IMPROVEMENTS IN HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER GLAZED STRUCTURES, PART OF WHICH PROVISIONAL SPATIONSOLICABLE TO
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Miller, of Upwey, near Dorchester, in the
County of Dorset, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER GLAZED STRUCTURES, PART OF WHICH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Miller at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th March
1863.
1, JOHN MILLER, of Upwey, near Dorchester, in the County of Dorset,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND OTHER GLAZED STRUCTURES, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO VENTILATING OTHER BUILDINGS," to
be as follows:
The improvements relate to arranging parts of horticultural and other
glazed structures so that they may be readily combined, and that when
required to be removed from one place to another their separation again into
parts and reconstruction may be easily effected. For this purpose the heads
and sills of the side and end frames are connected together by metal bands or
angle iron, and the uprights or mullions are tenoned therein; and when either
the side or end frames are of considerable length I sometimes form them in
separate parts or sections by dividing them vertically through some of the

page_text: vertical portions or mullions of these frames, connecting such divided parts by
screws so that they may be readily separated and reconnected. To give
strength and stability to such structures I apply cross stays of iron or wood
from the mullions of one side to those of the other, connected by wood screws.
The side or end sashes, in place of being hung, are formed in two sets to slide
one over, or to pass, or in front of the other, on metal ridges, which are per-
forated to admit of water collecting between them freely passing away. The
overlapping portions, when the sashes are closed, lie behind the uprights or
mullions. I also form the roof in similar parts or sections by division of the
main beams, which are in this case attached to the glazed frames. I also for
a span roof employ two ridge pieces with a space between them for the free
passage of air, and I connect these together at intervals. Over these connec
tions and between the ridge pieces I apply a stationary plate or board with
perforations at intervals, and over this I apply another plate or board, also
perforated, and capable of being slided, so that either the perforated or the
plain portions of this sliding plate or board may come over the perforations of
the stationary plate or board. The sliding plate or board is moved by a lever
or other suitable means, and if desired there may be two or more of them.
Over such perforated plates or boards and the ridge pieces between which they
are placed, and somewhat above them, supported at intervals so as to admit of
ventilation, I apply a narrow span roof. Similar double ridges and parts such
as explained are also applicable to simple inclined roofs. The parts of the
roof may be held to the sides or ends and ridges by screws or by bands, the
ridges being grooved to receive them. This method of ventilating is also
applicable to the ventilating of other buildings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Miller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOIN
MILLER, of Upwey, near Dorchester, in the County of Dorset, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Miller, Her special licence, that I, the said John Miller, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Miller, 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 HORTICULTURAL
BUILDINGS AND OTHER GLAZED STRUCTURES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO VENTILATING OTHER BUILDINGS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Miller, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands 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 John Miller, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to arranging parts of horticultural and other
glazed structures so that they may be readily combined, and that when
required to be moved from one place to another, their separation again into
parts and reconstruction may be easily effected. For this purpose the heads
and sills of the side and end frames are connected together by metal bands or
angle iron, and the uprights or mullions are tenoned to these frames, and when
either the side or end frames are of considerable length I sometimes form
them in separate parts or sections by dividing them vertically through some of
the vertical portions or mullions, and then connecting such divided parts by
screws, so that they may be readily separated and reconnected when required.
To give strength and stability to such structures I apply cross stays, of iron or
wood from the mullions of one side to those of the other connected by wood
screws. The side or end sashes, in place of being hung, are formed in two
sets to slide one over, or to pass one in front of the other on metal ridges,
which are perforated to admit of water collecting between them freely passing
away. The overlapping portions, when the sashes are closed, lie behind the
uprights or mullions. I also form the roof in similar parts or sections by
division of the main beams, which are in this case attached to the glazed
frames. I also, for a span roof, employ two ridge pieces with a space between
them for the free passage of air, and I connect these together at intervals.
Over these connections, and between the ridge pieces, I apply a stationary

page_text: plate or board with perforations at intervals, and over this I apply another
plate or board, also perforated and capable of being slided, so that either the
perforated or the plain portions of this sliding plate or board may come over
the perforations of the stationary plate or board. The sliding plate or board is
moved by a lever or other suitable means, and if desired there may be two or
more of them. Over such perforated plates or boards and the ridge pieces
between which they are placed, and somewhat above them, supported at
intervals so as to admit of ventilation, I apply a narrow span roof.
But that the improvements may be better understood I will, by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing, proceed more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows part of a transverse section; Figure 2, part of a side view;
Figure 3, part of a sectional plan; and Figure 4, a sctional plan of a portion
of the upper part of a horticultural building, the parts of which are combined
according to my improvements. In each of the views the same letters indicate
corresponding parts wherever they occur.
other screws.
a, a, is the head, and 6, the sill of one of the side frames, and c, the head,
and d, the sill of one of the end frames. The head and sill of the end frames
are connected at the ends by uprights e, and at intervals between by the
mullions f. The head and sill of the end frames are also connected together by
the uprights g, g, and when the house is required to be of considerable space
the heads and sills of the ends may also be connected together at intervals
by other vertical pieces or mullions. The side and end frames thus obtained
are held together by angle plates h, which are secured to the parts by wood or
The mullions are tenoned into-the heads and sills. When the
side or end frames are of considerable length, or it may be otherwise more
convenient, they may be divided into sections by division vertically through
any of the mullions, as indicated by the line i through one of the mullions,
and the parts connected thereto; and these parts thus divided may be retained
together by screws, so that they may be readily separated and reconnected
when required. j is one of a series of cross stays which may be placed at
intervals to connect the sides together, and thereby give increased stability to
the structure. The sashes k and are, in place of being hung, as is the usual
practice, formed to slide one in front of the other on metal ridges m and n,
and to facilitate their ready sliding these sashes may have rollers on their
under sides. The bars m, n, are perforated at suitable distances, as indicated
at o, to admit of water collected behind them freely passing away. The over-
lapping portions of these sashes, when they are closed, correspond with the

page_text: mullions. p and q are the main frames of the roof, and these may be divided
at the intermediate cross bars in like manner to the mullions referred to;
r, r, are frames of the roof, which at their back parts rest on a ridge piece 8,
which is formed to receive and support them, as shown at r³, and at the front
they rest on the head rail, and at the adjoining parts these frames are
formed to overlap one the other, as shown at r³, and then these adjoining parts
may be retained together by screwing; 8, s, are two ridge pieces connected
together at intervals by cross pieces s¹, yet so as to admit of air freely passing
between them; t is a stationary board or plate, perforated at t¹ to correspond
with similar perforations u¹ in another board or plate u resting on the board or
plate t. The board or plate u may be slided endwise on the board or plate t
by a lever or otherwise, and when the holes in the board or plate u are fully
over those in the board or plate t air will freely pass through them; but when
the holes in the plate u are over the spaces intermediate of the holes t¹ in the
board or plate t the passage of air in that direction will be closed. Over and
so as to cover these perforated plates or boards and the ridge pieces is applied
a narrow span roof v, which is made up, like the other parts, in sections,
as shown, and is so far raised above the ridges s, 8, as to admit of a free
passage of air, whilst it projects on each side sufficiently over the openings to
prevent rain beating in in that direction. The various sections are all retained
together by bands or by angle iron and screws. Similar double ridges and
parts, such as explained, are also applicable to simple inclined roofs. This
method of ventilating is also applicable to the ventilating of other buildings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Miller, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN MILLER. (L.S.)