IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SECURING GLASS IN SKYLIGHTS AND Roors OF GREENHOUSES AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Smith, of Goudhurst, in the County of Kent,
Farner, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SECURING
GLASS IN SKYLIGHTS AND Roors OF GREENHOUSES AND SIMILAR
STRUCTURES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1880.
ALBERT SMITII, of Goudhurst, in the County of Kent, Farmer. " IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF SECURING GLASS IN SKYLIGHTS AND ROOFS OF GREENHOUSES
AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
The object of the present Invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient
means of securing in place the glass in skylights, roofs of greenhouses, and similar
structures, whereby the use of putty or cement is dipensed with, and the renewal
of the glass when broken may be readily affected by unskilled labour.
In carrying out my Invention 1 employ strips of lead or other soft metal of any
desired length and breadth, and of such thickness that they may be readily bent
into shape, and I mould these strips of lead in any convenient manner into the
form of a flat bottomed trough with flanged edges. The height of the walls of
this trough is about half the breadth of the trough, and the width of the flanges is
about equal to the height of the walls.
Having moulded the lead or other soft metal by rolling or pressing into a
trough of this form I am in a position to apply it for securing glass in place, which
I effect as follows :-
I lay the strips of lead or other soft metal lengthwise of the rafters or sash bars,
and secure them thereto by nails or screws of copper, brass, or iron treated by the
Barff process, and I bend down the vertical walls of the strip upon the flat portion
attached to the rafter or sash bar, so that the flanges touch each other. I then lay
the glass in position overlapping the edges in the usual manner, and I secure them
firmly in place by bending and pressing down the flanges of lead above referred to
over the side edges of the glass.

page_text: By this system of securing glass in position the necessity for using clips to
support the individual squares of glass is avoided, as the flange of lead or other
soft metal is of sufficient ductility to allow of its following closely the face of the
glass, and thereby binding the squares tightly together, forming practically a
weatherproof joint.
The nails or screws which hold the lead in place will be hidden from sight, and
an ornamental character may be imparted to the outside of the lead flanges by
beading or otherwise.
The necessity for external paint for preservation will be entirely avoided, as no
wood work need be exposed to the action of the weather, and the cost of internal
--painting will be.reduced, as_that_process_may be completed before the glazing is
commenced.
--
The cost of joiner's work for the construction of the building or lights will be
considerably lessened, as nothing but square or rectangular material will be required,
all rebating being avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
January 1881.
ALBERT SMITH, of Goudhurst, in the County of Kent, Farmer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE. MODE OF SECURING GLASS IN SKYLIGHTS AND ROOFS OF GREENHOUSES
AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
The object of the present Invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient
means of securing in place the glass in skylights, roofs of greenhouses, and similar
structures, whereby the use of putty or cement is dispensed with, and the renowal
of the glass when broken may be readily effected by unskilled labor.
In carrying out my Invention I employ strips of lead or other soft metal of any
desired length and breadth, and of such thickness that they may be readily bent
into shape, and I mould these strips of lead in any convenient manner into the
form of a flat bottomed trough with flanged edges, the height of the walls of this
trough boing about half the breadth of the trough, and the breadth of each of the
flanges being about equal to the height of the walls.
Having pressed or moulded the lead or other soft metal by rolling or pressing it
into a trough of this form I am in a position to apply it for securing glass in placo,
which I effect as follows:
=
I lay the trough-shaped strip of lead or other soft metal lengthwise of the rafters
or sash bars, and secure them thereto by nails or screws of copper, brass, or iron
coated with magnetic oxide, and I bend down the vertical walls of the leaden
trough upon the flat portion thereof which has been attached to the rafter or sash
bar, so that the flanges of the leaden trough almost touch each other; I then lay
the squares of glass in position, overlapping the edges thereof in the usual manner,
and I secure them firmly in place by bending down the flangos of the leaden trough
above referred to, and dressing them closely upon the squares of glass.
In some cases it may be desirable to provide a gutter beneath the edges of the
squares of glass to carry off any moisture which may work under the lead flanges
by which the said squares of glass are secured, and in such cases I form the bottom
of my trough-shaped strip of lead of a breadth somewhat greater than the rafter
to which it is to be applied. Then when the walls of the trough have been flattened
down so that their upper edges meet each other, or nearly so, the double thickness
of lead thus formed may be bent upwards at the outer edge to support the squares
of glass, which will be prevented from rising from their seat by the flanges of
lead being dressed closely down upon them in the manner previously described.
The form into which the strips of lead are pressed or moulded, and the manner
of securing the squares of glass in position by means of these moulded strips of
lead, will be easily understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Fig. 1 shows in cross section the form of the strip of lead when pressed or moulded
ready for use, a being the bottom, a' the walls, and a the flanges of the trough;
Fig. 2 shows the trough-shaped strip nailed to a rafter, and the walls a¹ of the
trough folded down flat, so that the flanges a² are close together, and Fig. 3 shows
the squares of glass in position, the flanges a² of lead being dressed down upon the
squares of glass so as to prevent them from rising.
Figures 4 and 5 shew the mode of applying the lead when it is desired to form
gutters beneath the glass for carrying off any moisture or water that may work
under the lead flanges and round the edges of the glass. The bottom a of the
trough of lead A in this case is made of greater width than the rafter B to which
it is to be applied, and the double thickness of lead (obtained by folding the walls a¹
of the trough down flat at either side) is bent up to form vertical ridges a³ to receivo
the squares of glass D, after which the flanges a³ of lead are dressed down upon the
glass in the manner above described.

page_text: It will thus be seen that gutters x, x, are formed underneath the edges of the
squares of glass, which gutters will serve to carry off any water which may work
under the flanges of lead and around the edges of the glass.
In applying my mode of securing glass to rafters or sash bars made of iron
instead of wood I prefer to employ rafters of T-shape, such as those shewn in
section at Figures 6 and 7.
In this case also I form the bottom a of the trough of lead A of a greater width
than the top of the T-shaped rafter, and secure the lead thereto by bending the
double thickness of lead so as to partially embrace the outer side of the top of the
T-shaped rafter, as shewn at a', Figures 6 and 7.
After the glass-is-placed-in-position on the double thickness of lead the flanges a³
of lead are dressed down upon the squares of glass in the manner above explained.
I am thus enabled to hold down the glass securely upon the iron T-shaped rafters
without requiring the use of nails, putty, or cement.
By this system of securing glass in position the necessity for using clips to
support the individual squares of glass is avoided, as the flange of lead or other
soft metal is of sufficient ductility to allow of its following closely the face of the
glass, and thereby binding the square tightly together, forming practically a
weather-proof joint.
I have found that sheet lead weighing two pounds to the square foot is the best
adapted for ordinary glazing, but for thick glass lead of greater weight should be
employed.
The nails or screws-which-hold-the-lead-in place upon the wooden rafters or
sash bars will be hidden from sight, and an ornamental character may be imparted
to the outside of the lead flanges by beading or otherwise.
The necessity for external paint for preservation will be entirely avoided, as no
woodwork need be exposed to the action of the weather, and the cost of internal
painting will be reduced, as that process may be completed before the glazing is
commenced. In re-painting also less time is required, owing to the fold of lead
making a break between the woodwork and the glass.
The cost of joiner's work for the construction of the building or lights will be
considerably lessened, as nothing but square or rectangular material will be required,
all rebating being avoided.
Having now set forth the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements in
the Mode of Securing Glass in Skylights and Roofs of Greenhouses, and similar
Structures," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
The mode of securing glass in skylights, roofs of greenhouses, and similar
structures, substantially as above described, that is, by the employment of strips of
sheet lead or other soft metal moulded or pressed into a trough-shaped form, and
applied as shown in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.