IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF SLATE RIDGES FOR Roors
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas, of the Firm of John Thomas and
Son, of Bangor, North Wales, Slate Merchants, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF SLATE
RIDGES FOR Roors."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd February 1871.
I, JOHN THOMAS, of the Firm of John Thomas and Son, of Bangor,
North Wales, Slate Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF
SLATE RIDGES FOR ROOFS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture
and construction of slate ridges for roofs, the object and advantage of the
Invention being in regard to or in comparison with ordinary ridges that
they are independent of screws and nails, which in process of time
become decayed and cause the ridges to get loosened; the present ridges

page_text: with so many holes being also open to let in water, their angular joints
(containing within the roll the wings of the ridge) not affording a
suflicient grip or hold, but permitting the tendency of the wings to slide
away or escape from the roll.
Now according to this Invention the roll is cut not with an angular
groove to receive the wings but with a square groove in order to hold
the wings firmly together, in fact to clamp them with flush surfaces
incapable of sliding away from the top roll or ridge. The roll or ridge
is cut with a rectangular slot on its under surface extending nearly to its
centre. The wings are formed with flanges at or nearly at right angles
to the wings, so that the flanges shall extend vertically within the
slotted groove of the roll or ridge, within which they are secured by
putty, or lead, or other equivalent material or compound, and also by
lateral screws, bolts, or clamps; and the compound wing ridge is further
secured to the ridge board by screws, rivets, or nails driven vertically
through and between the junctions of the flanges, no interference being
made with the top circular roll or ridge. Thus the improved ridge
consists of three pieces of slate jointed and fastened together so as to be
quito firm and water-tight, held ultimately by the top roll independently
of the screws, rivets, or nails, such screws or rivets being only necessary
to hold the wings together till the top slate, roll, or ridge is fixed on and
the putty or lead properly set. The two wings lie on the roof according
to pitch, and meet together in an upright form within the groove in the
roll or top slate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johu Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMAS, of the Firm of John Thomas and Son, of Bangor, North Wales,
Slate Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hor
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the:
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Thomas, Her special licence that a

page_text: I, the said John Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Thomas, my exccutors, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
AND CONSTRUCTION OF SLATE RIDGES FOR Roors," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Thomas, my exccutors 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.
KNOW NOW YE, that I, the said John Thomas, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture
and construction of slate ridges for roofs, verandas, and urinals, the
object and advantage of the Invention being in regard to or in com-
parison with ordinary ridges that they can be applied to roofs independent
of screws and nails, which in process of time become decayed and cause
the ridges to get loosened; the present ridges with so many holes being
also open to let in water, their angular joints (containing within the roll
the wings of the ridge) not affording a sufficient grip or hold but
permitting the tendency of the wings to slide away or escape from
the roll when the screws, nails, or other fastenings become decayed.
Now according to this Invention the roll is not cut with an angular
groovo to receive the wings but with a square or rebated groove in order
to hold the wings firmly together, in fact to clamp them with flush
surfaces incapable of sliding away from the top roll or ridge. The roll
or ridge is cut with a rectangular slot on its under surface extending
nearly to its centre, and may be made round, square, or of other suitable
section. The wings are formed with flanges at or nearly at right angles
to the wings, so that the flanges shall extend vertically within the
slotted groove of the roll or ridge within which they are secured by
putty, or lead, or other equivalent material or compound, and also by:

page_text: lateral screws, bolts, or clamps; and the compound wing ridge is further
secured to the ridge board by screws, rivets, or nails driven vertically
through and between the junctions of the flanges, no interference being
made with the top circular roll or ridge. Thus the improved ridge
consists of three pieces of slate jointed and fastened together so as to be 5
quite firm and water-tight, held ultimately by the top roll independently
of the screws, rivets, or nails, such screws or rivets being only necessary
to hold the wings together till the top slate, roll, or ridge is fixed on and
the putty or lead properly set. The two wings lic on the roof according
to pitch, and meet together in an upright form within the groove in the 1
roll or top slate.
The wings or sides are manufactured without waste by splitting the
slate so as to form reversed ridges. I take a block or slab of slate and
divide the same into the requisite forms, into which they may be split,
the angles being cut previously by slate planing machinery.
In order further to explain my said Invention, with its modifications,
I annex the accompanying Drawings of the new ridges, which I
denominate "The Bangor Patent Slate Ridges."
Fig. 1 represents the complete slate ridge and roll put together;
Fig. 2 shews the ridge without the rolls or the wings together, the roll
being removed; Fig. 3 shews the wings and roll separate or in three
distinct pieces; Fig. 4 shews a section of slate whereby the method of
splitting the slate is explained, the angles being cut by the planing
machine, the slab or block is easily split along the line A, thus
separating one wing from the other without waste. Theso Drawings
are on a small scale, but the ridges may of course be made of various
dimensions as required.
Fig. 5 shews a full size section of roll and wings with lateral screw 6,
and also a view of the wings loosened from the roll; Fig. 6 shows a
section of roll, wings, and slates arranged so as to be attached to the
battens and rafters, with vertical screw c penetrating the ridge board.
In all the Figures the roll is lettered d and the wings are lettered e.
Fig. 7 shews a section of a rebated ridge roll. In this example the
roll would be passed horizontally and endwise on the rebate in order to
clamp the wings.
Fig. 8 shows a square jointed wing ridge, the wings extending hori-
zontally instead of obliquely; and it must also be remarked that in any
]

page_text: case the roll need not necessarily be round, but may be square, or of
other suitable form, so long as it serves as a top roll cover or clamp to
receive and hold secure the flanges of the wings, whatever their form,
angle, or dimension may be, and are applied for flat roofs and other
purposes.
Fig. 9 shews an example of a series of reversed or compound ridges,
or ridges with rolls applied above and below cach junction of the wings,
for urinals and other purposes.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in
conclusion that I do not limit myself to the precise details and con-
figuration of parts which I have expressed and shewn, as the same may
obviously be varied in many respects without departing from the
principles laid down, since many modifications in the shape, con-
struction, and adaptation of the ridges may be made in compliance with
the tenor of my Invention; but what I claim and desire to be secured
to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture
and construction of slate ridges for roofs by cutting wings or ridges out
of a slab or block of slate, and by constructing a top roll to hold, secure,
and clamp the same in order to form a compound ridge for roofs,
substantially as herein specified and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
MORGAN RICHARDS,
High Bailiff of the Bangor County Court,
Bangor.
JOHN THOMAS. (L.S.)