IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR JOINTING AND ATTACHING ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER METAL PANEL PLATES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Alexander Thomas, of No. 19, Cornwall Gardens,
South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR JOINTING AND ATTACHING ORNAMENTAL AND
OTHER METAL PANEL PLATES."
Sealed the 8th June 1880, and dated the 12th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Alexander Thomas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1879.
PHILIP ALEXANDER THOMAS, of No. 19, Cornwall Gardens, South Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR JOINTING AND
ATTACHING ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER METAL PANEL PLATES."
My Invention relates to means of joining together metal plates, such as those
bearing ornamental patterns used for facing walls and other structural surfaces,
and of attaching such plates to the surface; and also to apparatus for preparing
the plates for such jointing and attachment. I make each plate in the first
place somewhat longer and wider than is necessary for shewing the pattern on
it, the additions to the length and width constituting the material for the jointing
and attachment, which is hidden when the plates are fixed in position. On two
adjacent sides the extended parts are narrow, and are set down a little below the
general surface of the plate, so as to present edges which enter as tenons into
grooves or mortices formed at the edges of the adjacent plates in the following
manner: :-On the other two adjacent sides of the plate the extended parts are
made considerably wider, and these after the corner has been cut off are bent with
a double fold back under the plate, and again forwards, so as to project beyond the
plate below its general surface. The projecting parts can be fixed by nails or
screws to the surface; or, when that is plaster, I cut grooves in the plaster, insert
into them bent strips of flexible metal, fill up the grooves with plaster or cement,
leaving the ends or edges of the strips projecting; and I then fold these projecting
ends or edges over the edges of the projecting lips of the plates, thus securing them
to the wall or other surface. When a plate is attached in the manner described

page_text: the next plate in order is secured to it by inserting its extended and set down edge
as a tenon into the mortice or groove presented by the forward fold of the attached
plate, and thus each plate successively is made to cover and hide the attachment of
the previously fixed plate. When the plates are of other than rectangular shape,
as for example, hexagonal, the extensions and foldings of the edges are arranged so
that the plates interlock with each other in a manner similar to that described.
Thus, when the plates are hexagonal, the adjacent edges are extended a little, and
set down to form tenons; and the other three adjacent edges are extended farther,
and are folded so as to present lips for attachment and mortices in their folds to
receive the tenons of the following plates. For the purpose of preparing the plates
for jointing, as above described, I pass the projecting edge of the plate over one
folding blade or edge and under another; and by causing the latter to move round
an axis corresponding with the first fold, while it is itself guided to move backwards
round an axis corresponding to the second fold, the plate receives the double bend,
which on the withdrawal of the folding blades is flattened down by pressure in a
press, in which at the same time the setting down of the tenon edges may be
effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Philip Alexander Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1880.
PHILIP ALEXANDER THOMAS, of No. 19, Cornwall Gardens, South Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR JOINTING AND
ATTACHING ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER METAL PANEL PLATES."
My Invention relates to means of joining together metal plates, such as those
bearing ornamental patterns used for facing walls and other structural surfaces, and
of attaching such plates to the surface; and also to apparatus for preparing
the plates for such jointing and attachment. 1 make each plate in the first place
somewhat longer and wider than is necessary for shewing the pattern on it, the
additions to the length and width constituting the material for the jointing and
attachment, which is hidden when the plates are fixed in position. On two
adjacent sides the extended parts are narrow, and are set down a little below the
general surface of the plate, so as to present edges which enter as tenons into
grooves or mortices formed at the edges of the adjacent plates in the following
manner-On the other two adjacent sides of the plate the extended parts are
made considerably wider; and these after the corner has been cut off are bent with
a double fold back under the plate, and again forwards, so as to project beyond the
plate below its general surface. The projecting parts can be fixed by nails or
screws to the surface; or, when that is plaster, I cut grooves in the plaster, insert
into them bent strips of flexible metal, fill up the grooves with plaster or cement,
leaving the ends or edges of the strips projecting; and I then fold these projecting
ends or edges over the edges of the projecting lips of the plates, thus securing the
to the wall or other surface. When a plate is attached in the manner descri d
the next plate in order is secured to it by inserting its extended and set down ge
as a tenon into the mortice or groove presented by the forward fold of the attached
plate, and thus each plate successively is made to cover and hide the attachment of
the previously fixed plate. When the plates are of other than rectangular shape, as
for example, hexagonal, the extensions and foldings of the edges are arranged so
that the plates interlock with each other in a manner similar to that described.
Thus, when the. plates are hexagonal, three adjacent edges are extended a little, and
set down to form tenons; and the other three adjacent edges are extended farther,
and are folded so as to present lips for attachment and mortices in their folds to
receive the tenons of the following plates. For the purpose of preparing the plates
for jointing, as above described, I pass the projecting edge of the plate over one
folding blade or edge and under another, and by causing the latter to move round
an axis corresponding with the first fold, while it is itself guided to move backwards
round an axis corresponding to the second fold, the plate receives the double
bend, which on withdrawal of the folding blades is flattened down by pressure in
a press, in which at the same time the setting down of the tenon edges may be
effected.

page_text: prepared as shewn in front view at Fig. 4, and in longitudinal section at Fig. 5,
having two adjacent sides folded as A, and the other two adjacent sides pressed
down to form the tenons B. In like manner hexagonal plates, as shewn in Fig. 6,
have three adjacent sides folded as A, the tenons B being formed at the other three
eides. Thus, plates of other forms can be prepared so as to form continuous
jointing of each to the next plate in order, the fastenings of each plate, by nails or
screws driven through the projecting lips of the A folds, being covered by the next
plate. Instead of employing nails or screws to fasten the plates to a plaster wall
they may be fixed as shewn in the part longitudinal section Fig. 7; a groove is
cut in the plaster, and a piece of bent sheet metal D is placed in it, and secured by
filling up the groove with cement or plaster; the prepared plate being then laid
against the wall the projecting end d of the piece D is bent over the edge of the A
fold of the plate. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the action of apparatus for
folding the edges of the plates, as above described. The plate F is passed over a
folding edge G under a bar H, and into a groove under another folding edge K,
which groove is formed in a bar L having arms M with slotted holes working on
pins N. At each end of the bars Hand L are pins ½, 1, forming axes coinciding
with the folding edges, which are connected together by radius links O; on pressing
the bar L downwards and forwards towards H the edge of the plate F receives the
double fold, as indicated by the dotted lines, shewing the position of the parts as
the folding approaches completion; the bar L being then drawn back the plate F
can be withdrawn, and have its folds flattened down in a press, the edge B being
at the same time sunk down to form the tenon.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. Jointing together and attaching ornamental and other metal panel plates
for facing walls and other structural surfaces by means of a double fold of an edge
of each plate, presenting a projecting part for fixing the plate, and also a mortice to
receive as a tenon the sunk edge of the next plate, which covers the nails or other
attachments of the fixed plate, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use, for folding plates in the manner referred to in the preceding
claim, of apparatus having two folding edges, one of which is guided to move in a
circular arc round the other edge, whilst it is itself caused to turn backwards
relatively to the plate, as herein described with reference to Fig. 8 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Alexander Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
PHILIP ALEXANDER THOMAS. (L.S.)