IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING ROOFS FOR HOT-HOUSES, WARE-HOUSES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, in the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING ROOFS FOR HOT-HOUSES, WARE-HOUSES, AND
OTHER STRUCTURES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
USEFUL PURPOSES." A communication from Friedrich August Prassler, of
Hamburg, in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1880.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING ROOFS FOR HOT-
HOUSES, WARE-HOUSES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES." A communication from Friedrich
August Prassler, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to roofing for hot-houses, ware-houses, school rooms, out
buildings, and for other structures and purposes. The roof consists of a number of
sashes or frames constructed of zinc, wood, iron, or other suitable material, which
frames may be glazed in putty or be otherwise covered. The different frames are
placed stair-like one above the other, and are guided on rods or beams of the
framework of the roof. The uppermost frame or sash is suspended on bolts or
hinges, which allow of this sash having an up and down motion, whilst the
undermost frame or sash is furnished with rollers by means of which it rests and
is guided upon rods or rails of the framework of the structure. This lower frame
or sash can by means of a cord or chain be pulled upward in direction towards the
top of the roof and be brought under the next sash or frame, in which position it
is arrested by projecting arms or rollers fastened to the hinder end of the upper
sash. When the pulling is further continued the two sashes are moved together
and are brought underneath the third frame or sash, and in such manner all the
different frames can be pulled upward and can be brought underneath the
uppermost sash, which latter has, according to the thickness of the sashes and the

page_text: number thereof, automatically been turned or lifted more or less on the bolts of
the framework to which it has been hinged as before described. As by this
construction any number of the sashes can be lifted or pulled upward, the roof of
the structure can for purposes of ventilating, lighting, and so forth be more or
less opened as required.
Any length of roofing can according to this Invention be constructed by placing
one set of sliding sashes along side of the other, and by moving each set alone or
several sets together by cords or chains. Underneath the edges of two adjacent
sets of sashes a gutter is placed, and the frames or sashes may be furnished with
side plates reaching downward into the gutter to prevent any rain or water from
coming into the covered part of the building from above.
Roofs after this construction may also be erected as sheds, and be hinged to a
wall or framework without the requirement of a structure underneath.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th November 1880.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING ROOFS FOR HOT-
HOUSES, WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES." A communication from Friedrich
August Prassler, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to roofing for hot-houses, warehouses, school rooms, out-
buildings, and for other structures and purposes.
The roof consists of a number of sashes or frames constructed of zinc, wood, iron, or
other suitable material, which frames may be glazed in putty or be otherwise covered.
The different frames are placed stair-like one above the other, and are guided on
rods or beams of the framework of the roof. The uppermost frame or sash is
suspended on bolts or hinges, which allow of this sash having an up and down
motion, whilst the undermost frame or sash is furnished with rollers by means of
which it rests and is guided upon rods or rails of the framework of the structure.
This lower frame or sash can by means of a cord or chain be pulled upward in
direction towards the top of the roof and be brought under the next sash or
frame, in which position it is arrested by projecting arms or rollers fastened to the
hinder end of the upper sash. When the pulling is further continued the two
sashes are moved together and are brought underneath the third frame or sash,
and in such manner all the different frames can be pulled upward and can be
brought underneath the uppermost sash, which latter has, according to the thickness
of the sashes and the number thereof, automatically been turned or lifted more
or less on the bolts of the framework to which it has been hinged as before
described. As by this construction any number of the sashes can be lifted or
pulled upward, the roof of the structure can for purposes of ventilating, lighting,
and so forth be more or less opened as required.
Any length of roofing can according to this Invention be constructed by placing
one set of sliding sashes along-side of the other, and by moving each set alone or
several sets together by cords or chains. Underneath the edges of two adjacent
sets of sashes a gutter is placed, and the frames or sashes may be furnished with
side plates reaching downward into the gutter to prevent any rain or water from
coming into the covered part of the building from above.
Roofs after this construction may also be erected as sheds and be hinged to a
wall or framework without the requirement of a structure underneath.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is represented the construction of a
roof formed of two sets of sliding sashes; Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of
the roof when fully closed or shut, whilst Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the roof
when fully opened; Fig. 3 is a front view showing one set of sashes lowered and
this part of the roof fully closed, whilst the other set is fully drawn up and this
part of the roof opened; Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent details of the frames and
connecting parts of same.
A, B, C, D, are the different frames placed step-like one above the other, and
of which, according to the width of the roof, one or more sets may be placed beside
each other. Fig. 3 shows a roof with two sets of frames. Each frame rests in
closed position of the roof with its upper end on beams H of the structure, and
with its lower end on top of the lower neighbouring frame, in which position the
frames are kept by bars a. The lowest frame of each set is at its bottom end
furnished with supporting rollers m by means of which it rests on rail 8, and can
The uppermost frame of
by a cord or chain p be moved upward or downward.

page_text: each set is furnished with rings or hooks r which catch over rods o fastened to the
structure. These rings or hooks keep the whole mechanism to the structure.
For opening the roof the lowest frame A is by pulling chain p drawn under
frame B until bar a of A pushes against catches i of i. By further pulling
cord p, A and B together are shifted underneath the frame C, and ultimately all
frames come underneath D, which latter raises accordingly, as is shown by Fig. 2
of the Drawings.
For preventing the frames from coming out of position, sideway arms t or bent
pieces of sheet iron or the like are used, which are fastened to the lower end of
each frame, and which arms or pieces catch the edges of each adjacent frame.
For preventing rain or water from entering the closed roof, or part of the roof,
on the top of the roofing a turnable covering plate v is employed, as is shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawing, whilst sideway gutters are attached to the structure
into which rain and water is led by means of bent parts of sheet, as is shown in
Fig. 3 of the Drawing.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim,―
The construction of sliding-roofs from one or more set of frames, which frames
can be shifted, one underneath the adjacent frame of the corresponding set, whilst
the uppermost frame of each set is attached to the structure and supports the
roofing, herein set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
T TT Th TNAT