CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF COVERING BUILDINGS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RICHARDSON, of Hutton, in the Parish of Rudley, in the County of York,
Painter and Glazier, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of January, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Richardson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Richardson, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Richardson, my exors, admors, 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 expressed, 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
METHOD OF COVERING BUILDINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said John Richardson, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be inrolled in Her said 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, referenco being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in complianco with the said proviso, I, the said
John Richardson, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thercon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates to improvements in laying slates, tiles, and other
surfaces, in the coverings to buildings, and the shaping or forming of tiles and
surfaces, whereby less materials will, for like purposes, be used, and greater
lightness, and other advantages, will be obtained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a square slate, having the two angles a, a, removed,
that is to be the figure of the slates employed for carrying out one of my
improvements. Figure 2 shews a row of such slates combined, the edges a, a,
coming together; b is the upper, and c the lower, angle; hence it will be seen
that in laying the next row of slates above those shewn in Figure 1, the lower
angle c will come below the portion or joint a, a, and close the same water-
tight, as will readily be seen in Figure 3, which shews a roof or surface covered
with slates.
Figure 4 shows another shape or figure of slate, the lower portion thereof
being rounded; hence, when a number are laid and fastened on a building
they will have the appearance of Figure 5, which represents the covering of
a house, the dotted lines clearly indicating the quantity of overlapping of the
slates.
Figure 6 shows an oblong slate, the angles a, a, being removed in like
manner to Figure 1. These slates are to be fixed angularly on a roof, as is
shewn at Figure 7.
I would here remark that each of these plans are on the same principle,
and differ only in the figures of the slates employed; and it will be seen that
in such arrangement there is but little overlapping, at the same time the joints
are equally water-tight, as if laid one over the other, and every point of the
urface of a roof had at least two thicknesses of slate, and in some part threo
thicknesses, as is the practice of laying slates and plain tiles now practised,

page_text: and as is shewn at Figure 8; but according to the means above described
there will be but one thickness over the larger portion of the area or surface
covered, and the portion of the surfaces where the slates overlap will be com-
paratively small; hence greater lightness will be obtained, and a material
saving of slates. And I will further remark, in respect to this part of my
Invention, that although I have only mentioned slates as the material
employed, it will be evident that tiles and other plain surfaces may be
employed when made and shaped, as above explained, my Invention not
relating to the material used but to the mode of laying the same in covering
buildings, as above described.
Figure 9 shews a tile of a peculiar construction, having the sides thereof
turned over in order the better to fix and lay the same. It will be seen that
the two sides e, e, are turned down, producing a projecting ridge on the under
side of about one quarter of an inch, and the two sides f, f, are turned up,
and producing a like ridge on the upper surface, which, in making, will readily
be performed by the workman placing a sheet of clay between two flat square
surfaces, and turning down the edges; hence it will be evident that if a row
of tiles similar to Figure 9 be laid and affixed on a roof, and this will be con-
veniently performed by spikes similar to that shewn at Figure 10, on laying
the next row of tiles of a similar construction above those at Figure 10,
the ridges e, e, of such next row of tiles will lap over the ridges f, f, of the
row Figure 9.
and
Figure 11 shews another tile or other flat surfaces, having grooves f.f.
e, e, which answer in place of the projecting ridges shewn in Figure 9.
These will readily be formed by pressing a sheet of clay between two moulds
of like figure to two tiles.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
applying the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as the
improvements are the modes herein-described of covering buildings with slates,
tiles, and other surfaces, placed angularly, as described in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, and 7; and also the mode of forming tiles or other surfaces, as
explained in Figures 9 and 11, for the covering of buildings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Richardson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
JOHN (L.s.) RICHARDSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the First day of March, in the
year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid John Richardson came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-eight.