IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDINGS APPLICABLE TO ORCHARDS OR OTHER HORTI- CULTURAL PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Gilbey, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Wine Merchant, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDINGS APPLICABLE TO ORCHARDS OR OTHER HORTI-
CULTURAL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th January 1871, and dated the 12th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Gilbey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th July 1870.
I, Alfred GILBEY, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDINGS APPLICABLE TO ORCHARDS OR OTHER
HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The construction of these erections may be thus explained. The
sole plates of the portable walls which rest immediately upon the
ground, or upon brick, wood, or other foundations have holes cut or
morticed in them at convenient distances; uprights having grooves or
rebates on each side to receive glass, slate, or other suitable material are

page_text: placed in the mortice holes, and may be secured to the sole plates by
screws, bolts, angle plates, or other simple means; strips or bars of wood
or iron are then placed upon the top of the uprights longitudinally with
the sole plates, and also transversly with them, or these strips or bars
may be placed diagonally, and are notched into the uprights or screwed
or bolted to them, or fixed by angle pieces or other simple means to
hold the uprights in position. Wires or rods having tightening swivels
on them are then affixed to the sole plates on one side, and from thence
connected to the strips or bars which are upon the tops of the uprights
before described and again fixed to the sole plates intervening or on the
opposite side of the structure; the swivels or other tightening apparatus
are then screwed or tightened until the rods or wires are in a state of
tension, thus holding the strips or bars and uprights firmly to the sole
plates and making the structure rigid without the use of braces or strutts
of any kind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Gilbey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
GILBEY, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Wine Merchant, send greeting. -
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alfred Gilbey, Her special licence that I,
the said Alfred Gilbey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Gilbey, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDINGS APPLICABLE
TO ORCHARDS OR OTHER HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Gilbey, my executors or administrators,

page_text: and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Gilbey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The construction of these erections may be thus explained. The sole
plates of the portable walls which rest immediately upon the ground or
upon brick, wood, or other foundations, have holes cut or morticed in
them at convenient distances; uprights having grooves or rebates on
each side to receive glass, slate, or other suitable material, are placed in
the mortice holes and may be secured to the plates by screws, bolts,
angle plates, or other simple means; strips or bars of wood or iron are
then placed upon the top of the uprights longitudinally with the sole
plates and also transversely with them, or these strips or bars may be
placed diagonally and are notched into the uprights, or screwed or bolted
to them, or fixed by angle pieces or other simple means to hold the
uprights into position. Wires or rods having tightening swivels on
them are then affixed to the sole plates on one side and from thence
connected to the strips or bars which are upon the tops of the uprights
before described, and again fixed to the sole plates intervening or on the
opposite side of the structure, the swivels or other tightening apparatus.
are then screwed or tightened until the rods or wires are in a state of
tension, thus holding the strips or bars and uprights firmly to the sole
plates and making the structure rigid without the use of braces or strutts
of any kind. The entire structure or a part thereof may be fitted with
frost protectors or shading made of canvas, netting, tiffany, or any
suitable material which may be arranged to slide on rods, roll as an
ordinary blind, or in any other suitable manner made to cover the top or
open surface of the orchard at pleasure.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention, I wish
it to be distinctly understood that I claim a combination of sole plates
and uprights with strips or bars as herein-before described, and the
application of wires or rods with tightening swivels or other apparatus

page_text: being affixed thereto in a state of tension for the purpose of making the
framing or structure rigid without the use of braces or strutts, also the
application of canvas or other protection applied to cover the top or
open part of same as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Alfred Gilbey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.