Year: 1894

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in
ication (in
United States of America),
30th June, 1903
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 18th Jan:, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 18th Jan:, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
improveme
1, EDGAR WILLIAMS CUNNINGHAM, Builder, of Jersey City in the County of
Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of America, 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 :-
The invention relates to sky-lights, roofs and sides of green-houses, conservatories
and other enclosures where tight fire-proof glass structures are desired and consists
in the devices set forth in this Specification and the drawings forming part of the
same in which ;
Figure 1., is a perspective view of two panels or panes of glass held in a structure
embodying my invention;
Figure 2., is a cross-sectional view of the same, on line x, x, of a structure like
Figure 1, but with caps on both sides and a modified form of beam and strip shown
at the right;
Figure 3., is a cross-sectional view on line 2, 2, of Figure 1;
Figure 4., is a detail view of the binding strip shown at the left in Figure 2;
Figure 5., is a similar view of the strip at the right in Figure 2;. and,
Figure 6, is a cross section of a beam, cap, panels, and another modified form of
binding strip.
The objects to be attained are these. To provide a structure, which shall be
water-tight, shall, preferably be fire-proof, shall be simple, easily and economically.
constructed, and shall be so arranged as to accommodate itself to the varying
conditions arising from expansion or contraction when the glass and its supports are ·
acted on by heat or cold.
Beams such as A and caps such as B have been already used, the former are
adapted as shown, to support the glass panels and the latter to cover the beams and
the edges of the panels and be held in position by screws 8,
and locknuts n, arranged
as shown.
The difficulty has been that to have sufficient rigidity and strength under all
conditions the caps have needed to be made of substantially rigid material, which if
screwed down upon the surface of the glass would hold it so tightly at some points
that but a slight expansion would cause it to crack while at other points the joints
would not be tight enough to exclude water, while no satisfactory provision has
been made for the cross joint where the two panels abut.
I have discovered that I can overcome these objections by interposing what I
term a binding strip b, of thin spring metal, preferably brass between the cap and
the glass and this constitutes one feature of my invention.
I desire it should be so arranged that at or near one edge it will make contact
with the glass, between the edges it will make contact with the shoulder or rim of
the cap and beyond the second point of contact it will have a bearing upon some
part of the structure, so that turning down the screws and forcing down the cap.
D71

page_text: will tend to flex it but not to push it out of position, while a reverse action of the
cap will not for an appreciable movement draw that away from the binding strip,
but the latter, resuming through its elasticity its unflexed or partially flexed form,
will follow up the cap and preserve tight the joints both with the cap and with the
glass.
A convenient form for accomplishing the purpose is that shown in Figure 4, that
is to say an extension or flange 61, to extend between the cap and glass as seen at
the left in Figure 2, an upright portion a vertical wall 63, which passes down
behind the glass to the beam and also thereby supports the other parts which
constitute the binding strip proper, and the lower flange 64, which extends outward
under the glass panel, said flanges being preferably so bent that their outer edges
shall be nearer each other than the points where they join the uprights that they
may grip the glass snugly between them.
This lower flange, may be extended and formed into a trough or gutter g, as
shown in Figure 5, and at the right of Figure 2, in which event any moisture
collecting on the inner surface of the glass may be thereby carried off to leaders or
other receptacles at the termination of the panels and in such event the beams may
be in the form of a plain inverted T as seen at the right in Figure 2.
The forms above given however are not absolutely essential.
One could be used which did not enclose either the edges or bottom of the glass
such as that of Figure 6, which is a piece bent at a somewhat sharp angle, one side
here longer than the other, and with one edge bent up to give it a more secure
bearing upon the glass and so arranged that the cap will bear upon its longer side
between the edge and the ridge.
Still other forms will readily suggest themselves to any one at all acquainted
with metal working and all of them I consider within the spirit of my invention.
I am aware that glazing strips of metal have been used but they have been of
sufficient rigidity to support the glass and when so made are not flexible enough to
bear so closely to the glass as to exclude the water in fact cannot be so as they
require rigidity.
In my device the rigidity is furnished by other devices and the binding or glazing
strip may and should be extremely flexible.
I have described the joint I prefer to use at the sides of the panels but the joint
between two cross edges of glass I make as shown in Figure 3, that is by taking
two strips of the light thin flexible spring metal bending them into a shape like
three sides of a dovetail piece with an extension of one side bent down and formed
into a trough.
Then I solder the upright outer sides of two strips together spring the panels of
glass one into one side and the other into the other side.
Then the dovetail of the strips will take the form of three sides of a rectangular
parallelogram the edges of which will bear closely upon the glass and make a smooth
tight joint over which water may readily flow in its course down the panel and yet
one which because of the interior trough will also dispose of interior moisture, said
interior troughs being extended sidewise till they project over the troughs which
run parallel with the beams.
Great rigidity is not required in this joint as it is not required to support or hold
the glasses that being done by the side beams and.cap, and I may thus use for both
joints of my structure an extremely flexible binding strip.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a glass structure the combination with the glass of a binding strip of
spring metal made very thin and extremely flexible as and for the purpose et
forth.
2. In a glass structure, the combination of a supporting beam, adapted to support
the glass, a cap secured to the beam, and adapted to hold the glass thereon and a
.

page_text: binding strip of spring metal made very thin and extremely flexible, and adapted
to be interposed between the cap and the glass substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
3. In a glass structure, a double joining strip, having two straight abutting sides
which are soldered together and each of which has upper and lower flanges which, as
formed, extend from the straight side at first slightly toward each other, but are
made of very thin and 'extremely flexible spring metal adapted to be sprung over
the edges of the glass panels as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a glass structure the combination with a supporting beam adapted to support
the glass a cap secured to the beam and adapted to hold the glass thereon of a
binding strip as described, one edge of which is adapted to rest upon the glass,
some point of which is adapted to be pressed upon by the cap and some other point
of which is adapted to rest upon a support and hold the bearing point for the cap
at a level above the edge of the strip intended to rest upon the glass, for the purpose
set forth.
5. In a glass structure, the combination, with two aligned panels, of the joining
piece consisting of two like metal binding strips, the same having straight abutting
sides which are soldered together, and parallel upper and lower flanges which
closely embrace the adjacent opposite ends of said panels, the lower flanges
being extended and curved as specified, thus forming a gutter, as shown and
described.
6. In a glass structure, the combination, with a supporting beam which is
guttered and of inverted T-shape, the cap, and means for adjusting the latter, of
the elastic binding strips for the panels, the same having a lower flange, the
upwardly-projecting ridge, and the downwardly- and outwardly-projecting upper
flange, as specified, the angles of said cap bearing upon the inclined upper flanges,
and thus serving when forced down, to press said flange more closely upon the panel,
as described.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1894.
EDGAR WILLIAMS CUNNINGHAM.