figure 12 represents a front view of the said moveable latch
figure 13 represents a transverse section of a building showing one of the swinging
frames carrying several sheets of wire gauze and arranged above a tank of coating
liquid preparatory to dipping the said gauze figures 14 and 15 represent an
elevation and plan of a turntable or switch constructed according to our invention
for enabling the trollies and swinging frames carrying the sheets of coated gauze to

page_text: be run to the drying room or other place; figure 16 represents a section taken on the
line G H of figure 15. Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout
the several figures of the drawings. Figures 3 to 6 are drawn full size; figures 14
to 16 are drawn a quarter full size; figures 1, 2 and 7 to 12 are drawn one eighth
full size and figure 13 is drawn one twenty fourth full size.
Referring to figures 1 to 4 a, is one of the bars for holding the sheets of wire
gauze while being stretched and while being dipped. The said bars are used in pairs
one at each end of the sheet of gauze and are each formed with a number of taper
jaws , b, on one edge. The said jaws are tapered transversely to the bars a, a, the
widest part of the taper being at the base of each jaw as shewn in figure 3. C, C,
are tapered wedges for holding the ends of each of the sheets of gauze B which are
inserted in the taper jaws b, b, the said jaws being also tapered in the direction of
the length of each of the bars a, a, as shewn in figure 2 so as to allow the tapered
wedges c, c, (which are tapered to correspond) to be inserted sideways. The faces
of the tapered wedges c, c, are corrugated or serrated as shewn in figure 3 so as to
adapt themselves to and more effectually hold the gauze B, firmly. On the edge of
one of the pair of bars a, a, opposite to that edge having the taper jaws are placed
two screwed studs d, d, having loose nuts e, e, and on the corresponding edge of the
other bar of the pair are placed two bolts with fixed heads. The said studs and
bolts are arranged equidistant from the centre of each bar a, and near the ends of the
same for the purpose hereinafter described.
The table for stretching the gauze is represented in figures 7 and 8 and is of
rectangular shape of about the size of the sheet of wire gauze to be stretched thereon
and has an upwardly projecting ledge, on the top and at one side thereof, and, at
one end of the said table and at a suitable distance apart, are fixed two projecting
brackets (one of which is shown at g, in figure 8) each of which is formed with a
vertical jaw, which is at about the same level as the top of the said table as shown.
At the other end of the table are two brackets i, i, with similar jaws h, h, to those just
described at their outer ends, but arranged so as to move backwards and forwards in
suitable guides, fixed to the table as shewn at their inner ends which project
under the top of the said table the brackets i, i, are attached to upward extensions k, ki,
on each side of a counterbalanced foot lever 1, pivotted at m, m, in the framework of
the lower part of the table and extending to that end of the table (but at the lower
part thereof) at which the moveable brackets i, i, are placed. Near the outer end of
the said foot lever L, and pivotted to each side of the same are shorter counterbalanced
levers n, n, extending to about the said end of the lever 7, and joined by a pin o, so
that the foot of the operator can operate them as well as the foot lever . The said
short levers n, n, are each provided with a few teeth p, p, which are normally in gear
with two vertical racks 7, 9, the faces of which form arcs of a circle described from
the pivot of the foot lever 1, the racks 7, 7, being fixed to the lower framework of the
table and extending down one on each side of the foot lever l.
By depressing the outer ends of the short levers n, n, the teeth p, p, on the same
can be withdrawn from the vertical racks 7, 7, as will be obvious and the foot lever be
then moved into any position, and be locked in that position by allowing the teeth p, p,
on the levers n, n, to again engage with the racks 7, 7, the levers n, n,
thus serving
as pawls.
When it is required to stretch a sheet of wire gauze the said sheet is laid on the
table so that one edge rests against the ledge, on the said table which thus serves to
keep the ends of the gauze parallel with the ends of the table. A pair of the herein-
before described bars a, a, having the taper jaws b, b, are then placed one on each of
the brackets g. 9, and i, i, at each end of the table so that each end of the said gauze
rests in the taper jaws b, b, the studs d, d, on one and the bolts d', d, on the other of
the said bars a, a, resting in the jaws h, h, on the brackets g, g, and i, i, the loose
nuts e, e, on the studs d, d, and the fixed heads on the bolts d', ', being to the outside
of the jaws b, b, on the brackets. The taper corrugated or serrated keys c, c, herein-
before described are then placed sideways as before explained into the taper jaws b, b,
of each bar a, a, so as to secure the ends of the wire gauze which is then stretched by

page_text: depressing the foot lever, which will force out the loose brackets i, i, in the direction
of the arrow in figure 8, the foot lever 1, being held in its depressed position by means
of the shorter counterbalanced levers n, n, on the same engaging with the vertical
racks, 7, as hereinbefore described. The wire gauze having been sufficiently stretched
the short levers n, n, on the foot lever 1, are then depressed by the foot of the operator
thereby disengaging them from the vertical racks 4, 7, and allowing the foot lever 1,
to move upwards.
To enable the wire gauze thus stretched to be properly dipped in the tanks or
troughs containing the oil, varnish or the like we provide the rectangular swinging
frame A, shewn in figures 9 to 13 which is suspended above the dipping tank or
trough (figure 13). The said swinging frame is of a slightly greater length than
the sheet of wire gauze to be operated upon and is provided at its ends with downwardly
extending arms s, &, having bearings t, t, at their lower ends in each of which is
pivotted a stud or pin u, projecting from the centre of a bar, having each of its
ends 20% and T-shaped as shewn in figure 10. The bars, are therefore capable
of turning in the bearings t, t. Each of the bars r, v, is situated on the inner side of
the downwardly extending arms s, s, and the T ends we and a, of the said bars are each
formed with a vertical inclined flange y, extending along the edges of the same nearest
the downwardly extending arms as shewn, the said flange y, at the upper end w, of
each of the said bars being situated on the outside or farthest from the centre or pivot
of the same while at the lower end, the flange y, is situated on the inside or nearest
to the centre or pivot of the same and turned inwardly over the said end so as to form
a groove the flanges, y, in each bar are provided with a series of notches a', a',
for receiving the bars (figures 1 and 2) holding the stretched gauze as hereinafter
described. Near each end of the Tended bars o, », and equidistant from the centre
of the same are tongues or projections 6, 61, the said tongues of each bar. serving to
engage with a moveable latch e, pivotted to each of the downwardly extending
arms s, s, hereinbefore described so that the said bars can be turned round on their
pivots u, u, so as to allow of the upper or lower parts of the said bars e, v, being
maintained in a vertical position either above or below the pivots u,, as desired.
Each of the latches c¹, is provided with a notch f, and with inclined surfaces g¹, g¹, on
its face. It is also provided with an extension 7, which bears against the downwardly
extending arms, to which the latch is pivotted this extension thus serving to maintain
the latch in a horizontal position so that when the T ended bars u, v, are turned round
as described the tongues, 61, on each of the same will strike the inclined surfaces g', g',
of the latches and thereby lift the same until the said tongues coincide with and engage
with the notches f¹, f.
A number of sheets of wire gauze stretched in the bars a, a, as hereinbefore described
are then placed and dropped between the Tended bars e, v, so that the studs d, d, and
bolts d, d, on the bars a, a, will drop into and engage with the notches a¹, a', 'in each
end of the Tended bars e, e, which must of course be placed so that their upper
ends w, w, are above the pivots u, u, in the downwardly extending arms s, s. The loose
nuts e, e, on the studs d, d, can now be tightened thereby drawing the heads of the
bolts d, d, tightly against the faces of the notched flanges y, y, in which they lie
thereby fixing the wire gauze securely in both the bars v, 1. A series of sheets of wire
gauze are then similarly arranged as just described in the rest of the notches a¹, a²,
But only two of such sheets are shewn in the drawings at figure 10; we find it
advantageous however to place the said sheets so that the studs d, d, and loose nuts e, e,
on the bars a, a, holding half the number of the said sheets shall alternate with the
bolts d', d, on the bars a, a, of the other half so that they are alternately tightened up
at each end as each sheet is placed between the T ended bars v, v. To prevent the
said series of sheets of gauze from falling out of the notches a¹, a¹, when turned or
swung round by means of the T ended bars v, e, we place a suitable key ¹, over the
series of bolts and studs d, d, d, d, in the lower end of each bar
in the groove 2,
underneath the turned in edge of the flange y, of the same thereby securely holding
the said studs and bolts. The swinging frame A is suspended above the dipping
tank or trough, (figure 13) by means of a link j', (shewn in figures 9, 10 and 13)

page_text: fastened to the centre of the top of the frame the link engaging with a hook k¹.
depending from a travelling carriage or trolly 2, which runs on a rail , suspended
by brackets 2, from the roof of the building as shewn in figure 13 thereby allowing
the rectangular frame A, together with the sheets of wire gauze to be run along
the rail and by means of suitable turntables or switches such as are hereinafter
described to any part of the said building. To allow of the rectangular frame A,
being lifted off the hook on the carriage just described we provide
a lever m²,
having a hook n¹, at one end which engages with a hole o, in the link j¹, on the
said frame, the other end of the lever m', extending beyond one end of the
rectangular frame A and being provided on its underside with a rectangular loop p¹,
through which passes a bar q¹, fixed and hung from the roof of the building and
serving as a fulcrum and support for the said end of the lever. The other end
of the lever m³, is supported by blocks, and fall s¹, from a wheel t¹, mounted
on a rail u², suspended from the roof of the building and running in the same
direction as the rail l, carrying the swinging frame A, so that the lever m', can
move with the frame if desired, the blocks and falls, serving to first lift the
lever m', thereby disengaging the link j, on the rectangular frame A from the hook k¹,
on the trolly, and then to lower the frame A together with the sheets of wire gauze B
into the dipping tank or trough r The fall is arranged to pass round a pulley v¹,
on the lever m², so as to be out of the way of the rectangular frame A. In figures 14
to 16 are shown the turntables to enable the carriages or trollies ², carrying the
rectangular frames A, A, to be run along rails 13, 13, at right angles or thereabouts to
the rail, on which the carriages or trollies are mounted above the dipping troughs 1,
so that by a suitable arrangement of the turntables and rails, the carriages can be run
to any part of the building where the sheets of wire gauze (which have been dipped in
the said troughs) can be dried thus dispensing with manual labour which has hitherto
been employed in carrying the sheets of wire gauze. Each of the turntables is
advantageously formed of a short piece of rail w, of similar section to the rail l', on
which the carriage runs and is pivotted by a bolt a¹, to a bracket y', joining two of the
brackets, which carry the ends of the rails 1,, as shewn. The turntable w¹, is
provided with two hooks 1, 2, with inclined faces which serve to engage with a
lever a², having two hooks a³ and a, and pivotted at 62, to one of the brackets 12. By
this arrangement if one of the trollies k², carrying a swinging frame A, and a series
of dipped sheets of wire gauze be run onto the turntable w, when in the position
shewn in full lines in figure 15, and the hook a³, of the lever a², be disengaged from
the hook z, on the turntable with which it is in engagement and the turntable be
turned in the direction indicated by the arrow, the other hook ¹, on the turntable will
be caused to engage with the other hook a', of the lever a³, thereby locking the
turntable w¹, in the position shewn by the dotted lines and in line with the rails 7³, 13.
By disengaging the lever a², from the turntable ¹³, and moving the turntable in the
reverse direction it will resume its former position.
2
After the sheets have been dipped the requisite number of times in the tank
7', .the
latches c, c, on the downwardly extending arms s, s, of the swinging frame A are
disengaged from the T ended arms e, e, which are then swung or turned over together
with the sheets of gauze, the latches c, c, again locking them in that position. The
sheets are then again dipped as required and are then lifted up and the link j¹, on the
rectangular frame A caused to engage the hook k¹, on the travelling carriage or
trolly, which is then caused to convey the said rectangular frame together with the
dipped sheets of wire gauze to the part of the building required for drying them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The use for the manufacture of transparent material for roofing and other
purposes of the improved machinery hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of the bars for holding sheets of wire gauze while being

page_text: stretched and dipped substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with the bars a, a, of the table illustrated in figures 7 and 8 of
the drawings for stretching and mounting the wire gauzo preparatory to its being
dipped substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the bars a, a, for holding the sheets of wire gauze, of the
swinging frame A, mechanism for reversing and securing the said bars and
arrangement of carriage or trolly all substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The herein described turntable or switch arranged and operating substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 14, 15, and 16
of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination of parts forming the improved machinery or apparatus for the
manufacture of transparent material for roofing and other purposes substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying
drawings.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.