IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOFING BUILDINGS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Billings, of 8, Luton Place, George
Street, Greenwich, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOFING
BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 3rd November 1858, and dated the 3rd August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Billings at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd August 1853.
I, JAMES BILLINGS, of 8, Luton Place, George St., Greenwich, do
hereby declare that the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROOFING BUILDINGS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a means of roofing buildings and
other structures with a view to obtain better ventilation, and at the
same time keeping out the wet, and consists of causing the inclined
bearers of the tiles or plates to be formed with inclined supports for
receiving the ends of the tiles or plates in such manner that there is a
space left between the succeeding tiles or plates up a roof in order to
admit of the free passagage of air, and to keep out the wet the upper
edge of each tile or plates is turned upwards. The tiles or plates may
be made of glass, earthenware, wood, metal, or other materials.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Billings in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 2nd February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES BILLINGS, of 8, Luton Place, George Street, Greenwich, send
greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her most, Excellent, Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Billings, Her
special licence that I, the said James Billings, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Billings, 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 Mau, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOFING BUILDINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Billings, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Billings, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object a means of roofing buildings and
other structures with a view to obtain better ventilation, and at the
same time keeping out the wet, and consists of causing the inclined
bearers of the tiles or plates to be formed with inclined supports for
receiving the ends of the tiles or plates in such manner that there is a
space left between the succeeding tiles or plates up a roof in order to

page_text: admit of the free passage of air, and to keep out the wet the upper edge
of each tile or plate is turned upwards. The tiles or plates may be
made of glass, carthenware, wood, metal, or other materials.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the sanic.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows the section of a building partly roofed according to
my Invention; Figure 2, is another section on a larger scale, and
somewhat differing in form; Figure 3, is another section, the rafters
being formed in steps; and Figure 4, is a section of two tiles or plates,
such as are used by me. In Figure 1, and also in Figure 2, the
rafters a, have formed thereon inclined bearers a, a, fixed thereon for
receiving the tiles or plates, b; and it will be seen that the upper
edge of each tile or plate b, is turned up, or a strip of wood or other
material is fixed to the inclined bearers as shown, and the lower edges
of the several tiles or plates overlap the upper edge next below it, by
which construction and combination air may freely pass, and yet rain
will be prevented beating in. I would state, that the tiles or plates
may be made of carthenware or glass or metal or other suitable
material, and the bearers a¹, on the rafters a, may be varied, and either
applied thereto or formed thereon.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the combination and construction of roofs herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Billings, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
JAMES BILLINGS. (L.S.)