Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1897
Complete Specificationleft 20th June 1898-Accented 13th Aug
1000
I, JAMES WILSON SMITH, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S.A., at present
residing at Amport, near Andover, Hampshire, Estate Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in or relating to thatching (par-
ticularly thatching with straw reeds grass or the like which for the sake of
brevity I shall hereinafter refer to as "straw") stacks or ricks of corn or other
grain, hay, etc., or buildings or other structures such as are commonly used in
agriculture.
Hitherto and under the present mode of thatching every handful of straw has
to be fitted one into the other making it very difficult to keep proper joints, which
often results in the rain getting in through the thatch whereas under my arrange-
ment this drawback is practically done away with.
Furthermore it has been proposed to previously sew or overbind the
straw together in layers before thatching but under this sewing system.
where the thatch is worn or torn or the ricks sink in certain places
and thereby stretching the layers so as to expose the sewing to the
weather, that portion of the stitching that rests on top forms an obstruction to
the water running off and the part of the sewing that goes down through the
straw forms a natural conductor for the rain and serves to lead same through the
thatch whereas according to my improved method of thatching there is nothing
to obstruct the rain from running off freely and whatever fastenings are used same
are placed in a slanting position or in such manner as to allow the free flow of
the water off the straw .e. off the thatch.
According to my present invention I lay out on a floor or other suitable sur-
face one, two or more strings twine or ropes or other suitable ties or tying mate-
rial of any suitable length and I then spread the straw thereon in as regular a
manner and as even in thickness as possible-the thickness (i.e. the depth) of the
straw being regulated in any suitable and ready manner for instance by a hori-
zontal arm adjustable on a vertical post or posts or other vertically adjustable
device.
Having thus more or less regularly and evenly arranged the layer of straw
I then take one end of the string or strings etc. (the other end of each such string
or strings being temporarily fixed or held in any suitable manner) and roll or tie
same into the straw thereover and then commence rolling up said layer of straw
and at same time roll in the string or strings so that the latter is thus laid in
and rolled up in and with the bundle of straw thus formed and the outer end of
each said laid-in string or strings is now freed from its temporary fixing and is
then securely attached to the bundle or to its own part or both so as to prevent
the bundle of straw from becoming unrolled or loose until desired.
I now take the bundles of straw thus rolled up with the string or strings
гD077

page_text: laid in as aforesaid and I place same in any desired position on the roof rick or
other surface to be thatched and I then release the aforesaid outer end of the
laid-in string or tie (and advantageously peg same down or otherwise secure this
said end to the roof or rick, etc.) and then unroll the bundle of straw which by
reason of the laid-in string will thus form a regular and even layer of straw
exactly in the required position and of the required depth for the thatching
operation at this point and such layer of straw is now secured in position and the
thatching completed at this point in any suitable manner such for instance as
the ordinary pegs or appliances used for pinning down the straw, only care should
be taken that such appliances be so placed and arranged that they will not divert
the water through the thatch but permit it to run freely off said thatch.
Each string may be left in (i.e. under its layer of straw) and each end thereof
secured if desired so that when said thatching is to be removed (for instance when
a stack or rick is to be used) then the various layers of straw can be rolled up
again with their respective strings or ties and the bundles thus formed can then
be used again.
As a top, cap, crutch, or finish to span the tops or converging sides or slopes
of thatched buildings, ricks, etc., I sew and bind layers of straw and cut same
to any desired lengths the sewing being close to and along each longitudinal edge
and I then lay two of these layers or bindings parallel (i.e. flatwise) together and
I then sew same closely together along or near the top edge thereof and also
another sewing along the middle (or thereabouts) leaving each bound lower edge
free and independent of the other and by opening these as a crutch or fork same
will embrace and span and thereby finish off the converging sides or slopes or
ridge of the thatch-the sewn-together upper edges forming a vertical upward
projection or ridge standing perpendicular to the building etc., and such tops are
pegged fixed or secured in position by any suitable fastenings.
Or I may form these tops or crutches etc. as follows:-
First I spread a layer of straw evenly on the ground or floor and lay two or
more strings or equivalent transversely over same, then place a second and equal
layer of straw regularly over the first layer and sew both layers together along
the top edge thereof then take one of the laid-in strings (the other laid-in string
being pinned or secured down and so holding down the lower that is the first-
named layer of straw) and by means thereof turn back the lower ends of the
upper that is the second-named layer of straw and then roll up the whole in a
bundle ready for unrolling in position for finishing off the thatch as aforesaid.
Dated this 20th day of September 1897
CUMI LEIDD MOTICATION.
Improved Method and Means of Thatching.
I, JAMES WILSON SMITH, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S.A., at present
residing at Amport, near Andover, Hampshire, Estate Agent, 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 has for its object improvements in or relating to thatching (par-
ticularly thatching with straw reeds grass or the like-which for the sake of
brevity I shall hereinafter refer to as "straw") stacks or ricks of corn or other
grain, hay, etc., or buildings or other structures such as are commonly used in
agriculture.

page_text: Hitherto and under the present mode of thatching every handful of straw has
to be fitted one into the other making it very difficult to keep proper joints, which
often results in the rain getting in through the thatch whereas under my arrange-
ment this drawback is practically done away with.
as to
the
Furthermore it has been proposed to previously sew or overbind
straw together in layers before thatching but under this sewing system
where the thatch is worn or torn or the ricks sink in certain places
the
and thereby stretching the layers so
expose the sewing to
weather, that portion of the stitching that rests on top forms an obstruction to
the water running off and the part of the sewing that goes down through the
straw forms a natural conductor for the rain and serves to lead same through the
thatch-whereas according to my improved method of thatching there is nothing
to obstruct the rain from running off freely and whatever fastenings are used same
are placed in a slanting position or in such manner as to allow the free flow of
the water off the straw i.e. off the thatch.
Now according to my present invention I proceed as follows reference being had
to the accompanying drawings:-
:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a table with the means I employ for tying the
straw into bundles preparatory to the thatching.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 on the line 3-3 looking in the direction of the
arrow 1 Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shows the string or tie I employ for tying each bundle of straw.
Fig. 5 is an end view of a bundle of straw tied and secured according to my
present invention.
a is the table supported on legs a¹.
This table is provided with a longitudinal slot b below and towards each end of
which are mounted the clips c in which are held the strings d Fig. 4.
Also this
table a may be provided with holes in pairs a³ a² a³ a³ in which short posts can
be fitted if it is desired to shorten the length of the layer to be rolled in a bundle.
A number of such strings & may be laid in these clips c below said slot b in
readiness for making a number of bundles of straw.
* is an enlargement in said slot b to permit the hand of the operator to grasp
the string d.
The straw (which is advantageously cut to an even length is laid on the
table a at right angles to the slot b therein--the depth of said layer being regu-
lated by the horizontal bar e which is pivotted at e¹ to the support on the
table a the point at which said bar e is pivotted being adjustable vertically in
said support e according to the thickness of the layer of straw with which it is
desired to thatch.
e is a counterbalance on the end'e of the bar e this latter being held down
in the horizontal position by a spring catch f pivotted at f¹ to the table and
controlled by the spring f2 so that by pulling back said catch f the bar e is re-
leased and will be raised upwards by the counter-balance e* thereon.
.
g is a forked device opening upwards mounted on the table a, in which fork---
or in a clip mounted in said support g-is laid the end d of the springs a ace
Figs. 1 to 3.
thereon in
straw
Or I may lay out on a floor or other suitable surface one, two or more strings
twine ropes or other suitable ties or tying material d of any suitable length
and
manner
as regular a
and I then spread the
as even in thickness as possible--the thickness (i.e. the depth) of the straw
being regulated in any suitable and ready manner for instance by a horizontal
bar such as e adjustable on a vertical post or posts or other vertically adjustable
device.
Having thus more or less regularly and evenly arranged the layer of straw and
removed the bar e I then take the end of the string or strings d which may
advantageously be provided with a hook such as thereon (the other end d³ of

page_text: each such string or strings d being temporarily fixed or held in any suitable
manner such as by the forked device g) and roll or tie same into the straw there-
over and then commence rolling up said layer of straw and at same time roll in
the string or strings so that the latter is thus laid in and rolled up in and with
the bundle of straw thus formed as shown in Fig. 5 and the outer end d of said
laid-in string or strings is now freed from its temporary fixing 9 and is then
securely attached to the bundle or to its own part or both so as to prevent the
bundle of straw from becoming unrolled or loose until desired:
I now take the bundles of straw thus rolled up with the string d or strings
laid in as aforesaid and I place same in any desired position on the roof rick or
other surface to be thatched and I then release the aforesaid outer end of the
laid-in string or tie (and advantageously peg same down or otherwise secure this
said end to the roof or rick, etc.) and then unroll the bundle of straw which by
reason of the laid-in string d will thus form a regular and even layer of straw
exactly in the required position and of the required depth for the thatching
operation at this point and such layer of straw is now secured in position and the
thatching completed at this point in any suitable manner such for instance as
the ordinary pegs or appliances used for pinning down the straw, only care should
be taken that such appliances be so placed and arranged that they will not divert
the water through the thatch but permit it to run freely off said thatch.
Each string may be left in (i.e. under its layer of straw) and each end thereof
secured if desired for instance to the adjacent string by means of the hook and
the loop so that when said thatching is to be removed (for instance when
a stack or rick is to be used) then the various layers of straw can be rolled up
again with their respective strings or ties and the bundles thus formed can then
be used again.
The top, cap, crutch or finish to span the stops or converging sides or slopes of
buildings, ricks, etc., thus thatched may be formed or arranged in any suitable
manner.
A loop or knot is formed in the string at the point d³ i.e. near the end d²
(see Fig. 1) so as to prevent same being pulled through the clip c and thus offer
resistance to pull on the end of the string etc. d so that the operator can pull
tightly on the end d¹ of said string and thus tightly roll up the bundle while
another knot or loop d may be provided in order to keep the ends in position
in their support g.
d is another loop by which the end №2 may be secured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my. said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein-described improved method of thatching which consists in placing
an even layer of straw over a length of string or cord or the like, one end of which
is temporarily fixed while the other end is tied into the straw which latter is thus
rolled up into a bundle and tied tightly by means of the first-named end of the
string and said tied bundle of straw then conveyed to the point where it is desired
to thatch and there unrolled in the exact position for thatching substantially as
described.
2. The herein-described means for carrying out the process as claimed above
combined and arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 17th day of June 1898
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.