IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS
Year: 1883

page_text: -
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wingfield Webber
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1883.
THOMAS WINGFIELD WEBBER of Kellyville Athy, Queens County, Ireland,
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS."
The invention relates to improvements. in the mode of securing glass slate or
other materials used to form roofs or sides of buildings and structures, to which
end the sheets of glass, slates or other suitable roofing materials are to be secured
between strips of metal supported by rafters. The upper surface of the rafter
which may be flat on the top and bevelled off is covered with a strip of metal bent
or formed so as to receive the roofing material and also to protect the rafter from
wet, for which purposes the metal strip is fashioned saddle fashion and lies flat on
the upper surface of the rafter, and has longitudinal grooves which are formed in
the metal strips so as to receive and carry off the wet which may pass through
the joints of the glazing or slating, or be otherwise formed. The panes of glass or
the slates, or other material rest on and are supported by the longitudinal saddle
formed rafter covering strip, and the glass slate or other material is secured by
means of an upper strip, strap or band of metal, placed and secured over their
edges and over the saddle formed strips and rafters. Screws nails or any suitable
fasteners are passed through both the upper and lower strips into the rafter
supporting them, and so the roofing material is secured between the strips.
Suitable holes are made in the strips-preferably by punching-so that there is a
projecting edge or burr on the upper surface which tends to prevent wet passing
through the holes into the rafters. The upper strip or strap being pliable conforms
readily to the overlap of the roofing materials and serves to secure them in their
positions and may run the entire length of the rafter or not as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Wingfield Webber in the Patent Office on the
1st February 1884.
THOMAS WINGFIELD WEBBER, of Kellyville, Athy, Queens County, Ireland,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROOFS."
The invention relates to improvements in the mode of securing glass slate or
other materials used to form roofs or sides of buildings and structures-to which
end the sheets of glass, slates or other suitable roofing materials are to be secured
between strips of metal supported by rafters. The upper surface of the rafter is
made flat on the top and chamfered off, covered with a strip of metal bent or
formed so as to receive the roofing material and also to protect the rafter from wet,
for which purposes said metal strip is fashioned saddle fashion and lies flat on the
upper surface of the rafter, having longitudinal grooves which are formed in tho
metal strips so as to receive and carry off the wet which may pass through the
joints of the glazing or slating, or be otherwise formed. The panes of glass or the
slates, or other material rest on and are supported by the longitudinal saddle
formed rafter covering strip, and the glass slate or other material is secured by
means of an upper strip, strap or band of metal, placed and secured over their
edges and over the saddle formed strips and rafters. Screws nails or any suitable
fasteners are passed through both the upper and lower strips into the rafter
supporting them, and so the roofing material is secured between the strips.
Suitable holes are inade in the strips-preferably by punching so that there is a
projecting edge or burr on the upper surface which tends to prevent wet passing
through the holes into the rafters. The upper strip or strap being pliable conforms
readily to the overlap of the roofing materials and serves to secure them in their
positions and may run the entire length of the rafter or not as required.
The invention is performed as follows-reference being had to the accompanying
drawings Fig 1 being a longitudinal section. Fig 2 a cross section of rafter &.
The slates & are firmly clasped at both edges between the two strips of zinc or
other metal, and held by powerful screws to the rafters, so that no storm can stir
them. The saddle strip of zinc A sitting on the rafter, protects it from damp and
intercepts all drip, so that the roof is dry and staunch. The zinc or metal strap C
over the slates, is flexible, and adapts itself to tho slates without breaking them,
expanding and contracting with them. The tension of the strap being regulated
by the screw. The rafters are shaped at the top by a few strokes of a saddle
plane. Strong rafters are used for great spans. The saddle strip A is made of
ordinary sheet zinc shaped as shown and pierced with holes at proper distances for
the screws. The upper strap is a simple strip of zinc or other metal with holes
corresponding to those in the saddle strips. The screws are set about half-an-inch
below the lower edges of the slates or panes. When tightened, they stop the
slates from slipping down, the strap C being drawn down at the laps of the slates
by the screw heads. The lap may be one inch to three for glass or slates, or more
or less. The holes are punched from the underside in both the saddle strips and
straps, so that a burr, b b, is raised round the holes on the upper surface. Any
workman, after setting a few slates, can regulate the tension of the straps by
tightening the screws, so that the whole roof becomes bound together in a surprising
manner. Any slate can be taken off and re-secured or glass substituted instantaneously
by taking out one or two screws, without interfering with the others. A couple of
boards are used to work on. The lower edges of these rest on iron plates two
inches long (like _) screwed permanently at suitable intervals. Rendering.-One-

page_text: eighth of an inch of filling in the space between the edges of the slates or panes
of glass (with cement or putty) before the outor strips aro secured down, effects
the object perfectly and permanently. The edges of the slates & are set as near
as possible to one another a small nick being cut in each edge, for the screw shank
to pass through.