CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE COVERS FOR HAY OR CORN RICKS OR ANY OTHER COLLECTION OF GOODS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I LOUIS ADRIEN COUTEAU of Léouville in the Republic of France, gentleman-
farmer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for CERTAIN NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE COVERS FOR HAY
OR CORN RICKS OR ANY OTHER COLLECTION OF GOODS and in what manner the
Bame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My Invention relates to a new or improved method of constructing temporary
shelters for hay or corn ricks or any kind of goods, matters or materials which it
may be desirable to protect from rain, frost, or inclement weather quickly, easily
and economically. It consists of a roofing composed substantially of metallic plates
or pannels, and of metal rafters preferably made of galvanized sheet iron, the
rafters being furnished with hooks and rings to enable them to be hung or fastened
one to the other, and to support the plates furnished for this purpose with notches
in which the hooks are placed as illustrated in the annexed Drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a, roof constructed according to my
Invention, Fig. 1 bis is a full view of the roof, Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are
detail views of the different parts constituting this roof.
In these Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Each rafter A is cut out of a sheet of a suitable metal, sheet iron preferably and is
afterwards galvanized; its longitudinal edges are turned up so as to form a
channel B for conducting the water which might get in between the superposed
edges of the plates or pannels. Each rafter is furnished at its lower end with two
hooks fixed, one C below, the other D above, in the middle of the channel B, its
upper end is furnished with a flat ring E. The rafters intended to be placed at
the top of the mass to be protected are furnished with (instead of this ring)
a loop or ring F, fixed vertically at the end in the middle of the channel B,
and with a hook G, fixed below this loop or ring F. This modification
serves to establish the ridge, and join together the upper edges of the two
inclined surfaces of the roof. Each plate or pannel H is, like the rafters,
cut out from a sheet of suitable metal, sheet iron preferably, galvanized
afterwards, and preferably square in shape, and its upper and lower edges are
furnished with notches I near its four corners. The plates and rafters may be
made of different sizes, but it is desirable to have rafters of different lengths, and

page_text: plates of greater or less width, in one and the same series, so as to construct roofs
corresponding to the surface of the mass to be protected.
To construct the roof, the rafters which is intended to place at the top of the
mass to be protected are hooked each side, on the two inclined surfaces of this mass by
means of their hook G to an iron bar J J¹ placed along the ridge at the top of this
mass. This bar consists of solid and tubular sections J J¹, the ends of the solid
sections J being inserted in the ends of the tubular sections J¹ so as to lengthen as
may be required. The lower ends of the upper rafters are afterwards fitted in the
upper ends of the lower ones, the latter being hung by their rings E to the hooks C
of the rafters immediately above them. The plates or pannels H are then placed
ledging one under the other, from the bottom upwards, the two notches I of their
lower edge, astride the rafter hooks D, by means of which they are supported, and
the two notches I of the upper edge receiving the hooks D of the rafters immediately
above. The other rows of plates or pannels are placed successively from the
bottom to the top in the same manner, their lateral edge on one side, ledging on the
corresponding edge of the adjoining plate.
To complete the ridge, a ridging L is used, also cut out of sheet iron, galvanized
afterwards, this is placed astride the iron bar J J¹. This ridging is formed of
several sections which are put in position, the ends superposed; each section is
furnished, at certain distances, with eyelets or oblong holes M corresponding with
the upper rafter loops or rings F which are passed through these holes, and which
receive crescent shaped cotters N to keep this ridging in position.
To prevent the roofing from being carried away by the wind, its lower part is
kept down by means of weights O, furnished with long loops by means of which
they are hung from distance to distance, to an iron bar P formed in sections, solid
and tubular, like those of the ridging, and supported by the hooks of the lower
rafters. To fix and maintain more securely these weights, when the mass to be
protected is penetrable, fasteners R, which consist of a spiral spring, with a knob,
may be used, the said springs being passed through the loop of the weight, and
screwed into the mass to be protected.
In order to ensure better protection of the lower part of the mass from dampness,
a gutter may be suspended to the iron bar sustaining the weights, in order to
catch the water coming from the roofing; if the inclined surfaces of the roof do not
reach down to the ground, the vertical sides may be protected in the same manner,
but the edge pannels, joining the pannels of the principal roof, are cut out in
such manner as to fit in with the triangular shape of these ends, and the joints are
covered by the same kind of ridge as is placed on the top of the mass.
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 in the construction of portable roofings for affording temporary
protection, the channelled, looped and hooked rafters A, notched pannels H, solid
and tubular iron bars J J', slotted ridge L, crescent shaped cotters N, looped
weights O, and the combination of the whole of these parts substantially as above
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.