Improvements in Frames for Stained Glass Windows or the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Frames for Stained Glass Windows or the like.
I, ADELE LEWIE, Dealer in Glass, of No. 136 East 105th Street, in the City
of New York, County and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :--
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,
wherein,
Figures 1 and 3 are face views of pieces of stained glass connected by means of
the improved frame of my invention.
Figures 2 and 4 are perspective views of said frame;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention;
Figure 6 is a diagram representing the arrangement of parts of the frame;
Figure 7 is a face view showing several pieces of glass united according to my
invention;
Figure 8 is a face view showing where four branches of the frame meet; and
Figure 9 is a partial cross section through one end of the frame; showing the
connection with the flanged cap.
My invention relates to improvements in framing for joining pieces of glass in
stained glass windows or the like. In such structures as heretofore most generally
made strips of grooved lead were employed for joining the pieces of glass, the strips
being applied to the edges of the pieces of glass successively as the entire window
or contrivance was being put together; in other words, it was not possible with
these grooved lead strips to make a framing complete and then afterwards to set
the pieces of glass into said framing. With my invention this is possible and in fact
made exceedingly convenient. I can put my frame together and sell it or ship it
to any desired place to be filled with the pieces of glass, which when in position are
securely held and produce the final effect desired.
To this end my invention mainly consists in combining an upright rib or series of
ribs with separate flanged clamping caps, as hereinafter described. The invention
also consists in sundry other details of improvement that are hereinafter more fully
pointed out.
Figure 5 of the drawing illustrates perhaps most clearly the general principle of
my invention. In this figure the letters a a show two pieces of glass that are to be
joined in my framing. Said framing itself, as appears from Figure 5, consists of a
central upright rib b, which stands between the pieces of glass a a and extends
beyond each face thereof, as clearly shown. One edge of this upright rib b receives
a flanged cap c, whose flanges form resting places for the pieces of glass a a; the
other edge of the rib 6 carries a similar flanged cap c, whose flanges bear also upon
the faces of the pieces of glass as shown. The caps c are joined to the upright
rib b by dents or inward depressions e, which are produced after the cap is put in
place on the rib.
It is my desire to manufacture these frames out of brass or analogous metal
which can be joined by hard soldering, and to construct the frame for shipment or
transport prior to the insertion of the pieces of glass by putting the ribs b, according
to the desired design, into proper relation to one another, soldering them together
with hard solder (at least preferably so) wherever they meet, and to apply the
flanged cap c to one side of the framing thus produced, fastening such cap by said
dents e e, or by analogous means. The other caps for the opposite face of the

page_text: framing I leave loose, and when the framing is ready to receive the glass, it is only
necessary to put the pieces of glass in between the ribs b pre-arranged in proper
relation to one another and to rest them upon the flanges of the caps c that are
already in place; and when the pieces of glass have been thus properly located, the
caps c for the opposite side are put in position on the ribs and clinched fast by the
dents e, whereupon the entire contrivance is finished and ready for display or use
as a window, transom or the like.
It is not necessary that the rib b shall be single; for many purposes it may be
better to make it double. This is clearly shown in Fig. 4; that is, Figure 4
indicates the upright rib b to be made of two separate and practically disconnected
plates; by disconnected meaning that, as long as the caps c, c are not in position,
said plates are not actually attached to one another. This permits me to deflect
one of these plates in one direction, and another in another direction, whereby 1
obtain many advantages in the construction of the frame proper. Thus, in Figure 8,
where I have shown a face view of a corner of my framing-being a corner at
which four branches meet, it will be seen that the portion of each rib that
is at the right, is at the corner bent to the right to enter another length of
frame, while that portion of the same upright rib which is at the left, is at
the corner bent to the left to produce another length of upright rib running in
a different direction from that from which it started. By this arrangement the
framing can be made exceedingly strong and durable. Nor is it necessary to
make said upright rib b out of two separate plates. More than two may be
used. Figure 2 indicates, for example, an arrangement for three such plates to
constitute the central rib, which arrangement, again, permits a still greater
variety of connection and curvature. Speaking of curvature, it is of course
known that in joining pieces of stained glass to produce a work of art or the like,
many curves are frequently necessary, and the plates 6 that constitute my central
rib being unincumbered by flanging of any kind can be readily made to conform to
the specific design desired. This will be understood from an inspection of Figure 7
of the drawing, which shows straight line and curved line portions of framing
joined as they might happen to be in a stained glass window. It is of special
advantage, also, that the caps c, which have the glass supporting flanges d, or
bearing faces, shall be applicable, at least on one side of the frame after the glass
has been put in position, and as a matter of fact the first cap applied is put in place
after the ribs have first been made to conform to the desired design. In order to
adapt the caps c to assume any desired curvature I have scalloped out the flanges d,
as is clearly indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. This scalloping not only produces a
desirable design, but also facilitates the bending of the cap, which would otherwise
become wrinkled at the flanges when bent into a curve. Of course the scallops
indicated may either be of the kind shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or may be more
ornamental, each scallop being, for example, of the form of a trefoil, or of any
desired design, the idea being that by reducing the width of each flange at certain
predetermined intervals, it will be more conveniently bent into a curve and will
also constitute an ornamental appendage to the stained glass window.
A smooth
The formation of the dents e is very clearly indicated in Figure 9. Any suitable
compressing tool may be used for producing them. They are simply intended to
produce an intimate connection between the caps c and ribs b after the caps have
been put in place. Prior to the location of the caps, these dents should not be
there, because it is absolutely necessary for the production of good work in stained
glass windows that the ribs b at the time the pieces of glass are put in position
should have no projection of any kind whatsoever, nor any recesses.
uninterrupted surface for contact with the edge of the glass is essential. Still,
instead of these dents e, other means of securing the caps to the ribs might be
devised. I prefer the dents, because they do not mar the beauty of the structure,
because they produce a proper connection, and because, nevertheless, they permit
the removal of the cap for the purpose of repair or the like, since the dents cause a
frictional contact rather than a positive interlocking of the parts, permitting with

page_text: proper tools the removal of any cap after a piece of glass should be broken and its
replacement by another after a new piece of glass shall have been inserted.
Having now particularly.described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A framing for stained glass windows or the like, the same consisting of an
upright central rib ↳ wider than the glass to be supported and adapted to extend
beyond each face of such glass, combined with a flanged cap c adapted to be placed
over one edge of the said central rib b and another flanged cap c adapted to be
placed over the opposite edge of said rib b, substantially as and for the purpose
herein shown and described.
2. In a framing for stained glass windows or the like, the combination of the
rib b, the same being composed of two or more thicknesses of plates which are
adapted to be bent in different directions from one another, with two flanged
caps c, c, each adapted to be placed over one edge of said central rib b, as and for
the purpose specified.
3. In a framing for stained glass windows or the like, the combination of the
central rib b, the same being composed of one or more thicknesses, with the two
flanged caps c, c, the same having scalloped edges d, substantially as and for the
purpose herein shown and described.
4. In a framing for stained glass windows or the like, the combination of the
central rib 6 with the flanged caps c, c placed over opposite edges of said central
rib b, the connection between said flanged caps and said central rib being produced
by dents e in the sides of said caps, as and for the purpose specified.
Babad tho 77th day of
March 1894.
and thio 7th
MIXTCL 1075
ADELE LEWIE,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.