CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY ROOFS OR COVERINGS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CARR, of Abingdon, in the County of Berks, Butcher, 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 Fifth day of June, in the eighth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Carr, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Henry Carr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said Henry Carr, my executors, administrators, 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
TEMPORARY ROOFS OR COVERINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said Henry Carr, 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 performed,
and to cause the same to be enrolled 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 large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Carr, do hereby déclare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are 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 of " Certain Improvements in the Construction of Temporary
Roofs or Coverings" has for its object the means of affording a ready
protection from the injurious effects of rain to agricultural produce, or other
articles necessarily exposed thereto. It is also designed for use during the
operations of building, or under any circumstance where a temporary roof or
covering is required. Such being the object of my Invention, it consists, in
the first place, in the formation and arrangement of a light and portable frame
of wood or other suitable material, with a covering of canvass or cloth,
capable of resisting and carrying off rain, tightly distended over it, which may
be applied with the utmost ease in a short space of time, and without the aid
of machinery; its parts also being so adapted and arranged as to render it
capable of being folded up when out of use.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the formation and arrangement of a
similar light and portable structure, as a temporary roof or covering, composed
of similar materials, which may likewise be readily applied and adjusted to any
desired elevation without the aid of machinery, but is incapable of being
folded up. In order, however, fully to explain the nature of my said Invention,
and the mode by which the same is to be carried into effect, I proceed now
to describe more particularly some of the purposes to which my Invention is
applicable, and the manner and its adaptation thereto; in illustration whereof
I would refer to the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Figure 1 represents the end view of a frame of wood, over which is
strained a covering of canvass or cloth, capable of resisting and carrying
off rain, applied as a temporary roof or covering to a rick. Figure 2
is a side view of the frame with the covering removed. Figure 3, an
end view of the same, as it would appear when out. of use and folded up.
The wooden frame or skeleton of this simplest form of temporary, roof or
covering consists of two portions, A and B, placed in like manner with the
portions which form the gable of an ordinary permanent. roof. Each portion
A and B is composed, as will be seen, of two longitudinal pieces a, a, one
at top and the other at the bottom, to which are fixed a series of transverse
inclined ribs b, b. These two portions A and B are united in any convenient

page_text: manner so as to form a kind of hinge joint at top, which may be effected by
the application of small metal hinges to the two upper longitudinal pieces a, a,
or by fixing a piece of stout canvass, leather, or other suitable material, along
these two pieces a, a, or some part thereof; either on the upper or under side
thereof. The extent to which the two portions A and B can expand is limited
by cords, ropes, or webbing c, attached to the inclined ribs b, b. To each of the
two lower pieces a, a, is fixed a longitudinal rail in the manner shewn, for the
purpose of forming, when covered with waterproof canvass or cloth, a gutter,
channel, or spout, for the escape of rain water. d is the covering of canvass
or cloth tightly distended over the frame in any convenient manner, by nailing
or otherwise attaching it to the longitudinal and transverse pieces which
compose the same. In applying this temporary roof or covering to the purpose
of protecting a rick or stack of hay from the injurious effects of rain, I fasten
it down by ropes or cords as at e, e, to which are attached pegs or stakes
driven into the ground or the rick; but, if preferred, these ropes or cords may
be held down by weights.
Figures 4 and 5 represent a duplex form of temporary roof or covering;
that is to say, a roof consisting of two gables or pairs of inclined sides, united
together at their lower end by a hinge joint, with a gutter or spout f between
them. This gutter or channel is formed of waterproof canvass or cloth, or
other flexible waterproof material, fixed to the two longitudinal pieces a, a, so
as to admit of the frame being folded together when out of use, as shewn at
Figure 5. This form of temporary roof or covering is applied in precisely the
same manner as that last described, a rope or cord if desired being attached
at the point where the gables meet for fastening the same, and therefore needs
no further explanation. It is, however, sometimes found more convenient to
form the roof in single gables or pairs of inclined sides, and put them together
in the manner shewn in the detached Figure 6; that is, so as to admit of the
inclined side 6 and the longitudinal piece a together forming a gutter, by the
former resting upon the piece g as shewn. By this arrangement the several
gables may be united, when required, without any permanent attachment at the
gutter, as described in reference to Figures 4 and 5. In this case the fastening
of the roof in its required position is effected by passing a rope, attached to the
lower end of the inclined side b, through a staple fixed in the lower end of
the piece 9, and fixing the same in manner described in reference to Figure 1.
I would here remark, that any number of pairs of gables may also be united,
if desired, either by permanent hinges or in the manner lastly herein-before
described of uniting several gables or pairs of inclined sides; and also the
roof may.
be composed of any number of pieces fitted to each other longitudi-

page_text: nally, as at Figure 7. The two or more lengths may thus be joined together
in any convenient manner, provided only that the junction be properly covered
with canvass or otherwise. I would also remark, that the gutters or channels
may be formed of the same materials as that constituting the covering of the
entire frames, provided the same be of sufficient substance, and be dressed_ór
covered with any waterproof composition.
Figure 8 is a Diagram, representing in isometrical perspective an application
of my Invention to the ordinary hurdles employed in the fields while reaping
and drying corn.
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, represent the second part of my Invention, being
a modification of that just described, and applicable as a temporary roof or
covering for bricks placed as usual in sacks for the purpose of drying. The
Invention is in this instance employed as a substitute for the covering of straw
which is ordinarily used for this purpose. Figures 9 and 11 are end views, and
Figures 10 and 12 are side views of this roof, which, as will be seen, is
mounted on a series of upright posts or pillars h, h, driven into the ground.
The upper portions of the posts h are passed through the two transverse pieces
i, i; of the roof, through which a pin k is passed, and in this manner the roof
is supported on the several posts. In these posts a number of holes are formed,
which are ranged vertically, for the purpose of regulating the particular height
which it is desired to fix the roof. Figures 9 and 10 represent the roof raised
to a height convenient for allowing the workmen to proceed with the stacking
of the bricks. Figures 11 and 12 represent the same when lowered over the
stack to protect it from wet, which may be done by simply removing the pins
.from the higher to the lower holes in the posts, at the same time lowering the
frame by hand. The covering of canvass or cloth is tightly distended over the
wooden frame in the same manner as in the former instance, and any number
of lengths may also be united, care being taken as before properly to cover
the part where they are united. This form of roof may also be applied with
advantage as a temporary roof or covering for sheds and workshops during
the erection of buildings or the prosecution of any similar works.
Now, although I have just described my Invention as applied to certain
purposes, I do not mean or intend to confine myself to such application, neither
do I limit my claim to the employment to the precise materials or means of
support herein-before described. But I claim as of my Invention, firstly,
the mode herein-before described of constructing a light portable frame, covered
with a fabric capable of resisting and carrying off rain distended thereon, for
the purpose of forming a temporary roof or covering which may be readily
applied, and without the aid of machinery, wherever the same is applicable,

page_text: and also may be readily folded up when out of use. And I claim, secondly,
the general arrangement and construction of the temporary roof or covering
herein-before described and represented at Figures 9 to 12, in the several
applications of which it is susceptible.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Carr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.