IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING SHEETS OF GLASS; METAL OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR ROOFING OR OTHER PURPOSES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Deards of Harlow in the County of Essex for an
invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING SHEETS OF GLASS; METAL OR
OTHER MATERIALS FOR ROOFING OR OTHER PURPOSES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Deards at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1882.
SAMUEL DEARDS of Harlow in the County of Essex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECURING SHEETS OF GLASS, METAL OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR ROOFING OR OTHER
PURPOSES
""
My Invention has special reference to what is known as dry glazing, that is to
say, to the securing of sheets of glass on conservatories, horticultural and other
buildings or parts of buildings without the use of putty; but it is also applicable as
will be readily understood to securing sheets of other materials such for example
as metal for roofing or other like purposes.
I will describe my Invention as applied to glazing or securing sheets of glass on
a conservatory or other building.
For this purpose I employ to receive the side edges of the sheets of glass, metal
bars, strips or fillets (preferably of zinc) of peculiar form as hereinafter described
and placed at distances from each other corresponding with the width of the sheets
of glass. The form of these bars is in section approximately that of the letter or
of two C's set back to back and united by a web thus -C. The slits or openings in
the C's serve respectively to receive the edges of the two rows of sheets of glass at
the two sides of the bar. At the ends of the conservatory or building or at any
intermediate part where a beam or rafter parallel to the bars is introduced the bar
will have the form of a single C. When the bars are made of zinc or other soft
metal the width of the slits or openings for the glass can be adjusted by pressing
with the fingers or otherwise and as the top or upper surface of the bar is curved
it is not liable to warp under the action of the sun but will always hold the glass

page_text: firmly it is also adapted from its shape to receive and hold the sliding cap herein-
after described. These bars rest at their lower ends upon horizontal rails or ribs
and I cut away the lower half of so much of the bars as overlies the rails so that
the glass may be in contact with the rails; thus there is no opening left between the
rail and glass for the passage of air which is important in greenhouses or other
buildings which have to be kept heated. At their upper ends the bars are let into
the lower edge of the rails which are cut away for the purpose, and beyond this
cut away portion there is a groove to receive the upper edge of the sheets of glass.
In order to prevent any water from condensed moisture which may trickle down
the inside of the glass, collecting between the glass and the rails, I form a
channel along the top of each rail and from this channel at intervals I cut a groove
to the lower edge of the rail so that the water may run down on to the outside of
the sheet of glass next below.
For the purpose of keeping the top of the sheet of glass close up in the groove
Letre described in the rail and also of preventing all risk of looseness and
consequent rattling of the glass I run on to cach bar from the lower end thereof a
cap of corresponding length and shaped to fit over the upper half of the bar and
to take into the slits or openings in which the edges of the glass are received. At
the lower end of this cap is an end piece to overlap the end of the bar.
Thus by
sliding the cap up the bar, the end piece ensures that the sheets which take into that
bar are pushed home; and then a single screw passed through the cap and the web
of the bar into the rail below will hold all in place. When it is required to replace
a sheet of glass it suffices to take out this screw, slip off the cap and slide out the
sheet, when, the new sheet having been substituted, the reverse action secures all in
place again.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Deards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th December
1882.
SAMUEL DEARDS of Harlow in the County of Essex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECURING SHEETS OF GLASS, METAL OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR ROOFING OR OTHER
PURPOSES
"
My Invention has special reference to what is known as dry glazing, that is to
say, to the securing of sheets of glass on conservatories, horticultural and other
buildings or parts of buildings without the use of putty; but it is also applicable as
will be readily understood to securing sheets of other materials such for example
as metal for roofing or other like purposes.
I will describe my Invention as applied to glazing or securing sheets of glass
on a conservatory or other building.
For this purpose I employ to receive the side edges of the sheets of glass, metal
bars, strips or fillets (preferably of zinc) of peculiar form as hereinafter described
and placed at distances from each other corresponding with the width of the sheets
of glass. The form of these bars is in Section approximately that of the letter or
of two C's set back to back and united by a web thus -C. The slits or openings in
the C's serve respectively to receive the edges of the two sheets of glass at the two
sides of the bar. At the ends of the conservatory or building or at any inter-
mediate part where a beam or rafter parallel to the bars is introduced the bar will
have the form of a single C. When the bars are made of zinc or other soft metal
the width of the slits or openings for the glass can be adjusted by pressing with
the fingers or otherwise, and as the top or upper surface of the bar is curved it is
not liable to warp under the action of the sun, but will always hold the glass
firmly; it is also adapted from its shape to receive and bold the sliding cap herein-
after described. These bars rest at their lower ends upon horizontal rails or ribs
and 1 cut away the lower half of so much of the bars as overlies the rails so that
the glass may be in contact with the rails; thus there is no opening left between
the rail and glass for the passage of air which is important in greenhouses or other
buildings which have to be kept heated. At their upper ends the bars are let into
the lower edge of the rails which are cut away for the purpose and beyond
this cut away portion there is a groove to receive the upper edge of the sheets
of glass.
In order to prevent any water from condensed moisture which may trickle down
the inside of the glass collecting between the glass and the rails, I form a channel
along the top of each rail and from this channel at intervals I cut a groove to the
lower edge of the rail so that the water may run down on to the outside of the
sheet of glass next below.
For the purpose of keeping the top of the sheet of glass close up in the groove
before described in the rail, and also of preventing all risk of looseness and
consequent rattling of the glass I run on to each bar from the lower end thereof a
cap of corresponding length and shaped to fit over the upper half of the bar and to
take into the slits or openings in which the edges of the glass are received. At the
lower end of this cap is an end piece to overlap the end of the bar.
Thus by
sliding the cap up the bar the end piece ensures that the sheets which take into
that bar are pushed home; and then a single screw passed through the cap and the
web of the bar into the rail below will hold all in place. When it is required to
replace a sheet of glass it suffices to take out this screw, slip off the cap and slide
out the sheet, when the new sheet having been substituted the reverse action
secures all in place again.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a side view,
Figure 2 a view of the underside, Figure 3 a section through the line 1 - I and

page_text: Figure 4a section through the line 2 -- 2 of one of my bars. The slits or
openings a a in the two C's which together with the connecting web b constitute
the bar are to receive the edges of the two sheets of glass at the two sides of the
bar. c is the part of the bar where the lower half is cut away for the purpose of
allowing the glass to be in contact with the rail so that there may be no opening
between the rail and glass for the passage of air. Figure 5 is a longitudinal section,
Figure 6 a top view, Figure 7 an underside view, Figure 8 an end view and
Figure 9 a section through the line 3---3 of the cap hereinbefore described which
is shaped to fit over the upper half of the bar and is run on to it taking into the
slits a a.
d is the end piece on the cap which overlaps the end of the bar. c is the
hole in the cap and ƒ (Figure 2) the corresponding hole in the web of the bar
through which the screw is passed into the rail below to hold all in place.
Figure 10 is a section shewing the bar and cap and the two sheets of glass l
held in the slits a a.
Figure 11 is a front view of a portion of one of the rails, and Figure 12 is a
transverse section of the same shewing also the bars, caps and glass above and
below the same. g (Figure 12) is the cut away part in the lower edge of the rail
to receive the upper edge of the bar and cap and h is the groove beyond the
part g to receive the upper edge of the glass. is the channel formed along the top
of the rail to receive any water from condensed moisture which may trickle down
the inside of the glass and is one of the grooves which I cut at intervals from the
channel to the lower edge of the rail to allow the water to run from the channel i
down on to the outside of the sheet of glass next below.
Figure 13 is a section of part of a greenhouse dry glazed by the means and in
the manner herein before described.
As the sheets of glass are tightly held between the lower halves of the C's of the
bars and the cap (or between the two halves of the C's if a cap is not used) no
water either from outside or inside can get into the said lower halves.
Having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First The metal bars, strips or fillets of the peculiar form hereinbefore described
and shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for the purpose set forth.
Second Making these bars with the lower half cut away at that part which
overlies the horizontal rail as and for the purpose herein before described and
shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 4.
Third Securing and firmly fixing the sheets of glass in the metal bars by means
of a sliding cap, Figures 5 to 9, having an end piece to overlap the end of the
glass, and the whole being held in place by a screw passed through the cap and bar
into the horizontal rail, all substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The cut away part in the lower edge of the rail and the groove /
beyond the part g to receive respectively the upper edge of the bar and cap and of
the sheet of glass substantially as described and as shewn in Figure 12.
Fifth In combination with the means hereinbefore described whereby the glass
is held in contact with the horizontal rails I claim the channel i and grooves k in
the rails substantially as and for the purpose described.
Sixth Securing sheets of glass or other material without the use of putty by
the means and in the manner hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Samuel Deards have hereunto set my hand and
seal this thirteenth day of December One thousand eight hundred and