Year: 1886

page_text: I, ROBERT STEVENS of Bromley, Kent, Horticultural Builder do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to a cheap and effective method of dry glasing which
I desire to be known by the name of "Invicta" and which may be described as
follows:-
In order to carry into effect my improved system of dry glazing I provide
girders of iron or other suitable material and place them at suitable distances
apart so as to form a frame. To girders aforesaid I now fix purlins at suitable
distances apart, said purlins being grooved on under side of front edge for the
purpose hereinafter referred to, thus forming the framework on which to rest
the glass.
I now secure the glass to the purlins aforementioned by means of metal clips
and vulcanised india rubber in the following manner.
I take a narrow strip of fluted or corrugated glass or inetal and place it on the
under side of two sheets or squares of glass longitudinally from end to end of their
joint and directly under same. The two pieces of glass and strip of corrugated
glass or metal are now all joined together effectually at their lower end by a
metal clamp or clip and an india rubber roller. To effect this I cover the lower
edge of joint with a small piece of sheet lead and adjust my clamp or clip and
vulcanised india rubber roller over the glass where the edges meet. The vulcanised
india rubber roller is first placed across the joint of the two pieces of glass on
their upper surface and the clamp or clip which fits loosely without the said roller
is now pressed forward. The under part of clamp or clip is close up to the
lead on corrugated glass or metal on under side and the upper part of clamp
depresses the india rubber roller which is rolled underneath by the pressure and
serves to tightly bind the whole together. The strip of fluted or corrugated glass
or metal on the underside is intended to carry off any water that may permeate
through the joint of the two sheets or squares of glass. The grooves afore-
mentioned on underside of front edge of purlins are for the purpose of admitting
the upper ends of glass not provided with clips, and the clips have each a flange
by which they are screwed or otherwise fastened to the purlins as the squares of
glass are fixed.

page_text: It will be seen from this description that every piece of glass is firmly fixed
by my method and can readily be replaced when broken without skilled labour.
Moreover the whole structure is rendered so portable that a large area of glass
can be put up and taken down in a few hours. Owing to its portability my
invention may be described as a glass tent and it is suitable for greenhouses of
all kinds, lawn conservatories, roofs of railway stations, exhibitions, skylights, &c.
There is great saving of material in this my invention as all the parts may be
taken down and used again elsewhere.
Old and disused roofs may be covered by my system at a small cost, and no
other system is more adapted for temporary buildings. By this my invention all
outside painting is dispensed with. By my invention a condensation bar is
provided by placing the purlins at an angle on the girders instead of laying them
Hat on same. If preferred, in the groove of purlin I.affix a strip of india rubber
similar to draught excluders, shaped to prevent the glass shaking.

page_text: I, ROBERT STEVENS, of Bromley in the county of Kent, Horticultural Builder
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:-
My improvements relate to a cheap and effective method of dry glazing; which
I desire to be known by the name of "Invicta," and which may be described as
follows:-
In order to carry into effect my improved system of dry glazing, I provide
girders of T iron or other suitable material and place them at suitable distances
apart so as to form a frame. To girders aforesaid I now fix purlins at suitable
distances apart, said purlins being grooved on underside of front edge for the
purpose hereinafter referred to, thus forming the framework on which to rest the
glass. I now secure the glass to the purlins aforementioned by means of metal
clips and vulcanised india rubber in the following manner.
Wedge shaped recesses are cut in the purlins on their top side being deepest at
the front edge of purlin, and wedge shaped recesses are likewise cut on the under-
side of purlins the reverse way to those on the top side.
The recesses on the under side of purlin are placed at suitable distances apart
and are intended to admit the girders. By this means the purlins lie at an angle
on the girders. The recesses on the top side of purlins are placed at suitable
distances apart and each recess on the top side is sub-cut with another recess.
I now take a small strip of sheet lead and place it endwise in the sub-cut of recess
where it secured by a tack or screw. I also take a narrow strip of corrugated or
fluted glass or metal and place it in the recess on upper side of-parlin one end
projects a short distance below the purlin and the other end enters a groove cut on
the underside of front edge of the next adjacent higher purlin. Two squares of
glass of the same length as the corrugated or fluted glass or metal before referred
to are now placed on the top of said fluted or corrugated glass or metal their edges
meeting in the middle of same, their lowef ends projecting below the purlin and
their upper ends entering the groove on underside of front edge of the next
adjacent higher purlin.
.
The strip of sheet lead which projects beyond the lower ends of the glass is now
bent over the edges and on to the top surface of the squares of glass at their joint.
The two squares of glass and strip of corrugated or fluted glass or metal aro
now all joined together effectually by a metal clamp or clip and a vulcanized
india rubber roller or short piece of india rubber tubing. To effect this I adjust
my clamp or clip and vulcanised india rubber roller over the glass where the edges
meet. The vulcanised india rubber roller is first placed across the joint of the two
pieces of glass on their upper surface, and the clamp or clip which fits loosely
without the said roller is now pressed forward. The under part of clamp or clip
..J

page_text: 18 Close up to
Tead
corrugated glass or metal оп under side and me
upper part of clamp depresses the india rubber roller or tubing which is rolled
underneath by the pressure and serves to tightly bind the whole together. The
clamps have each a flange by which they are screwed or otherwise fastened to the
purlins as the squares of glass are fixed.
The strip of lead may be extended and brought over the edge of clamp or clip
in order to protect the india rubber roller, and, in the case of temporary buildings
the said strip of lead, being screwed at one end to the purlin will prove sufficient
to hold the squares of glass and corrugated glass or metal thereto, so that it is
sometimes unnecessary to attach the clamp or clip to the purlin for that purpose.
By means of the recesses on upper side of purlins, condensation is allowed for,
as the corrugated or fluted glass or metal fills up the recess and the squares of glass
coming on the top of same only touch the outside edge of purlin and leave a
wedge shaped aperture between the purlin and glass and inside the house or
structure. The vapour that collects on the underside of sheets of glass thus per-
meates through the wedge shaped aperture and runs off on to outside of the next
lower layer of glass.
1. The strip of corrugated or fluted glass or metal is intended to carry off any
water that may permeate through the joint of the two sheets or squares of glass.
In order to hold the squares of glass firmly in the grooves on underside of front
edge of purlins I place on the edge of glass at suitable distances apart short strips
of india rubber similar to draught excluders shaped to prevent the glass from
shaking, or short pieces of india rubber tubing split up so that they clip on to the
glass; and the glass being then pressed into the groove, said india rubber clips
prevent all vibration or "chattering."
It will be seen from this description that every piece of glass is firmly fixed by
my method and can readily be replaced when broken without skilled labour.
Moreover the whole structure is rendered so portable that a large area of glass can
be put up and taken down in a few hours. Owing to its portability my invention
may be described as a glass tent and it is suitable for greenhouses of all kinds,
lawn conservatories, roofs of railway stations, exhibitions, skylights, &c.
There is great saving of material in this my invention as all the parts may
be taken down and used again elsewhere. Old and disused roofs may be covered
by my system at a small cost, and no other system is more adapted for temporary
buildings.
By this my invention all outside painting is dispensed with.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood and explained in
detail I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings on which letters of reference
are marked on corresponding parts of all the figs. alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a glass house erected according to my system and
shewing the clips binding the squares of glass together.
Fig. 2 is a section of a span house shewing the relative positions of the girders,
purlins, glass and clips.
.
Fig. 3 is a plan view shewing two squares of glass in groove of purlin at one
end and resting over another purlin at other end, also clamp or clip binding
them together and the corrugated or fluted glass or metal placed under the joint of
squares of glass.
Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of my dry glazing shewing purlin resting at an
angle on girder and also shewing, by means of the recess an upper side of purlin,
how the corrugated or fluted glass or metal rests in said recess and how the squares
of glass coming on top, allow for condensation by leaving an aperture between
said squares of glass and the purlin. The strip of lead is also represented here
tacked to purlin and overlapping the glass and the clip is shewn clamping the

page_text: whole together by means of india rubber roller and also being screwed to purlin.
The upper end of squares of glass and narrow strip of corrugated or fluted glass
or metal are here shewn together in wide portion of groove on underside of front
edge of purlin.
Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 with the exception that the strip of lead is
here made to overlap the edge of clamp in order to protect the india rubber roller,
also shewing a square of glass firmly fixed in narrow part of groove of purlin by
means of india rubber clip, also shewing that the screw may be dispensed with to
fix the clamp to purlin.
Fig. 6 represents a portion of a purlin shewing the wedge shaped recess and
showing the sub cut to admit the lead also showing on under side of front edge
the groove to admit the upper part of squares of glass and corrugated or fluted
glass or metal.
Fig. 7 represents a portion of a purlin shewing the recess or underside where it
is placed on the girder.
Fig. 8 is a plan view shewing the strip of lead secured at one end in the sub cut
of recess on upper side of purlin also shewing said lead projecting beyond the
squares of glass and ready to be turned over on same.
Fig. 9 gives a front and side elevation of the metal clamp or clip used for
building the glass and corrugated or fluted glass or metal together.
Fig. 10 shews the roller intended to be used for inserting between upper part of
clamp and the glass.
Fig. 11. shews the short piece of split india rubber tubing intended to serve as
clip for placing on edge of glass before inserting in the groove of purlin.
Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show the different forms of corrugated or fluted glass and
metal which I prefer to use under the joint of the squares of glass for the purpose
of carrying off any water that may permeate said joint.
In these Figs. a is the metal clamp or clip for binding the glass and corrugated or
fluted glass or metal together; b the girders; c the purlins, a shews the recess cut
on upper side of purlin in which the corrugated or fluted glass or metal rests; e is
the sub cut in said recess for admitting the strip of sheet lead; f is the recess on
underside of purlin and into which the girders take, g is the groove for admitting
the ends of glass and corrugated or fluted glass or metal not provided with
clamps; h are the squares of glass and i the corrugated or fluted glass or metal
placed under joint of same; ; is the india rubber roller or tubing placed between
clamp and upper surface of glass; le is the lead placed at one end in the sub cut of
recess on upper side of purlin and with its other end bent over the glass and shews
the short piece of rubber tubing split for the purpose of placing on end of glass
for holding same firmly in groove of purlin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The metal clamp or clip a together with the vulcanised india rubber roller
or tubing and lead / for binding the glass and corrugated or fluted glass or metal
together substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth, described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2nd The corrugated or fluted glass or metal i placed under joint of squares
of glass for the purpose of carrying off any water that may permeate said joint
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, described and illustrated
in the drawings annexed.
3rd The wide and narrow groove g in purlin for the purpose of admitting the
upper ends of glass not provided with the metal clamps or clips also the small
india rubber clips for holding the glass firmly fixed in said grooves substantially
as and for the purposes herein before set forth, described and illustrated in the
drawings annexed.

page_text: 4th The method of forming condensation bars by cutting a recess f on the lower
.side of purlin where it comes in contact with girder b and by cutting a recess d on
the upper side of purlin c where the narrow strip of corrugated or fluted glass or
metal rests substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, described
and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
5th The construction and general arrangement of my "Improvements in Dry
Glazing" substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, set forth
and illustrated in the drawings annexed.