New or Improved Appliances for Use in Glazing or otherwise Covering Roofs and Sloping Surfaces.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Appliances for Use in Glazing or otherwise
Covering Roofs and Sloping Surfaces.
I, HENRY CHARLES BOARD, of Rupert Street, Bristol, Horticultural Engineer,
do hereby declaré the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to new or improved appliances for covering the roofs of
conservatories and other sloping surfaces with glass or other light sheet material;
and has for its object to provide roofing and similar covering, which can be
constructed and put in position with more rapidity and at a much less cost than is
possible with the roofing now generally employed, consisting of frame-work, rafters,
sash-bars, and the like.
This invention consists essentially in placing wires or metal rods at any required
distances from each other, extending from one end to the other of the building or
erection to be covered, or from intermediate bars or frames to each other, and
placing thereon metal clips, which hold the sheets of glass, metal, slate, or the like,
as they are laid on the wires.
In carrying my invention into effect, end frames or rafters are laid in position on
the gable ends of the building, and if the distance from one end to the other is
considered too great, intermediate light frames, similar to rafters of a roof are
inserted, and from one to the other of these, wires are strained or rods placed, the
ends being attached to bolts which are passed through the frames or rafters and
tightened on the other side by nuts or similar contrivances for keeping the wires or
rods at the proper tension; the wires are placed at the right distance apart for the
sheets to lie firmly thereon; a number of suitable clips are made and attached to
the wires or rods, in and on these the sheets of glass or other material are laid in
rows, one above the other, like rows of slates are laid on ordinary roofs, the upper
row slightly lapping the one below it, so that any rain falling thereon, will pass
readily on to the channel provided therefor, and each clip will hold the sheet above
and the one below it in its proper position; a stopping or bedding of red-lead may
be laid in and around the clips to prevent the possibility of leakage.
If the roof should drop or bulge in at any particular parts, by tightening the
nuts on the bolts, the wires will be strained, and a plane surface be obtained as
before.
By this means an effective covering is provided, which can be erected in much
less time and at considerably less cost than is possible according to the present
method of roofing conservatories and similar erections.
Dated 26th day of May 1894.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Appliances for Use in Glazing or otherwise
Covering Roofs and Sloping Surfaces.
I, HENRY CHARLES BOARD, of Rupert Street, Bristol, Horticultural 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 :-
My invention relates to a new or improved method of constructing and fitting

page_text: the roofs of conservatories, sheds and similar erections with glass or other light
sheet material, by which a covering, either permanent or temporary, can be much
more cheaply and expeditiously provided, and removed when required, than is
possible according to the present method of roofing and covering.
This invention consists essentially in placing and straining wires or metal rods at
suitable distances apart, extending from one end of the building or space to be
covered to the other, either vertically or horizontally, preferably the latter, and
affixing metal clips to the wires or rods to support the sheets of glass or other
material placed thereon, holding them firmly in position.
The accompanying sheet of drawings will enable my invention to be more clearly
described and understood, illustrating suitable means by which the same may be put
into operation.
Fig. 1 represents a piece of wire, strained horizontally, with a spring clip
attached to support the sheets of glass;
Fig. 2 is a view of a similar wire strained vertically, over or around which a
clip is placed, with either a loose cylindrical socket, through which the wire is
threaded, or a grip to attach it to any required position on the wire ;
Fig. 3 is a section of a piece of roofing, showing the wire and clips laid thereon,
and the sheets of glass inserted in the clips;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of a roof with the sheets of glass laid in position ;
and
Fig. 5 is a perspective sketch of part of a conservatory with curvilinear ends,
and covered with the glass and wire roofing as described.
The same letters of reference are used for the same parts in all the figures.
A is a length of wire extending from end to end or from top to bottom of the
building or space to be covered, tightened by screw bolts or other suitable
appliances; metal clips B formed with grooves 6 to support the lower edge of the
plates, and similar grooves 6' to receive the upper edge; when the wires are laid
horizontally, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the backs of the clips terminate with..
a spring-grip to hold tightly on the wires; when the wires are placed vertically, as
in Fig. 2, a cylindrical attachment or double-spring grip is fitted to the back of
the clip, which is either put round the wire, or the wire threaded through the
cylinder, according to its construction, the plates keeping the clips at the proper
distance apart; c c are sheets of glass laid in the grooves bbl, and placed edge to
edge; one row being laid at the bottom, a second row is laid just above the first,
with a slight lap, as shown in Fig. 3, which is sufficient to carry off the water, the
rows are continued over the surface, as in Fig. 5.
When the length of the building or space to be covered is so great that the
weight of the glass or other material would cause the wires to drop in the middle,
slight rafters, of the same pitch as the ends, may be inserted at intervals, as
indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, grooves being cut in their upper surface in
which the wires may rest, and the sheets of glass extend over the entire surface
without obstruction.
As already mentioned, the wires may be laid either horizontally or vertically,
but from the various experiments made, it is found preferable to place them
horizontally, and fit the clips and sheets on them as shown; the wires may be
either solid or stranded as preferred, and instead of glass, plates or sheets of thin
metal or other material may be used for the outer covering; and the arrangement
of wires, clips, and covering may be adapted to roofs of any pitch, either plain or
curved, and is equally suitable for span or lean-to roofs.
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
The construction of wire tension roofs for covering conservatories, greenhouses,
sheds, and other buildings and spaces, consisting of wires or rods strained to form
a bearing for sheets of glass, metal, or other material, the sheets being held in

page_text: position by clips or similar appliances to secure them to the wires, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth and described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of October 1894.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.