CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SLATED ROOFS, FLATS, OR FLOORS, TANKS, OR CISTERNS, OR RESERVOIRS FOR WATER, AND IN PIPES, TUBES, OR CHANNELS OF THE SAME MATERIALS FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF WATER
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, THOMAS
MARTIN, of Withybush, near Haverford West, in the County of Pembroke,
Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of May, in the seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Martin, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Martin, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Martin, my executors, admini-
strators, 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 mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SLATED ROOFS, FLATS, OR FLOORS, TANKS, OR CISTERNS,
OR RESERVOIRS FOR WATER, AND IN PIPES, TUBES, OR CHANNELS OF THE SAME
MATERIALS FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF WATER;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Martin, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court

page_text: 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 large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Martin, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in the construction of roofs, flats, or floors,
by combining squares or slabs of slate together, and attaching them to the
boards or rafters in such a manner that the contraction of the timber will
have no effect in disturbing the joints or junctions of the slate.
And secondly, my Invention consists in combining slabs and other forms of
slate hereafter described for the purpose of holding water and other fluids, and
also for conducting the same from one place to another.
In the accompanying Drawings, Sheet I. represents three methods of com-
bining slabs or squares of slate together, by which means the contraction of
the planks and rafters of a roof or floor is prevented from affecting the slate
covering.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of a boarded roof, in which square slabs or
blocks of slate a, a, a, from half an inch to three quarters of an inch thick, are
sunk. In the centre of these blocks a pin or trannel 6 is cemented, which
projects out from the under side of the block, as shewn at the cross section
Fig. 2, for the purpose of being inserted in a hole in the boards or planking c;
this hole is of a rather larger diameter than the pin 6, to allow of the con-
traction and expansion of the wood. d, d, d, are a series of squares of slate,
cemented together in the manner shewn at Figures 3 and 4, Fig. 8 being a
plan view of a portion of a roof coustructed according to this Invention, and
Fig. 4 a cross section of the same. These squares of slate are so placed on
the boarded roof (after the blocks a are inserted in the boards), that one
corner of the four adjoining slates comes immediately over the block of slate a
(as shewn in the Drawing), and are there attached by pins or trannels e, e,
which enter the holes f, f, Fig. 1, made about two thirds of the way through
the thickness of the block to receive them. The holes which pass from the S
upper to the under square of slate must be larger in diameter than the pins
or trannels by a quarter or three eighths of an inch; and, previous to placing
the squares of slate a, a, a, upon the boarded roof, these holes must be luted.

page_text: The pins or trannels are likewise luted, and when inserted into the holes a cement
or composition in a fluid state is poured down the holes, and, uniting with the
composition at the joints of the squares, a perfect and indestructable mass is
formed. Blocks and squares of slate, arranged and cemented together as above
described, may be applied directly to the rafters of roofs, without using boards
or planks, and likewise to the joists and framing of flats or floors.
Fig. 5 represents in plan view a portion of a roof constructed of rows of
square slates cemented together; and Fig. 6 a side view of the same. Each
row, it will be seen, laps over that which is below it, and the junctions of
the slates are arranged so as to "break joint." The rows of slate are united
together by pins or trannels, which pass through the laps of the slates into
holes in the boards of the roof, made larger than the pins (as shewn at b,
Fig. 2), to allow for the contraction and expansion of the wood, as before
explained.
Another modification of my improved roof is shewn at Figures 7, 8, and 9;
Fig. 7 being a plan, Fig. 8, an edge view, and Fig. 9, an underneath view of
the same.
a, a, are longitudinal slabs of slate, and b, b, the squares which
are attached thereto by pins or trannels and cement. These slabs are affixed
to the roof by the pins or trannels shewn in the Drawing, which pass through
the squares of slate and the slabs, and enter the wood as above explained.
A
The second part of my Invention, which relates to the construction of tanks
and reservoirs for holding water, and pipes or channels for conveying the same,
is shewn by the various Figures in Sheet II. Fig. 1 is an elevation of a
square tank, cistern, or reservoir; and Fig. 2, a plan view of the same.
number of square slabs of slate (cut to any required size) are connected
together at their edges, as before mentioned, and upon them are cemented
other slabs of slate, in such a manner as to "break joint." Four such com-
binations of slate being made, will form the sides of the reservoir or cistern,
and a similar one is to form the bottom. Around the bottom of the tank or
cistern are grooves a, a, in which the sides b, c, d, and e, are cemented. To
the vertical edges of the sides, upright grooved pieces of slate f, f, are affixed
by trannels and cement, and the other sides c and e of the tank are secured
thereto in like manner; g, g, are leaden rivets passed through the bottom at
the outside of the grooves, to prevent the laminæ from splitting. Figures
3, 4, and 5, are views of a continuous line of trough, the sides of which form
an obtuse angle to each other. This trough is constructed on the same
principle as the tank or cistern above described. Fig. 3 is a cross section,
Fig. 4 a plan view, and Fig. 5 a side elevation of the same. Figures
6, 7, and 8, are cross section, plan, and side views of a trough with vertical

page_text: sides. The construction of these troughs being the same as the cistern or
reservoir, no further description is necessary.
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, show the manner in which I construct pipes,
tubes, or channels for conducting water from one place to another. Having
prepared any suitable number of blocks of slate hollowed into a semi-
cylindrical form, as shown at Fig. 9, I first join two of them together, as at
Fig. 10, by means of cement and pins or trannels a, a, which run through
both blocks. In the ends of the pipe, tube, or channel thus formed, a circular
hollow 6 is made, as shown at Fig. 11, which circle has an opening to the
outside of the pipe, as at c; d, d, are vertical holes leading down to horizontal
holes e, e, which are made to receive half the length of an iron rod or wire f
(see Fig. 10); another couple of blocks being similarly prepared and joined
together, as above mentioned, are ready to be connected to the former couple.
This is effected by inserting the iron rods or wires f. f, into corresponding
holes e, e, and by pushing up the part A until it comes up flush with the part
B, the junction is effected as shewn at Fig. 12. A fluid cement is then poured
into the opening c, and, flowing round the circle b, the joint is made air-tight,
and impervious to the escape of water. Into the holes d, d, melted lead is
poured, which, flowing into the holes e, e, firmly secures the rods f, f, in their
place, and thus connects the pipes A and B securely together. The com-
position which I prefer for uniting the sections of slate employed for all the
above-described purposes consists of equal portions of carbonized coal, tar,
and rosin, and a ninth part of linseed oil melted and mixed together.
I claim as my Invention the peculiar arrangements of slabs and blocks of
slate cemented and pinned together, as above described with reference to
Sheet I., for the construction of roofs of houses and other erections requiring
the same.
Also the mode of constructing tanks, cisterns, or reservoirs for holding
water, as above explained.
And, lastly, I claim the method, as above described, of constructing pipes,
tubes, or channels for holding water and conducting it from place to place,
whether such pipes or channels be made circular in the inside and of two
pieces, as shewn in the Drawing, or if any other suitable form or number of
blocks or slabs of slate, and connected together, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Martin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
THOMAS (L.S.) MARTIN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Eighteenth day of
November, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Thomas Martin came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.