IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROOFING OF CONSERVATORIES, HOTHOUSES, AND OTHER LIKE STRUCTURES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
DENCH, of Hurstperpoint, in the County of Sussex, Hothouse Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Dench, my exors, adñññors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edward Dench, my
exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Dench,
my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROOFING OF CONSERVATORIES, HOTHOUSES, AND OTHER
LIKE STRUCTURES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
I, the said Edward Dench, should cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at largo
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Dench, hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
1
My Improvements in the Roofing of Conservatories, Hothouses, and other
like Structures, consist,―
Firstly, in so constructing them that they may afford a much greater
amount of light and protection to the plants, not only from wet and cold
from without but from the descent of the vapours which collect and condense
on their inner or under surfaces, and so also that they may afford any degree
of ventilation required.
Secondly, in making the fixed and sliding parts of such shapes and materials
that they may fit more exactly, move one upon the other more easily, suffer less
from changes of temperature, offer less obstruction to the light, and remain
longer in good working order than heretofore.
Figure 1 is a plan of portion of the roof of a conservatory or green-
house, embracing some of these improvements.
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line a, b, of Figure 1, and Figuro 3
a section on the line c, d. Instead of making it of wood, as usual, which
is extremely liable to shrinkage and decay, I make the whole (the glazing
excepted) of galvanized or zincked iron, rolled or bent into the peculiar
shapes represented. A, A, are the rafters of the framing. B, B, the lower
and fixed set of glazed frames, and C, C, the upper or sliding frames. D, D,
are overlapping plates by which the frames of the lower or fixed set are
rendered water-tight at tho joinings. E, E, are ridge T-pieces by which the
frames of the upper or sliding set are also rendered water-tight, and which
serve likewise as guides to the frames. Cross sections of the rails of the frames
and of the astragals are given separately on an enlarged scale in Figures 4
and 5. Plates of zincked or galvanized iron are in the first instance cut into
plain strips, of the length of the required style, rail, or astragal, and of suitable
breadth, and these strips are afterwards brought into the forms represented
by means of rollers or dies, or by simple hammering or bending. The
joinings of the different parts to one another are effected by soldering.
D, D, are stay rods which serve to strengthen the frames.
Figure 6 is a cross section of a frame, in which the strips of metal used to
form the astragals are bent in a different manner from the preceding.
A, A, are the side rails, B, B, the astragals, C, C, the glass. Figure 6° exhibits
a modification of the astragal represented in Figure 6.

page_text: Figures 7 and 8 are sections of other varieties of rails. An arrangement
differing in some respects from that first, herein-before described is shewn.
in Figure 9 (a plan), Figure 10, a cross section on the line e, f, of Figure 9.
Figure 11 a section of the full size of the astragal, and Figure 12 a
section also of the full size of one of the rafters of the side framing.
Each rafter is composed of three longitudinal strips of metal A, B, C.
One of these strips (A) forms the two outside surfaces. The other two pieces
B and C are bent upwards at the joining so that they. may form a gutter or
water channel a, by which all the water collected in the inuer surface of
the glass is conveyed outside, through an opening left at the lower end of the
channel. The astragals are composed of four longitudinal strips D, E, F,
and G; D being a cap, E and F the two sides, and G the bottom or binding
piece which forms watercourses or gutters a, a, on each side of the astragal.
The gutters a, a, serve the same purpose as the gutter before explained,
as being on the side of the framing, and prevent the condensed vapours from
dropping upon the plants. H, H, are sliding frames which have their
bearings in hollow recesses I, I, formed on the upper sides of the astragals.
Figure 13 is a cross section of one of these sliding frames, shewing the
bearings and the means employed to retain them in their places.
Figures 14 and 15 are sections of beams or rafters which I employ when it
is found necessary to support the astragals between their bearing points at each
end. Figure 14 is composed of two thin double-flanged plates, which are
rivetted or bolted together; the: lower flanges, form watercourses. Figure
15 is made in one piece and rolled for the purpose.
Although, for the reasons before stated, I prefer making the roofings in
in every case of galvanized or zincked iron, I do not limit myself to the use
of that material, because it will be evident that of whatever material the
astragals and other parts may be made, as wood, gutta percha, &c., they
may still have the peculiar forms given to them before described, and afford
thereby some (if not all) of the advantages aforesaid. To secure a general
and uniform ventilation of the conservatory; hothouse, or other like struc-
ture, the hollow rafters and astragals may be pierced with numerous small
holes so that the cold air from without, or the heated air from within,
may be allowed to escape through these perforations, according to the
requirements of the plants. When ventilation is to be effected in this way
the ends of the hollow rafters and astragals are left open, so that as these
openings are left in that state or closed up the degree of ventilation may be
regulated accordingly,
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as of
my Invention is, the constructing, of the styles, rails, astragals, and other
parts of the framework of the roofing of conservatorics, hothouses, and
other like structures, of the peculiar forms and combinations of forms
represented in the annexed Drawings and before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Dench, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.