Improvements in Structural Arrangements for Combining Strength with Rigidity in a Manner Applicable to Roofing, Walling, and the like Structural Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Structural Arrangements for Combining Strength
with Rigidity in a Manner Applicable to Roofing, Walling, and the
like Structural Purposes.
I, EDWARD LLOYD PEASE, of Messrs. Ashmore, Benson, Pease & Company,
Limited, Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
O
This invention comprises certain improvements and novel features which are
applicable to various structural arrangements of the kind described in my Applica-
tion for Letters Patent No. 21331 of 1896, in which open tubular vessels or slotted
tubes are spaced at intervals like beams or principals between panels or sheets of
iron or steel which span the intervals of space between them, and which are
curved or arched in some cases to stiffen them. These intervening sheets or panels
whether made up wholly of iron or steel or of some other material combined there-
with are flanged with inset edges which are threaded into the slotted tubes so as
to interlock with the edges thereof the resistance of the slotted tubes to the ten-
dency of the intervening plates or panels to pull them wider open being relied on
to maintain the requisite rigidity along what are the main joints of the structure.
By my present invention I effect a more rigid connection between the slotted
tubes and what may be termed the panels hooked into them by which greater
strength and rigidity is imparted to the structure as a whole and the main joints
are closed in wholly or to any desired extent and the external appearance of the
structure is improved.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide for each joint as formed by the
combination of the opposite edges of adjoining panels and the slotted tube with
which they are interlocked, a distance piece running the whole length of the joint,
or a series of distance pieces placed at intervals. This distance piece takes a form
not unlike a double headed rail modified in section to form a fit between the inset
flanges of the adjoining panels which are thereby forced into tight and rigid
contact with the slotted tube.
Or in substitution for the double headed beam of wood, equivalents may be
used as for instance a strip of sheet iron or steel moulded or shaped to the form
of a rail head with the sides or webs constricted and set out to follow the contour
of the inset flanges of the panels between which they are inserted so that a tight
and rigid contact is set up as before between the panels and the slotted tube with
which they are interlocked.
A further advantage incidental to this construction is that stiffening pieces
extending from one slotted tube to another in contact with the panels can be
fitted to such endwise pressure between the said tubes as between solid posts that
nothing more is required to keep them in position as permanent stiffeners to the
structure.

page_text: Improvements in Structural Arrangements for Combining Strength
with Rigidity in a Manner Applicable to Roofing, Walling, and the
like Structural Purposes.
I, EDWARD LLOYD PEASE, of Messrs. Ashmore, Benson, Pease & Company,
Limited, Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, 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 comprises certain improvements and novel features which are
applicable to various structural arrangements of the kind described in the Speci-
fication of the Letters Patent granted to me No. 21331 of 1896, in which open
tubular vessels or slotted tubes are spaced at intervals like beams or principals
"between panels or sheets of iron or steel which span the intervals of space between
them and which are curved or arched in some cases to stiffen them. These inter-
vening sheets or panels whether made up wholly of iron or steel or of some other
material combined therewith are flanged with inset edges which are threaded into
the slotted tubes so as to interlock with the edges thereof, the resistance of the
slotted tubes to the tendency of the intervening plates or panels to pull them
wider open being relied on to maintain the requisite rigidity along what are the
main joints of the structure.
By my present invention I effect a more rigid connection between the slotted
tubes and what may be termed the panels hooked into them by which greater
strength and rigidity is imparted to the structure as a whole and the main joints
are closed in wholly or to any desired extent and the external appearance of the
structure is improved. Furthermore the invention is adapted to effect in respect
of the roof or covering greater simplicity of construction by which panels of variable
lengths for gable ends are dispensed with and also the ridge piece hitherto used in
the roof, the construction adinitting of raised panels or curved sheets taking the
place of the ridge, the said raised panels overlapping other panels in a manner
adapted to shoot or cast off all rain water and which is highly conducive to the
efficient ventilation required in hot climates, the construction being applicable to
the formation of steel huts, arcades, railway and cattle sheds or covered in structures
generally.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive are detail views of the various novel
features constituting my invention. Fig. 8 is a front elevation and Fig. 9 a
corresponding transverse section of a steel hut illustrating in what way my improve-
ments are adapted to a double panelled roof construction, and Fig. 10 is a modifi-
cation of this construction.
Referring to Fig. 1, in order to effect a more rigid connection between the
slotted tubes a and what may be termed the panels hooked into them by which
greater strength and rigidity is imparted to the structure as a whole and the main
joints are closed in wholly or to any desired extent and the external appearance
of the structure is improved, I provide for each joint as formed by the combina-
tion of the opposite edges of adjoining panels b and the slotted tube a with which
they are interlocked a distance piece c running the whole length of the joint, or
a series of distance pieces placed at intervals. This distance piece c takes a form
not unlike a double headed rail modified in section to form a fit between the inset
flanges of the adjoining panels b which are thereby forced into tight and rigid
contact with the slotted tube a.

page_text: Referring to Fig. 2 in substitution for the double headed beam c of wood,
equivalents may be used as for instances a strip of sheet iron or steel d moulded
or shaped to the form of a rail head with the sides or webs constricted and set out
to follow the contour of the inset flanges of the panels between which they are
inserted so that a tight and rigid contact is set up as before between the panels b
and the slotted tube a with which they are interlocked..
Fig. 3 illustrates in transverse section a further advantage incidental to this
construction in which stiffening pieces e extending from one slotted tube a to
another in contact with the panels 6 can be fitted to such endwise pressure between
the said tubes as between solid posts that nothing more is required to keep them in
position as permanent stiffeners to the structure, and thin lath linings to the
panels may be sprung into position with their edges compressed between the inset
edges of the panel which is set in tension thereby and the effect is that of increased
rigidity in the panels and therefore in the roof covering as a whole, added to
which the lath linings serve the purpose of non-conductors of heat or cold. The
sheets are cambered at erection preferably outwards by insertion of the
stretchers e as in this position besides being stiffened and rendered freer from local
deflections they are brought into high tension round the cambered wood or metal
stretchers e and the thin lath linings sprung in between the inset flanges when
such flanges are used and the principals are in this way very firmly held together.
They are firmly strutted apart by the stretchers which being driven and
supplied with a suitably hollowed end cannot easily be dislodged.
Where metal stretchers are used they are formed as shown in Fig. 4; the trans-
verse section shown in Fig. 5 representing the bead el which diminishes towards
the ends. These stretchers are furnished with suitably hollowed ends which
cannot easily be dislodged when fixed in position between the tubes. Where the
object in view is to enclose an air space along the panels, the lining which is of
strawboard or some equivalent material has a tendency to spring up close to the
panel b. The distance piece f¹ prevents this and the air space takes the crescent
shaped form enclosed between the line b representing the panel and line f represent-
ing the liner. The stretcher e is grooved along its panel edge as at e³ to make the
air space continuous. In some cases the panels bbi of different rises in the curve
may be used for ventilation as shown in Fig. 7 by way of detail and and in Figs. 8
and 9 in the form of a double panelled roof construction in which the slotted
tubes a a of a cylindrical or other hollow form are placed horizontally at suitable
intervals across the span to be covered. Into these slotted tubes are interlocked
by inset flanges or angle strips two panels b b an upper and lower panel having a
different curvature, and thereby forming a crescent shaped space between them.
supported where necessary by partitions g in which openings are provided for
ventilation. In roofs of a considerable span the upper or raised panel or sheet b
would occupy and cover the central width of the span and derive its support at
either end from the lower panels or sheets 61 which it overlaps endwise and which
cover the side widths of the span. But where the two panels overlap or run together
their edges are coincident so that both sheets are interlocked with the same slotted
tube a or by inset flanges fitting and hooking together along the edge of the slotted
tube, and this construction may be stiffened by stretchers e if desired and lath
linings as well sprung in between the inset flanges. But I do not confine the use
of the above described combination of stretcher and panels to the flat sections of
the roof only, as the roof may consist of the two usual sides converging to a ridge,
the place of which is taken by a series of panels, the sides being made up of other
panels set to the requisite slope and overlapping or given a taper as required by
the general design of the roof in question, as for instance as shown in Fig. 10
the sheets or panels b may be tapered for ventilation.
Besides the strength supplied to the bearers to resist an endwise strain by the
interlocking of the panels and the rigidity secured by the stretchers it is a feature
of the arrangement in which the panels are cambered by the stretchers that they
will support themselves and prevent the bearers from taking a vertical deflection

page_text: either upward or downward by the fact of the panel being cambered. To secure
this the panels should consist of one piece only or if otherwise the sheets forming
a panel should be rivetted together.
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. In combination with slotted tubular rafters or the like beam like elements,
and panels interlocked therewith by inset edges, of distance pieces such as c and d
running the whole length of the joint between the edges of adjoining panels or
placed at intervals the said distance pieces taking the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2
or the equivalents of these fitting between the inset, edges of the adjoining panels
and thereby imparting increased rigidity to the structure substantially as described.
2. In the construction of roofs and other structural arrangements having slotted
tubular rafters or the like tubular elements in the framework thereof, the com-
bination with longitudinally slotted tubes or panels interlocked therewith by inset
edges or angle strips and stiffeners such as e inserted between the said slotted
tubes with or without lath lining sprung between the inset flanges whereby tension
is imparted to the panels and rigidity to the general structure substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 3, and by way of modification in Figs. 4, 5, 6
and 7.
3. In the construction of roofs having slotted tubular rafters, the combination
with said rafters of upper and under panels and interlocked therewith by inset
edges, the said panels being of a different curvature to enclose a crescent shaped
space supported by partitions and preferably by stiffeners such as e or distance
pieces such as c and d substantially as described with reference to Figs. S, 9 and 10.
Dated this 21st day of January 1899
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees & Hull, Agent for the Applicant.