IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLAT TILES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gedge, of No. 4, Wellington Street South,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLAT TILES."-A communication
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gedge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th June
1855.
I, JOHN GEDGE, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLAT TILES," a communication from
Mr C. J. B. J. Vaultrin; of. the Empire of France, to be as follows:
I propose to manufacture those: tiles called flat tiles for building purposes
in such manner that certain protuberances and grooves on the one (or. inferior)
face shall secure the solidity of the tile when placed on. the lathing, and on
the other (or superior) face: one or more projections or protuberance's and one
or more grooves shall enable; the tiler" to walk about, on the roofing, not
only without danger to himself but without damage to the tiles. The grooves
serve as cover joints when the projections are fitted therein. The projections
and grooves will guarantee the tiles when fixed from the effects of-wind, snow,"
or-rain:
14

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEDGE, of No. 4, Wellington Street South, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, dated the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Gedge, Her especial license that I, the said John Gedge, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Gedge, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF FLAT
TILES," a communication from C. J. B. J. Vaultrin, residing in the Empire of
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gedge, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Gedge, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the annexed Drawing, which shews a tile
made according to the Invention, and of about half the size they would be
made for use:-
Figure 1 is a plan of the top surface of the tile; Figure 2, a plan of the
under side thereof; Figure 3, a section taken through the tile at X, Y, Figure 1;
Figure 4, a longitudinal section taken at X, Y'; Figure 5 is a lateral view of
the tile at the cover joints. These tiles are what are usually termed flat tiles,
.although it will be seen that protuberences are raised thereon and indentations
made therein when manufactured according to this Invention. On Figure 1
will be seen protuberences D and E, which add to the solidity of the tile, and
serve as steps for the tiler, permitting him to walk about on the roofing, not only

page_text: without danger to himself but without damage to the tiles. The juts G, K,
hinder rain or snow from getting under the roofing when the wind blows with
violence, the cover joint O, B, which covers the tile to the right, and the pad
A, which fixes itself into the groove of the neighbouring tile at its cover joint,
as shewn. M and N, hollows made to diminish the weight of the tile; L, L,
are clasps to retain the tile on the lath by the juts c, c, (the middle of D, Y, H,
resists in H.) so that the upper tile cuts the joint of two lower ones on the
roof, stopping the reflux of rain or snow, and facilitating the flow of water; the
groove S and the pads A and O serve for the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gedge, have heretofore set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE,
31, Harrington Square,
Hampstead Road.
JOHN GEDGE. (L.S.)