Improvements in Means for Fixing Sheets of Glass upon the Frame Work of Roofs.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1894-Accepted. 19th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Fixing Sheets of Glass upon the
Frame Work of Roofs.
We, ALFRED MOORE and HENRY CRISE, both of Nos. 352 to 364, Euston
Road, in the Administrative County of London, Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in means for fixing sheets of glass upon
and to the frame work of roofs.
Hitherto roofs have been glazed by laying the sheets with the bottom horizontal
edge of one sheet overlapping the top edge of the one below. This has necessarily
set the under face of the sheets in a plane at an angle with that of the inclination
of the roof, in which case it has been necessary to provide for the angle between
the sash bars and the glass being made good, e.g., by kinking the bars so as
to adapt their top edges to receive and to support the sheets in their overlapping
position. Another method has been to use straight sash bars at different levels
connected by drips, the drips being safeguarded by fenders against snow being
blown in, and overhung by the respectively upper sheets.
It is obvious that any scheme for laying the sheets in one plane must provide for
the butt joints between their horizontal edges being made water tight, and this is
accomplished by the present invention which, at the same time, permits of the use
of straight sash bars in one and the same continuous plane, thereby obviating the
expense of drips and their addenda.
In carrying the invention into effect, we provide a flashing for each butt joint.
This is made, preferably, of metal. In cross section it bent twice at a right
angle, so that nearly half of it is adapted to lie under the bottom horizontal portion
of an upper sheet and nearly the other half of it upon the top horizontal portion
of the lower sheet, the connecting web standing up between the abutting edges of
the two sheets. The clear width of this web is equal to the thickness of the glass.
Clips, which are made fast to the flashing, are provided to receive the bottom edge
of the upper sheet to prevent it slipping. The flashing is as long as the glass sheets
are wide, and carries ends which are swaged so as to bed up to and upon the
adjacent sash bars. Further, the upper and lower edges of the flashing are turned
at a right angle, or folded over, to meet the respective sheet of glass, the whole
being pressed out of the solid metal.
Sheets of glass have straight edges and the inevitable space between one edge-
the lower one of an upper sheet-and the web of the flashing would admit water
which would creep up under glass. To obviate this, the web is made curved in
plan instead of linear, the curve being away from the bottom edge of the upper
sheet. This makes a gathering space for the water which collects there and flows
away thence down the roof, or evaporates.
Dated this 5th day of July 1893.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: •
Improvements in Means for Fixing Sheets of Glass upon the
Frame Work of Roofs.
We, ALFRED MOORE and HENRY CRISP, both of Nos. 352 to 364 Euston
Road, in the Administrative County of London, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to Improvements in Means for Fixing Sheets of Glass
upon the Frame Work of Roofs.
Hitherto, roofs have been glazed by laying the sheets with the bottom horizontal
edge of one sheet overlapping the top edge of the one below. This has necessarily
set the under face of the sheets in a plane at an angle with that of the inclination
of the roof, in which case it has been necessary to provide for the angle between
the sash bars and the glass being made good; e.g. by kinking the bars so as to
adapt their top edges to receive and to support the sheets in their overlapping
position. Another method has been to use straight sash bars at different levels
connected by drips, the drips being safeguarded by fenders against snow being
blown in, and being also overhung by the respectively upper sheets.
It is obvious that any scheme for laying the sheets in one plane must provide for
the butt joints between the horizontal edges being made watertight, and this is
accomplished by the present invention which at the same time permits of the use of
straight sash bars in one and the same continuous plane, thereby obviating the
expense of drips and their addenda.
In carrying the invention into effect, we provide a flashing for each butt joint.
This is made, preferably, of metal. In cross section, it is bent twice at an angle,
so that nearly half of it is adapted to lie under the bottom horizontal portion of an
upper sheet, and nearly the other half of it upon the top horizontal portion of the
lower sheet, the connecting web standing up between the abutting edges of the two
sheets. The clear width of this web is not less than the thickness of the glass.
Clips, which are made fast to the flashing, are provided to receive the bottom edge
of the upper sheet to prevent it slipping. The flashing is as long as the glass sheets
are wide, and carries ends which are swaged so as to bed up to and upon the adjacent
sash bars. Further, the upper and lower edges of the flashing are turned up
or folded over to meet the respective sheet of glass, the whole being pressed out of
the solid metal.
In order that the invention and the best means of carrying it into practical
effect may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe it and them in detail,
referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part
of this Specification and read therewith.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved flashing made according to the
present invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a portion of a roof the sheets of which are fixed
according to the present invention.
a, a are the roofing sheets. They lie in the seatings a¹, a'. The latter are
formed in or upon the sides of the sash bars or rolls b, b, in any convenient way.
We have chosen for illustration, wooden bars or rolls, but must point out that the
present invention does not concern itself with the material of the bars or rolls, nor
with the method by which the seatings are produced, but it does concern itself with
the direction and contour of the latter as far as this:-it requires that their angle
of inclination shall be the same as that of the roof, and further, that the said
inclination be regular throughout. Provided that these two conditions are complied
with, the sash bars or rolls may be of any type of material. All the sheets will,
therefore, when they are in their place, lie in one and the same plane, and

page_text: constitute what is practically a continuous surface being broken only by the joints
between the sheets. Each joint is made watertight, according to the present
invention, by means of one of our improved flashings. Such a flashing is made, for
many reasons, by stamping it out of sheet metal. Both the said inaterial and
process of production are used by us because they are cheap and yield satisfactory
results, but our invention does not limit us in respect of either of them. In point of
length, a flashing is as long as a roofing sheet a is wide, and provided with two
ends c, c, which are swaged to the contour of the relative portions of the sides of
the sash bars or rolls b against and up to which they are intended to bed.
The flashing is cranked twice longitudinally along the lines d, e, each of which is
preferably equidistant from the centre line of the flashing. The formation of these
two angles produces a central portion f and two outer portions g and h. The width
varies according to circumstances and is decided by the thickness of the roofing
sheets taken in conjunction with the size of the angles produced by cranking the
flashing along the lines d and e. As to the size of the angles, each may be a right
angle, but we prefer that they should both be obtuse, as is clearly illustrated in
Figure 2. Given the angle, then the central portion must be wide enough to hold
the outer portions g and in parallel planes separated by a distance not less than
the thickness of a roofing sheet. This provides for one outer portion g standing under
an equivalent area next to the top edge of the lower roofing sheet. But we find
that it is better that these portions g and should not bed, as to their entire surfaces,
to their respective roofing sheets, for if they did, water would work up between the
said surface and sheet. To prevent that, we increase the angles d and e until the
outer portions g, h stand out of their original planes, and then return their outer
edges g', 'back to the said planes. When the flashing and roofing sheets are
fixed, the said edges of the latter will lie in the angles d, e respectively; the
edges g', touching the respective sheets for the full width of the latter, while the
portions g, touch them only along their edges. This fit between the flashing and
the sheets is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. Instead of returning the edges g', h
in the way illustrated in Figure 2, they may be folded over so as to form beads upon
the sides of the flange which come next to the roofing sheet.
i is a stop. Its function is to stand in front of the bottom edge of an upper
roofing sheet for the purpose of preventing it slipping downwards and riding up the
inclined central portion. Provided that the discharge of this function is provided
for, any type of stop or clip may be made use of.
A further feature of our invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, and that
is a special provision to prevent the creeping of water up under an upper roofing
sheet.
Sheets of glass have straight edges and the inevitable space between one edge-
the lower one of an upper sheet-and the web of the flashing, would adınit water
which would creep up under the glass. To obviate this, the angles d and e
are curvilinear, taking an are convex to the bottom edge of the upper roofing sheet.
When the roofing is fixed, there is a partially crescent space between the upper
roofing sheet and the angle d. This provides a gathering space large enough for
the water to collect in in bulk and from which it will flow away over the portion h,
or evaporate.
The modification in our improved Aashing necessary to adapt it to flash the top
edge of an upper sheet to a wall or to a ridge, is not a part of the present invention.
This modification consists in bending the upper outer portion of the flashing into a
vertical position as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;-
1. A flashing consisting of two outer portions held together by one central one,
the latter being integral with both the former, and holding them in planes separated
by a distance equal to the thickness of a roofing sheet, as set forth.

page_text: 2. A flashing for making a joint between two roofing sheets standing in one and
the same plane, consisting of two outer portions, a central portion holding the said
outer portions together at a distance apart along their lines of junction with the
said central portion, equal to the thickness of a roofing sheet, and returned outer
edges or beads upon the said outer portions as set forth.
3. A flashing for making a joint between two roofing sheets standing in the same
plane, consisting of two outer portions, a central portion holding the said outer.
portions together at a distance apart, along their lines of junction with the said
central portion, equal to the thickness of a roofing sheet, returned outer edges
or beads upon the said outer portions and a gathering space for the collection of
water, as set forth.
4. The combination of a flashing consisting of two outer portions held together
by one central one, the latter being integral with both the former and holding them
in planes separated by a distance equal to the thickness of a roofing sheet, with
ends adapted to bed up to or upon the sash bars, as set forth.
5. The combination of a flashing consisting of two outer portions held together
by one central one, the latter being integral with both the former and holding them
in planes separated by a distance equal to the thickness of a roofing sheet, ends
adapted to bed up to or upon the sash bars, and a stop to prevent the slip of the
upper roofing sheet.
Dated this 5th day of Anril 1894
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.