IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE ROOFS OF BUILDINGS, SHEDS, AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COVERINGS FOR THE ROOFS OF BUILDINGS, SHEDS, AND OTHER LIKE
STRUCTURES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." A communication
from abroad by Jean Hippolyte Tiré, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd September 1880.
"2
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE ROOFS OF BUILDINGS,
SHEDS, AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.”
▲ communication from abroad by Jean Hippolyte Tiré, of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
This Invention relates to an improved covering for the roofs of buildings, sheds,
and other like structures, and it consists in the employment of angular strips or
sheets of wood or metal, which are applied to the roof in substitution for the tiles
or slates, and especially the tarred or bituminous paper heretofore employed.
In carrying out this Invention when the improved covering is constructed of
wood, strips of this material of a V shape in cross section are laid with the hollow
side uppermost upon the framework of the roof, and rest upon angular wooden
supports of a form corresponding to the shape of the strips. The spaces between
these strips are covered with inverted strips of similar shape in cross section, the
edges of which slightly overlap the edges of the strips first herein before described.
The angular wooden blocks or supports are secured to the purlins, and are of such
a form that when the strips are in position, the lower strips present a hollow on
their upper side forming a trough or gutter, whilst the upper sides of the upper
strips form a ridge or covering.
The strips may be painted, tarred, coated, or lined, or covered with metal.
The strips may be cut from solid blocks of timber so as to avoid waste by making
inclined cuts extending the whole length of the block with a circular saw inclined

page_text: at a suitable angle half way through the block on one side up to a central line, and
then making corresponding cuts on the opposite side, intersecting the cuts
previously formed at the centre of the block.
By employing two circular saws arranged at an angle to each other upon shafts
carried on the same table, or otherwise connected together in such a manner as to
maintain them constantly at the same angle, each strip may be cut from the block
at a single operation with the greatest accuracy and economy.
In lieu of cutting the strips in an angular form the material may be simply cut
up into flat strips, which may be subsequently bent into the required angular
shape by steaming and pressing, or otherwise treating them in presses of the
required form.
The wood may at the same time be impregnated with sulphate of copper or other
preserving liquid in order to prevent decay.
The strips may be of sufficient length to extend in one piece from the ridge to
the eaves of the roof, or, if this is not practicable, they may be joined together end
to end by over lapping, or by a butt joint properly covered.
According to another modification flat boards are inserted between the strips,
which in this case are arranged at a distance apart, the strips forming ridges
overlapping the upper edges of the boards, the lower edges of which in turn over
lap the upper edges of the strips forming gutters. The strips forming ridges are
narrower than those acting as gutters.
This system of roofing has the advantage of enabling gutters and battening to be
dispensed with.
When angular strips of metal are employed, the same arrangement is adopted as
in the case of the strips of wood hereinbefore described; but it is advisable to bend
over the edges of the strips so as to cause them to interlock.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
March 1881.
"
38
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERINGS FOR THE ROOFS OF BUILDINGS,
SHEDS, AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH.'
A communication from abroad by Jean Hippolyte Tiré, of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
The said Invention relates to an improved covering for the roofs of buildings,
sheds, and other like structures, and it consists in the employment of angular strips
or sheets of wood or metal, which are applied to the roof in substitution for the
tiles or slates, and especially the tarred or bituminous paper heretofore employed.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows in isometrical perspective the
general arrangement of the improved roof constructed of strips of wood, the same
being shewn partly in section in order to illustrate the manner in which they are
supported, and Figure 2 is a detail of the support employed.
Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which a block of wood is divided into strips
of the required form, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the manner in which
circular saws are employed for cutting up the said blocks according to the said
Invention.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, and Figure 6 is a corresponding transverse section
of a shed provided with the improved roof.
Figure 7 is a transverse section illustrating a modification of the arrangement
shown in the preceding Figures, and Figure 8 shows the mode of connecting the
edges of the strips when the latter are composed of sheet metal.
When the improved covering is constructed of wood, as shown in Figure 1,
strips A. of this material of a V shape in cross section are laid with the hollow side
uppermost upon the frame work of the roof, and rest upon angular wooden
supports B of a form corresponding to the shape of the strips, as shewn separately
and in elevation in Figure 2. The spaces between these strips are covered with
strips A¹ of similar shape in cross section, but inverted, so that the edges of the
strips A slightly overlap the edges of the strips A. The angular wooden blocks
or supports B are secured to the purlins of the roof, and are of such a form that
when the strips are in position, the strips A present a hollow on their upper side
forming a trough or gutter, whilst the upper sides of the strips A' form a ridge or
covering.
The strips may be painted, tarred, coated, or lined, or covered with metal or
canvas.
The strips A and A³ may be cut from solid blocks C, Figure 3, of timber in such
a manner as to avoid waste by making with a circular saw placed at a suitable
angle inclined cuts a, extending the whole length of the block half way through it
on one side up to a central line 1-2, and then making corresponding cuts on the
opposite side intersecting the cuts previously formed at the centre of the block.
Or two circular saws T, S, Figure 4, may be employed, the saine being arranged at
an angle to each other, and driven at the same speed upon shafts s, t, carried on
the same table or otherwise connected together in such a manner as to maintain
them constantly in the same position relatively to each other; the strips A and A'
may thus be cut from the block at a single operation with the greatest accuracy

page_text: and economy. In lieu of cutting the strips in an angular form the material may
be simply cut up into flat strips, which may be subsequently bent into the required
angular shape by steaming and pressing, or otherwise treating them in presses of
the required form.
The wood may at the same time be impregnated with sulphate of copper or other
preserving liquid in order to prevent decay.
The strips A. and A¹ may be of sufficient length to extend in one piece from the
• ridge to the eaves of the roof, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, or, if this is not
practicable, they may be joined together end to end by over lapping or by a butt
joint properly covered.
According to another modification, which is illustrated in Figure 7, flat boards &
are inserted between the strips A and A', which in this case are arranged at a
certain distance apart, the strips A' forming ridges over lapping the upper edges of
the boards d, the lower edges of which in turn over lap the upper edges of the
strips A forming gutters. The strips A' forming ridges are narrower according to
this arrangement than the strips A.
This system of roofing has the advantage of enabling lathing and battening to
be dispensed with.
It is preferred to employ squared pine wood from the north, but other
descriptions of timber may be employed.
According to the arrangement illustrated in Figure 8, angular strips of metal E
and E' are employed, the same being arranged in a similar manner to the strips A
and A¹ of wood hereinbefore described, or preferably having the edges of the
strips E, E¹, bent so as to cause them to interlock, as shown at e in the Drawing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar arrangement of angular strips of wood or metal employed as
a covering for the roofs of buildings, sheds, and other like structures, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Secondly. The employment of a machine having two circular saws placed at an
angle to each other corresponding to the angle of the strips, for the purpose of
cutting out the strips at one operation on each side of a block of wood, substantially
as heroin before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.