A NEW OR IMPROVED MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES FOR ROOFING PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES FOR
ROOFING PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by Gaston
Marcelin de Jean, Iron Founder, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 22nd May 1869, and dated the 30th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th November 1868.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF TILES FOR ROOFING PURPOSES," to be as follows:--
Hitherto the roofing of houses or buildings has consisted either of
thatch, earthen tiles of various kinds, slates, felt, bitumenized paste-
board, wood, zinc, copper, or sheet iron, either galvanized or otherwise.
In lieu of the above I propose to employ cast iron for roofing purposes,
which has never hitherto been attempted.

page_text: The Invention consists in the application for roofing purposes of tiles
made of ordinary cast iron, the form and dimensions being varied to suit
all purposes, and of a more or less ornamental appearance as desired.
In order to preserve the metal from oxidation I protect its surface with
any suitable paint or varnish, or I may enamel the surface with the same
object. I make the tiles or plates of cast iron preferably of about three
feet square, and not exceeding one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, at
same time possessing all the requisite strength. These plates I make of
all the various forms of tiles now in use, and apply them for roofing
purposes on either a wood or metal framing.
The weight of a square yard of roofing composed of cast-iron tiles on
thciple-would not exceed thirty-three pounds. Further by the use
of u,
tiles the number of rafters now required for roofs may in some
cases ne .educed one-third and even one-half.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES FOR ROOPING PURPOSES," a com-

page_text: munication to me from abroad by Gaston Marcelin de Jean, Iron
Founder, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
Hitherto the roofing of houses or buildings has consisted either of
thatch, earthen tiles of various kinds, slates, felt, bitumenized paste-
board, wood, zinc, copper, or sheet iron, cither galvanized or otherwise.
In lieu of the above I propose to employ cast iron for roofing purposes,
which has never hitherto been attempted.
The Invention consists in the application for roofing purposes of tiles
made of ordinary cast iron, the form and dimensions being varied to suit
all purposes, and of a more or less ornamental appearance as desired.
In order to preserve the metal from oxidation I protect its surface with
any suitable paint or varnish, or I may enamel the surface with the same
object. I make the tiles or plates of cast iron of various sizes not
exceeding three feet square, and not more than one-sixteenth of an inch
in thickness, but possessing all the requisite strength. These plates I
make of all the various forms of tiles now in use, and apply them for
roofing purposes on either a wood or metal framing.
The weight of a square yard of roofing composed of cast-iron tiles on
this principle, each one foot in length, would not exceed thirty-three
pounds. Further by the use of these tiles the number of rafters now
required for roofs may in some cases be reduced one-third and even one-
half.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
application of cast iron as a new or improved material for the manufac-
ture of tiles for roofing purposes of any suitable dimensions, and of any

page_text: of the various forms now in use. I also reserve the right of protecting
the surface of these improved cast-iron tiles from rust and oxidation by
painting, polishing, enamelling, or varnishing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)