IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING PORTABLE Roofs
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barrow, of Mobberley, in the County of Chester,
Joiner and Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
RAISING AND LOWERING PORTABLE Roofs."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barrow at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1877.
JOHN BARROW, of Mobberley, in the County of Chester, Joiner and Builder.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING PORTABLE ROOFS."
In raising and lowering portable roofs of the ordinary construction it is customary
to employ a cord and blocks to act on each corner of the roof in succession, this
necessitates a considerable amount of labour and causes a great loss of time; now
my Invention consists in uniting the four corners of the roof to one hoisting
apparatus, whereby the roof can be raised or lowered at one operation. The roof
is guided as usual between four pillars, and a rope is attached to each corner of the
roof; these ropes pass around pulleys at the top of each pillar; they then descend
and pass under other pulleys near the bottom of the pillars; they are then con-
nected to a barrel divided by flanges into four spaces; this barrel is turned round
by a wheel and pinion, the framing of which is fixed to one of the pillars. As the
barrel is turned round all the ropes are wound simultaneously on the barrel, thereby
raising the four corners of the roof equally.

page_text: In raising and lowering portable roofs of the ordinary construction it is customary
to employ a cord and blocks to act on each corner of the roof in succession, this
necessitates a considerable amount of labour and causes a great loss of time; now
my Invention consists in uniting the four corners of the roof to one or more hoisting
apparatus, whereby the roof can be raised or lowered at one operation, or with
greater facility than heretofore.
And in order that my Invention may be readily carried into operation I will
proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 an end view, and Fig. 3 a plan of a shed
with a portable roof, to which my improved raising and lowering apparatus is
applied. In these views a, b, c, d, are the four pillars of the shed, and e the roof,
which is guided between the pillars as usual. To one of the pillars is fixed a
hoisting apparatus or windlass of the ordinary construction, consisting of a winding-
on barrel actuated by a winch handle, pinion, and wheel, and provided with a
retaining catch and ratchet wheel, or made in any other convenient manner.
α
The roof is suspended at the corners by four wire cords or other equivalents, and
each cord passes over a pulley at the top of each pillar. The cord from the top of
the pillar a descends to near the ground, and after passing under a guide pulley is
attached to the plate g. The cord from the top of the pillar c also descends to near
the ground, and after passing around two guide pulleys is. also attached to the
plato g, which thus unites the cords from the pillars a and c. The cord h from the
plate is then taken under a guide pulley, and then it is secured to the winding-
on barrel f. The cord from the top of the pillar d also descends to near the ground,
and after passing under two guide pulleys is secured to the barrel f, and the cord
from the top of the pillar b goes direct to the barrel f, which in this arrangement
is divided by flanges into three spaces; but if instead of combining two of the cords
by the plate g, as shewn, it should be found preferable to bring the four cords
separately to the barrel, then it would be divided into four spaces. When the
barrel is turned round all the ropes are wound simultaneously on the barrel, thus
raising or lowering the four corners of the roof equally, and thereby saving time
and labour.
Fig. 4 is an end view, and Fig. 5 a plan, of a modification of my Invention; in
this instance I employ two windlasses to raise or lower the roof e. The cords to
which the roof is suspended are carried as before over pulleys at the top of the
pillars a, b, c, d. The cord from the pillar a descends to near the ground, and
after passing under two guide pulleys is secured to the winding-on barrel f, while
the cord from the top of pillar c descends direct to the barrel, as shewn best in
Fig. 4. The cords from the tops of the pillars b and d are connected in the same
manner to the second windlass, as shewn in Fig. 5. By turning these windlasses
simultaneously by two men the roof can be raised or lowered rapidly, or one man can
turn them alternately. On Sheet 2, Fig. 6 is a side view, Fig. 7 an end view, and
Fig. 8 a plan, of another modification of my Invention particularly adapted for
heavy sheds; in this arrangement the pillars a, c, and b, d, are connected by cross
beams, and the cords from the pillars a and c are carried over guide pulleys and
secured to a snatch block; one end of the cord passing round the pulley of the
snatch block is secured to the pillar c, and the other end descends direct to the
winding-on barrel f of the windlass. The cords from the pillars b, d, are connected
in the same manner to the other windlass. By this means the horizontal cords
near the ground, which are sometimes objectionable, are dispensed with, and greater
power is obtained. In some cases the snatch blocks may be dispensed with.
Fig. 9 is an elevation, and Fig. 10 a plan, of a windlass with a worm and worm
wheel, which may be used to raise and lower portable roofs instead of the windlass
above described; in this case the winch handle is applied to the axle of the worm i,
gearing into the wheel j, fixed. to the same axle as the winding-on barrel f. By
this arrangement a child could raise or lower the roof, and the retaining catch and
ratchet wheel above referred to may be dispensed with.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several modes of
carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend
to limit myself to the details given, as the same may be considerably varied; and I
claim raising and lowering the portable roofs of sheds by means of windlasses in the
manner described, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barrow, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
JOHN BARROW. (L.S.)