Improved Means for Obtaining Tight Joints between Adjacent Parts of Buildings the Distance Apart of which is Liable to vary.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Obtaining Tight Joints between Adjacent Parts
of Buildings the Distance Apart of which is Liable to vary.
I, ROBERT NOBEL of Geta, Aby, Sweden, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to means for obtaining tight joints, more especially in wood
covered with strips of sheet metal, millboard, paper, or other suitable material.
The reason such covering arrangements have not been largely used is that the
strips hitherto used for the purpose have been unable to follow the changes of form
that take place in the underlying material and consequently in the joint, but have
become loosened or torn, and thus the joint has no longer remained tight. This
disadvantage is obviated by the present invention, according to which either the
strips are so formed as to be elastic, or one or both of their edges is or are not
fastened to the edges of the joint. In the former case the elasticity of the strip is
attained by providing it with one or more longitudinal folds or flutes or corrugations,
in consequence of which its edges can follow those of the joint and approach or
withdraw from each other without the strip being injured or the tightness of the
joint impaired.
In the second arrangement one or both edges of the strip, instead of being, as is
usually the case, nailed or otherwise fastened to the edges of the joint, is or are
simply pressed against them so that one or both edges of the joint may move freely
in relation to the strip, which latter, in consequence of the pressure, always presses
tight against the edges of the joint. In joints in wood the pressure may advan-
tageously be applied by means of a lath, or similar device, fastened with nails that
may be situated at the side of the strip, or which pass through oblong holes through
the same or through notches or recesses in the edge thereof.
For softer or weaker materials as for instance very thin sheet-zinc, millboard,
paper, sailcloth, etc., the former arrangement is best suited, while for stronger kinds
of material such as strong sheet-iron the latter is preferable as by its adoption both
labour and material are saved.
In Figs. 1 to 6 of the annexed drawing a few forms of the arrangement first
referred to are shewn.
When a joint is to be made between two boards bb a very suitable arrangement
of the strip a is to provide it with a longitudinal fold of greater or less depth, which
is inserted between the boards (Figs. 1 to 4). The edges of the strip remain upon
the boards to which they are either nailed direct (Figs. 1 and 2) or fastened in
some other way e.g. by laths c, c, as in the remaining figures. The edges of the
strips may also if desired be bent and be driven into grooves made in the boards
(Fig. 4). The fastening of the edges may however be effected in any convenient
way as may be preferred.
An arrangement of this form is very suitable when it is desired to obtain an
impervious underroofing with but one layer of boards.
The strip a may also be made with more folds than one; and may be curved
(Fig. 5), or corrugated (Fig. 6); in fact many different forms may be given to the
strip, so long as it is yielding or elastic in a direction transverse to the joint.
A few forms of the secondly described arrangement are shewn by way of example
in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 both in plan and section. a is the strip, the boards and
cc laths for pressing the strip a against the boards. In these figures one edge of the
strip a is nailed down but not the other; in Fig. 7 the unnailed edge of the strip
does not extend as far as the nails of the lath covering it; in Fig. 8 there are pieces
cut away from the unfastened edge of the strip, where the nails for securing the

page_text: lath c above it are inserted; and in Fig. 9 there are oblong holes made in the strips
for the same purpose.
When the boards move relatively to each other, either
together or apart, that edge of the strip a which is not nailed down, is free to
move either in or out under its corresponding lath, and the joint will still remain
tight.
For covering wooden houses with millboard, the first described arrangement,
especially that shewn in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, is of great value. Mill-
board coverings as heretofore used are often very unsatisfactory, as the millboard
constantly becomes torn when the wood work dries. This is prevented by laying
it on the joints in folded strips, according to this invention, the strip being so
wide that they cover the edges of one another. By these means
covering of millboard is obtained that follows the movements of the wood
without becoming injured. Fig. 10 shews this way of laying such a millboard
covering.
an elastic
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Forming tight joints between the adjacent edges of building material such
as wooden boards by the use of strips of suitable material formed with one or
more longitudinal folds flutings or corrugations the arrangement being such that as
the space between the adjacent edges of the building material increases or
decreases the strips will adapt themselves thereto substantially in the manner
herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings
annexed.
2. Forming tight joints between the adjacent edges of building material such
as wooden boards by the use of strips of suitable material not directly fastened
to the building material but held against the adjacent side portions thereof by
means such as laths that will permit one or both edges of the strip to move
relatively to the building material when the space between the adjacent edges
thereof varies substantially in the manner herein before described with reference
to Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive of the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of December 1891
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.