IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZING HORTI- CULTURAL AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Attwood, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Fitter, and James John Potter, of Handsworth, in the County of
Stafford, Jeweller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZING HORTI-
CULTURAL AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES."
Scaled the 21st November 1876, and dated the 30th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Attwood and James
John Potter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May
1876.
CHARLES ATTWOOD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Fitter, and
JAMES JOHN POTTER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Jeweller.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZING HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND
STRUCTURES."
Our Invention consists of the construction and combination of parts herein-after
described for glazing horticultural and other buildings and structures whereby the
use of putty is dispensed with.
We fix by screws to each of the T shaped rafters of the roof or other part to be
glazed a series of bars made of iron or wood fixed end to end. Each of the said
bars has a breadth equal to that of the head of the T rafter, and a length a little
less than the length of the panes of glass to be supported and fixed. These bars,
which we will call the supporting or lower bars, are not of uniform thickness
throughout but are taper, the taper figure of the bars permitting of the overlapping
of the adjacent edges of the panes of glass. In each lower or supporting bar two
parallel shallow grooves are made, the said grooves being situated near the edges of
the bar and equidistant from the middle thereof. In these longitudinal grooves
strips of india-rubber preferably square in cross section are placed. These strips
of india-rubber project a short distance above the surface of the lower bars, and upon
the said strips the sheets or panes of glass are supported near their longer edges.
The narrow end of one bar abuts against the wide end of the next bar so that the
edge of the pane of glass supported on the said narrow end of the bar is at a lower
level than the edge of the adjacent pane of glass supported on the wide end of the
next bar, and hence the overlapping of the edges of the panes of glass crossing the
bars is provided for. The panes of glass thus made to overlap, and being supported
by the india-rubber strips at a short distance above the bottom bars, are fixed in
Price Gd.1

page_text: their places by top or covering bars grooved similarly to the bottom bars and
similarly provided with strips of india-rubber, the said top or covering bars being
secured by screws to the bottom bars. These top or covering bars like the bottom
bars may be taper, and the wide end of each top or covering bar has a recess in it
into which the narrow end of the adjacent top bar engages. The several covering
or top bars are thereby securely locked together end to end.
By the screwing down of the top or covering bars the india-rubber strips are
compressed and the edges of the panes of glass resting on the bottom bars are
gripped firmly and a water-tight joint former without the use of putty. The over-
lapping edges of the panes of glass are also held firmly in their places by the
interlocking ends of the top or covering bars. The top or covering bars may be
made either of iron or wood.
Our Invention may be applied to the glazing of buildings and structures in which
the edges of the panes of glass abut against one another instead of overlapping, as
described.
Besides being applicable to the glazing of horticultural and other buildings our
Invention is also applicable to the glazing of railway station roofs, verandahs, cor-
ridors, and the like.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Attwood and James John Potter in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd November 1870.
CHARLES ATTWOOD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Fitter, and
JAMES JOHN POTTER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Jeweller.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GLAZING HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND
STRUCTURES."
Our Invention consists of the construction and combination of parts herein-after
described for glazing horticultural and other buildings and structures whereby the
use of putty is dispensed with.
Wo fix by screws to each of the T or other shaped rafters of the roof or other
part to be glazed a series of bars inade of iron or other metal, or of wood fixed end
to end. Each of the said bars has a breadth equal to that of the head of the T
rafter, and a length a little less than the length of the panes of glass to be supported
and fixed. These bars, which we will call the supporting or lower bars, are not of
uniform thickness throughout but are taper, the taper figure of the bars permitting
of the overlapping of the adjacent edges of the panes of glass. Or the rafter may
be cranked with the same result. In each lower or supporting bar two parallel
shallow grooves are made, the said grooves being situated near the edges of the
bar and equidistant from the middle thereof. In these longitudinal grooves strips
or cords of india-rubber are placed. These strips or cords of india-rubber project
a short distance above the surface of the lower bars, and upon the said strips or
cords the sheets or panes of glass are supported near their longer edges. The thin
end of one bar abuts against the thick end of the next bar, so that the edge of the
pane of glass supported on the said thin end of the bar is at a lower level than
the edge of the adjacent pane of glass supported on the thick end of the next bar,
and hence the overlapping of the edges of the panes of glass is provided for. The
panes of glass thus made to overlap, and being supported by the india-rubber strips
at a short distance above the bottom bars, are fixed in their places by top or covering
bars grooved similarly to the bottom bars, and similarly provided with strips or
cords of india-rubber, the said top or covering bars being secured by screws to the
bottom bars and rafters. These top or covering bars like the bottom bars may be
taper, and the wide end of each top or covering bar has a recess in it into which
the narrow end of the adjacent top bar engages. The several covering or top bars
are thereby securely locked together end to end.

page_text: By the screwing down of the top or covering bars the india-rubber strips or cords
are compressed, and the edges of the panes of glass resting on the bottom bars are
gripped firmly and a water-tight and waterproof joint formed without the use of
putty. The overlapping edges of the panes of glass are also held firmly in their
places by the interlocking ends of the top or covering bars, the top or covering
bars may be made of iron or other metal or of wood.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in cross section, and Figure 2 in side clevation, a rafter glazed
according to our Invention.
In the said Figures 1 and 2, a is an ordinary rolled bar of Tiron which forms the
sash bar. Upon the said sash bar a light iron bars marked bare fixed by screws,
the said bars b having two longitudinal grooves b, b², running from end to end of
them. In these grooves are placed two solid india-rubber strips or cords marked c, c,
which cords project above the surface of the bars and form an elastic cushion
for supporting the panes of glass d, d; fare the top or covering bars having in
their lower faces two longitudinal grooves f, f, sünilar to the grooves b², b², in
the lower bars b, and in the said grooves f, f², aro solid india-rubber cords
or strips e, e, which bear upon the upper faces of the panes of glass d, d, (see the
cross section, Figure 2). By means of screws g passing through the top bars f and
bottom bars band taking into the sash bar a the said bars fand bare bound firmly
together and to the said sash bar.
By an examination of Figure 1 it will be seen that by the screwing down of the
top covering bars f, f, the india-rubber cords or strips c, c, and e, c, running along
the longitudinal edges of the panes of glass d, d, are compressed, and the said edges
are gripped firmly between the elastic strips or cords and a water-proof and weather-
proof joint formed.
The arrangement for permitting of the overlapping of the adjacent edges of
the panes of glass in inclined roofs or otherwise when required is represented in
Figure 2. For this purpose the lower supporting bars are made taper, the thick
end 63 of one bar abutting against the thin end of the next bar, so that the
edge of the pane of glass supported on the said thin end b' is at a lower level than
the edge of the adjacent pane of glass supported on the thick end of the next
bar. The ends of the top or covering bars f are interlocked, as represented in
Figure 2, that is to say, the end of one bar is provided with a recess at f³, into
which recess the end f* of the adjacent bar is engaged. The several top or covering
bars are thereby securely locked together end to end.
Figure 3 represents in cross section a modification of the arrangement described.
In this modification in place of the iron covering bars f covering bars i made of
copper, zinc, or other hard metal or alloy are employed. The said covering bars i
have grooves rolled or drawn in them to receive the india-rubber cords or strips e, e.
The other parts of this arrangement are constructed as hercin-before described, and
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figure represents another arrangement in which both the top and bottom bars
for receiving the india-rubber cords or strips c, c, and e, e, are made of zinc, epper,
or other hard metal or alloy. In the said Figure 4 the upper covering bar is
marked i and the lower supporting bar is marked k.
Figure 5 represents in cross section, and Figure 6 in longitudinal section, another
arrangement of our Invention.
In this arrangement the grooves for receiving the bottom india-rubber cords or
strips c, c, are made in the horizontal head of the T bar a, instead of in a separate
bar as before explained.
Figure 6 of this arrangement also exhibits a modification for permitting the over-
lapping of the adjacent edges of the panes of glass instead of using taper bars as
before described, the horizontal bead of the rafter a is cranked or stepped at a², so
that one part is at a different level from another part, the edges of the panes
of glass supported on the upper stepped part overlapping the edges of the panes

page_text: of glass supported on the lower stepped part as will be understood by an examina-
tion of Figure 6.
Figure 7 represents our Invention applied to a roof or glazed structure in which
wooden rafters are used, representing the wooden sash bar having grooves
formed in it to receive the india-rubber cords, c, c, the other parts being constructed
as hercin-before described and represented in Figures 3, 4, and 5.
Figure 8 represents another arrangement of our Invention. In this arrange.
ment both the wooden sash bar and the wooden covering cap or bar m are grooved
to receive the india-rubber cords
c, and c, e.
We do not limit ourselves to the sections represented of the metallic and non-
metallic sash bars as the sectional Figure of the said bars may be varied to suit
the design or style of architecture of the roof or structure to be glazed.
Our Invention may be applied to the glazing of buildings and structures in
which the edges of the panes of glass abut against one another instead of over-
lapping as described.
By glazing horticultural and other buildings and structures according to our
Invention, the glazing is both water-tight and weather-proof, and is not affected
by variations of temperature, and the said glazing permits the use of light wrought-
iron rafters in place of the heavy cast-iron rafters ordinarily used.
Besides being applicable to the glazing of horticultural and other buildings our
Invention is also applicable to the glazing of railway station roofs, verandalis,
corridors, and the like.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit our-
selves to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of our Invention, but we claim as our
Invention the improvements in glazing horticultural and other buildings and
structures herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
that is to say, forming a water-proof and wenther-proof joint by supporting the
panes or sheets of glass near their longitudinal edges between longitudinal india-
rubber cords or strips or elastic cushions bearing against the upper and lower faces
espectively of the said panes or sheets of glass, the lower india-rubber cords or
strips or elastic cushions being fixed in grooves made in the sush bars themselves
or in bars fixed to the sash bars, and the upper india-rubber cords or strips or
elastic cushions being fixed in grooves made in top or covering bars fixed to
the sash bars, substantially as described and illustrated, also the arrangement
described and illustrated for permitting of the overlapping of the adjacent edges of
the panes or slicets of glass.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Attwood and James John Potter,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
CHARLES ATTWOOD.
(L.S.)
JAMES JOHN POTTER. (L.S.)