Improvements in Construction of the Roofs of Dwellings and other Buildings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Construction of the Roofs of Dwellings and other
Buildings.
I, WILLIAM JOHN Woons, residing at Main Street, Cold Spring, in the County of
Putnam, and State of New York, United States of America, Carpenter, do hereby
declare the nature of this 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 relates to the construction of the roofs of dwellings and other build-
ings, and particularly to the form thereof; and the object of the invention is to provide
a roof for dwellings or other buildings, the corners or angles of which are of
diamond shape or form; and with this and other objects in view, the invention
consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter
described and claimed.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which :-
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of the roof of a building or other structure con-
structed according to my invention; and,
Fig. 2 a plan view of one of the angles or corners thereof.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, the separate parts of my
improvement are designated by the same letters of reference in each of the views,
and in the practice of my invention, or in forming the corner of a roof according
to my invention, the corners or angles of the frame of the building are cut away as
shown in the drawing, and I place thereover, a diamond shaped frame consisting
of a central rafter A, to which are secured at each side thereof are parallel rafters B,
which project downwardly and outwardly, and the lower ends of which rest upon
inclined plates C, to which they are secured.
The outer upper rafters B, are longer than those below them, and the length
of these rafters decrease from the outer upper rafters to the lower ones as shown in
Fig. 2, and the central rafter A, is not extended the full length of the frame, in
the construction shown in the drawing, but said rafter may be extended the full
length of said frame if desired, and extending transversely across the lower portion
of the frame beneath the lower end of the central rafter A, is a cross tic or
plate D.
It will be observed that the lower inclined plates C, and the upper outer rafters B,
form the outlines of the frame, while the interior portion thereof is filled up by
the central rafter A, and the lower rafters B.
The rafters B, on the opposite sides of the central rafter A, are arranged parallel,
and all project downwardly and outwardly from the central rafter as clearly shown
in the drawing, and in practice, sheeting strips or boards E, to which the
shingles are secured, are nailed transversely of the frame thus formed, as clearly
shown in the drawing.
For the purposes of illustration and description, I have designated the upper
outer rafters which are secured to the central rafter A, by the reference letter 132
and these rafters extended form the apex of the gable or diamond frame, and

page_text: incline on the same angular pitch as the gables, and the sheeting E, is secured
transversely of frame in the usual manner, thus binding the same securely together,
and giving additional strength and stability thereto.
This system of roofing gives great strength to the building as it binds the four
corners of the structure together, and also gives a novel and ornamental appear-
ance, and affords greater facility for ornamentation, and for the use of dormer or
bay windows at the ends and the sides.
My improvement also presents a slanting surface to the wind thereby lessening
the strain on a building, and by means of my improved construction, a self-
supporting roof is produced, as there is a fall or incline from the centre of the
roof of the building in all directions, the diamond shaped frames at the corners
and the inclined sides of the roof, serving to brace each other as will be readily
understood.
The diamond shaped corner frames are also of greater pitch than the sides of
the roof, and the roofing will last longer by reason thereof, and the building is
given a more lofty and roomy appearance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. The herein described improvement in the roofs of buildings and other struc-
tures which consists in providing the corners with diamond shaped frames which
extend below the lower edge of the main side of the roof, and which are con-
structed, substantially as shown and described.
2. A diamond shaped frame for the corners of roofs of buildings and other
structures, consisting of a central rafter or support, a plurality of parallel rafters
secured to each side thereof, and arranged in the form of a diamond, the lower or
outer ends of said rafters being secured to inclined plates or supports, substantially
as shown and described.
3. A diamond shaped frame for the corners of roofs of buildings and other
structures, consisting of a central rafter or support, a plurality of parallel rafters
secured to each side thereof, and arranged in the form of a diamond, the lower or
outer ends of said rafters being secured to inclined plates or supports, and said
frame being provided with sheeting which is secured thereto transversely of the
central rafter, and the parallel inclined rafters which are secured thereto, substan-
tially as shown and described.
4. A frame for the corners of the roofs of buildings which is diamond shaped in
form, and which consists of a central piece A, which extends in a line from the
intersection of two gables at the corner of the building and to the opposite sides
of which are secured parallel inclined rafters as B, the lower ends of which are
secured to inclined plates or supports as (, substantially as shown and described.
5. A frame for the corners of the roots of buildings which is diamond shaped in
form, and which consists of a central piece A, which extends in a line from the
intersection of two gables at the corner of the building and to the opposite sides
of which are secured parallel inclined rafters as B, the lower ends of which are
secured to inclined plates or supports as C, said frame being also provided with a
sheeting which is secured thereto transversely of the central piece and said rafters,
substantially as shown and described.
6. A roof for dwelling and other structures, the angles or corners of which have
a diamond shaped form, and consist of a frame constructed as herein described.
Dated this 7th day of December 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.