Improved Roofing Tile and Method of Securing the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Roofing Tile and Method of Securing the same.
A communication by ALBERT SCHMIDT, of 138, Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object an improved roofing tile, which, on the one hand,
affords a thoroughly dust- and water-tight roof, and, on the other hand, renders
possible a certain and reliable fastening of the separate tiles to the roof framing.
This improved tile is shown on the accompanying drawing
:-
Figure 1 being a front view showing the connection of three roof-tiles :
Figure 2, a section on the line of Figure 1:
Figure 3, a section on y y of Figure 1: and
Figure 4, a view seen from below of the connection of tiles shown in
Figure 1.
The novelty of this safety tile consists in the overlapping parts of the tiles being
provided with rounded grooves and projections, and in the arrangement of over-
lapping strips arranged stepwise, and side angle pieces both at the head and at the
inner overlapping surfaces of the tile, whereby an absolutely certain dust- and
water-proof roofing is obtained even in the worst weather.
By the further arrangement of projections or lugs at the bottom of the tile with
corresponding curved recesses on the inner top side of the tile, a reliable and
certain fastening or connection with the roof timber is made, so much so that the
heaviest storm cannot cause a lifting of the roof.
The construction of these safety tiles is as follows:-
:-
The tiles are made of the usual sizes, and have at their upper and side edges (in
the drawing shown on the left hand side of Figure 1) grooves a, which may be
closed by means of round projections d, which fulfil the object of catching any
rainwater which may penetrate therein and carrying it off below. On the other
side of the tile (on the right hand side in the drawing) is a raised covering strip c,
on the under side of which there are round projections which engage in the
grooves a of the next tile. There are further, on the bottom edge, four projections
or strips e which are arranged so far apart that the two centre bars may engage in
the grooves of the tile placed beneath them, whilst the two outer bars rest against
those of the last named tile and thus form a fourfold joint. The grooves a of the
left and upper edges of the tile are shut off from one another by means of bevelled
corner plugs or blocks minserted therein, whilst, on the right hand side, these plugs
are replaced by overlapping covering strips or bars c and f. The round projections,
by means of which the joints are formed, become gradually shorter stepwise, so
that, by overlapping the corner plugs or pieces m of the next tile, they fit tightly
together, and thus in, and by, themselves form a good fitting joint.
By the arrangement of the gutter or groove b, the rain water is also as far as
possible carried off from the overlapping part, which is of great advantage for roofing
tiles. Raised portions are formed on the upper surface of the tiles, which serve
both ornamental and practical purposes; on the one hand, a roof covered with
such tiles has a fine architectural effect, on the other hand, the forms of these
elevations, as shown in the drawing, enable the rain water to flow easily downwards
without penetrating too much into the grooves in the tiles.

page_text: The attachment of these safety grooved tiles to the timber is, as usual, by means
of the lugs g. The fastening of these improved tiles to one another, however, and
to the laths of the roof, is new, and forms an important part of this invention.
On the underside of the tile, at the bottom right hand side as shown in Figure 4,
there is a safety projection / through which a hole is bored for receiving a wire
pin or spike. When fastening the tiles on a roof, a pin of suitable length is
passed through the safety lug h and firmly driven into the roof timbers beneath it.
For this purpose, a wedge groove or slot i is formed on the upper edge of the next
lower tile, and the rounded surface of this groove is curved in order to better
guide the wire spike or pin (see Figure 4). By this method of fastening, the
edges of the tiles are firmly pressed together and also a sure and convenient
attachment of each separate tile with the laths of the roof is provided.
The mode of placing these improved safety grooved tiles and their effect are as
follows:-
The tiling of the roof takes place from the bottom upwards, and each successive
tile is laid on the preceding one in such a way that the overlapping stripe rests
with the bar shaped strips on its underside, in the grooves or gutters a of the next
tile. These gutters or grooves are first filled with suitable material for making a
tight joint, such as cement, clay or the like. A tile of the next row above is laid
exactly over the point where the two tiles of the first row meet, in such a way that
the bar shaped strips engage in front of and in the grooves, and thus produce a
fourfold tight joint. By this arrangement, the nail lug of the upper row of
tiles comes opposite the recess i of the lower row, and the connection of the tile
with the roof lath takes place, as already indicated, by driving a nail through the
securing lug into the roof lath. By this multiple tight-fitting joint, which is
further improved by the pressing of the tiles one on the other by means of the
nails, it is possible to entirely prevent rain water driven by the wind from pene-
trating into the interior of the roof, and also the latter cannot be carried off even
by the strongest winds.
A further advantage of these improved tiles is that the troublesome and
unpleasant rattling and clattering of the tiles, which are inseparable from other
kinds of roof covers, cannot take place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An improved safety grooved roofing tile characterised by several round
fastening strips being arranged at the top and sides of the tile arranged as a
series of steps at the sides, and provided with stops or plugs for excluding the
water, so that the penetration of moisture into the side grooves is rendered
difficult and a water and dust-tight connection is made, substantially as
described.
2. The connection of the tile with the roof lath or of one row of tiles with
another upon which it rests by means of the arrangement of a perforated safety
lug or projection on the lower part of the tile as well as a curved recessed wedge
slot on the top of the tile, whereby a roof covering is provided which shall be
proof against being removed by storms, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of October 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.