IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEET IRON TILES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stevens, Manager of the British & Foreign
Offico for Patents, 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEET IRON TILES,"
-A communication from abroad by Count du Vigier and Viscount du Vigier
de Mirabel, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 16th April 1861, and dated the 16th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stevens at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th November
1860.
I, CHARLES STEVENS, Manager of the British & Foreign Office for Patents
1", Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEET IRON
TILES," (& that it has been communicated to me from abroad by Count du
Vigier and Viscount du Vigier de Mirabel, of Paris, in the Empire of France.)
to be as follows:-
The present Invention consists in the following improvements by which the
tiles formed are made to unite strength and durability with a moderate price.
A piece of sheet iron is taken and divided so as to cause as little waste as
possible; each piece is then passed between two iron or steel plates, which
are grooved and fixed to a balance beam, which by its movement stamps the
groove of the plates on the piece of iron, bending or pressing it outward at the

page_text: same time. The two ends of the tile are then turned up, so as to form a
rounded angle or hook at each end. The angle or bent edge of the bottom
includes the entire width of the tile, and is bent underneath, the other end being
turned up. By means of these hooked ends a roof having a much less rapid
slope may be covered than with the ordinary tiles, leaving a space of not quite
an inch between each tile, which furnishes all the capillarity necessary to pre-
vent the water or snow from ascending. They also serve to give sufficient
strength to the tiles to enable them to sustain the action of fire, while being
enamelled without shrinking or becoming warped. The bent form of the tilo
allows it to be depressed in proportion as it has been raised by the edges, and
thus takes its exact position. A small piece of sheet iron is then cut out, bent
and pierced with a hole, and is riveted to the lower part of each tile underneath,
so that by placing or sliding them one above another, tho hook catches the tile
which it meets above, thus mutually maintaining themselves in a perfectly
solid condition capable of resisting the most violent wind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STEVENS, Manager of the British & Foreign Office for Patents, 1B, Welbeck
Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Ier reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said Charlos
Stevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Stevens, 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 SHEET IRON TILES," a communication to me from abroad by
Count du Vigier and Viscount du Vigier de Mirabal, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that J, the said Charles
Stevens, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: 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 Charles Stevens, 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 fol-
lowing statement, & accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
It has long been a great desideratum to find some material for roofing
houses, which by its qualities might fulfill the following conditions:-1ly, it
must preserve the interior of the houses from rain or snow, & afford an easy
flow to the water; 2ly, combine solidity & lightness; 3ly, sufficiently cheap to
compete with the ordinary roofing; 4ly, unite eleganco & an easy adjustage.
After numerous experiments the "enamelled sheet iron tiles" have been
found to unite these requirements.
The present Invention relates to certain improvements in sheet iron tiles, by
means of which greater strength & durability is obtained at a moderate cost.
In commencing operations a piece of sheet iron is taken & divided so as to
cause as little waste as possible. Each piece is then passed between two iron
or steel plates, grooved & fixed to a balance beam, which by its movement
stamps the groove of the plate on the piece of iron, bending or pressing it
outward at the same time; see A, Fig. 2. It is then put into a mould, which
turns up its two ends so as to form a rounded angle or hook at each end,
B, C, Fig. 1. The angle or bent edge of the bottom includes the entire width
of the tile, & is bent underneath, the other end being bent in the opposite
direction; by means of these hooked ends, a roof having a much less rapid
slope than those usually constructed may be covered, leaving a space of not
quite an inch between each tile, which furnishes all the capillarity necessary to
prevent the water or snow from ascending. The angles also give sufficient
strength to the tiles to enable them to bear the action of fire while being
enamelled, without shrinking or becoming warped. The bend A of the tilo
allows the latter to be depressed in proportion as the edges B, C, raise it, &
it thereby takes its exact position; a small piece of sheet iron is then cut out,
bent, & pierced with a hole, & is rivetted to the lower part of each tile below
the point D, Fig. 1, so that by placing or sliding them one above another the
hook catches the tile which it meots beneath, thus mutually maintaining them-
selves in a perfectly solid condition, capable of resisting the most violent wind.
The tiles are fixed on a rafter or small bar of wood or iron as shown E, Fig. 2,

page_text: & are further secured by a book rivetted to the upper part of each tile, as
represented F, Fig. 1; this hook is bent so as to hold the bar by the under part,
& prevent the wind from moving it. The tiles can also be fixed by piercing
holes in the top & nailing them to the rafter, or by means of a small piece of
sheet iron, either bent or flat, pierced with two holes; the one for being rivetted
to the tile, the other for nailing it to the rafter, but placed so as to pass beyond
the upper. edge, in order to prevent the entrance of water by the hole for the
hook, as represented in the accompanying Drawings, which show six tiles & the
different methods of fixing them. There is also shown, Fig. 4, a yard square
of tiles already fixed, also a portion of roofing, Fig. 5, with gable end covered
with enamelled tiles. The ridge tiles of lead are also shown. Fig. 1 shows
the hook to fix the tiles to the rafter; this hook may be of sheet iron, wire,
brass, or any other metal. Fig. 2 shows the hook fixing the tiles to ono
another. The first tile in Figs. 1 & 2 represents the one at the beginning of
the roof which forms the eave, & projects more or less from the wall; it
should be furnished with at least two hooks, or more if it is judged necessary.
The third tile represents the finishing one; it is not hooked like the others, but
is furnished with a small band of sheet iron, which is bent at one end to bo
rivetted to the middle of the tile, whence it descends perpendicularly & passes
between two rafters, as it is seen in the Drawings, Figs. 1 & 3, after which a
small piece of sheet iron is passed through a mortice to fasten it, tightening at
will. This last tile can slide up & down in order to finish off the roofing easily
without being obliged to cut off the superfluous iron, & without having the
inconvenience of a hole or a hook. The second tile is a specimen of all the
intermediate ones between the first & the last of the roof. The tiles of the
gable end, as it is shown Fig. 6, can be about 10 inches wide at the base, by
13 inches long, & cut obliquely according to the slope; they should be grooved
in the opposite part to the gable end & flat near it, so as to be covered easily
by any convenient top piece; they can also be shorter & narrower. The tiles
that are nearest the top can have the form shown, Fig. 8, that is to say, about
8 inches by 13, & are to be made as above described, except that the groove
must diminish insensibly towards the top. until it disappears altogether. The
tile being thus almost flat near the top it will be easy to cover it. In the
covering tiles, Fig. 7, one or more can be chosen in which a hole is to be
pierced, through which hooks are to pass for fixing a ladder when required;
the edges of the holes will be turned up by the instrument, so that the water.
cannot enter. The tiles may vary in form & size to suit different buildings;
for either the top or the angles any kind of enamel may, be used. The
following is the one we adopt by preference:-100 parts of crystal, 15 parts

page_text: of borax, & 5 parts of minium or lead are put into a crucible & melted; this
is then finely powdered, & spread equally over one or both sides of the sheet
iron, which is cleaned or cleared of its calamine. It is then put into an oven
furnished with a retort, & which is heated to a temperature capable of melting
the enamel. After this operation the tiles are put into another oven, where
they are kept at a temperature bigh enough to permit of their being reshaped
if they have become warped. We also employ all kinds of glass, adding, as to
the enamel, fusible, adhering, & coloring matters. The tiles may be sprinkled
with sand, which adhering to the enamel will render them less slippery. To
prevent the water being driven into the interior of the building by high winds,
the edge of the bend may be curved so as to allow only the indispensable air
to pass to prevent capillarity. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 are at the natural size,
& Figs. 4 & 5 are at 16 the natural size.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim & desire secure by
Letters Patent is,―
1ly, the application of enamel to sheet iron tiles of a grooved form.
2ly, the fixing of the tiles together by means of hooks.
3ly, the bend as above described to avoid capillarity.
4ly, the bent edges as above described to preserve from rain & snow, & also
from wind & dust.
5ly, piercing the tiles to pass books for fixing ladders.
6ly, the morticed tile at the top.
7ly, the gable end tile cut obliquely.
8ly, the right of fixing the tiles on a frame of wood or iron by means of
iron nails or screws, or by a small metal band to be hooked or nailed without
being bent under the rafter.
9ly, the mixture of sand & enamel to render the tiles less slippery when
necessary.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand & seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred & sixty-one.
CHARLES STEVENS
CHARLES STEVENS (rc)