IMPROVEMENTS IN STRUCTION OF CONSERVATORIES, ORCHARD HOUSES, AND OTHER HORTICULTURAL ERECTIONS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE COVERING OF AREAS, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR DRILL SHEDS, MARKETS, RAILWAY SHEDS, COLONISTS, AND ARMY HUTS, AND MANY OTHER SIMILIAR PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Cranston, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STRUCTION OF CONSERVATORIES, ORCHARD HOUSES, AND OTHER HORTICULTURAL
ERECTIONS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE COVERING OF
AREAS, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR DRILL SHEDS, MARKETS, RAILWAY SHEDS,
COLONISTS, AND ARMY HUTS, AND MANY OTHER SIMILIAR PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th February 1862, and dated the 24th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cranston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his l'etition, on the 24th
August 1861.
I, JAMES CRANSTON, of Birmingham,in the County of Warwick, Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF CONSERVATORIES, ORCHARD HOUSES, AND OTHER HORTICULTURAL
ERECTIONS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE COVERING OF AREAS,
SUCH AS ARE USED FOR DRILL SHEDS, MARKETS, RAILWAY SHEDS, COLONISTS, AND
ARMY HUTS, AND MANY OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows, that is
to say-
I construct these buildings of laminated principals at convenient distances
apart, arranging the planks of which each principal is formed so that the
entire principal assumes a semi-polygonal form, and at the ends of each side
of the polygon I secure radial planks of wood traversing the entire length
[Price 8d.1

page_text: between each principal; the sashes or coverings lie upon these radial
planks, resting upon the upper edge of one and near the lower edge of the
next; as seen in the accompanying Diagram.
The planks (a) are perforated to admit air, which entering in the direction
of the arrows, streams upwards, and thus affords free & efficient ventilation.
The glass or other covering is slid in in grooves in each rafter or sash bar, and
is capable of being readily removed by being secured merely with a small
button. The feet of each principal rest upon a strong foot plate, bolted or
otherwisesccured to piles or sleepers driven in the ground; or for temporary or
portable use the entire erection may simply rest upon the ground, and may be
held fast against the wind by bolt ropes, tent pegs, or any other convenient
means of staying it. On the inside of the perforated planks (a) are attached
shutter flaps, turning upon or balanced upon pivot centres, so that these may
readily be closed against the perforated part,and thus exclude air at pleasure.
I thus form very light, elegant, and inexpensive structures for the purpose,
I have named, ensuring thorough ventilation, and an equable temperature,
with complete protection from the weather, to whatever extent the
building may reach.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Cranston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JAMES
CRANSTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Architect, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August,in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Janes Cranston, Her special licence that I,the said James Cranston,
or my executors,administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,the said James

page_text: Cranston,or my executors, administrators,and assigns, should atany 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 CONSTRUCTION
OF CONSERVATORIES. ORCHARD HOUSES. AND OTHER HORTICULTURAL ERECTIONS, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE COVERING OF AREAS, SUCH AS ARE USED
FOR DRILL SHEDS, MARKETS, RAILWAY SHEDS, COLONISTS, AND ARMY HUTS, AND
MANY OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Cranston, or my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be perforined, 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 James Cranston, 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: -
This Invention applies to horticultural buildings to be constructed of wood
and glass, and also to erections for any other purposes in which the same
principal of construction is carried out, but with the use of iron, zinc, copper,
tin, lead, or other suitable material in the place of glass, all the buildings
being pinned and screwed together, and made to rest upon blocks of wood,or
butts of trees sunk in the ground, so that they can be erected with great ease,
and are portable. For horticultural buildings, the space to be covered is
divided crossways by "principals "framed to the shape required, and of any
ordinary kind; upon the backs or outer surfaces of these "principals " piecesof
timber are fixed edgeways, to run horizontally from end to end of the building,
and at any distances apart that may suit the lengths of the glass to be used in
the roof. These timbers have been called "radial pieces," and to them
grooved rafters are secured, the top end of each rafter to the bottom edge of
the "radial piece," and the other end of each rafter to the top edge of the
"radial piece," and so on throughout the roof, dividing it into planes, the one
plane rising above the other as much as the "radial pieces" are deep. Sheets
of glass are fitted into the rafters sliding into the grooves, where they are lield
by turn-buttons screwed to the ends of the rafters, the turn-buttons being
long enough when in horizontal positions to catch and bear up the glass on
each side of the rafters, and when turned to vertical positions they are

page_text: sufficiently narrow in width to allow of the panes of glass being pulled out.
The radial pieces" have circles, trefoils, quarterfoils, or small openings of
any shapes pierced through then at equal or unequal distances, cither all
along or partly along their lengths, for the ventilation of the buildings, the
insides of the "radial pieces" so pierced having valvular slides with friction
rollers at the edges made to run in grooves, so that the ingress and egress of
air is always under control, ensuring perfect ventilation by numberless small
openings in horizontal rows throughout the whole roof surface. The outlines
of buildings so constructed can be varied to any extent by making the
"principals" upon which the "radial pieces" rest either straight, canted,
arched, or curved, and this with the general construction will be further
understood by the accompanying sketches.
Figs. 1 and 2.-A, radial pieces; B, "principals;" O, rafters; 1), found-
ation blocks; E, ends of rafters with turn-buttons; F, glass.
In buildings such as cottages, houses, sheds, army huts, &c., the "radial
pieces" either rest upon principals "in the way already described, or aro
supporteduponwallsor framing,andbuildingsof thisdescriptionareconstructed
in the following manner:- Each "radial piece" is in two thicknesses, the one
half of each being fixed edgeways in the required positions before the other
half. Metal sheets or plates with the edges turned up and meetingtogether,
in this manner, t
with small iron
cleats to hold them together are placed upon the "radial pieces" reaching
from the one to the other; the upper ends of these sheets or plates areturned
up against the "radial pieces" already fixed, and the lower ends of the sheets
or plates are turned down in a contrary direction, and are cut out and pierced
any ornamental manner. Metal rolls are placed over the edges of the
in
A.
and
sheets or plates to keep out the wet
these rolls at their upper ends abut against the fixed "radial pieces," and are
secured there by the other halves of the "radial pieces" boing screwed flat-
ways against the "radial pieces" already fixed, the lower edges of the wood
being cut out to allow the ends of the rolls and the tops of the sheets orplates
to go under them, see Figs. 3 and 4. A, plates or sheets; B, metal rolls;
C, outside "radial pieces," notched and cut out to clip and cover the ends of
the rolls and tops of the plates or sheets; 1), inside "radial pieces" (fixed
first). The bottom ends of the rolls are held down by metal clipsorbrackets,
into which they are socketed, the clips or brackets being screwed tothe fronts
of the "radial pieces." When the metal rolls with the sheets or plates meet

page_text: together at the ridges of the roofs, similar clips or brackets of these above
described are used to keep all the parts in their places.
The ventilation of buildings roofed in this manner is carried out in the way
here set forth. Fig. 5, section; Fig. 6, front. A, plates or sheets; B, metal
rolls; C, clips or brackets; D, lower ends of sheets or plates for the horticultural
buildings, the perforations being made through the "radial pieces" under the
lower ends of the sheets or plates 1), and the portability of these erections is
secured by the same means as herein described for the other buildings. Upright
sides and ends to buildings of this construction are formed with plates or
sheets and metal rolls in the way already particularized for the roofs. The
clips or brackets to the ends of the metal rolls on the sides or ridges of the
roofs may be of any pattern, either plain or ornamental, of cast, malleable,
or wrought iron, or any other suitable material, and the whole of the metal
work might be galvanized or painted, or enamelled.
In witness whereof, 1, the said James Cranston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES CRANSTON. (L.S.)