Improvements in Roofing Tiles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1839
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roofing Tiles.
I, LORENZ BECKER, of 11, Genna, Letmathe, Westphalia, in the Empire of
Germany, Slater, 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:—
it is a well known fact that in the roof coverings hitherto used, it was not
possible to remove in an efficient manner the damp air formed, in consequence
of climatic changes, under the roofing; a defect which is very serious, especially
in the case of jerry or cheap built houses or out buildings, sheds and even
private dwelling houses, as the victuals stored immediately below the roof suffered
in consequence and became musty or mouldy to such an extent as to become
useless and even dangerous. This defect was due to the imperfect access
and circulation of air below the outer roof covering, whether the latter consisted
of tiles or slates, and also to the deficient or imperfect removal of the per-
colating water. The latter is the result of the dew or mist settling on the
inner side of the different tiles and trickling usually along the roof planks,
which accordingly remain wet nearly throughout the year, whenever the weather
continues to be- rainy. Attempts have been hitherto made to arrange an exit
for this percolating water, by forming notches in the outermost flange of the
parallel tiles used for the roof covering, but this arrangement had the defect
that whenever snow storms, or heavy rains occurred, the snow or the rain entered
through these notches and thus increased the nuisance. But even in a general
way, this arrangement did not fulfil its object, as owing to the tiles being always
inclined on one side, the water did not escape through these notches, but trickled
down on one side and eventually oozed on to the roof planks.
This invention has for its object an arrangement of parallel flanged tiles
which thoroughly remedy the defects above set forth, as the notches aforesaid
are replaced by ventilating ducts or channels which are fully covered over, being
formed within the material of the tile and the percolating water being collected
in a special curved gutter communicating with the said ventilating channels
or ducts.
This arrangement is shown by way of example in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accom-
panying drawings and is constructed in the following manner, that is to say:-
Between the first and the last dovetailing flanges a and b of the broad side of
the tile are formed two or more channels c which are arranged in the material
of the tile so as to open out or debouch at the end of the tile on the one
hand and to communicate with the spot on the other hand, these channels
leading all the permeating or percolating water directly into the discharge
gutter or culvert e. The end of the tile is moreover provided with a small
duct f limited at both sides by the flange and the rib g. This duct or channel f
is curved in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the channels c debouch therein
at the lowest part of the same. The air can escape through the channels c
and through Z into the atmosphere in the direction shown by the arrows in
Fig. 3.
The percolating water which accumulates on the inner side Z* of the

page_text: tile Z runs at Z³ into the channel or gutter f and passes through the channels c
in order to reach the culverts c. Neither snow nor can rain enter the channels c
as these are fully enclosed in and surrounded by the material of the tile,
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:
An arrangement of parallel flanged tiles characterized by the formation of a
number of channels or gutters c running below the coupling flanges of the wide side
of the tiles, for the purpose of providing for the removal of the underlying air
and of the percolating water, these channels c communicating on the one hand
with a curved collecting gutter (g, f.) for the percolating water formed at the
front end of the tile and with the outer culvert e of the same tile on the other
hand.
Dated this 28th day of July 1800
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER.
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applicant.