IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH BARS, ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CONSTRUCTING GLASS ROOFS AND HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Albert Lawrance, of Stevenage, in the County
of Hertford, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH BARS, ESPECIALLY
DESIGNED FOR CONSTRUCTING GLASS ROOFS AND HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER
SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Albert Lawrance
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1881.-
FREDERICK ALBERT LAWRANCE, of Stevenage, in the County of Hertford.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH BARS, ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CONSTRUCTING GLASS
ROOFS AND HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
My Invention has for its object to connect and secure sheets of glass without
putty or other cement, and is especially intended for the construction of glass roofs
or glass houses, but also applicable in other places.
For this purpose I make each bar of two pieces of sheet metal, between which
the contiguous ends of the glass sheets are inserted. The cross section of the lower
part has approximately the shape of a double fluked anchor, the shank of which is
enlarged at the top so as to form a ring. The end of each sheet rests on one of the
points of the anchor, and abuts nearly against the shank.
The upper part of the bar is bent of a piece of sheet metal, so that the centre of
the sheet forms (in cross section) a ring, which is not quite closed at the bottom,
and leaving the two ends of the sheet to flare outward.
The ring formed by the upper part fits over the ring formed at the top of the
lower part, while the outwardly flaring ends of the upper part rest on the upper
faces of the two contiguous glass sheets (opposite the anchor points). The upper
sash piece is prevented from falling out by the ring of the lower piece, and can
only be shifted over it from the end.
While the longitudinal joints of the glass sheets are formed by sash bars as
described, the transverse joints are made by laying the end of one sheet over that of
the other, and the lateral motion of the sheet is prevented by passing a copper
wire through the shank of the lower sash piece, the ends of which wire reach down
to the upper surface of the glass, and abut against the transverse edge of the upper
glass sheet, so as to prevent the latter from shifting. Any other suitable mode of
preventing the shifting of the glass sheets may however be adopted, and instead of
making the sash bars symmetrical, so as to connect two glass sheets or two rows
of glass sheets, they may be made one sided, so as to hold only one sheet of glass.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Albert Lawrance in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th October 1881.
FREDERICK ALBERT LAWRANCE, of Stevenage, in the County of Hertford.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH-BARS, ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CONSTRUCTING GLASS-
ROOFS AND HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES."
My Invention has for its object to connect and secure sheets of glass without
putty or other cement, and is especially intended for the construction of glass roofs
or glass houses, but also applicable in other places. For this purpose I make
each bar of two pieces of sheet metal, between which the contiguous end of the
glass sheets are inserted. The cross section of the lower part has approximately
the shape of a double fluked anchor, the shank of which is enlarged at the top so
so to form a ring. The end of each sheet rests on one of the points of the anchor,
and abuts nearly against the shank. The upper part of the bar is bent of a piece
of sheet metal, so that the centre of the sheet forms (in cross section) a ring, which
is not quite closed at the bottom, and leaving the two ends of the sheet to flare
outward.
The ring formed by the upper part fits over the ring formed at the top of the
lower part, while the outwardly flaring ends of the upper part rest on the upper
faces of the two contiguous glass-sheets (opposite the anchor points). The upper
sash piece is prevented from falling out by the ring of the lower piece, and can only
be shifted over it from the end.
While the longitudinal joints of the glass sheets are formed by sash bars as
described, the transverse joints are made by laying the end of one sheet over that
of the other, and the lateral motion of the sheet is prevented by passing a copper-
wire through the shank of the lower sash piece, the ends of which wire reach down
to the upper surface of the glass, and abut against the transverse edge of the upper
glass-heet, so as to prevent the latter from shifting. Any other suitable mode of
preventing the shifting of the glass-sheets may however be adopted, and instead of
making the sash bars symmetrical, so as to connect two glass sheets or two rows
of glass-sheets, they may be made one-sided, so as to hold only one sheet of
glass.
The accompanying Drawing will serve to illustrate a convenient mode of carrying
my Invention into effect. A is section of main or bottom bar; B, section of cap or
cover to bottom bar; C, outside bottom-bar; D, cap or top-bar; E is section
showing the glass H, held in place and laid in with copper wire stop K; F is a
longitudinal section of bar, showing glass H and glass stops G; H is glass.
It will be seen that no cement or screws are used, nor wood necessary for
supporting or framing either bars or glass, and thus more light is obtained.
The metal bars may be of any convenient length, according to the strength of
section used.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Albert Lawrance, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October. A.D. 1881.