IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTI- CULTURAL PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edgcumbe Rendle, of No. 68,
Welbeck
Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, Librarian,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTI-
CULTURAL PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 8th November 1870, and dated the 11th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edgcumlje
Rendle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th May 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDGOUMBE RENDLE, of No. 68, Welbeck Street, Caven-
dish Square, in the County of Middlesex, Librarian, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED STRUCTURES
FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 27th
January 1868 (No. 279), improved structures for horticultural purposes
were described, in which the several sheets or panes of glass of a
sloping glass roof were retained in place by their upper and lower edges
being slid into grooves at the top of the back and front walls respec-

page_text: tively of the structure. I now form the grooves in which the upper
edges of the sheets of glass are received deeper than the grooves in
which the lower edges of the glass are received, by this means each
sheet of glass can quickly be removed by sliding it upwards until its
lower edge is free from the groove in which it previously lay, so that
by raising the lower edge of the sheet of glass, and then drawing it
downwards the glass may be drawn out from the upper and deeper
groove. Lean-to roofs and double span roofs may both be constructed
in this manner, the deep grooves for receiving the upper edges of the
glass in a span roof being formed in a longitudinal ridge piece, which
may be of wood or other material; roofs of any desired length may
be so constructed. Fern cases and such-like plant protectors may also
be constructed in this manner.
For forming lean-to and double span roofs where each slope of the
roof is two or more times the length of the sheets of glass with which
it is covered, I receive the lower ends of the upper panes of glass and
the upper ends of the lower panes of glass in grooves or channels
the groove or
formed by sheet metal bent somewhat thus
ਪੀ.
channel a being employed to receive the lower end of the upper panes,
whilst the deeper groove or channel b receives the upper end of the
lower panes of glass. The flat portion c of the bent metal may be
affixed to wooden rafters or supports placed at intervals apart, perfora-
tions may be made at the bottom of the groove a to allow any water
collecting in it to flow away. The upper and lower edges of the upper
and lower sheets of glass, respectively, may similarly be received in
grooves or channels formed in bent sheet metal, or these grooves may
be formed in other material. Portable wall screens may with great
advantage be constructed in this manner, which may readily be fixed
against any wall.
Horticultural structures closed over with roofs, such as above described,
may be made either with or without closed ends, or ends fitted with
sliding shutters or doors may be employed. Span roofs for small houses
and roofs for balconies and windows may be similarly constructed, and
such structures can be heated with hot water, gas lamp, or otherwise.
A long perforated tube of zinc or other material, fitted with a funnel
at one end, may be adapted to such ends for watering the plants within
them, water being supplied when required into the funnel.

page_text: I also;. according to my Invention, form small circular square or ovaľ
hand glasses or plant protectors,. covered over with a sloping pane of
glass, the sides being made in one piece of earthenware. The front
side is made lower than the back and a groove is formed in each, so
that a sheet of glass can be slid into them to cover over the space en-
closed by the plant protector. For the purpose of ventilating the
interior of such plant protectors I form holes or perforations through
them, which holes or perforations. may when required. be closed with
cork or wood wedges or be otherwise closed..
In constructing double span roofs I also in some cases cause the
upper edges of the glass to rest against a ridge piece formed with
sloping sides thus,
this ridge piece is, by preference, of wood
and is supported at intervals, if desired, on posts resting on or driven
into the ground, and to prevent the glass on each side of the-ridge piece
from rising up, I place over the upper edge of the sheets of glass a
cap or cover plate, which may be. secured to the ridge piece by screws
or turn buttons or otherwise, or they might be hinged to the ridge piece.
The upper edge of the sheets of glass of a lean-to roof might similarly
be secured from rising up in place of slipping them into a groove..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Edgcumbe Rendle in the Great. Seal
Patent Office on the 10th November 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDGCUMBE RENDLE, of No. 68, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Librarian, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edgcumbe Rendle, Her special.
licence that I, the said William Edgcumbe Rendle, my executors, ad,
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William. Edgcumbe
Rendle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.

page_text: after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edgcumbe
Rendle, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edgcumbe Rendle, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 27th
January 1868 (No. 279), improved structures for horticultural purposes
were described, in which the several sheets or panes of glass of a sloping
glass roof were retained in place by their upper and lower edges being
slid into grooves at the top of the back and front walls respectively of
the structure. I now form the grooves in which the upper edges of the
sheets of glass are received deeper than the grooves in which the lower
edges of the glass are received, by this means each sheet of glass can
quickly be removed by sliding it upwards until its lower edge is free
from the groove in which it previously lay, so that by raising the lower
edge of the sheet of glass and then drawing it downwards the glass may
be drawn out from the upper and deeper groove. Roofs of any desired
length may be so constructed.
Fern cases and such-like plant protectors may also be constructed in
the manner above described, so that the glass may be quickly taken out
'and replaced.
At Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed is shown a perspective
'view of a plant protector formed of bricks grooved in the manner above
described to receive the glass. An end view of the upper grooved brick
of the form I prefer is shown at Figure 2, and an end view of the lowèr
grooved brick of the form I prefer is shown at Figure 3. As will be
seen the groove in the upper brick is deeper than the groove in the
lower brick, so that by moving upwards any of the panes of glass the

page_text: lower edge of such pane can be freed from the groove in the lower brick,
and can be then readily withdrawn from the upper brick. In some
cases each back and front brick may have two grooves formed in it, one
below the other, so that a double covering of glass may be employed
when required in the manner shown at Figure 1*, each groove in the back
bricks being deeper than the grooves in the front bricks as above
described.
Also, according to my Invention, I make the upper brick in two parts
as shown at Figure 4, one part a for the glass to rest on, the other part b
to form a cap piece to prevent the glass from rising. The piece a may
cither be formed separately as shown at Figure 4, or may project up
from a lower brick as shown at Figure 4*. The cap pieces are simply
held in place by their own weight. When the upper brick is thus
made all the glass can very quickly be removed by first lifting away the
cap pieces b, or any single pane of glass can be taken out in the manner
before described. The lower-bricks may also with great advantage bo
notched out in the manner shown at c, so that with the finger the glass
can be removed or shifted at pleasure. The upper bricks may also be
similarly notched as shown at c*.
Another part of my Invention consists in constructing span roof plant
protectors with a longitudinal ridge piece, having grooves formed in it to
receive the upper edges of the sheets of glass, whilst the lower edges
are received in grooves formed in side walls which may be of brick or
other material; by preference I form them of grooved bricks, such as
shown at Figure 3. A perspective view of a span roof so constructed
is shown at Figure 5. In this Figure a is the ridge piece formed by
preference of grooved tiles resting on a wooden platform, supported at
intervals on the top of uprights driven into the ground at any desired
distance apart from one another; one of these grooved tiles is shown
separately at Figure 5*; 6 are the grooved bricks forming the side walls,
and ċ the sheets of glass. The grooves in the ridge piece are mado
deeper than the grooves in the bricks, so that any of the panes of glass
may be readily taken out in the manner above described.
In constructing double span roofs, I also, according to my Invention,
cause the upper edges of the glass in some cases to rest against a ridge
piece formed with sloping sides, this ridge piece is by preference of
wood, and is supported at intervals on posts resting on or driven into the

page_text: ground, and to prevent the glass on each side of the ridge piece from rising
up, I place over the upper edge of the sheets of glass a cap or cover plate
which may be secured to the ridge piece by screws or turn buttons or
otherwise, or they might be hinged to the ridge piece. The upper edge
of the sheets of glass of a lean-to roof might similarly be secured from
rising up in place of slipping them into a groove.
A sectional view of a plant protector formed with a double span roof
constructed in the manner above described is shown at Figure 6. In
the arrangement shown in this Figure the cap or cover plate is formed
of bent sheet metal and is secured to the ridge piece by turn buttons.
As before stated cap or cover plates might be hinged to the ridge
piece or might be otherwise secured to it.
For forming lean-to and double span roofs where each slope of the
roof is two or more times the length of the sheets of glass with which
it is covered, I receive the lower ends of the upper panes of glass and
the upper ends of the lower panes of glass in grooves or channels formed
by sheet metal bent in the manner shown at Figures 7, the groove or
channel a being employed to receive the lower end of the upper panes
whilst the deeper groove or channel 6 receives the upper end of the
lower panes of glass. The flat portion c of the bent metal may be
affixed to wooden rafters or supports placed at intervals apart, perforations
may be made at the bottom of the groove a to allow any water collecting
in it to flow away. The upper and lower edges of the upper and lower
sheets of glass respectively may similarly be received in grooves or
channels formed in bent sheet metal or these grooves may be formed
in other material. Portable wall screens may with great advantage be
constructed in this manner which may readily be fixed against any
wall.
Horticultural structures closed over with roofs such as above described
may be made either with or without closed ends, or ends fitted with
sliding shutters or doors may be employed. Span roofs for small houses
and roofs for balconies and windows may be similarly constructed, and
such structures can be heated with hot water or gas lamp or otherwise.
A wall screen constructed as above described is shown in perspective
at Figure 8 of the Drawings hereunto annexed. In this Figure a are
the strips of metal bent in the manner shown at Figure 7; b, b, arc
sloping supports of wood to which they are fixed.
These supports at

page_text: their lower end are secured to a wooden board, on the upper edge of
which is a strip of metal bent as shown; to form a trough to receive the
lower edges of the bottom panes of glass the upper edges of the upper-
most panes of glass are similary received in a trough formed of bent
metal, the upper ends of the uprights can be secured to the wall in any
suitable manner.
At Figure 9 is shown a span roof plant protector, where each slope of
the roof is twice the length of the sheets of glass employed, and where
the lower ends of the upper panes of glass and the upper ends of the
lower panes of glass, are secured in channels or grooves formed in sheet
metal, such as galvanized iron or zinc, bent to a form similar to that
shown at Figure 7. The bent metal supports are marked a, a, in Figure
9; they are carried by uprights placed at intervals in the same manner
as the ridge piece is supported. Two perspective views of vineries, or
orchard houses where the upper and lower edges of the several sheets
of glass are received in troughs of sheet metal bent in the manner before
described, are shown at Figures 10 and 11. These bent metal troughs
may be secured at intervals to wooden supports, as in the wall screen
shown at Figure 8.
I also, according to my Invention, form small circular, square, or oval
hand glasses or plant protectors covered over with a sloping pane of
glass, the sides being made in one piece of earthenware. The front side
is made lower than the back and a groove is formed in each, so that a
sheet of glass can be slid into them to cover over the space enclosed by
the plant protector. For the purpose of ventilating the interior of such
plant protectors I form holes or perforations through them, which holes
or perforations may, when required, be closed with cork or wood wedges
or bo otherwise closed.
At Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are shown various forms of plant
protectors constructed in one piece of earthenware, with holes formed
through the front and back sides for ventilation, and covered at the top
by a sloping pane of glass, which can be slid in sidewise into grooves, as
above described. Small plant protectors made in this manner are of
great service when used for raising seed or as propagators, the most
perfect ventilation is secured by the holes at the front, back, and sides;
these perforations can be stopped up if necessary with common corks.
The glass covering can also be readily slid sidewise in and out of its

page_text: grooves and can readily be removed either entirely or partially to give
extra ventilation.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edgcumbe Rendle, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Wч. EDGCUMBE RENDLE. (L.S.)

page_text: RENDLE'S DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION.
Filed 19th February 1881.
In the Matter of the Letters Patent granted to William Edgcumbe Rendle,
of No. 68, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Librarian, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED STRUCTURES
FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES," bearing date 11th day of May 1870,
No. 1349
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said William Edgcumbe Rendle pursuant to the statutes in that
case made and provided.
WHEREAS since the filing of the Specification of the said Letters Patent I have
found that certain of the improvements described in the Specification are not of
sufficient importance to induce me any longer to retain them within the Patent,
and that the claims as made are too wide, and include more than is intended to be
claimed as the Invention for which the said Letters Patent were granted:
And whereas I wish to limit the Invention retained within the Patent to the
parts and structures described in my said Specification and illustrated in Figures 7,
8, 9, 10, 11, of the Drawing, wherein the system of glazing described in the said
Specification is applied to glazed structures of a height greater than the height of
the sheets or panes of glass with which they are glazed, I, for these reasons, wish
to disclaim and strike out from my Specification, and I do hereby disclaim and
strike out from the same the parts commencing with the words "fern cases on
line 29, page 4 of the said Specification, as printed by Her Majesty's Printers, and
ending with the words "secured to it" on line 12, page 6.
Also the parts
commencing with the words "I also on line 20, page 7, and ending with the
words "extra ventilation" on line 2, page 8. And I add to the Specification after
the words "roofs of any desired length may be so constructed ".on lines 27 and 28,
page 4, the words "as hereinafter described and illustrated in the Drawings,
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11,” and I also add at the end of the Specification the words
following:- “In the Sheets of Drawings annexed to my original Specification
"

page_text: And in order that the effect of this Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration
may be clearly seen, I annex a copy of the Specification as it will appear when
such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration is made as aforesaid.
"TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
"EDGCUMBE RENDLE, of No. 68, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County !
" of Middlesex, Librarian, send greeting:―
"
"
"
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
"Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
" thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty third year of Her reign, did
" for Herself Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William 1
Edgcumbe Rendle, Her special license that I, the said William Edgcumbe Rendle,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edgcumbe Rendle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
"the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
"vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and the Isle of Man, an Invention for 'IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZED
“STRUCTURES FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edgecumbe Rendle, my executors or administrators,
"by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
"should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
"in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
" in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
" after the date of the said Letters Patent.
“NOW KNOW YE that I, the said William Edgecume Rendle, do hereby 1
"declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
"statement thereof, that is to say :-
"
"
"In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 27th January 1868
"(No. 279) improved structures for horticultural purposes were described, in which
"the several sheets or panes of glass of a sloping glass roof were retained in place
by their upper and lower edges being slid into grooves at the top of the back
" and front walls respectively of the structure. I now form the grooves in which
"the upper edges of the sheets of glass are received deeper than the grooves in
" which the lower edges of the glass are received. By this means each sheet of
glass can quickly be removed by sliding it upwards until its lower edge is free
"from the groove in which it proviously lay, so that by raising the lower edge of
"the sheet of glass, and then drawing it downwards, the glass may be drawn out
"from the upper and deeper groove. Roofs of any desired length may be so
constructed, as hereinafter described and illustrated in the Drawings, Figures 7, 4
8, 9, 10, and 11.
"
"
"For forming lean-to and double span roofs where each slope of the roof is two
or more times the length of the sheets of glass with which it is covered, I receive
"the lower ends of the upper panes of glass, and the upper ends of the lower panes
." of glass in grooves or channels formed by sheet metal, bent in the manner shewn
"at Figures 7, the groove or channel a being employed to receive the lower end of
"the upper panes, whilst the deeper groove or channel b receives the upper end of
" the lower panes of glass. The flat portion c of the bent metal may be affixed to
"wooden rafters or supports placed at intervals apart; perforations may be made
" at the bottom of the groove a, to allow of any water collecting in it to flow
away. The upper and lower edges of the upper and lower sheets of glass
respectively may similarly be received in grooves or channels formed in bent
"sheet metal, or these grooves may be formed in other material. Portable wall
screens may with great advantage be constructed in this manner, which may
readily be fixed against any wall.
"
"t
"1
"

page_text: * Horticultural structures closed over with roofs, such as above described, may
"be made either with or without closed ends, or ends fitted with sliding shutters
or doors may be employed. Span roofs for small houses and roofs for balconies
"and windows may be similarly constructed, and such structures can be heated
"with hot water, or gas lamp, or otherwise.
"A wall screen constructed as above described is shown in perspective at
Figure 8 of the Drawings hereunto annexed. In this Figure, a are the strips of.
"metal bent in the manner shewn at Figure 7; b, b, are sloping supports of wood,
"to which they are fixed. These supports at their lower end are secured to a
"wooden board, on the upper edge of which is a strip of metal, bent as shown. To
"form a trough to receive the lower edges of the bottom panes of glass, the upper
edges of the uppermost panes of glass are similarily received in a trough formed
"of bent metal. The upper ends of the uprights can be secured to the wall in any
"suitable manner.
"
"At Figure 9 is shewn a span roof plant protector, where each slope of the roof
"is twice the length of the sheets of glass employed, and where the lower ends of
"the upper panes of glass, and the upper ends of the lower panes of glass are
"secured in channels or grooves formed in sheet metal, such as galvanized iron or
"zine bent to a form similar to that shewn at Figure 7. The bent metal supports
are marked a, a, in Figure 9; they are carried by uprights placed at intervals
"in the same manner as the ridge piece is supported. Two perspective views of
"vineries or orchard houses, where the upper and lower edges of the several sheets
"of glass are received in troughs of sheet metal bent in the manner before
"described, are shewn at Figures 10 and 11. These bent metal troughs_may be
"secured at intervals to wooden supports, as in the wall screen shewn at Figure 8.
"In the Sheets of Drawings annexed to my original Specification several
"different structures and parts are shewn, being numbered 1 to 6 and 12 to 16
" inclusive, but to those I make no claim, nor do I claim as of my Invention any
"structures or parts other than those constructed substantially as described in my
"amended Specification, and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edgecumbe Rendle, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 30th day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy eight.
W. EDGCUMBE RENDLE. (LS)
To the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above named William Edgcumbe
Rendle to file in the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with the Specification
to which the same relates, the above written Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration.
Dated this Twelfth day of February. One thousand eight hundred and eighty